He Will Be Mine (New Horizon Book 1)

Meeting Mari: Aly

“I. Am. Exhausted.” That’s all Matt says before he drops to his knees and then sprawls out on his stomach on the grass.

I can’t say I blame him. He’s been stubbornly trying to keep up with Tyler and me for the past two days when we join the warriors for training. Granted, I haven’t been letting him do everything everyone else is working on, but I have been making him run with me instead of walking, plus we’ve been working on some strength training.

It’s his choice, though. He got up the second day here and insisted on coming with us to train, arguing that there’s no better motivation to get himself in shape than to tag along whenever we go to work out. I think he’s perfect how he is, but I won’t complain if he wants to make improvements. My dad seems pretty happy about it, too.

“Maybe you should tap out early and go get some rest,” I suggest, dropping down next to him.

He rolls over so he can look up at me and shakes his head. “Nope. Just give me five and I’ll be good to go.”

“Why so obsessed with training all of a sudden?” I ask as I lean down to brush a sweaty piece of his hair away from his forehead.

His thick, curly, golden-brown hair has been getting long and could probably be put in a ponytail soon. It’s gorgeous, and I kind of like it this way. It frames his face in a way that really brings out his beautiful brown eyes, which look kind of caramel-colored in the sunlight. Very similar to Tyler’s, which I’m not sorry about. The eyes on these boys make me swoon.

“I don’t know,” he admits, suddenly getting shy on me. He turns his face away as though he feels embarrassed to be having this conversation.

“I guess I’m self-conscious,” he continues after thinking for a moment. “It’s bad enough back home and at school when I look around and see so many guys with bodies like Greek gods, but here it’s basically everyone. Every single person is beautiful and fit. I mean, look at me,” he scoffs, his face blushing bright red.

He’s still not looking at me, but when he blushes like that you don’t have to see his face to know it. Even his neck and ears turn red.

“Matt, don’t do that. Don’t hate on yourself and make impossible comparisons like that. I don’t have a problem with you wanting to get in shape and be healthier, but I do have a problem with you pushing yourself because you think there’s something wrong with you. You’re special, and you’re perfect. I think you’re gorgeous. You don’t know how hard I have to fight to keep from jumping your bones every second of every day. And Mari? Well, let’s just say if she had her way, you’d never wear clothes again.”

He laughs, covering his face with his hands and turning even redder, if that’s possible. I prop myself up on an elbow and lean over him to pry his hands away from his face and make him look at me. Once he finally does, my heart skips at the vulnerable look he gives me. I place a soft kiss on his lips and then pull away to admire him some more.

“Speaking of Mari, do you think you’re ready to meet her?” I ask uncertainly, not wanting to upset the peace he seems to have found since the rocky start we had his first day here.

He smiles and half sits up, seeming excited. “Yeah, absolutely. Can I watch you change or whatever it’s called?”

“It's called shifting, and yes. Only if you’re sure. It might be unsettling to see because, I mean, my whole body breaks apart and puts itself back together again, except bigger and with lots of fur. Sure you’re up to it?”

“I’m sure,” he insists. “Although maybe we could call Tyler back over here. I think I’d feel better about it if he’s with me. He’s seen it before, right?”

“He has, and he loves it. He’s an oddball, though. It’s okay if you don’t enjoy seeing it happen. Just don’t be scared. Mari would never hurt you.”

“I know. I trust you, and Mari. It’s only scary when you’re a kid and don’t expect it,” he says with a smirk.

I’m glad to see that he can joke about his traumatic childhood experiences now, and I smile back at him.

I mind-link Ryan to see if Tyler is still with his group. When he confirms, I ask him to send Tyler over to us.

Mate withdrawals? He teases.

He’s one of the select few people who know about me having two mates, my dad insisting that we keep it under wraps for now. It bothers me because I get the sense that he views it as one of those shameful secrets that we should hide, like a skeleton in our closet, but I don’t see it like that at all. I’m proud and dying to shout it from the rooftops. I’ll keep a lid on it at least until the Elders confirm, though.

You’re too funny. No, just need him for moral support. Matt wants to meet Mari, I explain.

We’ll be right there, Ryan tells me, all the humor gone from his tone. He knows this is an important moment.

I lie back on the grass and pull Matt down with me, cuddling up to him until the other guys make it over to us. I can feel how tired he is and hear it in how he breathes. But when I turn my face to look up at him, all I see is him smiling down at me while he twirls my hair with his fingers.

It’s crazy to me that he can’t see himself the way I do. It breaks my heart that he seems to think he needs to push himself so hard to be worthy of me, but I appreciate it all the same. His dedication is impressive.

When I hear their footsteps approaching us, I reluctantly uncurl myself from his body and get up, turning around to hold out a hand and help him up after me.

Tyler comes up behind him and slaps him on the back, grinning at me.

“Big moment,” he remarks, now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Matt.

Looking back and forth between them, I’m struck with the realization that if Matt continues with his workout fixation, he might one day look a lot like Tyler. They have a similar build, though Tyler is a couple inches shorter. I know Ryan is 6’2” and Tyler is just shy of that. I'm not sure how tall Matt is exactly. Close to my dad’s height, though neither Matt nor Tyler is broad and stocky like he is. More long and lean, like Ryan.

I realize that I’ve missed some of what they’ve been saying because I’m just standing there appreciating that I’m surrounded by beautiful men, so I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

“There she is,” Ryan comments, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You know, if you can’t handle both of your men sweaty now, I’m not sure how you’re going to survive being mated to them both,” he teases, making Tyler laugh while Matt blushes and looks at my feet.

“I was just thinking about something,” I defend, smacking his arm. “I’m handling it just fine.”

He smirks and I stick my tongue out at him. He chuckles at my immaturity, and I have to fight back the urge to start chasing him around like I would have when we were kids. I’ve missed my best friend.

Tell him to shift with us, Mari prompts, probably missing him just as much. It’s been ages since we’ve been on a run together, and I think that’s an excellent idea.

“I have an idea. Shift with me, Ryan. Mari wants to see Coby, and we can run together for a little bit.”

Ryan grins and his eyes shine with excitement. He obviously likes that idea quite a bit.

“Yeah, sure. As long as that won’t be too much for Matt his first time,” he points out, and I realize he’s right that it might be a little overwhelming.

“Well, let’s see how it goes,” Matt suggests. “I haven’t seen it yet.” He chuckles nervously, reaching up to scratch his neck.

Not a great sign that he’s getting nervous, but that’s probably a signal that we need to get it over with. The anticipation might be getting to him.

“Alright, enough stalling. Let’s do this already,” I say, starting to remove my tank top.

Matt’s eyes widen as he realizes that shifting means stripping. I didn’t think to remind him of that. Tyler puts his arm around him, probably also noticing that he is getting a little uncomfortable.

For Matt’s sake, I make quick work of stripping off my clothes and piling them on the ground. Then I crouch down and focus on Mari to begin the process of letting her take over.

“It’s a bit graphic at first,” Tyler warns Matt. “Sounds worse than it is, though. Don’t let it get to you.”

I can already feel my bones snapping and my skin heating as it expands and tears apart. I remember that focusing on Tyler helped me through the uncomfortable parts last time, so I try keeping my eyes open, focusing on him again. I would focus on Matt, but I don’t want to make him feel self-conscious.

Sometimes when I shift, I just give myself over completely and let Mari come to the front, pushing my consciousness back until it feels like I’m a passive observer. Other times, I let her body take over but stay present in our mind so that I still have control, and this is one of those times. I want to be at the forefront to see Matt’s reaction and feel him if he gets comfortable enough to reach out and pet me.

After pushing through the woozy parts, I am aware that I’m standing on massive black paws and can feel my tail. I know it’s almost over when I feel my face tingling and then burning, until I am vaguely aware of my snout protruding, and my vision blurs and then sharpens as an indication of my eyes shifting into Mari’s.

To Matt’s credit, he kept his eyes open and watched the whole transformation. He looked a little green at first and I watched him cling to Tyler’s arm initially, but now he looks more relaxed. There are tears forming in his eyes, but he’s smiling. His expression is actually quite similar to Tyler’s, a mix of awe, admiration, and affection.

“Can I pet her or is that considered disrespectful because she’s not a dog?” Matt asks Ryan.

He chuckles, nodding. “You can pet her. In fact, she will probably demand it. Our wolves are more demanding of our mates’ affections.”

I bark my agreement, stepping toward Matt and nudging his hand with my snout.

He lets out a nervous, excited giggle and reaches out to pet me. The sensations from his hand are intense in this form. If a wolf could purr, that’s what I’d be doing. It feels so far beyond good. Tyler lets go of him and joins in on the petting, and then I’m lost in my own little world of pleasure, soaking in their attention and returning it with some kisses and nuzzles. Eventually Mari gets impatient waiting for me to get out of her way, and I reluctantly let her push me back so she can enjoy some time with our mates.

“Do you think you could handle it if I shift too?” Ryan asks uncertainly, looking to Matt for approval.

“Sure,” Matt agrees. I feel him tense a little, but with Tyler there he should be okay. Plus, he knows a little better what to expect now.

“I’m pretty excited about this,” Tyler enthuses. “I haven’t seen Ryan’s wolf, either. Did she say his name is Coby?”

“Yep. He’s kind of a showoff and he and Mari are pretty competitive with each other, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they suddenly tear off after each other. I wouldn’t suggest trying to follow. Mari is fast, and you’ll never be able to keep up. Not a dig at you guys, it’s just fact. Coby can’t catch her either, though he always thinks he can.”

“I can see that,” Matt says. “Aly is fast, too.”

“Yeah, she gets it from her mom,” Ryan explains. “The two of them running together is a sight to see. But anyway, here goes.”

He strips off his shirt and wiggles out of his shorts, kicking off his shoes. Matt looks away, but Tyler watches with interest. He’s probably curious how a werewolf differs from a human, though I think he’ll be disappointed. I haven’t seen Matt nude yet, but naked Tyler is pretty similar to naked Ryan. There’s not going to be much for him to discover.

Ryan’s shift seems a bit rushed, which I’m sure he did for Matt’s sake. I know from experience that doing it like that is far more nauseating and painful, and I love him for enduring that when he didn’t have to. Soon Coby crouches nearby, and then rises and shakes out his dark gray fur and stretches his legs.

“Oh, dude, you look so sweet!” Tyler gushes.

He reaches forward to pet him, but draws back at the last second.

“I just realized that maybe I’m not supposed to touch you because I’m not your mate,” he explains.

Coby moves toward him and pushes against his hand to indicate that he’s okay with being pet, so Tyler eagerly strokes his fur. Matt keeps petting Mari, apparently not comfortable with any other wolf yet. Either that, or he’s enjoying the sensations as much as Mari.

I wonder if I’ll eventually experience that with Tyler, too, since he’s supposedly my true mate also. I make a note of bringing that up with whichever of the Elders comes to explain more about it. It seems unfair that he’s been deprived of that extra little connection and bonding experience.

After Tyler finishes petting him, Coby starts pacing around Mari. She reluctantly pulls away from her mates, knowing that Coby is going to try to surprise her somehow. She watches him warily, jumping and turning away just in time when she realizes he is about to nip at her tail. She growls at him playfully, and he makes a sound that is basically a wolfy laugh.

Mari spins around and lunges at Coby, not intending to actually make contact with any part of him, but he flips around and takes a defensive stance. She feigns a nip at his neck, pulling back at the last second and taking off toward the nearest trail. He quickly regains his footing and speeds after her.

I can hear Matt and Tyler laughing where we left them, but soon there is nothing but the chase filling my awareness. It has been too long since I’ve let Mari run like this.