Goddess Choosen: Toby and Rita

Best Man In The Fire

(Toby's P.O.V.)

Toby left Sabrina and Rita to catch up and went to his room. Once inside, his wolf who had seen and smelled his mate was eager to go back.

"Did you not hear me? That is our mate!", Scotus practically shouts in Toby's mind.

"I heard you but it's complicated.", Toby sighs out as he remembers the time they shared vividly.

A rush of memories all came flooding back the moment he saw her. Including, how he had lied to her about having a girlfriend and using her for a distraction. He thought the moon Goddess had a really bad sense of humor to make her his mate.

"She is our mate. Tell her the truth. She will forgive us.", Scotus was hopeful that Rita would feel the bond between them.

"Yeah sure. Let's get right on it. Sorry about high school. I was a transfer werewolf student and I wasn't allowed to get attached. So, I lied, broke your heart and mine." Toby says sarcastically knowing that's not going to go over well.

Scotus growls at Toby.

"Fix it! She is our Mate! The Goddess doesn't give us more than one for a reason.", He retreats to the back of Toby's mind sulking.

A knock a the door makes Toby jump. He walks over tearing the door open to find Gabriel.

"Hello to you too. Ready?", Gabriel looks Toby over worried.

"Ready for what?" Toby asks his mind completely blank except for how to make things right with Rita.

"Tuxes man. You okay?", Gabriel is staring at him now looking him over with concern.

"Yeah. Actually no, but let's talk about it on the way." He says as he walks out of his room.

Once in the truck and headed towards town, Toby explains everything to Gabriel about Rita being his mate, high school and the fallout. Gabriel listens not saying anything until Toby finishes.

"Damn.", Gabriel finally says after a long pause.

"Damn? That's it?", Toby feels like he's going to explode.

"No, but you're not giving me time to process. Dude, you broke her heart, left and now she's my mate's best friend. Your mate.", Gabriel sums it up for clarity.

"Yeah.", Toby says.

"You should talk to her. Be honest.", Gabriel says simply.

"Ugh...No. That's the same thing Scotus said. I need something else. A way to get into her good graces, plus I don't think she remembers me. She didn't say anything or even look shocked when we met again." Toby watched her face as she walked up. No recognition or anger.

"Are you sure? Cause even if you do get in her good graces, if she remembers what happened, it'll all fall apart badly. I don't want it to affect Sabrina. She'll kick your ass for hurting her friend.", Gabriel admitted.

Gabriel was right. If things went south with Rita, his future Luna would probably tear him a new one. Toby sighed again. He didn't want to hurt Rita. He wanted to love and protect her. He wanted to make her his in every possible way.

They pull in to the Tux shop seeing Alpha Lewis and Beta Tyler already waiting. They join them heading into the shop. Toby's mind started to wonder again as he thought about Rita then versus now. She was even more devastatingly beautiful than before.

"You okay?", Tyler asked his son who looked like he was a million miles away.

"I found my mate.", Toby said in a somber tone to his father. Tyler cracked a smile and clapped Toby on the back.

"Where? Who is she? When do I get to meet her?", Tyler fired question after question at him excited to know about the woman the Goddess chose for his son.

"Today, at the airport. It's Sabrina's best friend and maid of honor." Toby said looking at his dad's happy face. "But, there's a problem."

Tyler looked at his son seriously. "What problem?"

"I know her. From before, when we were in Goreville to help establish the Greenbale pack.", Toby says honestly, his voice filled with regret.

"Okay, so why is that a problem?", Tyler asked confused.

"Cause we were leaving, I lied to her. I told her I had a girlfriend already.", Toby admits bitterly.

"You told her what?", Tyler voices shocked.

"I didn't want her to wait for me. I couldn't tell her the real reason I was leaving or why I was there even. At the time, I thought it was the best way to part ways.", Toby would have said anything else had he known she was going to be his mate. He regretted lying to her. He just hoped he could convince her to be his now and hope she wouldn't remember then.

"Oh man...", Tyler whispers frustrated with the decision of his teenage son. "What do you plan to do now?"

"I don't know. I don't know if she even remembers me from then. She acted like she didn't. I'm hoping I can charm her now.", Tyler prays to the Goddess as he tells his father his plans.

"What happens if she does remember?", Tyler asks seeing a big hole in his son's plan.

"Beg for forgiveness until she agrees.", He says not feeling certain about that either.

"Why not just tell her the truth?", Tyler suggests.

Why was that everyone's solution? Sure he could be honest. He could tell her everything hoping she would accept him, forgive him, but a lingering fear crept in. What if she didn't forgive him? What if she rejected him? The thought alone made his chest feel hollow.

"I'll think about it.", Toby sighed out as he looked at his father.