My Best Mate

Chapter 3: I've Changed

After dinner, we gathered in the living room with Aunt Heather and Kyle sitting on the middle couch—and I, including my mother, settled at the opposite seats—my father and Uncle Ian remained on the dining table.

“Be sure to attend the party next week, Heather. You too, Kyle. I've only invited the alpha and gamma families to join us so it's not going to be grand."

“How come? It's her coming of age. You should go all out. I'll help." Heather volunteered.

Eve slaps the air downwards as she shakes her head. “No need. Nichole doesn't want to make a big deal out of it. I tried to convince her but she didn't want to."

“Why dear?" She asked me.

“I just think being with close friends and family is enough. There is no need to fuss about anything else, I already have everything I need." I paused but quickly added another sentence. “-And I don’t like washing dishes," I confessed as I scratched my head awkwardly.

Kyle let out a strange sound and then covered it with a cough.

“Then I'll be looking forward to your shift, Nikky." She reached for my hand and then stroked it. I just nodded in agreement.

I hear a sudden clap from my mom sending everyone in her direction “Right, You'll be meeting your mate too! I’m relieved there are things to look forward to." She exclaimed.

Jorge who heard their conversation sighed at his wife’s sudden enthusiasm. “If I were you, Eve, I wouldn't get too excited.” he shook his head.

“You never know, our daughter's mate might not be at an age by the time she turned eighteen and the boy might not be on this pa—"

My father felt a sudden chill from the woman who was threatening him with her eyes. Warning him that if he ever tries to continue that sentence, he will regret it.

Mom smiled without reaching her eyes. “Quit the father act. Your daughter will have her mate in front of you whether you like it or not."

What my father meant about not being of age is that werewolves who are already eighteen or older will continue being unmated if their mates are not adults yet or haven’t shifted yet.

When they do turn eighteen, that's the time they'll know their mates.

The awareness of knowing who they'll be together with for a lifetime was an ability shared by our wolves. So if their mate was younger and had not yet shifted, they would not gain the ability to know their mate. This also applies to the one who is already eighteen or older.

“I can feel it. I just feel it." I already knew the next words that would be coming from Aunt Heather’s mouth. I peek at Kyle, seeing him tense.

“You and Kyle are mates! My son wasn't able to find anyone for a whole year since he turned of age. It might've been you all along, dear!"

She clasps my hands with both hands. “We dreamed about this forever, right?" her eyes were full of excitement.

I can't help but be happy and hopeful.

The thought of him being my mate, after all, was strange but it was a good kind of strange. Maybe because I was more expectant of the possibility that we had different mates and that he had already found her.

But at this moment in time, when I was still about to find mine and he wasn’t mated yet to anybody just kept feeding my hopes up.

I glanced again at his way looking for any signs of expectations coming from him, but it was harder since he was looking face down with his one hand trembling in a fist.

I was curious as to why he seemed so worked up but I stopped myself and didn't let it get to me. And if I had confronted him, it would only turn into a fight.

Our relationship has been bleak as it is, I don't want it to get even worse.

All eyes were on Kyle when he stood and was about to leave.

“Where are you going, Kyle?"

“I'm just going to go get some air," he muttered. He quickly kicked and marched out the door.

I followed suit after knocking myself whether to go after him and in the end, I decided that I should. I excused myself and went my way to look for Kyle.

It didn't take me too long before I found him in our yard. He was leaning on an old tree near our house and if I recall, that tree had been there even when we were kids.

At the young age of seven, he'll wait there with a book in hand and I'll only notice him there after he had already fallen asleep.

On some other days, he would go out of his way to bring his bike and invite me for a ride then it became days where he just wanted to go and hang out with me.

I'll open my bedroom window by the second floor and he'll meet me with his most eye-melting smile that keeps me thunderstruck in merely seconds.

All of a sudden, his presence in that place gradually faded away and his visits grew less and less.

The memories stayed but the person was gone.

“K-Kyle, hey. Mind If I sit here with you?"

“Why would you need permission?"

My eyes lit up by what he said but then he spoke again. "It's your place. You can do whatever you want."

What was I expecting?

“…You're right.” I cautiously sit beside him.

I stretched both my arms forward. "Time sure flies fast. I'm turning eighteen and shifting."

I look at him who seems uninterested in talking.

“I'm a little bit nervous now and excited. Did you feel just like this when you had your coming of age?"

I exhaled as I wasn't expecting a reply but then he shrugged his shoulders before he let go and “I don't know."

I became dumbfounded but immediately followed up to not create an uncomfortable atmosphere between us.

“...R-Right? It seems already a long time for you. You wouldn't remember that now."

Though we were not seated that close, his overwhelming energy was effective in making my insides knot all over. His steady breathing was the only sound that seemed to enter the narrow tunnel of my short ears.

I peek at the boy whose gaze seems to be looking again at a distance.

While my sight continues to hover over him, I notice something on his hand.

When I got a closer look, I saw his red knuckles. There were no wounds whatsoever but somehow I assumed that it just healed because of the obvious inflammation around the area.

Kyle was still in deep thought when I went inside bed an ointment and hurried back to his side. I pull his hand over mine and apply the medication before he can react.

“What are you doing?" His voice lowered in question.

“Stay still."

“Stop—"

“Did something happen?" I asked with worry lace in my voice.

He wasn't hurt while we were having dinner so the bruise must have been there just now.

“I'm fine." He yanks his hand from mine but I caught it in time, still insisting.

“Just let me d—"

“I said I'm fine!" Kyle shouts before standing up.

“I know but I'm just gonna–"

This time he forcibly took back his arm, shoving me away. I almost hit the back of my head on the trunk of the tree. But fortunately, I missed an inch and just fell on my knees.

His figure shakes for a moment I thought he'd reach out and apologize but nothing came. Instead of asking about my condition, he stood up.

“I'm leaving."

I grab the lower hem of his shirt in a hurry. “Stay, Please..."

He let out a sigh.

“Don't expect anything from me anymore, Nik. I've changed."

“K-Kyle."

He tried to remove my hand on his clothes but I was persistent.

“Let go—I have to get going now." He stares down at me.

I tried to look something in his eyes, anything that could remind me that there was still the old Kyle somewhere but it was too dark to see anything. The tree leaves shield the subtle rays from the moonlight so that nothing under it is clear and visible.

I slowly loosened my fingers and without another second to waste, he left.