The Alpha's Red Wolf

Three Days

"You look disgusting.”

There it was.

I hadn't even made it out of the training area before Hailey appeared beside me.

I looked down at myself.

Black leggings covered in dirt. Sweat-soaked tank top. Hair that had apparently decided gravity was optional.

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

Hailey hooked her arm through mine.

She'd been my best friend long enough that personal boundaries had stopped existing sometime around middle school.

“How'd you do?”

“Put Derek on his ass.”

“Again?”

“Eventually.”

She laughed. “What does eventually mean?”

“He may have put me on mine first.”

“Ah.”

“But mine was more impressive.”

“Obviously.”

We started toward the parking lot.

“And,” I added casually, “Cole said I might be ready for the warrior trials.”

Hailey stopped walking.

“What?”

“I said—”

“I heard you. Alpha Cole said that?”

“No, a different Cole who happened to be standing beside my brother at warrior training.”

She ignored me.

“Emma, that's huge.”

“I know.”

“You've been talking about the warrior program forever.”

“I've been thinking about it forever. There's a difference.”

“Not really.”

“There is when one requires me to actually decide what I'm doing with my life.”

That was the problem with turning eighteen.

Everyone acted like it was some magical line where you crossed over and suddenly knew exactly what you wanted.

College.

Career.

Mate.

Life.

Meanwhile, I still occasionally ate cereal for dinner.

Clearly adulthood was going well.

Hailey had turned eighteen two months ago, which meant she currently possessed something I desperately wanted.

She could find her mate.

I couldn't.

Yet.

I glanced at her.

She caught me.

“No.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“You were going to ask if I smelled my mate today.”

I grinned. “Did you?”

“No, Emma. I did not magically find my mate between third period and now.”

“Maybe you weren't paying attention.”

“I promise you, I am paying attention.”

“To every guy?”

“Every wolf.”

“That's dedication.”

“Do you know how weird it is? Some guy walked past me at lunch smelling like cinnamon.”

“And?”

“I followed him halfway down the hall.”

I stopped walking.

“You did not.”

“I did.”

“Hailey!”

“I panicked!”

I doubled over laughing.

“It was cinnamon gum,” she said.

That made it worse.

“Stop laughing!”

“He smelled good!”

“You stalked a guy over gum.”

“I investigated.”

I wiped under my eyes. “Very normal behavior.”

“You wait.” She pointed at me. “Three days from now, you're going to be sniffing everybody.”

“I will have dignity.”

Hailey stared at me.

“Fine. I'll probably sniff people.”

“Exactly.”

Ruby stirred excitedly.

Three days.

She'd been counting too.

“And then,” Hailey continued, “the ball.”

My stomach fluttered.

Four days.

My first Mate Ball.

Every year, our pack hosted one of the largest mate gatherings in the region. Unmated wolves from multiple packs came together for one reason—to give themselves the best possible chance of finding the person the Goddess had chosen for them.

I'd watched people prepare for it my entire life.

I'd watched them arrive hopeful and leave bonded.

Last year, I'd watched my own brother find Jasmine.

And this year I could finally go.

Not as someone's little sister.

Not as a kid sneaking downstairs to see everyone's dresses.

As an eligible wolf.

“You're doing the face,” Hailey said.

“What face?”

“The one where you're imagining your mate.”

“I am not.”

“You absolutely are.”

I shoved her.

She laughed.

“What if neither of us finds him?” I asked.

Hailey's expression softened.

“Then we don't.”

I looked at her.

“And we go to the next gathering. And the next one. And someday we do.”

Easy enough to say.

But I'd seen Cole.

Our Alpha had been searching for four years.

Four years of balls and gatherings and visits to other packs.

Nothing.

I didn't want four years.

I wanted four days.

Which was admittedly unreasonable.

We'll find him, Ruby said.

How do you know?

Because he's ours.

Wolf logic.

Hard to argue with.

Hailey nudged me.

“Besides, maybe both of ours will be there.”

I grinned. “Can you imagine?”

“We find them the same night.”

“And they're best friends.”

“Obviously.”

“And gorgeous.”

“Obviously.”

“Rich?”

I laughed. “Hailey.”

“What? Mates can be rich.”

“You're ridiculous.”

“You love me.”

Unfortunately, I did.

Mom was pulling a pan from the oven when I walked through the front door.

She looked at me.

Then at my clothes.

Then back at me.

“No.”

I stopped. “What?”

“Upstairs. Shower.”

“I haven't even done anything.”

“You smell like a locker room.”

Ruby huffed.

We smell like victory.

Apparently victory smelled terrible.

“Fine.”

I started toward the stairs.

“And don't sit on anything!”

“I wasn't going to!”

“Emma.”

“I wasn't!”

I absolutely had been.

Dad laughed from the living room.

Traitor number two.

By the time I showered and came back downstairs, Jake and Jasmine had arrived.

Jasmine was helping Mom with dinner while Jake stood at the counter stealing pieces of whatever they were making.

Mom smacked his hand with a wooden spoon.

Some things never changed.

“There she is,” Jasmine said. “Almost-birthday girl.”

“Three days.”

Mom groaned. “We know.”

“I haven't said anything.”

Dad looked over his glasses.

“You've had a countdown on the refrigerator for two months.”

“That could belong to anyone.”

“It has your name on it,” Jake said.

I looked at the refrigerator.

Okay.

Fair.

Jasmine laughed. “You're excited.”

“For my birthday.”

Everyone stared at me.

I sighed. “Fine. The ball.”

“There it is,” Jake said.

“You found your mate at the last one. You're not allowed to judge me.”

His expression changed instantly when he looked at Jasmine.

It always did.

Softer.

Warmer.

Almost stupid, honestly.

Jasmine smiled back at him.

Ruby sighed happily inside me.

That.

That was what I wanted.

That look.

That certainty.

Someone who looked across a room and saw me.

Not Jake's little sister.

Not the girl who trained with the warriors.

Not a student.

Not somebody's daughter.

Just me.

His.

And he'd be mine.

“Do you really know right away?” I asked Jasmine.

Jake groaned. “You've asked her this like twelve times.”

“I wasn't talking to you.”

Jasmine smiled. “Yes.”

“Like instantly?”

“Pretty much.”

“How?”

“It's hard to explain before you've felt it. I smelled him before I saw him.”

I glanced at Jake. “What did he smell like?”

“Emma,” he warned.

“What? I'm curious.”

Jasmine smiled. “Cedar. Rain. Something warm.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That's annoyingly romantic.”

“It was.”

Jake looked smug.

“Stop looking proud. You didn't choose your smell.”

Jasmine laughed.

Dad nearly choked on his drink.

Jake pointed at me. “Three days. Then maybe you'll understand.”

“Maybe.”

The word came out quieter than I intended.

Jasmine noticed.

“If he's there,” she said gently, “you'll know.”

“And if he's not?”

“Then he's not there yet.”

Simple.

Not exactly comforting, but simple.

“Four years,” I said.

Everyone knew who I meant.

Cole.

Jake's expression shifted.

“He'll find her.”

“You don't know that.”

“No.” Jake glanced at Jasmine. “But I hope he does.”

So did I.

Cole was a good Alpha. He deserved to find whoever the Goddess had chosen for him.

Maybe his mate would be at the ball too.

Maybe Hailey's would.

Maybe mine would.

Three completely unrelated wolves somewhere out there, all headed toward the same place without realizing what was waiting for them.

The thought made me smile.

“You're doing it again,” Jake said.

“That weird dreamy thing?”

“You absolutely do a weird dreamy thing.”

Jasmine elbowed him.

“Leave her alone.”

“Thank you.”

“She only has three more days before she becomes completely unbearable.”

I stared at her.

Betrayal.

Jasmine grinned.

I loved her anyway.

By ten that night, I had finished exactly half of my homework and checked the date on my phone six times.

Three days.

Not that I was counting.

You're counting, Ruby said.

Go to sleep.

I'm a wolf.

And?

I don't have homework.

Show-off.

I rolled onto my back.

Three days until I turned eighteen.

Four until the ball.

What do you think he'll be like? I asked.

Ruby answered immediately.

Strong.

I smiled.

Funny.

Strong.

Smart.

Strong.

I rolled my eyes.

Anything besides strong?

She thought about it.

Fast.

I laughed quietly.

You're impossible.

He needs to keep up with us.

She had a point.

I turned onto my side.

What if we already know him?

Ruby went quiet.

It was possible.

There were wolves I'd known my entire life who were eighteen or older. Until my birthday, there was no way for Ruby and me to recognize our mate even if we'd passed him a thousand times.

Maybe he lived here.

Maybe I'd seen him at training.

Maybe I'd passed him at school without knowing.

Or maybe he was hundreds of miles away in a pack I'd never visited.

That was the terrifying and incredible thing about mates.

I had no idea.

We'll know, Ruby said.

Yeah.

We would.

I wasn't desperate for a boyfriend. I wasn't waiting for some man to show up and make my life complete.

I liked my life.

I loved my family.

I had Hailey.

I had Ruby.

I had school to finish and, apparently, a real shot at becoming one of Ember Ridge's warriors.

But I'd grown up watching mates find one another.

I'd watched Jake find Jasmine.

I'd seen what happened when two people suddenly realized that out of every wolf in the world, they'd found theirs.

I wanted to know what that felt like.

My eyes drifted toward the calendar beside my desk.

My birthday was circled in red.

The following night had been circled about six times.

MATE BALL!!!

Maybe Hailey had a point about me being unbearable.

Ruby stirred.

Almost.

I smiled and pulled the blanket higher.

Almost eighteen.

Almost eligible.

And maybe—just maybe—four days away from meeting the wolf I'd spend the rest of my life with.

I couldn't f*****g wait.