Mateless and Home Bound

Chapter 9: Accidental Sleepover

He was such an asshole. Here he was, moping about how he didn't want to have a mate and how his parents were potentially going to have a fit, while his mate was dealing with the death of his only family member. As much as he was scared of his parent's reaction to this, he would rather face that any day than having to deal with what Sage was going through.

"I'm all alone now," he had told him. "Against the world."

There were times when he had felt all alone. Even though he lived with hundreds of people, it was easy to feel alone when he was younger. He was so much smaller than most of the kids his age that most of them completely ignored him. They wouldn't pick on him for fear of what his parents or Max would do, but they wouldn't exactly want to play with him either.

Sage was the only one who understood that part of him. When they met in school it just seemed like they got each other. Both of them knew what it was like to be alone and have no one really want to be close to them. They were both social, yet to themselves; close yet far at the same time. They clicked more than anyone he had ever known. It was why they were practically inseparable when they were younger.

And he was complaining that he was his mate. He should have Eric punch him in the face or something for even thinking like that.

"So, is the meet up not happening, or what?" Michael popped into his room. He was looking for his car keys at the moment.

"It's canceled," he told him, finally finding the keys and turning around to leave the room. "We're going to have to do it another time."

"What?!" Ana's voice squeaked right behind Michael. He gave him a guilty look before moving to the side for her. "What do you mean it's canceled?! I just corralled everyone to bug you about this for nothing?!"

"You didn't really corral us," Eric chuckled. "It's not like we're cattle, or that we didn't want to come."

"Can you guys move?" he pushed passed them all. "This is important."

"More important than introducing us to your-!" Ana's sentence was cut off by him giving her the death glare. His parents weren't too far off and if they heard her say that he was going to be in deeper shit than he already was for not telling Max that he found his mate.

"Yes," he told her, finally getting passed the group. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Nuh-uh," Ana crossed her arms. The way she said that reminded him of when they were all kids again and she would pout over not getting something her way. "You owe us an explanation at least, Mr. Oh-So-Important."

"Where are you going?" Eric asked, looking at the keys in his hand. "Did something happen?"

"Are you going to see him without us?!" Ana had to be so dramatic when it came to this. She always got this way when it came to Reggie. It happened ever since he left to go to a whole other school. He was the first in the pack to do something like that, and her and Eric were too used to having him around all the time. He had to make sure and call both of them every day during his first year just so they wouldn't get worried or sad that he was gone.

"Yes," he answered honestly. "It's complicated, okay?"

"How is it complicated?" Michael asked. "I'm with Ana on this. We deserve an explanation."

"Because," he sighed. "I'm not going to force him to meet all of you while he's grieving for the death of his grandmother!"

"Whos' grandmother died?" he turned to see the exact people he didn't want to see behind him in the hallway. Max was there with Charlie and his parents behind them. All of them were looking curiously at the small group that was clogging up the hallways.