What Doesn't Kill You

Chapter One

"You'll love it, I swear just a couple more steps, keep your eyes closed, love," my wonderful mate whispered into my ear as he kept his hands over my eyes.

"Come on, sweetie, you know I hate surprises!" I exclaimed as he slowly pushed me forward.

"Just one more step, stop!" I couldn't help but smile at the excitement in his voice.
He slowly took his hands off my eyes and I gasped as the beautiful house came into view. It was absolutely breathtaking, a two story Victorian style house. It looked almost like a castle with its beautiful stone walls.

"Is this....."  My voice trailed off as emotion closed my throat.

"Our home. For just you, me, and the kids."
I felt the tears slowly fill my eyes as I kept surveying my new home where I can finally be happy with just my mate and our kids. I felt his hands slowly lower from my
shoulders to my waist as he started turning me around to face him. I closed my eyes so he wouldn't see my tears and worry.
I felt his hand cup my cheek and I sighed lovingly at the beautiful touch of my mate.

"I love you, Taryn Marie Chase," he said softly.

"And I......."

"TARYN!"

***

I slowly opened my eyes to my sister yelling my name.

"TARYN! Get up you're going to be late for school!"

No. I closed my eyes tight and just wished to go back to sleep. Go back and see my mate. My nameless, faceless mate. I just want to meet him already. I had finally came into my wolf  about two weeks ago and I was just itching to find him. Every time I let my wolf out her spirit would take over and howl in search of her life mate. I shared her eagerness and the dreams have not been helping.

Every night it was some new romantic gesture that causes me to fall more in love with my mate or at least the idea of him.

"Taryn! Your eyes aren't even open," my sister groaned in exasperation.

"I don't want to go to school, Kirsten," I groaned as I pulled the covers over my head.

"Nope. You are NOT going back to sleep," Kirsten said as she pulled the covers completely off of me and the bed.

"Kirst, why?"

"Because I made pancakes," she grinned.

I immediately sat up in my bed, "Pancakes?"

"Pancakes." She nodded, "If you get up and get ready for school."

Kirsten turned on her heel and quickly left the room.

In a flash I was in and out of the shower, dressed, teeth brushed, and ready to head off to school. I rushed down the stairs towards the kitchen all the while pulling my honey blonde hair into a messy bun.

I collapsed into a stool at the breakfast bar as my sister set the pancakes down on the counter.

"Pancakes with blueberries almost..."

"As blue as your eyes," I finished the sentence with her, a soft smile crossing both of our lips.

"Y'all sound just like dad," a male voice said from the doorway of the kitchen.

I turned in my seat and screeched, "Jason!"

My brother opened his arms just in time for me to fling myself into them.

I loved my brother and sister so much they are my best friends and all I have left. When our parents died four years ago I was fourteen and my brother and sister, who were 22 and 20, were both living with their mates. But when they heard they both moved out of the apartments and now we all live together in the house we grew up in.