Her Mates

1

I had been living with my sister for almost a month now. Casey went out of her way to make me feel comfortable, and so did her husband, Phil. Every morning, he made sure I had food for school, and when it came to pocket money, they were both more generous than I probably deserved. I still had occasional contact with my parents, but I kept it to a bare minimum. I had no desire to be dragged back into their problems.

Surprisingly, I had made friends quickly at school and was now part of a great group. Everyone in Woodston had been incredibly kind to me—almost too kind. Sometimes, it was unnerving how much people seemed to care about my well-being. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Apart from my siblings, no one had really paid much attention to me in the past few years.

If I so much as stumbled, people acted like I might shatter. Sure, I was clumsy—Casey, of all people, knew that—but the reactions felt exaggerated. And then there was the town's obsession with the mayor's return. Apparently, he had been away on some trip with his advisors, searching for someone or something. No one would give me a straight answer, and I had stopped trying to understand it. Small towns loved their secrets.

"Maeve!" Phil's voice echoed through the house. "You need to leave now if you don't want the store to close before you get your baking stuff! The money's on the dresser in the hallway."

I rolled my eyes but hurried downstairs. As I passed the kitchen, I caught sight of Casey and Phil—completely wrapped up in each other.

"Ugh. I really don't want to interrupt whatever this is," I muttered, making a face. "I'm heading out now. Don't forget you're expecting company tonight!"

Casey immediately buried her face in Phil's chest while he just shook his head at me with a smirk.

Grabbing the cash from the hallway dresser, I was just about to step outside when Casey called out. "Don't forget your jacket! I don't want you getting sick!"

Rolling my eyes again but smiling to myself, I grabbed the first jacket I could find and finally left the house. The supermarket wasn't far, but it would take a little time to get there. To pass the time, I put in my earbuds and turned on some music.

Once inside, I grabbed a basket and started gathering the ingredients I needed. I didn't want to spend more time here than necessary—my bed was waiting for me, and I still had homework. Plus, knowing Casey, she'd probably need my help in the kitchen later.

Just as I was about to head to the register, my phone rang. Seeing Phil's name, I answered.

"Hey, are you still shopping?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Casey forgot to buy fresh vegetables for the salad."

I could hear my sister in the background complaining that he could have remembered too.

I laughed. "I'll grab them. No problem."

Phil sighed dramatically. "You're a lifesaver, Maevy. See you soon!"

Shaking my head with a smile, I turned toward the produce section. As I reached for some cucumbers, I heard a quiet gasp behind me.

Confused, I turned to see a young man staring at me like I was the most surprising thing he had ever seen. His gray-blue eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, we just stood there in silence.

Then, he finally spoke, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "I've never seen you here before. Are you new?"

"Uh... yeah. I moved here a few weeks ago. I live with my sister and her husband," I said, smiling up at him.

Even though he wasn't ridiculously tall, he still towered over me—though, to be fair, most people did. At 5'2", I was used to looking up at nearly everyone. He was probably around 5'9", maybe a little taller.

I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be heading home, so I gave him a polite nod before turning back to my shopping. But as I walked toward the checkout, I could feel him following me.

Weirdly, it didn't bother me.

"I'm Zac," he said, now standing beside me in line. "Nice to meet you. Have you settled in okay?"

I glanced at him, surprised by how genuinely curious he sounded. "Yeah, actually. Woodston's a great town. The people here have been really welcoming. Though," I added with a small laugh, "some of them are a little... overprotective."

Zac grinned. "Yeah, people here can be intense."

I nodded as I placed my groceries on the counter. Without hesitation, he started helping me unload my basket.

Once I paid and packed everything into my bags, I said goodbye to Zac and made my way home.

As I reached the front door, I fished out my keys, but before I could unlock it, the door swung open.

Standing there was a giant of a man.

He stared at me for half a second before stepping forward and—without warning—pulling me into a crushing embrace.

I froze.

Frowning in confusion, I tried to pull away, but the man held me tighter. A low, almost possessive growl rumbled from his chest.

"Uh... buddy?" I said hesitantly. "Can you let go of me?"

My voice sounded small, almost uncertain, which only made me more irritated. Who the hell was this guy?

Before I could push him away, Phil's voice cut through the tension.

"Juri, let go of her."

The giant—Juri—stiffened. He clearly didn't like what he was being told. Instead of letting me go, his arms tightened around me.

"It's her," he muttered.

Phil sighed. "I know. But she doesn't know anything yet. You're scaring her. Let go."

I blinked.

Wait. What the hell did that mean?

What did I not know?