Mated to the Wizard

6 - In Tune

After Ben has eaten his pancakes, we all walk out the house to the car in the driveway. It's nothing special, a small Ford I don't know the model of. It's black. Everest puts Ben in his booster seat in the back and I sit in the passenger seat while he drives. It's a short journey; about ten minutes. But it gives me time to think. To realise I need some answers and I need them today. I've been way to patient in letting him walk around like this tiny little life is nothing. It means a great deal to me that he has a child. And not necessarily in a good way.

Everest turns the radio on while we drive, Ben talking about how he needs a new swing set and dinosaur for his birthday and me staring out the window at the blurring trees. Every now and then, I feel him glance at me, but I can never catch him in the act.

We pull up outside a detached house in a neighbourhood with a load of red brick houses and gardens with apple trees. Everest mumbles a 'stay here' before climbing out the car and unstrapping Ben from the back. They take off towards the nearest house and Ben excitedly rings on the doorbell. Soon enough, another boy about Ben's age opens it and they both take off running inside the house, Everest waving and calling something after him.

When he gets back in the car, a weird song from the charts is playing on the radio. Everest changes a channel with a flick of his wrist and pulls out of the space he was in. I try to ignore it, along with my ever growing hunger. Luckily, it's only another three minutes or so before we enter the nearest town.

I can smell it's mainly inhabited by humans but my mate doesn't seem to mind. We stop outside a Costa and walk in.

"You go grab a table and I'll go order." He says curtly and heads to the counter. Shrugging, I walk over to the table in the corner with two chairs that looks vaguely clean and sit down. This is it. I'm going to get answers this time. About Ben, about the mate bond, about him being such a douche. And then maybe it will change? Hopefully it will.

Everest reappears balancing a tray with two paper steaming Costa cups, a chocolate muffin and a blueberry one. He hands me one of the cups and I breathe in the scent of coffee, taking a large gulp and ignoring the burning sensation on my tongue.

"How'd you know I like milk and sugar?" I ask, after realising I never said anything about my drink preferences.

"Same way I know you like chocolate muffins." He shrugs, pushing the plate towards me. I decide to drop the subject when I taste the chocolate cake. The best thing in the world.

"You know, you're taking this all really well. I thought you would be more... pissed off." Everest starts, taking a sip of his own drink and staring at me intently. I feel uncomfortable under his stare, but quickly recompose myself when I realise how I want the conversation to go; with me asking a lot of questions and him answering all of them.

"I've lived around kids my entire life, Everest. I have three other siblings younger than ten whom I've watched grow up from babies. It's normal for me to be around Ben. I just can't believe he exists. You started a family without meeting your mate. With someone else." I sigh, raking a hand through my hair. "I'm disappointed. And disappointment doesn't always come out in the form of punching a table or breaking a wall." He's silent for a long time, and the air between us is thick with tension.

"I didn't know I would ever have a mate." He finally admits quietly. I let out a humourless laugh.

"Every werewolf has a mate. It's inevitable. And anyway, it's no excuse. You're probably going to tell me it was a drunken mistake one night. It wouldn't have mattered if you were half blood or not."