The Mating Games

Chapter 25: Office fun

It must have been mid-morning by the time I ambled out of bed, dragging the sheet halfway across the room with me and hopped into the steaming shower. Theo had disappeared a few hours before, sneaking to put his clothes on with a quite thud of the door. I had wanted to follow him or at least ask where he was going but the heavy weight on my eyelids convinced me sleep was more important.

Water cascaded down my slick body, hitting the tiles with an echo; I savoured the warm blanket covering me. Maybe it was time to get out, but I really didn't want to. It was for good reason too; the crisp mountain air left a slight chill over my body, not even the towel could provide me with enough warmth, so I rushed to chuck on some lazy sweatpants and a shirt and wandered out of the room. Chatter led me down the hall and into an open plan kitchen/dining room; the hard wood floor shined with the morning light and illuminated the oak cabin.

"Morning," I mumbled out, lazily resting my hip on the door frame. April drifted her eyes from Colin and gave me a cheeky wink.

"Didn't think you were ever getting up," the jest had me chuckling, "Theo must have given you a good ride, ae?" laughter drifted around the room, light hearted and full of love. I had really grown to love this girl.

"He certainly didn't disappoint," I winked back, taking a seat across from Colin and giving him a small smile. "And how is your morning going?" The couple shared a secret look, honeymoon love shining in their eyes,

"It's been fun, but Colin has to get back to work soon and I'm going to be bored," the whine was apparent and I was glad it wasn't directed at me, any second now she was going to get clinging and I had already had enough trouble trying to get her death grip off my arms while we were at the games, I didn't want to have to do it again. Colin sighed, stringing his fingers through his blonde hair and tugging on the strands gently.

"Don't start April, I'm serious this time. I have to get back to work, the pack relies on me to get the supplies from town," he gave her a stern look, hardening his soft, almost delicate features. April pouted but placed a sloppy kiss on his lips nonetheless and let him rise from his seat start taking their plates into the kitchen. It's funny how attached you can get to someone after such a short time but I guess that's why they call it puppy love, because no matter what you do, puppies will always be happy to see you.

"Okay, I'll catch you guys later," Colin waved, "love you, April," she blew him a kiss and sunk into her seat once he had left out the door.

"I love him, so much, like I love him soooo much," she rambled on, a wistful look in her eyes. I couldn't help the smirk on my face, it's just she was so against having a mate and now, it's like they had always been together. "Do you think the moon puts people together? Like we're destined to always find the one?" I pursed my lips, taking a moment to think about it.

"No, I don't. I think that some people are put in your life for a reason, even if you don't know what it is until after they leave, but I don't think you're destined to find one person. It's like meeting people on the street, you have no idea they exist until you do and then they disappear again. People come and go but the ones that stick around for even a short amount of time affect us in ways we can't see until later."

"You should write a book."

//

The sun had raced high in the sky, peaking out above the emerald blanket of trees and shining directly into my eyes. Fuck that. I moved hand in front of my face, shielding my ocean blues from the onslaught of rays. I was currently standing in a group of newbies, being lectured by an elderly gentleman on the importance of pack life running smoothly. He has been "informing" us for about half an hour and my feet were starting to go numb from the hard ground and I wanted to plug my ears in a very childish manner.