Alpha & Mate

i.

Persephone.

        I made my way though baggage, then customs, then finally out through the front doors of the airport. I looked around at the familiar settings of Mill Valley.

        " 'Sephone!" My mothers old friend Ian Evers waved at me from a shiny black jeep. I smiled at him. "Hello Ian! How have you been?" I asked, giving him a hug. "I've been great, but look at you you've grown so much in the last three years!" He exclaimed.

        I fanned my face, blushing. "Thank you, its been a long three years." I said. He nodded in agreement. "Your Aunt bought you this." Ian said tapping the hood of the vehicle. "Aunt Louise bought that for me?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

        "Yup, bought it from me at the dealership yesterday, saying I had to deliver it to you today at this exact time." He laughed. "Lou's always been that way, shes such a perfectionist." I nodded in agreement. 

        Ian checked his watch, making a face after read the time. "Well, its been nice seeing you 'Sephone, but i've got to get back to work. See you!" He exclaimed, getting into his own car and driving away.

        I put my two suitcases into the back of the Jeep, then turned on my phone. I had my new address saved there, and my aunts number in case of an emergency. I had a text from Aunt Louise waiting for me. "Remember your address is 19 Adderson Lane! Miss you!" 

        I quickly sent a message, entered the address into my phone's map and took off towards that direction. 

                                                                 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////

        I arrived at my new, slightly empty house. There were boxes full of furniture everywhere. I sighed and tied my hair up into a bun and changed into some black shorts and a loose fitting Blut + Eisen* t-shirt.

        I was unboxing my bed frame when there was a rough knock on the door. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and headed towards the door. I swung open the door coming face to face with Hudson Evers. 

        "Hey 'Sephone." Hudson said giving me a hug. "Hello." I said into his shoulder. "You grew." I smiled, swatting him on the shoulder. He shrugged. "I guess.."

        "So how have you been holdin' up without me?" He asked, leaning against a wall. "Germany was amazing. But something just brought me back here, I guess." I shrugged and opened another cardboard box. When I looked back up at him, he had a pained look on his face.

        "Yeah.. So do you need help with anything?" He asked, looking around the house at the cardboard boxes. "Yes please." I snorted, pulling a pair of scissors out of a box labeled "kitchen supplies."

        While we were unpacking my furniture, we caught up on the last 3 years. You see, me and Hudson's mothers were best friends who both had children on the same day, leaving us kind of destined to be best friends. Germany kind of changed that.

        "So you gotta girlfriend?" I asked raising my eyebrows playfully. "Fiancée actually." He smiled, his eyes lighting up. "Quick to get down on the knee." I jeered at him. He rolled his eyes "Its complicated." And he left it at that.

        We finished unpacking everything, and all we had to do was put together the dining table. "This is from Ikea.." I groaned, shoving the parts towards him. "What's so bad about Ikea?" He asked. 

        "Try to put it together." I snorted, sitting down on my new black couch. I watched as Hudson nailed together all of the pieces without looking at the instructions. "You're a god!" I exclaimed. "Thanks." He mumbled brushing off his clothes. 

        "Wanna go to GMa's for dinner?" He asked looking at his phone. I picked at the skin around my nail. "I don't know.. Will it be ok with everyone?" I asked. "Of course. I suggest you change though." I sighed and put on black jeans and a white crop top. "I'm not sure about this.." He just laughed, grabbing my hand and walking out the door to his truck.

        Mine and GMa's relationship was strange. She and my mother were close, and I was just a tag along, but she still cared for me. The last time I saw here we got into a fight about going to Germany. She told me she would rather adopt me than let me go to Germany to see my Aunt. I refused, telling her that she shouldn't worry about me.

        "Persephone, we're here." Hudson said, snapping me out of my daze. I climbed out of the truck and waited until Hudson was headed towards the door to follow him. "Hey guys!" Hudson yelled as soon as he got in the door.

        "What?" I heard GMa's voice echo out through the kitchen. "Persephone's here!" Hudson yelled. I blushed then fanned my face. I heard rustling and stomping until GMa came into the entrance. She hugged me, then pulled away. "My have you ever grown! But you're so skinny, has Louise been feeding you?" She asked, pinching my side.

        "Yes she has GMa.. Its good to see you." I whispered smiling at her. "Come into the dining room Persephone, diners almost ready." She said, making her way into the dining room. She sat at the head of the very large table. 

        Hudson sat next to me near GMa making sure there was a seat next to him that was open. It must be for his fiancée. While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, GMa started asking me about Germany and about how I was during my stay. People started slowly trickling in, and familiar faces were suddenly greeting me left right and center.

        Hudson's fiancée introduced herself as Haeley Blackwell. I vaguely remembered her from middle school. After everything calmed down slightly and the food was out GMa cleared her throat. "Where's Kalen?" She asked, obviously disproving of this Kalen fellow. 

        "He's out tracking the scent of his mate." Someone at near the end of the table said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. GMa slammed her hand on the table leaving me confused. Mate? "Whats a mate?" I asked loud enough for people to hear me.

        "Jeeze, its a wolf thing you know. Special connection with that one person through the wolf then eventually though you." Someone slapped the guy who spoke upside his head. "Way to go, Alexander. Now the human knows." And everyone turned to look at me.

* Blut + Eisen is a German band