The Lycan's Mate

Chapter 10

Pandora's P.O.V.

Hiding a smile, I reply, "Thank you, Alpha Savage," and nod slightly back. He smiles quickly before my brother greets me as well.

"So, how has your pack been doing?"

"Not too shabby, if I must say so myself. However, the most significant challenge is getting to know my entire pack to place them where they can thrive. And this is where Lucas comes in," I say, stepping aside and motioning towards my temporary beta.

He nodded briefly. "Alpha. Nice to see you again."

My father nods in agreement. "Likewise Lucas." He turns to Shawn and says," Where's Maxwell?"

My brother's face scowls for a split second before turning expressionless as he responds, "The last time I saw him was when he was with his father near the food.

My father appears to have missed the change in Shawn's demeanor and quickly glances at me before departing with the farewell, "I must go but have fun, Pandora."

By the time I finished my nod he was gone in the direction of the food stand. When my father left hearing distance, Shawn gently grabbed my wrist and brought me to backyard next to a large willow tree. He let go and sighed as he leaned lightly against the tree's trunk.

I looked at him, confused. "What's going on?" I asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you," he said, looking into my eyes.

I nodded. "What's up?"

"Your ex-mate is a handful... and confusing," my friend warned me.

"Confusing?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's all over the place. Sometimes he's wild and out of control, but other times he's just sad and helpless. It's like he has a personality disorder or something."

The statement made me shudder and gave me pause for thought. I don't know why the thought of him having two personalities bothered me but I wasn't sure I wanted to find out either.

I sighed and shook my head, "I still need to be cordial with him, since he's going to be an Alpha soon." I rested my head on my brother's shoulder, "Shawn, I missed you so much."

He stroked my head and replied, "I missed you too, Lil Panda Bear. You need to stay strong, Pandora. I know you can handle it."

As he leaned in and planted a tender kiss on my forehead, I closed my eyes and braced myself, hoping to hold back tears. This gesture, a family tradition, reminds us that, despite life's difficulties, we are still here and care deeply for one another.

When I opened my eyes, I saw my brother gazing at me with a wide smile. "Love you, little sis," he whispered. I reciprocated the sentiment and felt his embrace, comforted by the familiarity of our shared ritual. We decided to spend a little more time together outside, talking about insignificant things.

Growing up, we had our fair share of sibling squabbles and disagreements, but as we've gotten older, our bond has only grown stronger.

I felt a sense of contentment washing over me, knowing that no matter what challenges may come our way, my brother and I will always have each other's back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~