The Mate Keeper : Everlee's Beginning

Chapter 2 - Ryder

present day

I am so glad I talked my dad into letting me go to college away from home. I love my pack and I'm excited to be the next alpha of the moonhaven pack but I also need to have time to just be me. Plus after years of searching in my area it was clear my mate wasn't going to be near home. So, here is to hoping I find her at college. I also convinced my best friends to come along as well so I can imagine the parties are going to be epic. Especially since the future Stoneridge clan's alpha and beta are going to this school as well and we are all going to be living together.

I first met Ethan and Evan Stone when my dad took me along to a meeting of the packs two years ago. The Stone twins were there with their dads and we immediately hit it off and have been best friends since. Last year before graduation they talked me into going to Anderson with them. I didn't have siblings growing up as my mom died during my birth so the Stone twins kind of felt like the brothers I never had. Of course they aren't the only ones. My future beta Ellis Lockwood, and my future enforcers the Thompson twins, Dominick and Devin, are also me extended family. So natural to all go to the same school sounded like the best plan ever. I can't wait to tear up Anderson and own it like we are kings. It's a given that we will own that school. Ethan and Evan are already future kings of that place considering the school is on their packs lands. They are the future alpha and beta of their pack after all. So with them as my best friends, my small pack will be there ruling along side of them in no time. It's all Evan can talk about, ruling the school and having the ladies fall over us. While Ethan is all about the epic parties we are going to throw. We are already planning an epic back to school party.

In fact we are all so excited, we decided to move into the house The Stones fathers are renting a week early. So here I am moving into a new house with five other guys. "Dude, did you see we have a pool?" Ellis says walking into my room. "Yeah bro I can't wait for epic pool parties! Girl in bikinis!" I tell him as I finish putting the last of my clothes away. "I'm so excited to see all the girls in their suits. New meat Ry!" He says shoving me a little. "Oh we plan on kissing a bunch of toads-" Dom begins to say. "-till we find our princess." Dev finishes for him. They are constantly talking like that. You get used to it after awhile. The Stone brothers also have a weird twin thing, except they say the same thing at the same time. Like the share a brain or something. "Hey where are you assholes!" I hear Ethan and Ev yell at the same time from somewhere downstairs. "In my room!" I yell back.

"Guys did you see the pool?" Ethan asks. "Yeah our dads did great getting us this place." Ev says. "Yeah don't forget to thank them for us." I say ask I walk by on a mission. I am starving from all that packing. I walk down the stairs of this massive house till I reach the kitchen. Opening the fridge I am happily surprised to see they even fully stocked the fridge for us. "So is everyone unpacked?" Ellis asks as the guys follow me to the kitchen. As everyone confirms they have indeed unpacked I get out all the fixings for sandwiches and chips. I never claimed to be a chef and I don't know if any of these guys are good at cooking. I have a feeling a lot of pizzas are in our future. I make myself a sandwich and the guys do the same.

"So what's everyone's majors? Well besides Ryder. We all know he has the alpha studies." Evan asks. "I am doing beta studies with you." Ellis tell him. "And we are going to be taking-" "-enforcer combat studies." Devin says with Dom finishing his sentence. "Awesome!" Ethan and Evan say at the same time. "I bet we have a ton of classes together. Let's go check out the campus. A lot of people are going to be on campus early moving in before classes next week." I suggest as we all finish up our lunch. "Yeah let's do it!" Ellis agrees. We get to campus and there is just hundreds of people about. Some carrying stuff into the dorms and others playing frisbee or football in the quad. There is even some shifting and showing off their animals. Most of them are wolves like my friends and I, but I see a rare fox and other small animals pouncing about.

We find a nice spot to hang out on one of the picnic tables near the cafeteria and start people watching. There are so many hot girls walking around and the weather is so nice that a lot of them aren't wearing much. We are talking and fooling around when a girl with blonde hair, green eyes, and a tall skinny build comes sashaying her way over. I notice her focus is on Ethan and Evan and I wait to see them notice her. "Hey troublesome duo." She practically purrs in their direction. Ethan looks up first and smiles. "Catrina. Long time no see." He says giving her a hug followed by Evan. It's clear these guys see her as a little sister and so I am polite as Ethan and Ev introduce the rest of us. "It's nice to meet you guys. I have already been talking you up." Catrina says to the Stone brothers. I have already heard a lot of people refering to you as the kings as well." She says batting her eyes at the guys and twirling a lock of her hair. Catrina is pretty and all in the way most wolf shifters are pretty, but she really isn't my type at all. I like them dark and mysterious. I am all about the girls that are unique.

We end up talking and we find out Catrina is a member of the Stoneridge pack and a close family friend. As we are she gets more bold flirting with pretty much all of us and really it's a huge turn off. So, I don't talk as much. I figure the less attention I give her the better. Even though Catrina makes me a bit uncomfortable, we are all having a good time. The Stones and Catrina are sharing stories about past trouble the guys got into trouble. Which is why she calls them the troublesome duo. It isn't till a deep voice and a shit attitude come does the mood get ruined.

"Oh babe. You don't want anything to do with the Stone boys. They aren't good enough for a beauty like you. Come and spend time with me, a real man, and I can rock your world." I turn around to find your typical bad boy biker looking at Catrina with a sleezey smile. When Catrina looks up and notices him, he gives her a wink and her face goes red. "Go away Troy." Ethan and Evan say with a slight growl in their voice. "What boys. Don't want to introduce me to your friends?" The guy named Troy says. "No." Ethan says in a menacing voice. Glaring at a Troy like he would like to rip his face off. Immediately my pack stands behind Ethan and Evan in support. "What are you doing here Troy? Your pack has a college near your lands." Evan says and finally it clicks who this guy is. Troy Stark future Alpha of the Star pack. You would think with a name like Star they would be a cool pack, but really they are one of the meanest packs around. They are cruel to all other shifters except those who are in their pack. They also love collecting wolves with extra talents or gifts for their pack. One time they convinced a wolf by the name of Stan from my pack he needed to switch to their pack. Stan had some elemental water magic and because of that they bribed the kid with a new car. What fifteen year old boy is going to say no to a brand new shiney camero. I've also heard rumors that if they want someone enough they aren't afraid to kidnap them and keep them. Rumor has it Troys mother was a seer wolf and Troy's father kidnapped her from her pack and made her his wife. I don't know if it's true but I wouldn't put it past them.

No one cares much for the Star pack and their golden boy Troy but the Stone brothers have a deep hatred for him. Once at a meeting, Troy and his father goaded the Stones by saying that if they protected their Luna better the Stone twins would still have a mother. Everyone knows the twins mother was murdered by human thieves and that was just a low blow. What happened to Callista Stone wasn't something anyone could have predicted. The twins don't talk about it much but they once told me she was killed during a robbery gone bad. I didn't know my mother and in some ways for me to lose her the way I did was a blessing. I can't even imagine living ten years having the love of a mother, only for it to be taken away by an idiot with a gun.

"I wanted to go to college away from my father." Troy replies. "Besides my best friends the Rock twins go here." He is always changing their name to rock like its the ultimate insult. Honestly, he is so immature that it isn't even funny. "Just behave Troy. This is our area." Ethan and Evan say at the same time. "Yeah, yeah. You know the talking at the same time thing is creepy right?" Troy says grinning. Before he walks off he blows Catrina a kiss. "See ya later babe." He says giving her a wink and walking off. "I am pretty sure I am going to hate that guy." Ellis says clenching his teeth. "I don't think anyone likes him." I reply. "It's going to be-" "-an interesting year." Dom says with Devin finishing.