The Moon Baby (SAMPLE ONLY)

Chapter 3 - Mate?

During the next week, Tori and I trained every day. I was given some reprieve from the lessons that I had, given the timing. I used that to relax with Tori and try to quell my anxiety. Hoping everything would just fall away.

A week later and here we are, my actual 18th birthday. We'd fibbed around with my birthday so no one but those who knew me knew it what this day meant. That was about the only reason I was really excited.

But, as I get up, I find that I feel the same as I do every other day. I don't know why I am a bit disappointed. I guess I hoped I would feel different today, but I really don't. Some part of me figured that waking up, I would feel this surge of... something. Nope, just a day, another one just like yesterday.

Tori and I agreed to skip our morning training for the rest of the week so that we could 'scout' for my mate. I just think she wants an excuse to check out all the eligible males in the pack. Or maybe it's an excuse to not train. Either way, she's avoiding something or going crazy for another. It also means either way, I'm toast.

I've told her before, and I might end up saying it today. Her plans are sometimes just a tad bit ridiculous, sometimes outright crazy, and almost always, trouble. I love her dearly, I really do. But if I'm every in a seriously bad situation, there's only one person you need to find and blame. Mind you, she'll probably be right next to me and in just as much trouble, but still.

"Bitch get up and get ready!" Tori yells as she bursts into my room. Since I'm pack adopted, I live in the pack house, meaning it's quite easy for her to come into my room whenever she wants. In fact, she's done it a few times in the past.

One time, specifically the day I graduated, she burst in and tossed glitter and streamers around every corner of the room. That's right, she threw craft herpes at me and danced around like she had slammed four or five energy drinks and legit just couldn't hold it in anymore. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what happened. I still find that damned craft herpes around this room.

"Damn woman, I'm going! Calm down!" I roll out of bed and jump into the bathroom to shower. At the very least, living in the pack house has this benefit. All of the individual rooms have an en suite bathroom. The pack house back in Moonlight only had a community one. At least that's what I remember.

I knew that at some point today I would start thinking about my parents, brother, the pack that I left behind. I had tried preparing for that over the last week too. Hint, you can't prepare for emotional roller coasters. So instead, I go through my shower routine thinking about how maybe, just maybe this mate deal could be good. If I met my mate soon, then we could mark each other and that supposedly would make me safe. Then I could see my parents again.

I got over shedding tears long ago. Or so I thought. A few slipped out, but I clamped it down.

I finished and started drying off, walking into the room to see that Tori has rummaged through my clothes and picked out my outfit for today. In true Tori style, she picked out a black crop top and some shorts. Both I seem to remember her buying them because she thought, and I quote, I needed to be flashier. Then I quickly shoved them into the far back parts of my drawers. I'm not a flashy person.

Even without the request from the Alpha and Beta that I stand out as little as possible, it's just not me to be that showy. It isn't because I have problems with attention, or really anything. I just don't need to be the center of attention.

"I'm not wearing that." The best way to handle Tori is to be straight forward and blunt. Trying to skirt around issues will get you nowhere and probably in a pile of craft herpes.

"Yes, you are. You are going to finish drying off, put on some super cute underwear and this outfit, you know, just in case." She gives the eyebrow raise a few times. Because yes, I'm going to find my mate and instantly shed clothes... "And we are going to march our asses all around the pack grounds until we've seen every single unmated male! Maybe the mated ones too, might as well get in all the sights." Tori can be scary when she gets serious, and I'm certain she's being serious. Also, woman needs her mate.