Strangers to Mates

"Erin, Hurry up or I'll leave without you!" My father called from downstairs. "Coming." I called quickly looking at myself in the long mirror that hung on the wall. Long, straight, midnight black hair reaching mid-back, dark wash jeans, a band tee with the sleeves cut off and black and white converse stared back at me. I grabbed my phone, shoving it in my back pocket as I ran down the stairs and out the front door pass my dad. "C'mon, slow poke." I tease as I got into the truck. I watch my parents say goodbye to each other before my dad got into the driver seat. After he's pulled out of the drive way and we're on route to our destination he says, "Now Erin. Tell me the rules again." "But dad, I've already done it five times." I complained in response. I wasn't normally one to complain but we'd already been through it again and again and I was excited, I didn't want to talk about the rules and conditions. He gave me a look telling me I have no choice, that if I want to go to the meeting I had to behave. "Do not speak during the meeting unless spoken to first. Shake hands before and after with the members of the other pack . And of course, control my wolf." I list off the three things in a bored voice. "Good. Now you know how important this meeting is, their pack as well as ours needs this alliance. Alpha Crossly will not be happy if his beta lets his daughter ruin everything. Got it." I didn't like it when my father got like this. He's normally a pretty lay back person but the second he gets into beta mode, he isn't as fun. "Yes sir." I say in a partly teasing manner. Ten minutes later he pulls up to the hotel the other packs guest are staying at. My dad gives me a pointed look as I walk over to my best friend. "What's that about.?" Sadie asked as I came to her side. "He's worried that I'm gonna ruin something." At that she laughed. "Well we all can't be experts at attending meetings, now can we?" "Oh shut up," I say playfully, "This is only your second time. And the only reason you've done this more than me is because your the alpha's daughter." She shrugged, grinning at me as we made our way into the building. Sadie spotted Chris before me, but that did make sense since they were mates after all. It was no surprise that my two best friends were mates, if only for three weeks. I watched them hug and kiss in greeting, then Chris walked over and hugged me too. They might have been mates but Chris was still my best friend. We chatted mindlessly when my father comes over and tells us it's time. He leads us into the meeting room and we line up on the left side of the door, the Alpha, beta and third in command on the right. There were two guards standing outside the doors of the conference room and two more at the back. I took a deep breath when it hit me, except I didn't know what that something was. Erin, what's wrong? I heard Chris say, via the mind link. I looked over at him with a questioning look when I realized that I had tensed up. Nothing, I answer, not knowing myself why I was acting and feeling weird. "Alpha White." I heard Sadie's dad say bringing me back to reality. I turned back forward waiting to shake hands. The men make introductions before walking over to us. "You must be Beta Farewells Daughter." Silverwood's Alpha said reaching to shake my hand. "Yes. Erin Farewell." I shook his hand before he moved onto Sadie, then Chris. Truth be told I thought that was going to be a lot worse. Alpha White had this intense glare that I'm sure could scare anyone if he weren't trying to be nice. Next I met Beta Willow. He reminded me of my father, easy going but had a serious beta mode.At least that's what I assumed from his stance yet the wrinkles around his eyes, indicating he smiled often. "James Willow." His son said shaking my hand after his father. "Farewell. Erin Farewell." I said shaking his hand firmly when I hear a voice say, "Erin, that's an odd name for girl, wouldn't you agree James?" The voice sent shivers up my back, but not out of fear. I looked over at the guy standing beside James and knew right away he was the next alpha, the power radiated off him. My eyes scanned him as he did the same to me. My eyes starting at his feet, working their way up. He wore dark jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged him in all the right places. He was clearly strong, but not so buff that it looked wrong. He had vivid green eyes unlike my almost black, gray ones, his hair was a nice chocolaty brown, with an undercut and hair that fell in his eyes slightly yet perfectly. Incredibly handsome. "Raymond." James warned. By his voice you could clearly tell that James was telling him to behave. It was obvious that they were best friends, and just like their fathers, James was probably gonna be his beta when he became alpha. I decided to take the highroad, extending my hand. I hated it when someone made a snarky comment about my name just because it was a 'guys' name. My teeth clenched and un-clenched before responding, "Well maybe I'm an odd girl." He shook my hand, sending a weird feeling up my spine, but I ignored it. "Raymond White." He officially introduced. By now James had moved on to meet my friends and it felt strange standing here with his attention fully on me. "So I guessed." I reply since he already heard my name and I was trying to get his intense stare off of me. His stare wasn't like his fathers, it wasn't... deadly. I don't know why but under his gaze I felt restless. Normally I would stare down the person right back until I won but for some reason I couldn't do anything. His stare didn't frighten me, it just felt...weird. "What is it my unbelievable aura of power." He asked cheekily with a slight smirk. "More like your unbelievable aura of cockiness." I can't help but throw back. He only snicked like I was telling the funniest joke in the world instead of insulting him before moving on. A few other guys came into the room, one bigger and two guys that looked around our age. They went to stand at the front on the sides. So not part of the alpha or beta family and not third in command because I shook hands with him after Raymond. The bigger guy's probably a guard and the other two are in training, at least that's what I'm guessing. I was snapped out of my thoughts when our alpha called, "Alright, let's get this started." Our pack sat on one side of the long table, them on the other. I took up a notepad and pen, planning on paying attention, when I heard Sadie say in my head, The alpha's son's pretty cute, don't ya think? I scoffed in my head and reply without looking over at her, I think he's an ass. She laughed in my head but didn't say anything else. The meeting started with our alpha stating the reasons for this 'assembly'. Then they discussed terms for a long while, even though most of them were standard. It was three quarters done when Sadie spoke in my head again, He keeps looking at you. Who? I asked, finally looking at her. Raymond. He looks at you all curiously but almost questioning. I sighed out loud, but quietly, not wanting to draw attention to myself as they moved to sign the treaty. As if, I replied and after that she didn't say anything else. "I'm glad we finally got around to doing this." Beat Willow said as they finished signing the documents. "We are too" Alpha Crossly agreed. It all sounded so artificial but I knew both packs really did need this. "We are only two towns over. It'd have been nonsense if we didn't" Alpha White added. 'Well then why haven't you already?' I can't help but think sarcastically, careful not to send it through the mind link. We all started to shuffle towards the doors when my dad suggested, "I have an excellent idea. Since the lot of you aren't going back till next Monday, why don't the boys come to the end of the year party the high school students are putting on" "What a great idea" Beta Willow agreed. God, why did my father have to open his big mouth, now Raymond and the 'boys' are gonna be there. And here I was hoping it wouldn't totally suck. "Erin, honey, where is going to be again?"My father asked turning to me with a sweet smile. Everyone's eyes were on me and I didn't like it. I wasn't used to having more than two pairs of eyes on me at a time. "Huh. Oh, the second clearing in the forest from the north." "Thank you." Was all he said as we all walked out the doors of the room. "We'll make sure to be there." Raymond said as we all shook hands again and looking directly at me. Once we were outside of the hotel I let out breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. What Sadie had said was stuck in my head, ya she said it in my head, but that's not why. I knew she wasn't lying, I could feel someones eyes on me, but Raymond? Really, why would he be looking at me? And he was starring right at me when he said they'd be at the party. What was his deal? Chris and Sadie walked over to me, hand in hand. As much as I didn't want a mate, I still wanted that. God, I was a fricken walking contradiction. I didn't want a mate but I did. Like I didn't want anything to change and what if everything changes the second I find my mate. It scares me, that even if when you find your mate, your suppose to have everything; but what if I lose everything. But I still wanted someone to hold hands with, and be able to talk to without having to worry that they'll judge me, and to just have someone to love and be loved by. I almost wanted to slap myself for not being able to make up my mind. It was frustrating. "Speaking of the end of the year party," I heard Sadie begin to say, "I'm choosing your outfit." "What. Why?" I tried to protest, having been brought away from the thoughts in my head. "Because." I looked at Chris with pleading eyes, but he just shrugged like it couldn't be helped. And knowing Sadie, it probably couldn't. I glared at him and spit, "You're so much help." "Sorry" He said grinning, which told me he wasn't actually all that sorry. "Alright you can choose what I wear too but it has to be from my closet" Sadie tried to compromises. "Fine." I reply grudgingly trowing my hands up in the air, knowing I wasn't gonna get anywhere with her. She was fashion obsessed and I was anything but. It was one of the reasons that people sometimes questioned how we were such good friends. We were complete opposites, but I loved her, she was my sister, blood or not. "Erin, time to go." My dad called from the truck. "I'll see you guys tomorrow" I said quickly before we waved goodbye to each other and I got in my dads truck. When we got home fifteen minutes later mum asked how everything went. "Excellent" My father replied as he took off his shoes. "I'm going upstairs" I call climbing the staircase as they continue to talk, not bothering to stay as he relayed the events from today. Why had I been so excited to go. I mean it was fairly uninteresting and I had to be acquainted with overconfident, yet gorgeous, boy. "Alright honey, dinner will be ready in thirty minutes" Mum called back. I shut my bedroom door behind me and kicked off my shoes. I flicked on my radio before plopping down on my bed. I like him, my wolf suddenly said. What are you talking about? I replied sighing. You know who I'm talking about, when I didn't answer she continued, Raymond. I scoffed, C'mon Julie. You don't even know him, and from what I've already seen he seems like a player, alpha boy who's oh so popular gets every girl that throws herself at him. It's silent for a moment before, You're right, I don't know him, but I didn't smell even the slightest scent of another female. Not even his mom. I don't say anything after that. I didn't even know why my wolf was even thinking about him. I should be thinking of the 'grad' brunch, that they put on for the passing juniors, which was on Friday. I remember last week Sadie tried to convince me to wear a dress, to which she failed. It's not like anyone was gonna care, it was just a meal for the grade elevens to say 'congrats, you've passed this year, only one more to go.' Oh god, and the end of year party. I really hope Sadie picks something that's me to wear. The last two years she's let me choose, but it's probably because I turn seventeen on midnight this year, the night of the party, that she's forcing me to wear what she picks out. Knowing her it was probably gonna be short and flashing. I can only pray that is won't be. I turn my head to the right, looking at my clock to see that there's only a few minutes till dinner should be ready so I got up and went downstairs. Walking back down to the kitchen I realize how much time my thoughts preoccupy my time but don't think much of it since I really don't have anything else to do with my time. "Smells good" I comment, taking my first step into the kitchen, knowing that my mother is in there to here me. "Oh Erin, could you grab that pot and bring it to the table" My mum asks as she walks passed me with a pot of her own in her hands. "Sure" I grab it and set it down in front of me on the table before sitting. Moments later mum and dad sit down beside and across from me. Dinner was as normal as any other night, we ate, we talked and then I helped clear the table before my parents washed the dishes. It was the most normal evening but I loved eating dinner with my parents, it was the only meal that we all ate together since my dad had beta duties he can't eat lunch with us at home so I eat with Sadie while my mum brings dad his lunch, eating with him. I headed back upstairs to finish my homework. Well it wasn't really homework, in English we had to keep a journal till the very last day of school. It shouldn't have taken me as long as it did but I kept getting distracted by random things. When I finally finish I decide that I should get to bed early so that I don't have trouble waking up in the morning like usually. Defiantly not a morning person but if I get up at a decent time, not before eight o'clock, then I do pretty good for a night owl, weekends being the exception. I head downstairs once again to say goodnight to mum and dad. I hug them each once before going back to my room where I change out of my jeans and shirt into short pj shorts and a thin camisole. I plug in my phone, setting my alarm, before crawling into bed. I grab the book that I was currently reading off my bed side table and read a few chapters before turning my lamp off and falling asleep.