My Hybrid Mate

I’m standing in one of those buses. The ones you get in airports that only have three seats, several metal poles you’re not allowed to hold onto and a bunch of those handle things on the handle bar too high up for me to actually reach. They put them there to give you something to hold onto, but it’s not working out for me. I accidentally keep tripping into the French lady next to me and apologising, while she does the same in her language, every time the bus comes to a stop. It feels like years until it finally stops for good, and the French lady nods at me with a strained smile before dashing into the crowd of people leaping off the bus. I take a deep breath to brace myself before following her through. People with kids and families and boyfriends push past me, with the same intention; to get into the airport. It makes my heart clench. I should’ve found him by now. After a couple of minutes, I see the light and run into the airport with my backpack. I’m pretty sure I stink of the sweaty man who was sitting next to me on the flight and my hair’s a mess, but I couldn’t care less. I went on a trip to New York to stay with my uncle Jake. He’s not actually my uncle, but my dad’s friend. My parents sent me there in hopes of me finding my mate, but it didn’t work. I’m still mateless.  And grouchy too. I’m not good at airports. As soon as I have my bags and I’ve been through customs, I half sprint, half run outside to call a taxi. The driver looks kind enough; fifty-ish, tan skin, greying hair and chocolate brown eyes. He probably sees people like me every day. I give him my address and he starts in the direction of home. I feel lucky that he doesn’t want to have a conversation. It means I have time to think of a good way to address my mum when I get back. ‘Hey, so you know that trip to New York you sent me on? The one where you paid money for the flights and food? It was pointless. Sorry!’ yeah, no. Sighing, I watch through the window as the trees whizz by, deciding that I’ll go on a run as soon as the greetings are over. My wolf needs to get out. Three hours on a plane with next to no leg room and hard seats does that to werewolves. “Just take a left.” I instruct the driver. He does so and I tell him to drop me off outside the house before handing him the money and retrieving my bag from the boot. “Avery!” she yells, running up to me. Mum. She wraps me up in her arms and I smell her expensive perfume as it invades my senses. “Still no mate?” she adds, looking around hopefully as if my mate will just magically pop out of the bushes. “I literally called you before I got on the plane to tell you no. I still have no mate.” I sigh. She sighs. “Well, all in good time, eh?” Mum nudges my shoulder and grabs the case as we begin walking inside, but I can see the underlying sadness in her tone. “How was the flight?” “I was sitting next to an old sexist dude with no personal space.” I shake my head, remembering his stubborn mule face. “He had a p**n magazine and was muttering very offensive words about some of the women in it. I tell you, I wanted to rip his mouth off and stick it-“ “Okay, Ave, that’s enough of that.” Mum tuts, opening the front door and lugging the case into the hallway. “But he was such a bastard.” I mutter, throwing my bag on the floor and wandering into the kitchen. There are freshly made cupcakes on the counter, so I pick one up and start munching on it, getting the frosting all over my fingers. “Language, Avery.” “You would’ve had his head, mum. He had a freaking notebook and he was taking actual notes from a p**n mag.” “Just go unpack! For the sake of the Goddess.” She shouts, although there’s a hint of amusement. I throw the wrapper from the cake away and  lug my bag upstairs, making various grunts and moans that could be taken the wrong way very easily as I go. Apparently, if you have frosting on your fingers, it’s not easy to get a suitcase up the stairs without dropping it. “Awww,  I thought my sister was having s*x on the staircase – I had my camera all ready.” Always with the dirty mind, my brother. Shane’s a nutcase. He’ll be the next Alpha, unfortunately, although he has found his Luna, so there’s some hope. They’re moving into the packhouse later on this week. “Shut up and help me.” I reply through gritted teeth. He just laughs, flicks his hair out his eyes, grabs the handle to the suitcase and pulls it up the rest of the staircase in one tug. With one hand. “Ah, I hate you sometimes.” “No, you love me really.” He coos as I climb up the rest of the steps as well. Shane leans against the banister, laughing at me as I struggle with the handle of the case. It has one of the ones where you can adjust it and pull it up and down, but it’s broken. Once again, Shane walks over and pulls the handle up effortlessly, pulling it along to my room while I sulk along behind him. “So, no mate then?” he starts lightly as I open my case and start unpacking it. “Do I smell any different from when I left? Do I smell like I found the wolf I’m going to spend the rest of my life with?” I reply sarcastically. Shane sniffs the air dramatically, then his face scrunched up in disgust. “Sis, you smell like an old dude sweating. Please tell me you haven’t found a taste for older men.” He says, walking over to my desk and grabbing my deodorant. He throws it to me and I spray it on my body,  shivering in frustration and grossness. “It was the guy next to me on the plane. I didn’t think someone could sweat that much in three hours.” I throw a shirt haphazardly in the closet. “You should really go shower.” “I’m gonna go for a run in a minute. That plane journey wasn’t good for my wolf.” He nods in understanding as I shove more clothes in the drawers next to my bed, zip up the now empty suitcase and push it under my bed. “See you later, Shai.” I smile, leaving the room and heading outside. *** Staring out at the vast ocean of water in front of me, I pull my shirt up and over my head to reveal my black bikini top. Soft sand moves under my foot as I wiggle my toes in it and sigh in contentment. I do this a lot after my runs – just come to the beach and sit for a while. Sometimes, I even go as far as swimming. Beads of sweat continue to drip down my back as I breathe; trying to get my heart to its usual rhythmic beating. Typical; my wolf wanted to be set free for a bit, but it’s me who has to pay for it. My wolf ran half the distance, then I shifted and changed so that I could run the other half. It’s been my routine all year. I lie down on the sand, using my elbows to prop myself up so I don’t get the grains in my hair. I stay like that for a minute before pins and needles start to work their way up my forearm, so I sit cross-legged instead and whip my phone from my pocket. Seven missed calls from Caseyyyy Casey. My best friend. Well, she was my best friend. Some s**t went down between all our friends before I left for New York and even her and I don’t talk anymore. It basically started with the myth of her making out with Yasmin’s mate – which wasn’t true. Do I even need to explain anymore? It got very messy. She’s been calling me since yesterday, but I don’t want to hear what she has to say. She tore apart my friendship with every person she knows I vaguely liked. I have no one now, and it’s all because of her. I hear a branch snap behind me in the woods and spin around quickly. My heart rate picks up again, and I stand up to be in a less vulnerable position. “Who’s there?” I call into the trees. No one replies. I don’t know why I even tried – they never do. “Casey? Yas?” I shout again in a shaky voice. I know quite well it’s not them, since they’re not even werewolves. They wouldn’t follow me through the woods on pack territory. I even told the guards of Grey Oak not to let them in because I don’t want to talk to them. Obviously, I said not to hurt them if they did, just politely tell them to f**k off.  I walk back into the woods, finding a clearing and stopping there. The scent of nutmeg and smoke enter my senses like a tornado, causing my wolf to perk up and start yapping in my head. It may not sound like the nicest aroma to anyone else, but I can promise it’s the most addictive thing to me. I’ve heard this story a zillion times – I know where it goes. Somewhere around here is my mate. Standing up a little straighter than before, I let the smile enter my features. “Hello? Please come out, I won’t hurt you.” I half beg. Curiosity edges into my words, and I can tell. But can you blame me? Somewhere around here is the man I will spend the rest of my life with. “You wouldn’t even be able to lay a vicious paw of yours on me if you tried.” A dark chuckle sounds from the woods, followed by a figure emerging from the shadows. I can only watch as his frame is fully revealed from the dark and into the light of the clearing. “Little mate.” He adds, now fully out in the light. I took in his persona for a minute – a light grey t-shirt stretched across his abs, black jeans hanging loosely at his waist, tousled black hair and defined jaw and cheek bones. Gorgeous. My wolf comments. I take a step forward, but the guy stops me with an action that chills my entire being to the bone. “Stay.” He commands loudly. I try to move, but I can’t. Nothing in me can make my legs move from the current space they’re in. “Good, little mate.” He moves closer instead, smirking. Circling me like prey; one foot placed agonisingly slow in front of the other, round my body. I regret taking my top off now, feeling exposed and self-conscious. Like a dog. I feel like a f*****g dog. He moves back to my face – filled with fear and confusion – and sneers. “What’s your name?” he asks. My lips won’t make the right sounds, though. I can’t think straight. My mate can’t be a werewolf – werewolves don’t have magic. He sighs when I don’t reply. “Tell me your name.” he demands this time, and I feel my voice box working without consent. “Avery Daniels.” He growls. “And yours?” I manage to question, trying to keep the shaking from my voice. “Everest Black.” He replies exasperated, like talking to me is a chore for him. That hurt, just a bit. And then he starts walking away. “Where are you going?” I call after him, still stuck in the same position. Everest stops in his tracks, moving his head to look over his shoulder at me. “I’ve got better things to do than be here right now.” he shrugs in return. “Oh, I almost forgot: you can leave now.” he speaks, and I gain control of my legs again just as he clicks his fingers in the air and disappears. No smoke, no nothing. Just gone. My mate is gone.   It takes me mere minutes to run the distance back to my parent’s house. I enter through the back garden, up the worn, white porch and past the swing seat. Then, I run through the back door and into the kitchen, where I find my parents laughing in conversation. It makes my chest ache; the way dad looks at mum like she’s the only thing that ever matters, the way she smiles whenever he speaks, the way they’re always holding hands, or hugging. The way I won’t have that. “They’re coming over in the next week or so to say hi.” Dad continues, taking a sip of his coffee. “We should have a barbeque or something.” Mum replies, smiling and grabbing his hand across the table. “Or a bonfire, like the good old days.” “Remember that time you fell out of that tree house? Scared the s**t out of me?” Dad laughs. Mum stands up and walks over to perch on his lap. “Your face was priceless.” And then they’re kissing, and it’s too much for my virgin eyes to take. I take the stairs two at a time until I get to my brother’s room. I knock softly on his door and step inside. All my younger siblings, there are three more of them, have their bedrooms in the attic, which was converted into more rooms shortly after I was born. Shane is the oldest at eighteen, I’m at seventeen, Charlie and Cameron (twins) are ten now, and Sophie turned five last month. Shane and I have our rooms on the middle floor. “Hi.” I smile softly as I walk into the room. My brother is lying on his bed, reading a book. He has one hand behind his strawberry blonde hair and the other holding the pages for his hazel eyes to see. He’s practically a younger version of dad, but with mum’s eyes and chin. “Hey, sis.” He pauses, assessing me. “Okay, one, where’s your shirt?” “Uh, I may have left it on the beach.” I mutter, scratching the back of my head. “And why might that be, Ave?” he smirks, closing the book and placing it on the nightstand. “Because I got scared and ran away.” My voice keeps getting quieter and quieter each time I talk. Shane starts to get that concerned brother look he always had when we were kids and I was getting picked on at school. I close the door slowly behind me, letting him know something’s up. “What scared you?” he pats the bed next to him and I sit down, his mate, Iris’s, scent coating the sheets. “I think I found my mate, Shai.” My voice is barely audible. He pulls me to his side in a brotherly manner. “That’s amazing, Ave! I’m so proud of you!” he exclaims, smiling. Ever since he found Iris I’ve been in a bit of a mood with him. He’s been spending less time at home with us, and I guess I’ve been jealous. It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper conversation about life. “You shouldn’t be. He totally slagged me off. Ran into the woods saying he had more important things to do.” The tears start to well up in my eyes and I fight to keep them down. “What? Why?” “Shai, he’s not a complete werewolf.” I pause, taking a deep breath. “I think he’s part wizard too.”