Necessity

Best Friend

Age 7

I looked into those beautiful honey-colored eyes for the first time but I was too young to appreciate anything. My mother as the current Luna had to visit every mother giving birth to a new member of our pack and that was it. She was the beta's daughter so we had to visit her more often than anyone else's child. I was always annoyed and disinterested in playing with her. She was a baby, this is the earliest memory of her I have but I have been visiting her since she was an infant. She was three now. Her name was Aria. She had the most chocolate-colored brown hair I had ever seen. Her hair was just as wavy as it is now. It has always been long but it is much longer now. I remember running away from her a lot since she had learned to walk by now. I found her annoying but there was always this intriguing thing about her I couldn't quite put my finger on back then.

Age 12

I was always glad to be older than her. Going to a different school gave me some peace. Our mothers were close friends and obviously our fathers were very close. Her father basically put his life on the line for my entire family on a daily. There was this one time though, walking back from school I remember it so vividly since it was the first time I saw her passion, bravery, and fearlessness. My close group of friends and me were walking home and we passed by the elementary school. I saw her, well I heard her before I saw her. Her voice is so sweet but it was sharp and command attention when need be. I did think of her as shy and timid. She was reserved and wore glasses from time to time when she read. I heard her yelling at some kid who looked older than her but younger than me. I walked closer to them and noticed he was grabbing her wrist. She looked pissed and I was just about to jump in when she head-butted the dude. I was the alphas son so I thought I should be a hero for the moment but she didn't need it. Everyone was either shocked, mouths wide open or shouting, cheering her on. I smiled but she, on the other hand, showed no emotion. She picked up some books that were on the floor around them and handed them to a boy sitting on the grass behind her.

Age 14

It was hard to find any common ground with her at times but we got somewhat close. I was used to her coming over every Sunday with her parents so we would try to talk. She loved to read, dance, and eat. I loved watching sports, playing sports, and playing video games. She had more in common with my younger brother. They were the same age. Jack and Aria became close and I was okay with that but I still had limits even back then. Back then it was just a big brother protectiveness. I wanted to make sure they were both safe so I followed them everywhere. He was the alpha's son and she was the beta's only daughter. I had to make sure everyone knew the future alpha had eyes on them.

Age 16

I finally turned sixteen and I was excited to shift. Everyone else was excited for me to find my mate. I had only had one girlfriend in high school when I was fifteen. My parents never encouraged me to date but it was weird not to. I didn't go to a pack school. It was awkward to be the alpha's son and have everyone treat me like a celebrity. They would all be fake and I couldn't take that. I did become popular in my high school but I know that had to do more with my good looks than anything. I wasn't that interested in a mate. You could hear dozens of stories about how the mate bond is the most amazing thing in the world but until you feel it, it doesn't really mean s**t. Heather and I weren't serious or anything but she was just a good distraction and companion for the time being. I obviously have very little memory of her now.

 My birthday came and went and nothing. I saw every member of our pack that day and not one person felt a connection to me nor me to them. Everyone gave me somber looks but I didn't need to be pitied. I was okay. My parents said they would allow other girls from neighboring packs to visit us within the next few months to see if I would find my mate. I wasn't interested or worried. Somehow I always knew she was close by or just knew everything would fall into place sooner or later.

Age 19

3 years had passed and I was still mateless. I was beginning to get worried but I never showed it. I went off to college and the anxiety was annoying. It was only when I came home that it would fade away. I thought I was homesick but slowly I found out I was happiest when Aria was around. She was fifteen and she would come over a lot more to hang and do homework with my brother. Her chocolate brown hair was up to her elbow. I hated how my brother's eyes would wander off and land on her now fully blossomed chest. I found myself holding my breath a lot around those two. Her pouty plumped pink lips were so mesmerizing. I had to take lots of runs in between hanging with them too. Sometimes she would study with my brother on my bed and my head would be filled with ideas, dirty thoughts that made me wish my brother was elsewhere or that I was younger.

One day, my brother told me he wanted to ask Aria to be each other's first. I tried to be a supportive brother but I just ran to my parents and snitched on him. I wanted them to stop him. I couldn't even imagine him touching her. I was so pissed that day that I shifted mid-air and ran to her house. I didn't know if I was there to guard her or take her myself before anyone else could. I knew I sounded pervy and insane but I was feeling protective over her. I finally looked into those eyes and saw my life. I looked into those hazel eyes and wanted her to be my wife. I didn't see her as an annoying baby anymore and I hated that.

Age 20

Aria turned sixteen and the most amazing thing happened. I looked into the beautiful eyes and she looked into mine. Suddenly, the earth stood still and the world around us went silent. I felt my wolf call out to hers. I felt a bond, an unbreakable, undeniable bond that I wanted to tell everyone existed between us. I need everyone to know that she was mine and never ever try to take what is mine. She walked up to me and simply said "hi." I wanted to hug her and kiss her but everyone was watching. She looked like she didn't want to smile and give it all away. She kept lifting her hand up to try and grab mine. I think she felt just as unsure how to proceed as I did. Finally, I decided to go to her parents and mine and tell them. They were happy but of course, laid out some ground rules. I was not allowed to mate with her until her eighteenth birthday. I found that reasonable even if my inner beast wanted to say "f**k it, let's go to hell and back for her." I was to finish college but the thought of being away from her was very annoying.

I would visit her often. I would even pick her up from school so that everyone knew she had someone willing to kill for her. She couldn't tell anyone we were dating but I think they suspected and that's all I needed. For those boys to think I was the only man that was going to be hers.

Age 25

Present-day, Aria and I were an official couple for seven years now. I mean we were very close since her sixteenth birthday but I did wait and made sure to play by society rules and not mark her until she was eighteen. I loved her and she loved me. We decided to get married last year. We spent an entire year on our honeymoon. It was the most amazing time of my life. We started in France and ended up in Alaska. We saw the world together. My father stepped down as soon as we came back and I was alpha and she was my Luna. Life was good and nothing would ever be bad as long as she was by my side. She was my mate, my lover, my world, and my best friend.