My Secret Mate

I sighed to myself, slightly dreading what today would bring as I sat up in bed. I started getting ready, thinking of what would happen by the end of my birthday. The thought of having someone to love wasn't troubling, but not being able to choose who they were was. I didn't mind about gender, but their personality. What if they liked country, or if they hated reggaeton? What if they were human? Human mates weren't exactly rare, but also not very common at all. It was just harder to explain, harder to connect with certain things, though many others with human mates in my pack made it look easy. It must be horrible, maybe. Would it really matter? As soon as I found my mate, I'd be like a hormonal and love-driven twelve year old all over again. It wasn't always something to look forward to, but when I would look at the pairs in my pack, I longed for that understanding and love. I stepped out of the steaming shower, drying myself off with a towel before applying some lotion. Hygiene was important, after all. I put my boxers on, then flossed and brushed my teeth as hard as I could. Anything could happen today. Mouth wash, cologne, a black crew neck and ripped black jeans later, I was almost ready for today. I slipped on some black doc martens, before glancing myself at the mirror and undecided about what to do with my hair. It was a black and curly mess, but I simply ruffled it and shrugged it off. I walked downstairs, slightly confused when I saw my mom and dad bickering over something in whisper. I was used to tuning people out to be polite, and it was rude to eavesdrop even though we couldn't help hearing what everybody was up to most of the time. Instead of trying to listen in, I speculated it was about the party I planned for tonight, they promised to stay away for the night after opening up the party with ground rules and cutting the birthday cake. I had passed out fliers last week, so a lot of people from the pack and my high school were going. I was excited, the big eighteen was here, but I was still dreading finding my mate. What if they were cruel? What if they rejected me first? They were too many factors that had me buzzing with nervousness. Mom gave me a stern look as I sat down in front of a plate of pancakes, "Xavi," her small accent barely showed on the usual, but when she said my name like that, it was prominent. The usual spelling of my popular name was with a 'J', but my mom decided to be original and put an 'X' instead. Most kids pronounced it wrong which I didn't mind, but if my mom heard them pronounce it differently, she would lose her s**t. "I know it's your birthday, but you still need to eat your oats and your vegetables." She placed a bowl of oatmeal and a different bowl of carrots in front of me. I groaned, "Can't you just give me bacon like dad?" My dad smirked, biting into the strip of his bacon with a satisfied moan. I rolled my eyes and my mom shrugged, "Or we could cancel the party. It's up to you." I scowled, biting the carrot with emphasized distaste. It was funny at times, how my petite mom could control us so easily with a simple look or statement, but she was no joke. She was the scariest, most loving mother around. The fact I was having this party was a miracle, but I guess she was feeling extra loving when she had said yes. Or maybe she thought it'd be better to find my mate with everybody from school there. "So, you excited for today?" I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah. I mean, it's gonna be the biggest party ever. And right at the beginning of October, it's gonna be sick." My dad scoffed, "You know that's not what she meant." My mom sucked in her teeth, scolding me. "Are you seriously not looking forward to meeting your mate?" I shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, I don't wanna be someone I'm not just because I met them. Do I even have a choice in loving them? If I reject them, pain. If they reject me, pain. What's the point? Why is this even a thing?" My dad sighed, "I know what you mean. Your mom and I had a very complicated start, but it worked out. It can suck, feeling like you don't have a choice at times. But the moon goddess knew what she was doing, and we're really good together." "But it's like they have control over you!" I felt the frustration engulf me, making me dread the moment I'd meet them. "Everything they do is gonna affect me, and it just isn't fair." My mom placed a hand on my shoulder as I continued to eat, and my parents were silent as I stood up to put my dishes in the sink. The whole tension dissipated as my two siblings walked into the room, and my parents perked up. Monsè entered the room with a yawn, all dressed up for school in a baggy sweater and skinny jeans. She was fifteen, and usually rode with me to school. My brother, Lance, was just sixteen, a year and a couple months older than Monsè, and liked to ride with his friend Keith. "Good morning!" My mom chirped as she placed their plates on the table, asking if they were going to attend the party and that if they screwed up anything, to make sure to let her know because she hated secrets. I motioned to my sister to hurry up as I got my backpack by the door, and got the keys from a little dish next to the couch. I leaned against the arm of the sofa, taking out my phone and texting Lindsay to wait for me to pick her up before she went to school. She was my best friend, and was practically my sandbox buddy since we were four. I usually went to her before anyone else, she had a good level-head on her shoulders, and was better for asking advice than most of my other male friends. I also made sure to text Trent, my other good friend and his sister, Bella, my occasional hook-up (make-out session) when I was lonely, to meet up at our usual cafe. They were all werewolves, so it was easy to confide and trust in them. A tap on the shoulder made me turn, and I ruffled with my sister's hair. "Let's get going, gremlin." She whispered with a scowl, "Yeah, okay bitch." "MONSE! YOU BETTER PRAY YOU GET IN THE CAR BEFORE I GET TO YOU!" Her eyes widened before she sprinted out the door, and I chuckled as I followed her into the car. My car was a truck, so it was a little difficult for Monsè to climb in the passenger side, but she managed. I connected my phone to the aux cord and put my playlist on. My sister rolled her eyes as 'Take Me Out' by Franz Ferdinand played, though I could see her tapping her feet to the beat which made me smirk. Lindsay jumped in the backseat with ease, "Hey, boomer. Hey, Monsè." "Hey, Lindsay!" Monsè chirped energetically and turned around, smiling with a blush spreading over her cheeks. I laughed, "Where's my gift?" "Oh." She pretended to pull something out of her backpack, then pulled out her middle finger with a Cheshire grin. "Almost forgot." Monsè laughed, holding the back of her hand against her mouth. "Oh, thanks. Was missing that in my life, actually." I looked in the rear view mirror, noticing she didn't have her seatbelt. I kept driving down the street towards the cafe, it was an hour before school, around six pm, which was why the street wasn't that full and I felt confident to be able to pull a prank on her. "Brake check!" I suddenly braked as I pulled into the lot, having Lindsay hit her head on the passenger seat with a loud screech. Monsè gasped, her seatbelt scratching against her neck as she was pulled forward. "Agh! Son of a b***h-" "Xavi! What the hell?" Monsè gave me a dirty look. "I'm so sorry, guys. You okay?" I made my voice sound sickening sweet, and high pitched in order to sound as fake as possible. Monsè snickered lowly, not wanting to be so upfront about laughing at Lindsay. Lindsay was somewhat of a role model for her, and they talked all the time. I low-key suspected Monsè had a crush on her, which was cute but slightly sad since Lindsay was way too old for her. But, who knows? We pulled up to our usual cafe at the corner of Maple and Lunescape. I parked in front, all of us talking about what we'll order when we get inside as we got off the car. Lindsay huffed, "See, I haven't tried the pecan pie shake, but I also haven't tried the Pumpkin Maple Syrup Mocha, which I hear a lot of good things about." I hummed in thought, "Well, it depends who you're hearing this from. They could be trying to sabotage you." Monsè scoffed, "And why would they do that, Xavi?" I shrugged, "Hey, you never know. Plus, pecan is a legit flavor and it can never really do you wrong." Lindsay sighed, "Yeah, but I get pecan like every other day. I've never tried the pumpkin one... Oh, the tough choices in life. They plague me." Monsè chuckled, "However will you survive?" I shook my head as I held the door to the cafe open for them, "You're too indecisive. Just go for it if it's bothering you that badly. If anything, I'll drink it if you don't like the pumpkin." Lindsay gasped, "Oh my god, yes!" She raced to the counter along with Monsè as I saw Trent and Bella wave me over to their booth. I approached them with a grin, giving Trent a high five and a fist bump, while nodding my head towards Bella in acknowledgement. "Trent. Bells. How's everything?" I sat across from them, scooting towards the window. Trent shrugged, "Nothing new. How about you, birthday boy? Excited to find your mate?" Bells smiled, "Happy birthday, by the way." "Thanks." I glanced over to Lindsay and Monsè to see them walking over with our drinks and pastries, "About the mate thing, it's whatever. Whether it happens or not, I'm fine." Trent scoffed, "You're so weird, sometimes. Everyone else in the pack looks forward to this their whole lives." He took an angry bite of his chocolate muffin, then swallowed before continuing. "I mean, even humans write stories about this kinda s**t!" Lindsay giggled as she squeezed into the booth on my side with Monsè, "Talking about mates again?" I glanced at Bella, noticing she was intentionally staying silent. She looked up at me and blushed suddenly when our eyes met. I looked away, sighing exasperatedly. "Dude, I just don't think it's cool how we're forced to love someone. We have no choice but to be attracted to them." Monsè groaned, "Because they're perfect for you!" "Well, it's not really love at first sight. It's more like you subtly like them, and as you get to know them, you start to fall in love. Like normal people. Just think of it as a suggestion that they might be good for you." Bella smiles encouragingly, placing a hand on mine. "I'm sure your mate will be lovely." I hastily pulled away, annoyed with the conversation. Seeing the slight expression of hurt on her face from the corner of my eye made me feel guilty, but I ignored the feeling. "I'm just gonna flat-out reject them, I honestly don't care." Trent winced, "Isn't that supposed to be super painful?" "He's always been a masochist." Lindsay rolled her eyes, sipping her Pumpkin Maple Syrup Mocha with glee. Bella murmured under her breath, "Not really." Everyone suddenly groaned, and I gave a small and playful glare to Bella. Monsè faked a gag, "I just started my life. Please don't make me commit the 'not-alive' so soon." Trent made a low growl, pulling his head back and closing his eyes as he faced the ceiling in an overdramatic manner. "Please tell me you guys aren't fooling around anymore. I do not wanna picture that." Silence. He glared pointedly at me, "Are you?" I stayed quiet, simply eating my strawberry and cheese croissant as I also avoided eye contact. Trent cursed, "f**k, man! Dude, she's my twin! How could you make out with someone that looks like me?" I gave him a deadpanned stare as I sipped my boysenberry pie shake. The only sound was the slurping from my straw, and Trent narrowed his eyes at my both nonchalant and smug face. Bella looked at him confused, "We're fraternal, not identical." He scowled, "Identical or not, this stops today. One, you guys are gonna have mates who you might not reject. Two, she's my sister. It's not cool, man. Three, do you not remember why you guys stopped fooling around in the first place?" Bella's glared at her brother, "That was before." Trent gave her a deadpanned stare this time, "Sure it was." I shook my head, hating the awkward atmosphere that suddenly entered the booth. Last year, Bella had caught feelings during our arrangement, which caused a lot of confusion for me, and hurt for her. I ended it promptly after a huge scolding from her brother about playing around with her. He was the future beta of our pack, so I had to listen. But then she said she was over it now, so of course I believed her, since she was also a beta and somewhat had to. But I wasn't that sure now. I broke the awkward silence, "It's not like I'm sleeping with her, Trent. And even if I wanted to, I'm gonna reject my mate today. Maybe then I could choose who I wanna be with, whether it be physically or for life." He took another angry bite, speaking with his mouth full, "Anf shwat if she doeshnt reshect hersh?" I shrugged, "Thats up to her. Either way, I'd be free to do what I want." Bella smiled to herself, and I cursed internally. I didn't want to hurt her, and I almost wanted to call it quits right then and there, but not for the reason you think, not for my 'mate'. Even though I could be physically 'lonely', it didn't mean I wanted to be forced to be with someone, whether it be Bella or my mate. The worst part was, there was no guarantee that I could reject my mate. Though I was determined to, there's no way to be able to predict what I'll think or act when I meet them. Though, the same thing could happen with Bella, so in reality, we were both in the same boat. Except I didn't have feelings for her in that way, I didn't have a desire to be in a relationship with her. She is physically appealing, but that was it. Sometimes I thought there was something wrong with me, she was kind and smart. Who wouldn't fall in love with her? Me. Lindsay changed the subject with ease, "So who's ready for that statistics test today?" Trent groaned, "Is that today?" Monsè went on her phone, not entirely interested or knowledgeable about what we were talking about since she was two grades lower than us. Bella shrugged, "I take AP calculus, so can't relate. I smirked, "I studied, hard." Lindsay raised an eyebrow, "That's a first." I shrugged, "I wanna change my fate. I'm changing my life, one step at a time." Trent snickered as he heard my claims, "First, better than average grades. Second, no mate." Monsè laughed, "Good luck with that one." I scowled, "Mark my words. By the end of today, my mate is going to be rejected." Monsè gave a cynical smile and a thumbs up, "Yeah, you're cool." Her smile dropped into a stoic face, "Can we go to school now before we're late? We've been here for forty minutes-" I nodded, grabbing my keys and shooing them, Lindsay and Monsè, off my side of the booth. Trent and Bella stood up, walking with us outside. "How about we make a bet Lindsay?" She huffed, "You really think you'll win?" I raised my eyebrows up and down with a grin, "Whoever gets a higher grade on the statistics test wins. Whoever loses has to drink five shots of tequila tonight." Lindsay smirked, "You're on, bitch." "Hell yeah." Trent patted me on the shoulder, "I'll join you guys in that." I shook my head, knowing there was barely a chance for him to win. Not that he was an i***t or anything, but he didn't really try a lot in school. He rarely studied, but he always managed to get a passing grade. A higher score than Lindsay or me, though? Not really. "You know you only wanna take shots." He shrugged, "Maybe. Or maybe I just wanna beat your ass." I sighed, "Never gonna happen." Trent chuckled, "What if I used my awesome beta powers to force you to lose?" I scoffed, "They're barely worth anything. I'd just tell Ryder you're abusing your power." Ryder was our pack's, named Blood Moon after his great-grandfather's threatening intimidating ways, future alpha. He was cool, and we hung out with him every other day, but right now he was out of town with his parents for a little family bonding. Since he was going to find his mate soon, his parents wanted to spend some more time with him. That's what they told the pack, at least, but Trent had told me that there might have been more to it, like how the humans were suspicious of something. I didn't pay too much mind, Trent was known to have conspiracy theories from time to time. "He'd just join me!" Trent laughed. I grinned as I unlocked the car for Lindsay and Monsè, "f**k yeah, he would. But at least then it'd be a fair fight." Trent flipped me off as he unlocked his car too, opening the door for his sister. "Race you to school?" I shrugged as I sat down and closed the door, starting the car. I rolled the window down with a nonchalant expression, "For twenty?" "I'm feeling charitable. Make it forty." I smirked, "On your mark." His face went into panic as he raced to his side, "I'm not even in the car yet-" I raised a brow, "Get set." He jumped into the driver's side, slamming the door. "Go!" His engine roared to life as I reversed out of the lot, swerving to go forward towards the school. I wasn't confident I'd win, his car was faster than mine, which was why I cheated and took a small head start. He had a black sports car, I didn't really know what kind and I didn't care. My truck could be fast if I pushed the limit, which was okay since there wasn't a lot of people on the road. Save for some here and there. Trent passed me with ease, smirking my way. I huffed, pressing the gas harder. Lindsay held onto the dash board, "Damn, you really wanna win, huh?" Monsè chuckled, "It's nice to see how testosterone can be fun." I clenched my jaw, focused on the cars ahead of us. I didn't wanna break any laws besides maybe the speed limit, so I changed lanes to the right. It was a small detour, but with the red light, I could turn into another street and possibly beat him. I laughed as I turned into another street, him stuck on the same one. I turned left, waiting for the green light, then left again. I sped more seeing the school just ahead, skidded just ahead of Trent's car, and into the lot with ease. I parked right by the entrance, turning off the engine as I hopped out of the car. I saw Trent's car pull into the space next to me right after I pulled into mine, and I grinned smugly as I leaned against my car. He sighed, closing his car door and sauntered over in pride. "Listen..." I held back a laugh, biting my lip. "I'm all ears." "You're an asshole. And you cheated so..." I held my hands up, "You never spoke about any rules, so..." "Well-" "Yeah?" "I don't have forty on me right now-" "What do you have, Trent?" I furrowed my brows, and squared my shoulders. I was putting on a front, of course. I held my hand out expectantly. Lindsay placed her arm on my left shoulder as she c****d her head, "Yeah, Trent. What do you have?" Monsè and Bella walked over, grinning at the spectacle. Trent wasn't always one to lose in our races, so it was a rare sight to see, which was why I was being so smug. He rolled his eyes and sighed, pulling a twenty and a ten out of his wallet. He slapped them into my hand, "f**k you." I smiled, "Maybe when I reject my mate." Trent playfully punched my shoulder, "Don't threaten me with a good time." Lindsay shook her head, "You guys are something else." Bella patted my shoulder, "So, you guys are a cute couple." "Hey. Are you making fun of us?" We walked through the door and into the first hallway, and the faintest smell of something amazing filled my nose. I couldn't tell what it was, but something in me just had to find out. "Maybe." She held her hands behind her back with a sly smile, "So wanna meet up during study hall?" My wolf stirred, his gruff voice echoing in my mind. Mate. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. I could sense it. They were here. "Hey, man. You good?" Trent's voice faded into the background. I don't know what it was that made me ignore her and lightly jog down the hall. When I turned into another hallway, the smell got stronger, and I jogged a little faster. I could detect apple cinnamon, but not the strong kind, the kind you eat in oatmeal, and maybe some... I couldn't pinpoint the other smell. I walked into another hallway, I wasn't even focused on where I was at this point, and came up to a row of lockers. One locker was open, and I knew the smell was coming from there... from them. The locker closed. My breath hitched, and I saw the most beautiful male I've ever seen in my life. I could hear my inner wolf howl at the sight of him. His hair was chocolate brown, and a straight, disheveled mess. He had a slight fade on the side, and his eyes were a solid dark green. His complexion was slightly pale but very clear, with prominent cheekbones, and with the slightest plump to his lips. His jaw was pretty clean, not super sharp to stand out, but enough to be defined. He wasn't much shorter than me, maybe by an inch, and his stature was slightly less muscular than mine. He was wearing a blue long sleeved v-neck, blue jeans, and some vans. He looked to me, startled to see me blatantly staring at him, and I blinked in realization. Oh god. Oh no, f**k no. He's human. I can't just reject him without being a weirdo now. Why? I didn't expect my mate to be so... f*****g ravishing. That's not the point. Jesus help me. "Hey! Um, you must be wondering what I'm doing here... staring at you." He let out a melodic laugh during the awkward tension, "A little bit, yeah." "Well, I was gonna, um," I came to a blank, speaking without really thinking, "I was wondering if you heard about this party I'm having tonight." His eyebrows raised a little, "I think I've heard about it, yeah." "Oh, cool." I leaned against the lockers, biting my lip without really wanting to. I was flirting without even meaning to, "So, you going?" "Maybe." He shrugged, "I'm not really sure." I chuckled, "You see, it's my birthday. So you kind of have to go." He laughed, "Is that so? Happy birthday, then." "Thanks. Yeah, it'd be kind of a d**k move not to go." I liked the playful banter, I felt my heart beat faster, and a warm feeling spread throughout my body. "What if I want to be a d**k?" That made me laugh, maybe a little harder than I should. "Well... damn. That sucks. I was hoping I'd get to know you." His expression changed from playful to astonished, and maybe a slight blush forming on his face. Maybe. "No. Wait. That came out wrong. I mean, it's my senior year, and I wanna... meet new people. Broaden my horizons..." "Oh. Yeah, no. I get it." He leaned his shoulder against the locker, tapping his finger against his backpack strap in thought. "Um, I'll think about it." "Yeah." I walked a little backwards, "You better, because it's my birthday, so..." He nodded, a smirk lining his face as he turned away. Jesus, even his backside was attractive. I felt a part of me curse, and a part of me felt so elated right now. I wanted to go punch something, to run and jump, I couldn't decide. The warning bell for first period rang, and I tensed. Statistics was next. I'd have to answer why I ran off, though I suspected they knew the answer why. I walked in just in time, sitting next to my usual seat next to Lindsay, Trent, and some girl whose name I could hardly remember. She was friendly, I guess. I looked around, wondering if he was in my class. Was he in any of my other classes? The fact I'd never noticed him before should be illegal. A snap in my face got my attention, and I looked to Lindsay in confusion. "What's up?" She frowned at me, practically glaring. "What's up? What do you mean, 'what's up'?" She scoffed, her auburn hair swaying to the side as she looked to Trent as if to make sure she wasn't tripping out. She raised her pierced eyebrow at me, "What was earlier all about?" I sighed, knowing I couldn't exactly lie to her. I debated on staying quiet, but knew she'd just bother me until I fessed up. "I met them." She gasped excitedly, "You're kidding!" "Miss Pierce! Is there something you'd like to share as I do roll-call?" Mr. Damocles was a burly man, frowning as he pushed up his glasses. Trent snickered. Lindsay sighed, "Sorry, Mr. Damocles." He continued to do roll-call, and she spoke in a whisper. "So, tell me what happened." "Tell us." Trent corrected her. I shook my head, mostly disappointed in my lack of resolve when it came to wanting to reject my mate. "I don't know his name..." Lindsay's eyes widened, "It's a guy. Oh my god, yes. Was he cute?" I failed to hide my smile, "Yeah. He had these eyes..." Thinking about them made my stomach do flips, "And his lips. Jesus, I couldn't believe I never noticed him before." Trent scoffed, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You are so whipped. What happened? Did you... you know?" I looked down, not really knowing if I planned to anymore. If I even wanted to anymore. "Xavier Ramon." I raised my hand, signaling my presence. Mr. Damocles continued roll-call, and Lindsay groaned impatiently. "Well? What happened?" I scratched the back of my neck, "I, uh..." I closed my eyes, slightly embarrassed as I replayed the scene in my head. "I asked him to the party tonight." I heard a small chuckle, and I frowned at both Lindsay and Trent. "What?" She looked to Trent with a grin, "I give it a month before he marks him." "I give it three." He shrugged, "It takes time to build up a relationship like that." "It doesn't have to happen during s*x, Trent. It can be during a make out session or something." I scoffed, "Nobody said I was going to accept him right off the bat-" "But you're not rejecting him either." Trent smugly grabbed paper from the girl passing them out, and passed them to us as well. "So three months it is. Denial is a huge factor." "I change mine to a month and a half." I rolled my eyes, "Well, they're human, so it's a little more difficult. Plus, I just wanna know who I'm rejecting before I... reject them." They both laughed, and I cursed under my breath. This whole mate situation was going to be a b***h.