Promises

I don't bother to pack my clothes neatly in my suitcase. Before he finds out what I'm doing, I need to get out of here quickly. Because the tears keep coming, I stop and wipe my face, which has no meaning. 

How did this happen in my life? Although the thought of finding my mate frightened me, I was nonetheless extremely excited. It sounds too good to be true, and before, I would have said it wasn't, but now, it is. The one wolf that is supposed to be yours is made just for you, and he will love you no matter what. 

They are supposed to love you, but that doesn't mean they won't ruin you. 

I had everything arranged, I planned to go on with the little guy taking care of and move gradually up to turning into a pack maternity specialist. I was going to fall in love, meet my mate, and have everything my parents had. 

He had to ruin that, though; he first broke my heart and then my soul. 

Last week. 

Leaning over, I yawned and turned off my alarm. Before I had to get up, I sank back into my blanket for five minutes. 

Are you awake, Clara? From behind my door, my brother Owen yelled. 

"I am. I'll be down after I get out of the shower. I reacted. 

I got up as soon as I heard him leave. I was still drowsy from my sleep and exhausted as I plodded toward the bathroom. 

I haven't been sleeping much lately. Athena, my wolf, has been anxious and uneasy, and this makes me feel the same way. My mother claims that it is because I have been a full werewolf for two years but have not found a mate. Athena came to me when she was sixteen, and since I'm eighteen, she's been yearning for her partner ever since. 

Every wolf wants their partner. I'm both excited and terrified about meeting my partner. While I enjoy knowing what's going to happen, I despise the unknown. To ensure I know what I'm doing, I schedule my days in advance. I can't plan for finding your partner because no one knows when or who it will be. 

I opened the shower door and turned the dial to the cold setting; I'll have to wake my body up by shock. 

I picked something to use from my tiny shower caddy. Because my shower is too small to hold anything, I have to store all of my products here or in the small cabinet under the sink. 

Even though my bathroom isn't the biggest, it's big enough for one person if you walk with your arms at your sides and slowly turn. 

Coconut lychee shampoo and conditioner were my picks, and I chose vanilla and raspberry body wash after deciding which one to use. 

I murmured and ventured into the shower. I gasped as soon as the water touched my skin. I physically trembled as my eyes widened. I was definitely awoken by this. 

To allow my body to adjust to the heat, I slowly turned the dial toward the hot setting. As heat surrounded me, I exhaled in relief. 

While Athena whimpered in my head, I carried on with my shower. I have repeatedly attempted to inquire about the issue, but I have received no response. It almost feels like my soul is being ripped from my body, and every now and then a sharp pain shoots across my abdomen. Whatever is wrong, I can feel it. 

I can only assume that my body is getting ready to endure the dreadful heat of a wolf because it is heat season. 

The only time a she-wolf can become pregnant is during one of a werewolf's two heat seasons. The heat is bearable for me because I haven't met my mate, but I dread thinking about how it feels when you've been unmated and the bond has begun to form. 

I have to be careful when it gets hot because my scent can make any wolf that hasn't been mated insane. Even my brother can smell me, which is disgusting. I don't know why Selene, our Moon Goddess, would let family members smell their siblings. My father believes that this is due to the fact that his wolf has not been mated, and that during heat, the animalistic side is more apparent. Instead of seeing his sibling wolf, he sees an unmated she-wolf. 

After turning off the shower and getting out, I wrapped my body in a soft towel and wrapped my hair in a small towel. After wiping the condensation off the mirror while standing in front of it, I grabbed my toothbrush. 

I went back into my bedroom after I finished brushing my teeth to get ready for work. My pale pink scrubs were pulled out when I opened the door to my closet. 

I handle puppies. I am employed in the pack hospital's nursery. Doctors and nurses who need to take care of the pack's pups leave them with us and come back when their shifts are over. I enjoy my job and seeing their young faces. 

I hope to one day work as a midwife. Because my mother is one of the pack's midwives, I grew up hearing the stories she used to tell. These stories didn't go into great detail, but they showed how much love the packmates had when they arrived to have their pup and how proud they were to have helped them complete their family. I'd probably cry the first time I laid a baby in their mother's arms because I'm a sucker for love and family. 

The towel fell because I turned over my hair. As I picked up the towel and threw it into my laundry basket, I flipped my hair back. Picking up my brush, I sat down at my dressing table. Before plugging in my hairdryer, I brushed it. I dried my hair until it was tumbling down my back, my regular blonde waves streaming free. One of the requirements of working in the nursery is to always keep your hair out of the way, so I pulled it into a ponytail. 

I got up, went to my bed, and Before going downstairs, I opened my curtains and straightened the blanket. 

As I entered the kitchen, my dad smiled and said, "Good morning, Clara." 

"Have a nice day." I popped. 

While my mother went about her business in the kitchen, Owen and I sat at the table together. I smiled at him as he handed me a plate of pancakes. I exhaled as I leaned over the pancakes and said, "Thanks, Owen." 

Before returning to his breakfast, he laughed and nodded. " Owen, Mom said, "Don't forget-" "Don't come home or go out until heat season is over... I know mom," he replied. "Aunt Ava is expecting you after work." 

"It won't last more than three or four days. Dad added, "It's better if you get out of here before Clara's heat starts." Clara's heat is due anytime now. 

"Owen, thank you." I gave him a shy smile. To put it mildly, it's awkward for my brother to have to leave because of me. I know it's for our mutual benefit, but I feel guilty. I believe that Mom wants me to be here with her when it happens so that she can keep an eye on me and prevent me from succumbing to my animalistic side. 

"Certainly... It must be done." He exhaled. 

I nodded and smiled at him. Owen winked at me before laughing as his parents laughed, "Who knows, when Ethan comes home... All this could be sorted." 

I've known Ethan my whole life, and he is my best friend. He might also be a little bit in love with me. We have never wavered in our desire for one another. He and everyone else think we'll get along, and I'm hoping he is right. 

We made a promise to each other before he left: if we both find our partners while he was gone, we will be happy for each other; if we don't, we will wait and give ourselves to our partners. We promised not to do anything with anyone.