Mated To A Human

Mated To A Human

last updateLast Updated : 2024-04-15
By:  Sydney MarieOngoing
Language: English
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"The lock clicks into place, and I turn to run through the downpour, but the moment I do, I see it; the shadow some steps into the trees behind the parking lot. And then I see its eyes - like two lone stars. My heart throttles into my ribs. The thing must be seven feet tall, maybe more. The edges of its being blend into the darkness, but its stare is electric. Just as I focus on the features of its face, I blink, and it's turned, slinking away, leaving a gap in the trees." ☽༓・*˚⁺‧͙ ‧͙⁺˚*・༓☾ When Mia was young, her closest friend Abby warned her of supernatural beings. The two fantasized, played, and forged a bond Mia thought would last forever, but during their sophomore year, everything changed. Abby moved schools, broke off their friendship, and abandoned Mia in the real world they so often escaped from. Years later, Mia encounters something supernatural as she's leaving work, convincing her that Abby's warnings were legitimate. Mia confronts her past friend in search of answers only to discover her jarring encounter was anything but random and is far from over. Abby brings Mia into a world just like their childhood games and cautions Mia that her heart is no longer her own. PG16 Werewolf / Alpha Romance humanXwerewolf

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The summer before eighth grade, Abby and I had been playing pretend fairies outside for the past week, fluttering and skipping in the humidity of the woods. I liked the idea of fantastical things — fairies, dragons, wizards, vampires, and the rest of them — but Abby seemed to believe it. She came to me with love spells, and we performed them with our whole hearts. She smeared us with red clay so we would live forever, and when she told me not to go into the woods alone because of preying beasts, she didn't stammer or flinch.

Our schoolmates made fun of us for playing like little kids when we were officially teenagers, but as long as we had each other, we didn't mind their teasing.

Moody Pond was our favorite spot to play pretend. Something about it was magical; the way the water ripples under skater bugs, the maple seedlings that twirl on the breeze, and the reeds that curve like bridges for real fairies. Abby's house was next door, and her mother let us wander out without a mere peek from their back windows or promise to check-in. Despite its eerie name, Black Lake was thoroughly deemed safe, and a few teasing comments were the only bad things to happen to us.

I knew Abby and I would be best friends for the rest of our lives. Even if we moved to opposite sides of the world, I would find ways to get to her. She was my future maid-of-honor, my closest confidant, and we always understood each other, until sixteen. Sixteen changed everything, at first gradually, but then all at once. Abby stayed in Black Lake but moved schools. She became too busy to hangout or talk or reminisce. She cut me out of her life with no explanation and I was left with nothing but ten years of photographs and a phone number labeled with a heart that no longer rung. 

Our made-up world crumbled beneath me, and I felt like she had cast me off to face reality all alone. School was no longer fun without Abby there; it was suddenly only schoolwork, lonely lunchtimes, and homework. Our plans for after high school meant nothing anymore, so I wandered aimless and ended up taking online college courses, feeling unable to fully commit.

And the worst part — I still see Abby. From time to time, there's a glance of her at the grocery store or in a passing car. She's with other people. New friends.

Sometimes she doesn't see me, but most of the time she does and pretends I'm a stranger.

"I'll be with the Society until nine, so I told your Dad to put the lasagna in the oven when he gets home from the hotel. I forgot, did you say you're working today?"

"Yeah, from ten till three," I tell my mother as we both stand in the kitchen.

"Can you pick Perry up from piano? It ends at—"

"Three-thirty, I know. I'll get him."

She strokes the side of my face. "Thanks, Love. I better get going. Today we're deciding on the color theme for the Equinox Festival."

"Isn't it always brown, red, and orange?"

"I'm hoping for a pop of gold — I think it will add a touch of glam, you know?" She grabs her keys, phone, and travel mug from the counter. "Anyhow, I'll see you later. And if your dad forgets about the lasagna—"

"I'll put it in the oven."

"What would I do without you," she ponders then blows a kiss as her keys jingle.

Once she leaves through the front door down the hall, it's only us kids in the house. Perry and Harper are still asleep in their bedrooms, but I've been waking up early the past few days. I like being alone in the morning anyway.

I grab my mug of steaming herbal tea and sit at the breakfast table. The large black-framed window to my right displays our native trees out back. Soon the green on their leaves will break down for more exciting colors. Tomorrow is the first day of September, and although it's not yet autumn, I like to pretend it is. The weather of the mountains yields to my imagination — one of the many things I like about living in Black Lake.

Our cat Teddy leaps onto the chair across from me and then jumps to the table. Mom hates when he does so, but when she's not around, I let him get away with things. I reach to pet his orange hair, and he stretches under my touch. "Good morning, Bub."

I sip my tea and finish by the time Perry enters the kitchen in his too-short pajama pants and a wrinkled t-shirt. His hair sticks out in every direction, and he mumbles, "Hey."

"Hey," I say back and watch as he grabs and prepares toaster waffles from the freezer. "I'm picking you up from piano today."

"Why?"

"Mom is with the Society. Dad's at work."

"Is Harper still driving me there?"

I get up to put my mug in the dishwasher. "She should be."

As his waffles defrost in the toaster, Perry grabs the cat from the table and cradles him in his arms. "Harper's a crap driver."

"Well, she just got her license. Give her some time."

"Won't have any time if I'm dead," he mutters and scratches Teddy's head.

I pause. "Don't be so dramatic."

"Can you drive me?"

"I have work."

He sighs. "Whatever. It's my funeral."

The kitchen begins to smell like cinnamon. The toaster pops and Perry releases Teddy so he can plate his breakfast and eat in front of the TV. I exit through the backdoor to quickly water the garden before I get dressed for the day. The garden is a quaint thing my father built me; a raised bed resting against the foundation of the porch. For the summer, I planted some herbs: mint, sage, rosemary, and the such. The harvest isn't very bountiful, but I garden to keep myself busy.

Planting every summer is a tradition I started after Abby ditched me. I think our younger selves would have liked it — the herbs would have made excellent potion ingredients.

I fill the watering can at the spout against the house and then water the base of each plant until the soil is thoroughly saturated. Next year I might try vegetables.

The backyard is surrounded by a tall paint-chipped fence, but there's a gate fixated on the far side that leads to the forest. Our house is an old Victorian like many of the houses on our street, and Dad says the residents used to gather wood from the forest before winter. They chopped it and stored it in big piles for their fireplaces, and I think that's rather peaceful. Something about housekeeping has always felt peaceful to me.

When I pass the living room on my way upstairs, I see Perry watching cartoons. I smile and carry on. Work starts in an hour.

My parents grew up in Black Lake. They bought and restored this house while my mother was pregnant with me, leaving Dad to do most of the heavy lifting. Like the majority of the house, my bedroom has the original wood floors while the paneling, fireplace, and window frames are all refinished. I know I'm lucky to have such a beautiful space to myself. My mother and I are similar in this way; we both have an eye for detail and a love of pillows, blankets, and candles.

A considerable amount of my time is dedicated to comforting myself. I'm surrounded by love and luxury, yet I'm in perpetual discomfort.

I pull on jeans and a white long-sleeve for work. My dark blonde hair is clamped up in a claw clip, and I grab a pair of black boots from my closet. When it's time to go, I descend the stairs and call to Perry, "I'm leaving!"

"Okay," he says from the living room, still glued to the TV.

I drop my boots to the floor and jimmy them on. Thankfully, Harper and I don't share a car, so I hop in my little Honda and toss my bag onto the passenger seat. The drive into town takes all of three minutes, and it's entirely reasonable to walk the route, but my boss lets me park behind the café, so I take the convenience gladly.

It's cloudy today, but I don't think it will rain. I peer up at the sky as I leave my car and enter the café through the backdoor. In the backroom, I slip on a Blue Moon Café apron and then greet Kiki whose already serving from the opening shift.

"Has it been busy?"

She mindlessly makes a latte, not needing to think very much about it. "It's been okay. Nothing I can't handle. Could you refill the pastry case, though? Our order from Millie's is in the box on the back counter."

I retrieve the box and set it on a stool as I open it up, crouch, and tong each pastry into the display. Cinnamon buns, croissants, muffins, scones—I place each one with care. Most customers are on a break from their jobs, so they order their drinks to-go, but some take their drinks and sit down. There are tables along the windows for people to relax and watch townies go about their day. The café is on the main street in town, across from the Historic Black Lake Laboratory, which is now a museum and headquarters for the Historic Black Lake Society — the organization my mother is head of.

The Lunar Lodge — that my father manages — is across the lake that divides the town in two. The view of the night sky from our mountains is so beautiful that many town businesses name themselves accordingly.

"Did you start classes yet?" Kiki asks.

"Last week. Only twelve credits."

"Twelve is full-time, isn't it?"

I nod. "I'm doing it online like last year."

"Didn't you say this year you were gonna move to campus?"

I finish restocking and stand to rest my knees. "I changed my mind. Maybe next year, though."

"I think you'd like living on campus," she says, leaning against the counter. "There are no parents to order you around, no siblings to get on your nerves. I mean, I had a great time when I went to Cornell and lived in a dorm. You make a lot of friends, too."

"Are you saying I have no friends?" A playful frown pulls on my lips.

"You know what I mean."

I slide the glass of the display closed. "I don't know. Most days, I don't even know why I'm in college."

Kiki waves me off. "Don't worry. I think everyone feels that way from time to time."

I take over when Kiki leaves at eleven, weathering the lunch rush. The potent smell of coffee embeds into my clothes, but I don't mind it. The café is warm and the loudest sounds come from the expresso machine and blenders; the lingering denizens are tranquil as they sip and read and type. In the winter, this is an oasis from the snow and cold, and the seats by the artificial fireplace are always occupied.

My phone rings during a lull. It's my mom, so I answer.

"Hello?"

"Mia, you're at work aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Do you have a break?" She asks. "I forgot my folder at the house — it's right on the counter — and I can't get away. We're trying to vote on the decorations, and we have to sort out the vendors, but all the vendor information is in the folder and—"

"My break is in an hour. Could I bring it to you then?"

"Yes, yes, thank you. I've been trying to call your sister, but she isn't answering her phone. Can you make sure she's awake to drive Perry when you stop by?"

I take a breath. "Okay, I'll see you soon."

"Love you!"

Eventually, another coworker arrives just in time for my fifteen-minute break. I hurry through the backdoor and turn the three-minute drive into a two-minute drive. The roads are small, but not very busy, so I reach the house in good time and rush inside. "Harper!" I call as I open the door and close it behind me.

I snatch the folder from the kitchen and then check the living room. Perry is lying half-asleep on the couch. "Perry?"

He stirs. "Huh?"

"I need you to wake up Harper. I'm just grabbing something for Mom, so I have to go."

"Fine," he groans and sits up.

Trusting him, I leave again and jump back into my car. I take the same route and park behind the café then walk across the street to the museum. It's an old brick building with a stone staircase set in its middle leading to the main entrance. It looks nothing like a modern laboratory, but it served as a research and treatment center for tuberculosis — founded in 1872, as the plaque above the entrance states.

My mother joined the Society when I was in elementary school. Many of my after-school hours have been spent in this building, and I picked up some history from the displays.

The building smells like wood and rain, and the floorboards creak under my feet. I make my way through the initial section of museum and enter the second half of the large room. There's a long, wooden table with papers splayed on top of it and people sit around it while a few dated computers line the walls. My mother stands and gazes over members' shoulders, pointing at the sheets and correcting.

"Mom," I say and she looks up.

"Oh, Mia, thank goodness." She comes around the table and I hand her the floppy plastic folder. "Thank you."

"I better get back."

"Of course. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

I nod, my shoulders sinking. She happily shows off her folder to the others and announces, "Now we can get started on the festival layout."

I cross my arms and step away, turning on my feet to leave. My eyes wash over some of the displays as I pass them. One shows a framed picture of the laboratory's founder Dr. Norwood along with his fellow doctors and workers. It's black and white, taken in front of the building when it was young.

One of the two front doors pushes open, and the hinges announce a visitor. I glance over my shoulder. A striking young guy carrying a sizable box of stuff comes inside. The things in his box appear to fit quite well with the artifacts exhibited around me. He notices me as the only other person here.

I'm not one to stare at strangers, but I can't help myself. He looks back, causing a piece of his grown-out, dark hair to fall over his forehead, and something in the air shifts. I breathe, and it feels different.

A woman comes from the back and speaks to him. Her words don't register, and his captivating eyes remain on me for a moment too long before he ends his trance and answers her. Suddenly flushed, I swiftly stride to the doors and duck out, knowing in my conscience that something about that guy is off. I hug myself and jog across the street, feeling as though I've encountered an alien.

I return to work with four minutes to spare, so I sit in the storeroom and try to wipe his haunting image from my mind. But things like to stick in my head — things that shouldn't be there.

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37 Chapters
Chapter 1
The summer before eighth grade, Abby and I had been playing pretend fairies outside for the past week, fluttering and skipping in the humidity of the woods. I liked the idea of fantastical things — fairies, dragons, wizards, vampires, and the rest of them — but Abby seemed to believe it. She came to me with love spells, and we performed them with our whole hearts. She smeared us with red clay so we would live forever, and when she told me not to go into the woods alone because of preying beasts, she didn't stammer or flinch.Our schoolmates made fun of us for playing like little kids when we were officially teenagers, but as long as we had each other, we didn't mind their teasing.Moody Pond was our favorite spot to play pretend. Something about it was magical; the way the water ripples under skater bugs, the maple seedlings that twirl on the breeze, and the reeds that curve like bridges for real fairies. Abby's house was next door, and her mother let us wander out without a mere peek
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 2
The last time I saw Abby was over the summer. She was very tan as though she'd been on vacation, and she was with a guy I may have seen around town over the years. They were holding hands walking along the lake, and I was standing on the waterfront deck of the Lodge.She laughed and smooshed her cheek into his shoulder. They stopped at the lapping edge and stared out and the water for a few minutes before Abby peered over her shoulder, and I ducked fast. I searched for the glint of an engagement ring on her finger but didn't see one."So, are you two excited for school tomorrow? What are you going to wear?"Perry pokes his fork at his plate. "Clothes.""Well, that's a relief," Dad says."What about you?" My mom asks Harper. "Do you have a special outfit planned? Maybe that cute sweater with the stripes?"She shrugs. "Probably my black jeans and a black shirt.""I do miss the days I got to dress you two myself. Oh, the tiny overalls and jackets and rain boots. How all three of you woul
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 3
Perry rode his bike into the garage door, and the wheel scuffed the bottom of it, leaving a streak of black. The other night, I heard Mom scolding him about it across the hall while I was on my computer in my bedroom; it was background noise, but I see it now — the scuff — along with so many little things. The number of smudges and marks on my windshield. The spiderweb tucked in the white gable of the garage roof. I see the speckles of dust and crumbs in my cupholders, the fifty-five cents and hair tie in another small compartment, and the slight droop of the mirror cover on my sun visor.Every time I close my eyes, I see those bright, animal-like ones in the black of the woods, beaming at me.Time doesn't seem to pass as I sit in my car, but the sun rises, making me rouse. My phone died while I was at work — I never called home to tell anyone I'm stuck in the driveway.My eyes are dry from my sleeplessness, and my body moves sluggishly. I pop open my door and shiver when fresh air bl
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 4
Last night I had a nightmare about the thing I saw. Most memories of the dream faded in the few seconds it took me to open my eyes, but the instance of its piercing stare remains as clear as day; I can still see it.The thing's gaze is so lively — it must be alive, but somehow that seems more terrifying than the beast being dead."Mia? Honey? The laminator sucking you in?"I look up from the white tabletop machine. "Oh, no, just concentrating."Mom smiles. "Alrighty. That the last bulletin photo coming out now?"I nod and take the picture, stacking it with the others once the laminator spits it out. "I just have to trim them.""Why don't I do that, and you take that box downstairs for me?" She points to the brown box Harvey dropped off the other day. "Walking down the steps with that big thing at my age makes me nervous.""Your age? Mom, you're not old."She pets my head as I pass her. "Aren't you just my favorite thing ever? Thanks, Babe. Careful on the last step — remember it's shor
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 5
I drive home from the café after work and stare for a minute at the tree line from the driveway. At seven o'clock, everyone is home. I enter the house and find Perry watching a baseball game on TV with Mom while Dad sautés at the stove behind them. Mom doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the game; her attention is fixated on her pink-covered tablet.She looks as I appear in the archway and then reverts. "Mia. Hi, Love. How was work?""Fine. We were pretty busy.""Well, that's Friday for you."I place my bag on a counter island stool and sit on the seat beside it. "What's for dinner?""Got a cottage pie in the oven and green beans on the stove," Dad says. "Should be ready in about five minutes.""Speaking of dinner." Mom announces, "It turns out Cathy can't do the Society dinner at her house next week, so I told everyone we would do it here tomorrow."I swivel the stool, first facing Dad and then Mom. He asks, "Are we expecting the whole Society?""Not Louanne, but Marianne, Ca
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 6
"Whipped cream?"I grab a new bag of expresso beans and begin pouring it into the top compartment of the hefty expresso machine that sits on the counter behind the pastry display and register."Excuse me, I asked for whipped cream."I turn and see the young woman I just handed a drink to. She gives me an apologetic smile. I gasp a little and pause to say, "Oh, sorry, my bad. Let me get that for you."I set the expresso beans down and take the pumpkin latte from her, popping off the lid and foaming a large dollop of whipped cream on the top even though I know she requested no such thing. I switch the lid for a domed lid and give it back. She inspects the latte quickly before taking a straw and saying, "Thanks."She walks out of the café doors, and the room is calm again. Two people sit near the fireplace while a guy works on his laptop at one of the small tables against the windows. Weekday afternoons have much-needed lulls, but some days it feels like everyone in town gets their coffe
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 7
The sun reaches into the sky over the lower lake, shimmering in the water and chasing the morning fog away. Harvey and I walk down the main street sidewalk in the direction of the laboratory. My mom sent us on a task to retrieve three cases of water bottles, but luckily, the laboratory is only two blocks away.I know my mom has been shoving Harvey and me together whenever she can — maybe she's worried I'll end up a spinster — but when she assigned this particular favor, it didn't seem to be about my love life. I think she knew I wouldn't be able to carry all three cases by myself. Her head is scrambled by the Festival, and these waters are for working volunteers, so I'm happy to help. Besides, Harvey being here isn't a bad thing either. The awkwardness I felt at the Society dinner is clearing the more we talk.Thankfully, Harvey is easy to talk to."Did you go to Black Lake High, then?""No, the charter school."Where Abby went. "My mom looked into it for my younger siblings, but she
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 8
"What I'm about to do is called shifting. It's fast, so don't be scared, okay?"My lips downturn. Wind sweeps through the forest canopy, drowning out all other sounds. There's only the swishing and rustling of branches as they shake more orange and brown leaves free."You ready?" She calls over the wind.I hold onto myself as though I'm tipping over the peak of a rollercoaster. There's no going back now, so I say, "Just do it."Let's get this over with. Abby can finish her scheme, laugh at me for giving her an inkling of trust, and I can go back to my booth at the festival.She shakes out her arms and mumbles something under her breath that I can't make out. The last thing I hear is her huff, "Here we go." Then it all happens in seconds — fractions of seconds. Abby's upper body jerks towards me as something rakes through her, and her hands touch the dirt, but they aren't her hands anymore. It's like watching a firework; Abby burns away, contorts, and grows all it a flash.I move away
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 9
The Black Lake Laboratory is nearly empty in the afternoon except for Marianne, my mom, and me. Marianne and I work in the basement — her, on museum stuff, and me, on storing random festival bits. She's far into the shadows and shelves, and I only know she's still there by the sounds of cardboard boxes and rolling Duck Tape.It isn't only dark in the basement, however. The whole town is cast over with thick rain clouds, and I can still hear the weather even though I'm underground. The lightbulb above makes testy noises and flickers with the wind, and I continuously look up at it, hoping it doesn't go out.Marianne emerges from the basement's far corner saying, "I'll be back," as she passes me on her way to the stairs. I watch her ascend and then her and my mother's voices go back and forth in muffled mutters.I resume packing a box on the junk table consisting of small prizes to be used again next year: rubber ducks in varying costumes, headbands with bats on small springs, stuffed pu
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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Chapter 10
"Hey, sorry I'm late," I breathe as I make my way around the counter. With few customers in the café, Kiki follows me back, standing in the doorway to the break room as I hang up my jacket in exchange for an apron."I don't think you've ever been late," Kiki says. "What happened? Car trouble?""No — I was with a friend and we lost track of time.""Well, you're only late by like five minutes, so don't worry about it. I don't go on break for another fifteen minutes anyway.""So, I haven't seen you since you mentioned helping your boyfriend move? How did it go?"Kiki and I return to the counter as I tie my hair up. She uses the rag in her hand to wipe around the machines. "He called me the day after I came back from his new place — we don't usually call each other; we text and Facetime, so I was surprised — but he said he needed time to adjust and grow roots and whatever other bullshit he spewed. He said he wasn't breaking up with me but putting us on hold. I broke three nails carrying h
last updateLast Updated : 2023-12-25
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