(Katelyn's POV)I waited patiently, certain that they were going to dismiss me, but the silence remained as Helen's pen scratched on the paper in front of her as she made more notes.My eyes wandered over to Simon. His gaze was sharp, like he was determined to cut through and dissect each and every word I’d said.I allowed myself to look over at Roderick, hoping his face might look friendlier. It didn't though. He didn't look hostile, but rather... concerned? Sympathetic?Better than outright hostile though, I figured.Helen cleared her throat and raised her eyes toward me. “Alright,” she began, her voice calm, almost gentle, “you’ve shared quite a lot with us about your time with Harlan. But there are just a few points I’d like to clarify here, just to make sure we have an accurate picture of what transpired from your point of view.”I frowned. I'd thought we were done. I'd thought they were going to tell me I could go now. What more was there to tell them?My hands clenched in my la
I stomped along the deserted pavement, my mood as dark and brooding as the fast approaching storm clouds overhead. The library had been my escape from the overhyped Mating Celebration, but even the quiet rustle of pages and the familiar smell of old books hadn’t been enough to calm my irritation. The pack's obsession with this archaic tradition grated on me more than I cared to explain. That, and the fact that my family had booted me out of my home in Colorado and shipped me off to stay with my aunt here in Oregon almost a week ago now.The distant sounds of laughter and music from the celebration drifted through the air. It annoyed me. I couldn’t understand why everyone put so much stock in finding their 'destined mate.' The whole concept felt oppressive, like we were all just pawns in some preordained plan. The idea of 'mates' meant that there was no room for freewill, and that was something that just never sat well with me.My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of my thought
"I guess it's lucky we're in the bathroom then," I mumbled sarcastically, causing him to chuckle."Do you wanna come out?" the voice suggested hopefully.I sighed, pressing my back against the cool wall, and feeling it's chill seep through me. "No. Not yet. I just... I need a minute," I replied before blowing my nose."Fair enough," he conceded, then I was certain I heard him sit down."Um... Are you staying then?" I asked tentatively."Yeah, if that's okay. I mean, you did say it was a good thing we were in the bathroom if we might throw up..." he tried to justify his presence."I mean, I guess..." was all I managed in response, my tears on pause for the moment as I tried to deal with this weird turn of events.I unrolled another length of toilet paper, crumpling it into a ball and dabbing at my nose, which continued to run. Then I took a deep breath as I tried to regain my composure."Shouldn't you be at the Mating Celebration?" I asked, unable to disguise the bitterness in my voice
“So, what kind of music are you into?” he asked, a playful note in his tone.“Metal, mostly,” I replied casually. I could almost hear his eyebrows rising in surprise. “Metal, huh? I’m more of a classic rock guy myself,” he responded seemingly unfazed.The conversation meandered through favourite foods, movies, and hobbies. I found myself divulging details I hadn’t expected to share, drawn in by the anonymity the door provided.“Okay, so random question – are you a virgin?” he asked. His tone came across as if he were trying to deliver the question as a joke, but there was an unmistakable hint of curiosity in his voice.I laughed, caught off guard. “That's a very forward question for a first date, don't you think?” I quipped, evading the question."So this is a date, huh?" he asked, and I could hear the smirk in his voice. I was grateful for the door between us as I felt my cheeks flushing with embarrassment at my blunder."Well... I mean... It sort of feels like one," I admitted as m
My phone suddenly rang, cutting through the charged atmosphere and snapping us both back to reality. Tyler cleared his throat while I patted myself down, finally finding my phone in my back pocket. I checked the screen before answering. There was no chance I was taking a call from that moron, Liam, now. Fortunately, it was my aunt Mara."Hi Aunt Mara," I answered brightly, giving Tyler an apologetic look. He gave me an understanding smile and gestured for me to carry on, but he never took his eyes off me for a moment, as if my presence was somehow captivating.Aunt Mara was calling to find out whether I'd stayed for the Mating Celebration after all. When I'd left for the library this morning, I'd assured her in no uncertain terms that there was no way I'd be attending the celebrations. So, I guess she had every right to be worried that I wasn't home yet. The library had closed hours ago and for all she knew I could have been kidnapped by a wily pack of rogues. I ended the conversatio
I don't know how I eventually managed to fall asleep, but I did. Opening one sleepy eye, I gazed at my phone. I'd fallen asleep with it in my hand, clutching it like it was some kind of lifeline, and I saw now there was a light blinking to indicate I had a message.With absolute urgency I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes as muted daylight streamed through a crack in my curtains. My fingers worked as if they had a mind of their own, opening the text message, desperate to see who it was from. I was certain it was Tyler and beamed with excitement when I saw his name come up on my screen.The message was simple, but still managed to make my heart race and my breath hitch.Tyler:Morning 🌞 Hope you slept well.My entire body felt tingly as I read the words, thinking about our unexpected meeting the day before.I'd spent a good chunk of the night trying to justify the feelings I'd felt with him and reconcile these with my denial of the 'mate bond', but I'd come up short. There was s
"I guess it makes sense why he was so evasive now," I mumbled, thinking back to our conversation the night before.Aunt Mara watched me, her expression a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Are you okay with this?" she asked gently."I mean... I don't know. I guess it doesn't really change the way I feel about him," I explained, trying to make sense of my feelings.Aunt Mara nodded understandingly. "It's a big deal, being mated to the Alpha's son. It comes with a lot of expectations and responsibilities."I groaned, feeling a weight settle over me. "I just wanted to get away from all the drama back home. Now it feels like I'm stepping into a whole new kind of drama here.""I'm sorry, hun," Aunt Mara said softly, giving my shoulder a reassuring rub."Maybe you're wrong. Maybe it's a different Tyler," I reasoned hopefully. "I mean, there were like 4 packs here last night. He could have been from any of them.""You're absolutely right," Aunt Mara said with a smile. "Now how about some bre
I raced out of the house, hurrying to meet Tyler, who was in all likelihood already waiting for me. If it hadn't been frowned upon to shift in the streets, I would have done it, desperate to get to him before he could think that I'd ditched him. Fortunately, one of the perks of turning 18 and shifting was enhanced abilities. One of those being extended endurance. And thank God for that, because running definitely hadn't been my strong suit before. It still wasn't now, at least not in my human form, but there definitely had been some improvement. I approached the park, clueless as to the time and how late I was as I jogged towards the restroom we'd met in the evening before. He was already there, impossible to miss with his tall frame and tousled brown hair. He saw me and smiled broadly. Then he started heading towards me, so I slowed my pace and tried to walk casually in his direction so that we could meet somewhere in the middle. "Hey," he said, still smiling. "I thought for a se