1. Her Mate

Lillian was playing around her late grandma’s house. Her grandmother had just passed away, but she wasn’t upset because she never knew her that well. Her parents were inside with all the other guests.

Her grandmother’s house was near the forest. It was a peaceful place to live in.

“Lillian!” her father called.

She turned around and ran towards him. Her father smiled as he picked her up.

“What was my princess doing?” He asked her.

“Playing with the plants.” She said.

“Really? Are you having fun?” He asked.

She nodded.

Her father, Liam, carried her to the grass and sat down on it, putting his daughter on his lap.

“Daddy.” She called.

“Yes, princess?”

“Why is everyone wearing black dresses?” she asked.

“Hmmm…” he looked up, “When someone falls asleep for eternity and will not wake up, then people come to see that person wearing a black dress as a sign of respect.”

“What’s eternity?” she asked

“Eternity is something that lasts forever.” He told her.

“Like mommy’s and daddy’s love?” she asked.

“Ooooo, my princess is quite smart. Yes, just like mommy’s and daddy’s love for you.” He smiled.

She smiled back.

“But why do people wear black? Why can’t they wear colors like pink or red?” She asked.

“Because wearing black is a tradition.” He told her.

“What’s a tradition?” she asked, frowning.

“It’s something that has been passed down to family after family for a very long time.” He told her.

“Oh.” She said.

“Done with all your questions?” He asked.

“Nope.” She said.

“Oh? What else do you want to know about?”

“What’s a grandma?” she asked.

“A grandma is a mother’s or a father’s mother.”

“You have a mommy and daddy, too.” She asked with wide eyes.

He laughed at his daughter’s reaction.

“Of course, I do. How do think I was born?” he asked.

“I thought mommy made you too. Like how she made me.” She told him.

Her father burst into laughter.

“It doesn’t work that way, sweety.” He said, still laughing a little.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, confused.

“Nothing sweety. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“Ok. Then who’s mommy was grandma?” she asked him.

“Your mother’s.” He told her.

“So why didn’t mommy even visited grandma when she wasn’t sleeping?” she asked him with a frown.

He sighed.

“Your mommy didn’t have wonderful parents.” He told her.

“Were they mean to her?” she asked her father, looking at him.

“It’s complicated sweety. I’ll tell you when you’re older.” He told her.

“Okay. What about your mommy and daddy?” she asked.

“I don’t know who my mommy and daddy are.” He told her.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Okay, enough questions, little miss. The stories you’re asking for are not happy ones. You should only hear and see good and pretty things when you are young. I’ll tell you the sad stories when you are older.”

“Pinky promise?” she took out her pinky finger.

“Pinky promise.” He said and intertwined his pinky finger with hers.

“I have to go back now. You think you’ll be okay here, or do you want to go inside?” He asked.

“I’m going to play here.” She said.

“Okay.” He kissed her forehead, “But don’t go to the forest, it’s dangerous there.”

“Okay.” she said and got up.

She kept playing around and looked at the flowers while everyone was inside the house, mourning the dead.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw something white move in the forest. She looked towards the forest and saw a huge white wolf. It was an exquisite wolf.

The wolf caught Lillian looking at him. He turned his head and went back into the forest.

“Wow. What a big doggy.” She said in surprise and slowly walked towards the forest, forgetting her father’s warning.

Standing in front of the forest, she called for the wolf.

“Big white doggy!” she called him several, but he never came.

“Oh no, what if it’s lost in there?” she asked out loud, feeling worried.

She walked into the forest. She kept calling for the wolf. After a few minutes, she heard a howl. She walked towards the sound and found the wolf on the edge of the cliff. He sat there and howled.

The white wolf suddenly stopped as the wind blew. He smelled an irresistible scent. He felt as all his body was going through something unexplainable. All his senses were heightened and his body was on full alert. It was the same smell that had led him out of the forest, but he couldn’t go beyond that because there was a large group of humans were nearby.

He looked around for the source of this scent, so he turned around and saw Lillian there. He moved his head to the side, confused.

‘This human child… did she follow me here?’ The wolf said in his head.

Then suddenly, his eyes widened as another wave of wind blew.

‘It’s her. She is the reason I feel like this.’

He stood up and slowly moving towards her as he did not want to scare her. He sat in front of her and inhaled her scent and was even more sure it was her.

“Such a big doggy.” She said, mesmerized by his size.

The wolf made an annoyed expression.

‘This human child called me a dog. Such an insult. This human child needs training.’

“And the hair is so beautiful. It looks like the snow.” She said.

The wolf stood up proudly.

‘She has a good eye.’

Lillian moved closer to him. He lowered his head to her. Her scent became even stronger as she got near.

“Good doggy.” She said and patted his head.

His ears moved back, and his eyes widened as he left the tingles and sparks under her touch.

She laughed.

He suddenly started to feel emotions that were not his as he felt the happiness, thrill, and the excitement. He realized that these were her emotions.

‘It’s her. My mate. It’s this human child.’ He said in his head, shocked with realization.