Chapter 1 - Gabriel

    Another family BBQ, another few hours of chaos. I love this crazy lot but jeez I get a headache when they are all together! The fact now many of my cousins have found their fated mates means there are more of us, as there are more pups running around too. So even more chaos to enjoy. And for some reason I seem to get roped into playing with the kids. Perhaps it’s because I never fully grew up…..

       Though does any man? Still have the mind of a child, and the sense of humour too. Makes life more fun that way.

    “Gabriel! Chico, are you even listening to me?!” My Grandmothers says to me sternly.

     I see Manuel, my cousin grin at me.

        To be fair, I switched off about ten minutes ago, she has been wittering on at me and him about our friends, the Alpha and Luna, Knox and Lilah and their new little boy Kai. My Grandmother has a habit of talking a lot, plus I am sure she is just being nosey to find out if there is any gossip she can share with her friends. I often switch off when she is talking, it is easier, or else she gives me a headache! She has a lot of opinions and it is easier to just agree with her. Though sometimes I have to say I disagree just to see her reaction because it amuses me, and I know it amuses my cousins too.

   They are all complete wusses and dare not disagree, me however, I know she can’t catch me , so if needs be and I get her real mad, I know I can always run away from her.

    “Yes Abuela, I am listening to you. Always” I smile at her.

     I look to Manuel and roll my eyes.

    “Gabriel Matias Garcia tell me you did not just roll your eyes at your Abuela! You might be a man, or like to think you are, but you are never too old for your grandmother to kick your ass Chico” she snarls at me.

   I can’t help but chuckle at her. This is a she-wolf well into her 70s now, and well past her ass-kicking days, but can’t say she isn’t still feisty.

 Manuel is still sat grinning,  “Oh Abuela, please kick his ass, that would be amazing! He is definitely due it” he says.

    “See why can’t you be a sweet boy like my Manny” my grandmother smiles affectionately at my cousin.

   She is the mother of my Mum and Manuel’s Mum, and has been a massive part of our lives and while I love to wind her up, and clearly I am far from her favourite grandson, I love this woman to bits; even if she is a little crazy! Since her husband, our Grandad, passed away, she has been lonely, so the talking a lot we know is probably because of that too though ours Dads says she has always had a habit of never shutting up. And this sort of conversation is a regular occurrence between me and her.

   “Because good little Manny is a suck up that’s why” I grin.

    “He will make his mate very happy when he finds her. Talking of that, any luck with that either of you?” she looks at us, a look of desperation almost on her face.

    I get almost sick of her, my Mom and my many aunts asking me this almost each time they see me. I swear I could walk to the bathroom, come back and they would ask me if I met my mate along the way, despite seeing me just five minutes before! It has got that bad recently! Yeah sure, I am getting older and it is expected for us to have met our fated mate by now, but it is not like it is something I control. If so, do they not think I would have chosen to have met her by now?

    And I know Manuel gets sick of them asking too. He is desperate to meet his mate. Seeing Knox with Lilah made him realise just how much he wanted his mate. And to be fair, I think it did with me too.

    “No Abuela, not yet” Manuel smiles softly at her.

     “Aww Chico, she will come, I am sure she is desperate to meet you” our grandmother rests her head on Manuel’s shoulder and smiles up at him.

    “No Abuela, do you not think you would have heard by now if we had?” I say.

    “Well that is true Chico. Perhaps you should get a haircut, smarten yourself up, and look harder for her, hmmm?” My grandmother suggests.

    So, how does this work? Manuel gets told his mate will come, and that she is desperate to meet him,  me, however, gets told to remodel myself and to try harder to find her. Does she not think I keep looking for her?

    “I keep looking for her Abuela, she doesn’t seem to be around. Like you said to Manuel, I am sure she will come” I smile.

    “Perhaps Gabriel, though perhaps she already came, saw you and went, neh, and left again” My grandmother says with a grin and walks away from us toward my Father who is tending to the grills with his brother.

    Leaving me sat with my mouth open at the brashness of her words. I see Manuel trying not to laugh.

   “What are you laughing at?” I say.

    “Well you will keep winding her up” he laughs. “So she does it back to you”

    “Oh its ok for you golden balls isn’t it. She thinks you are amazing! Your mate is just desperate to meet you! Mine must have seen me and run!” I roll my eyes.

    Manuel throws his arm around my shoulder “Gabriel Matias Garcia,  don’t you be rolling your eyes at Abuela now!” he grins at me. “You know she loves you very much”

    “Oh sure. Now how long we got to stay before we go round to Knox and Lilah’s for drinks? I cannot be asked goddess knows how many more times if I found my mate, and I haven’t seen half the aunties yet, and the female cousins are getting just as bad now! I am so tempted to be like, oh yeah I did, but she couldn’t come to meet you as I currently have her at home handcuffed to the bed. That would soon shut them up!”

    Manuel laughs.

   “They would definitely not know what to say! If you say that then please let me be there to see their reaction” he says.

   I hate they keep asking, it is like they are desperate for us to find our mates, but at the same time, like they have no consideration for the fact we are wanting to find them too. Our wolves are desperately searching for them, pining for their mates. Seeing our friends settle down now too makes it harder, seeing them so happy doesn’t help, while I am happy for them, it just makes me realise what I am missing.