1 - Welcome Home!

Chapter 1 - Jason

“Only our Mother would make us come home because of some Christmas party when we don't even celebrate it,” pulling out my baggage from the back seat, I complained to my sister as if it was the end of the world. 

“It's not like you came home for any Solstice festivities either.” However, as she rolled her eyes. Lilith’s smartass mouth was just as wicked as mine. “Mom has been crazy lately, thinking you were perhaps planning to leave the Pack and become a Lone Wolf. But then, you had to say how you would be bringing someone for us to meet. A Human, but not your Mate. Of course, she will go cuckoo about it.”

Although, I felt a little sorry that my sister had to deal with our overly worried Mom due to my lack of contact as if I no longer wished to come back to the Pack… they were not wrong, and I had actually thought about leaving and becoming a good Sigma, a Lone Wolf as they expected. 

“… Speaking of which, shouldn’t they be with you?” As we walked into the quiet house, Lilith suddenly pointed out the lack of someone next to me, something she seemed to have forgotten about until now.

“Yeah, as if it’s easy to tell your Human boyfriend that you need to come home, and deal not only with your Mother’s new political life but also with Pack stuff. Werewolf pack stuff, not some random club called Pack.” 

“Why did you want to bring him with you then? Mom set your room and everything else for two people," hearing such words from Lily, I could easily imagine our mother going crazy about making the house the most welcoming for my boyfriend while hiding hints of our Supernatural origin.

“I thought it would make Mom give up, but it doesn’t matter anymore. He’s my ex now, we broke up.” 

“With Christmas just right around the corner? I thought Humans would always wait to end their relationships after Holidays. It’s such a waste of gifts and everything else.” As usual, Lilith made me laugh right away with her words, thinking so badly of Humans, even if our childhood town was filled with them. “Yet, again, I never get why you insist on dating them. I know you gave up on finding your Mate, but why don't you date another Wolf, or I don't know. A Witch, maybe?”

“Maybe I should… But, it’s not like we control who our heart likes." Taking in how everything was exactly the same way I left it the last time I came home, I wondered why it always happened to me… why I was always drawn to Human lovers… 

… yet, as I said to my sister, it seemed to be my inevitable fate since I gave up the idea of waiting for my Mate… 

A punishment from the Moon Goddess to me.

“Yes, we can’t. But, it’s up to us if we can forget our first love or not.” 

However, unlike usual, Lilith didn’t agree with me. 

Maybe it was her lack of romantic experience since Lily always said she would wait for her Mate, but it hit straight on my sore spot, which I didn’t want to think about ever again. “Get ready for the party, we will be leaving at six.” 

Ironically, the said party was organized by his Mother along with mine, the fruit of their new, fresh friendship born from political reasons.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don’t need to repeat it again, I already know that." She had repeated it so many times on our way home that it would be impossible for me to pretend that I didn’t know the party time even if I wanted to. “I’m not a pup, Lily.”

“In this case, stop behaving like one!” Two… Three, almost four years… It was how long it had been since the last time I came home.  So, I couldn’t blame Lily for still being angry with me. 

I had left the Pack. I had left all my past here when I started to hear my Mate’s heartbeat, hoping for a new future after my heart was broken by him.

I believed that the new presence next to it, which allowed me to now feel my Mate’s scent and find him, would slowly erase Ryan from my mind… but, sadly, it didn’t. 

… the Human man was still ghosting my thoughts as if he was right next to me, mocking each new relationship I had as if they proved how much he was still mattering to me…

But, it was something I wouldn’t admit even if someone killed me for those words… Even though, I think I could reconsider that when my Mother hugged me tightly as if tomorrow would never come.

“Jason! My pup! I’m so glad you didn’t miss the party this time!” 

The happiness in my Mom’s voice was more than obvious after missing her son for so many years, and although I also missed her, I only smiled politely, soon greeting all the people around us who joined the event. 

But, as much as I tried to keep my attention on them, it became more and more difficult as I felt him getting closer…

The growing scent of oranges and lavender in the air made it undeniable who he should be, even if it had never crossed my mind that I would find him there.

… I had searched for years, and he was here all along?!

It was insane, and happy at the same time. 

It was an emotion I couldn’t control, and with my heart beating the fastest it had ever beat in my entire life, I excused myself to go after him as if I was hypnotized…  

I was so drawn to my Mate that forgetting all the rules, I only thought about kissing him as soon as I met him on the way to the bathroom, and so… I did it.