The Past: Meeting Her Best Friend

Tawnie — Mate Search One

After resuming my human form, I turned toward my parents as my mother sniffled. I smiled widely at her as I moved into her outstretched arms, immediately wrapping my arms around her waist as she hugged me. My father moved behind me, hugging me from behind. I sighed happily as I enjoyed our embrace. It might be the last one I got to have with them that was like this. If I found my mate here, I would end up going to live with him or her. My mother sniffled again before pulling back and brushing my hair out of my face.

“I can’t believe you’re already 18,” she whispered. “You grew up so fast.”

My father turned me around before gently pushing me toward the other people gathered there, watching me curiously.

“Go on. We’ll stay here for a little bit and make sure you’re comfortable before we leave,” he encouraged as he draped his arm over my mother’s shoulders. A young male came up to me, holding his hand out for me to take, which I did hesitantly.

“Hi! I’m Osirus!” he told me excitedly, making me giggle a little as I pretended to curtsy.

“Hello, Prince Osirus. I’m Tawnie De Sangre.”

“I know! When my father told me that you were coming, I was excited to meet you! You know our dads are friends! He made me promise to look out for you! But I don’t think you need it!” he exclaimed before taking my hand and tugging me behind him to wherever everyone else was gathered. “Guys, this is Tawnie!”

I was immediately swept up in introductions and minor flirtation as Osirus stood between me and the rest of them protectively. I was so busy laughing and getting to know everyone that I didn’t realize my parents had left. I was so ecstatic that I was finally at the age where I could find my mate, and I wasn’t going to waste it. I was going to throw everything I was into exploring possible bonds with everyone in the hopes that one of them would trigger my inner demon to finally wake up and scream, ‘Mate!’ I had heard tales of what it would feel like. My whole entire world would explode, reshape, reform, and be better. It was the only thing that excited me anymore.

As the day went on, Osirus was never far from my side as we made time for everyone. It was a long day of several dozen little mini-dates that led to nothing. No matter who I spoke to, there was never any true interest. Not once did my heart race, nor did butterflies make my stomach feel all flighty. I never had my heart in my throat or wanted to just stay close to someone. The longer the day dragged on, the more disheartened I became until I felt absolutely defeated. The excitement I had upon arrival had died a slow, painful death as my demon stayed silent, not even raising her head at all for anyone.

After everyone had gone to their tents or cabins, I lay in bed until all the giggles or quiet moans from the people who had been lucky enough to already find their mates had gone silent before carefully getting up. I didn’t want to risk waking anyone up. I wanted to wallow in my self-pity all by myself. I knew the lake wasn’t far, and since I loved to swim, I decided to head there. Maybe it would help me relax. Or at least I thought it would until I got close enough to realize that someone was already there, swimming a little ways out, but there were too many scents lingering in the air for me to pinpoint exactly who it was. I sighed as I climbed a tree to wait for whoever it was to leave, not wanting to interrupt their swim, because they were probably doing the same thing I was. Trying to escape from a disheartening day.

“Tawnie, is that you?” he called out softly, not bothering to raise his voice above a whisper, knowing that I would hear him.

“Yeah,” I replied just as quietly as he had spoken.

“You can come join me unless you would rather be alone, and then I can leave,” he told me.

“No, it’s okay. It’ll be nice to be around someone who isn’t going to disappoint me,” I chuckled as I swung down from the tree, stripping my clothes off until I was in nothing but my bra and underwear.

The moment I dove into the water, the shitty day I had was washed away. As my body sliced through the water, I relaxed more and more until all I wanted to do was float on top of the water and gaze at the stars shimmering above me. He kept his distance from me until I was on my back, letting me come down from my high-intensity emotions before cautiously approaching me.

“Do you feel better?” he asked.

“Much,” I laughed. “How are you feeling?”

“Eh! I don’t know about you, but I had so many expectations for today. I’m starting to think they were too high,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Yeah, so were mine,” I agreed.

“So, just to be sure, you don’t feel anything for me, do you?” he inquired, semi-hopefully.

“Nothing but the appreciation of having a friend here,” I told him.

He sighed heavily. “Yeah, that’s what I feel too.”

I glanced at him before saying softly, “It sucks, doesn’t it?”

“Very much so. The whole last year, my parents have been telling me all about how they met at their very first mate search. They fell so deeply in love with each other that they couldn’t live without one another. They would describe how it feels to find your mate, and then would tell me, ‘But there are no words to express how good it feels. We can try, but we will fail every time.’ How can I not be depressed that I haven’t found my mate yet? They gave me such unrealistic expectations,” he complained, making me burst out laughing.

“My parents are chosen mates. Sadly, neither one of them found their fated mates, and they got tired of being lonely. When I was a little girl, my mom used to tell me how important it was not to give up on finding my fated mate, but if I did, a chosen mate was just as fulfilling. I see how much they love each other, but I can’t help but wonder if it would be different if they had found their fated mates,” I confided. “And then I feel guilty for even thinking that. If they had, I don’t think I would be who I am.”

“Life is funny, isn’t it? We grew up entirely different, but yet, here we are, hiding away from the world on our first day of our first mate search, having had our hope completely depleted.”

I laughed as I moved my hand in the water, using it to push me closer to his side. “Oh, I don’t know, oh mighty Prince Osirus, maybe you’re too powerful to have such lowly people as options for your mate,” I teased before splashing him.

“Maybe, but not everyone here is weak. There are some Alpha and Beta children here.” He gave me a sly look. “It must be you who’s too strong to be mated to us weak folk!”

“Oh, definitely!” I giggled. “All 95 pounds of this badass bitch!”

He burst out laughing as he nodded, trying to school his face back into a serious look that any royal family member should have. “I might have to report you to my father for being too strong! You might be a danger to us all.”

“Pfft. Only to my mate, ‘cuz I might have to eat them up when I find them,” I joked.

“I’m definitely reporting you! I can’t have you nibbling on my people!”

I giggled again as I pushed on his shoulder. “Do it, and I might eat you! Go ahead! I dare you!”

“I’m not afraid of you!” he told me before flailing in the water, making me straighten up to see what was attacking him.

When he took off toward the beach, I called out, “What the hell was that? And where are you going?”

“I’m running away from you before you eat me!” He laughed.

I started swimming after him, racing to catch him before he reached the beach. I was irritated that he made me worry about his safety, and now I might really eat him. He waited for me at the edge of the water to pull me up before grinning at me, which immediately made all my irritation disappear.

“Since we both know our mates aren’t here, here’s to the next mate search!”

I high-fived him as I smiled. “To the next mate search!”