2

Skylar

I quickly shower and get ready for my run after breakfast. As I pull my muscle shirt over my head, I hear a knock on the door and look up.

“Come in!” I call out.

Father comes inside and shuts the door. “How are you feeling, son?” Seeing my puzzled look, he continues, “Tomorrow’s your big day. You’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and while excitement is a very strong emotion, nervousness is as well.”

I pause, hesitating as I ponder his question. Sure, I’m nervous—but about what? I highly doubt Ebony is going to reject me. If anything, it’s going to be like dating for a while. I’m prepared for all of that, so… why am I nervous?

Father watches me before sitting down on my bed and patting the spot next to him. I follow his silent command and sit down. “That nervousness may seem silly to you, but it also makes sense. You two have been friends since childhood and all.”

Then it clicks. “Oh!” I hesitate, then look at Father. “I’m not afraid of her rejecting me. What I’m afraid of is… change. We’ve been friends for so long that having that change in any way…” I trail off, now understanding why Father said it was silly.

Father chuckles and pats my shoulder. “I went through the same thing with my first mate, though not to this extent. I didn’t know she was my mate most of my life, after all.” He shakes his head.

I hesitate before asking, “Did you have feelings for her before you knew you were mates?” Father tilts his head at me. “I only ask because… growing up with someone and seeing them as a sibling figure, then learning you’re mates… would be awkward, wouldn’t it?”

Understanding sparks in his icy blue eyes, and Father chuckles again. “Rosie and I were attached at the hip back then. However, we—or at least I—never saw her as a sister. I had a crush on her when I was a kid. It faded with time, then came back hard after learning she was my mate.” He sighs. “It’s… complicated.”

“Sounds like it,” I say before letting out a small sigh. “I just hope she’s never seen me as a brother.” I shudder at the thought and shake my head. That would be the absolute worst.

Father nods and stands up. “I doubt she has, but I also can’t say for sure.” He smiles. “You better head out. Don’t be late for Alpha training!” He winks before walking out of the room.

***

Hurrying along to our meeting place, my heart begins to pound with excitement. It never gets old. I always love going to meet my lovely mate and hanging out with her. Nothing makes me happier than seeing her face. I can’t wait until I’m able to see it first thing in the morning.

The thought warms my heart as well as my face. Waking up to seeing her face every morning means being in the same bed together… which means there’s a chance we—

I silently scold myself and sigh. I’m such a man. I can’t keep my mind out of the gutter, even if I try. Of course, Jaden never helps, either, whispering in my ear about finally having our mate all to ourselves.

As if on cue, Jaden teases me. There’s nothing wrong with longing for her, Skylar. Just as I long for Cierra, you long for Ebony. What’s the harm in thinking of all the fun things we’ll do together?

I scowl and mutter out loud, “The harm is she might not be ready, and I don’t want to pressure her into anything. You and I both know how easily she scares.”

This seems to shut Jaden up, and I picture him sulking with his ears down. I feel guilty, but only for a moment. He wishes for Cierra, Ebony’s wolf, more than anything and is just as impatient as me.

“Oh! There you are.” A melodic voice reaches my ears, and I look up with a smile. As she waves at me, Ebony stands in our meeting place—a clearing by a lake—smiling warmly. Because of our shared dreams as children, this will forever be our spot.

“It’s lovely out tonight,” Ebony goes on as she ties her long hair into a high ponytail. Like normal, she isn’t one to show off, always sporting a purple hoodie that’s a couple sizes too big and some old yet comfortable black jeans. “Nice and cool, but not too cold either.” She then smiles at me. “Excited for your birthday tomorrow?”

I can’t help but smile and nod. “Of course! I’ll finally be eighteen, and you can’t tease me about still being a kid.” I chuckle. “I do know one thing for a fact—you’ll be the one to give me my favorite birthday present.”

Ebony laughs softly and shakes her head. “You don’t even know if I’ve gotten you anything yet.” She smiles and motions for me to follow. “Come on, let’s go on our early run so you can get back to your lessons.”

Before I can respond, Ebony spins around and takes off, using her wolf speed to get away fast. I chuckle and race after her, feeling wild and free.

Having been trained by her mother all her life, Ebony is very strong and fast, even if she doesn’t think so. I’m hoping once she knows the truth and we get even closer, I can show her just how amazing she truly is.

I quickly catch up with her but hold back. The chase is half the fun, and I want her to have as much of it as possible. It’s no fun if everything is too easy.

“What’s wrong, Sky?” I hear Ebony call back to me. “Can’t the big future Alpha catch a little warrior?”

I know she’s merely egging me on, but it works like a charm—a little too well, in fact.

I growl playfully and rush forward, grabbing Ebony from behind. “This is child’s play!” Then I realize I grabbed her too hard as we start to fall sideways down a hill.

Ebony gasps, but instinct tells me to protect my mate. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close as we roll down the hill. It doesn’t take long to reach the bottom, and I let out a soft hiss as my head feels jumbled after hitting the forest floor.

“I-I’m sorry! Are you alright?”

I open my eyes and look up, seeing Ebony on top of me, her eyes wide with worry. It’s then that I realize our position, with my arms wrapped around her, keeping her close and safe.

I swallow hard, suddenly aware of her soft, warm body against mine, and look to the side. I hope my blush isn’t too noticeable. “I-it’s all good… I let myself be provoked and grabbed you too hard. I’m sorry.”

Ebony stares down at me before her face turns red. She must notice our position as well and attempts to get up, pushing her hands against my chest, but then falls back against it.

Before she can say anything, I clear my throat, a selfish idea coming to mind. “My head hurts really bad right now, so… can we just stay like this for now? Just until I get myself together.”

Ebony freezes and hesitates. Did I take this too far? I open my mouth to say I’m joking, but she answers before I can. “F-fine… just for now,” she says in a shy whisper.

I nod and close my eyes. “Thank you… sorry for the inconvenience,” I murmur, relaxing my grip on her. Maybe this is selfish and taking things too far… but I’ve been good all this time, too.

'What’s wrong with some indulgence? ' Jaden asks in a teasing yet overly happy tone. He makes me feel even more guilty.

“N-not at all,” Ebony whispers. “N-no inconvenience at all… what are friends for, right?”

Her words cut into my heart, but I quickly push it aside.

Patience, Skylar. She doesn’t know the truth yet. Wait until tomorrow. Everything will come together.