Ariella
I pick Harmony up before school because Uncle Quis is taking her Escalade to the garage to get the tail light fixed. She overtakes my iPod and changes it from Jacquees, to Nicki Minaj, Chun-Li. I prefer Cardi B, but I allow it and leave her be.
“Did you show your mom the dress? What did she think?” she asks while she scrolls through my playlists.
“I ain't shown her yet. She was sleeping last night when I got in. She gets more tired as the days go by.” I’ve lied, but I ain’t about to tell her the real reason.
“Oh. Well, she'll love it, I'm sure. Mom's super excited about the baby, I reckon she's gonna let dad breed her again in a couple months.”
“I'm hoping mom has another one soon and doesn't wait so long this time.”
“Why?” She seems surprised by that.
“Because...” I take a quick look at her. “Don't you wish you had a sibling to grow up with?”
“No. I love being an only kid. Fuck having to share all your shit.”
I roll my eyes. “I doubt our parents would ever make us share. They're always looking for things to spend their money on.”
“I guess...” I’ve lost her attention I can tell. “I heard there's some kinda trouble with wares at the moment. Grandad called dad last night. Something about some ware asking to be called Alpha somewhere. They're trying to find him but he's hard to track down, apparently.”
“Yeah, I've heard about him. Name's Maximus, or somethin’ like that.”
“Right. I can't wait till I can help control these wares. Little fuckers.”
I frown. “Hey, they aren't all bad. There are just a few that like to be bigger than what they are. The majority just wanna live in peace.”
I glance at her, but her attention is already elsewhere. I don't like the way she talks about our kind sometimes, like they're below us. Even my mom and dad don't act like they're better than other werewolves, and they’re sovereigns.
***
Once we get to school, Harmony disappears to class. She was taught at school and by Uncle Quis, so even though she's a year younger than me, we started college at the same time. We have a few classes together but not many. She's just here for the experience really; she intends to drop out of school once she goes through her change.
My Aunt Asha runs a load of free schools in Europe in deprived areas, mainly for kids that can't afford education, so she wants to be involved with that in a few years’ time. After she's had her fun. In some ways, she's so thoughtful, but in others, she can be a little selfish. I feel bad for saying that, but unfortunately, it's the truth.
Classes go by quickly, and to be honest, I'm glad. I'm kinda just here for my attendance rates at the moment. Mom and dad have already sorted out my excuses for not being in school for the month after my birthday, and because they donate so much money, faculty have allowed it. Growing up, I've realised that most things can be solved with money, which is really sad.
I wait for Harmony at our usual spot at the entrance to the cafeteria. She's running late which usually means she's running her mouth to some boy she's getting to know. I scroll through the news app on my cell. I do this a lot; looking for signs of anything that points to werewolves misbehaving. One article catches my attention; a growing number of missing people in Alaska. Could be to do with that ware acting out up there. I decide to send the link to dad and then shove my cell back into my coat pocket.
I look down the corridor and lock eyes with Davonyé. He's got his arm around Carisse and she's laughing about something. Jealousy bubbles up inside me, but I try my hardest to swallow it down. I look at Carisse with envy and then back up to his face. He gives me a confused look and then his eyes narrow.
My heart starts thumping madly inside my chest. The depth in his eyes is endless... The closer he gets, the more I can smell the mix of his scent and cologne. It does something to me that is completely unfamiliar. I’m a virgin, but whenever he's around, I just want him to do bad things to me.
Shit is intense.
He looks away as he passes me but his free hand brushes against mine. I feel a jolt of electricity sweep through my entire body that makes me silently gasp. He glances over his shoulder at me and blinks, but I just stare at him stunned. What the hell was that?
“Come on, let’s eat,” Harmony says as she finally arrives. “I’m starving.”
“So am I. Where were you?” I ask, feeling annoyed.
“I thought you were hungry?” She pulls me into the cafeteria.
“I am,” I snap.
She rolls her eyes. “So, let’s eat then.”
***
I get home just after four. I can smell mom’s beef stew as soon as I walk into the house and immediately know that it’s time for our serious talk. Mom’s stew is my favourite English dish and if you haven’t tried it, you’re missing out. It’s the ultimate winter comfort food; soft beef and winter vegetables in rich gravy with English suet dumplings that melt in the mouth. She always serves it with green beans and the smoothest, buttery mashed potatoes, too.
I put my bag down in the hallway and make my way to the kitchen. Mom and dad are sitting at the island with everything laid out ready for us to eat. My mouth waters. I cannot wait to eat.
I say hello to both of them and then wash my hands before sitting at the island with them.
“Good day?” mom asks as she lifts the lids off the pots.
“Better now.” She’s made loads. Good.
“I made your favourite. I thought we could talk.” She plates up for all of us, and I thank her. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. So, do you have any questions about your change?”
“Not many,” I answer once I’ve swallowed my first mouthful. God, this is soooooo good. “I know it will happen at the time I was born. I know it’s gonna hurt...” Ugh… it’s gonna seriously hurt.
“Are you worried about the pain?” dad asks sympathetically.
“A little, but it’s not like I can take Tylenol to help, is it?”
They both chuckle at that.
“No, you can’t,” dad says and smiles.
“I’ll sleep afterwards, won’t I?”
“Yes.”
“How long for?”
“Mom slept for three days, but usually it’s around two. It just depends on how quickly your body regenerates.”
“Okay,” I say thoughtfully.
“We’ll look after you,” mom says and briefly rests her hand on mine. “Don’t worry about that.”
“I know you will.”
“You might look different after you wake up. Have you thought about that?”
“Not really. I’d forgotten about that part,” I say honestly.
“We don’t know if you’ll definitely change in appearance, but just be prepared in case you do have some different features, like your eye colour and maybe your hair.”
“Like yours?” Mom has blonde in her brown hair, but it only appeared after she changed.
“Yeah. The blonde was a shock…” She drifts off into her thoughts.
“I love it,” dad comments.
“I don’t mind. I can’t do anything about it, can I? So, no point worrying about it.”
“I think this is the calmest I’ve ever seen anyone in the run up to their change,” dad says.
I shrug. “I just don’t wanna waste time worrying about things I can’t do anything about.” I have more important things to worry about. Such as Davonyé…
“What about how you’re feeling inside,” Mom comments. “Any… urges?”
“Mom!” I shake my head.
“What? It’s natural to crave certain things in the run up to your change. You know you don’t have to be shy about those things around us.”
“Not that I particularly wanna discuss that with you, but no, no sexual urges.”
“No cravings for meat?” dad asks.
“Nope.”
“What about your moods? We haven’t noticed any mood swings in you yet, but we also know you’re good at hiding how you really feel.”
I shake my head. “No. I feel fine at the moment.”
“Alright,” dad says after he drinks some of his water. “Just be prepared for all of those things to make an appearance the closer you get to your birthday.”
“I am.”
“If you have any other questions, just ask,” mom says. She looks concerned.
“Please don’t worry, mom. You’ve prepared me for years, and that’s one thing I’m really grateful to you both for. I’ve been prepared for this for so long now. I’m ready.”
“Okay,” she says quietly and then picks up her fork to carry on eating.
“Is there anything you really want for your birthday?” dad asks.
“Not really.” I help myself to more stew and potatoes.
“So we’re free to get you what we want?”
“Yep. Surprise me.”
They both give me a look before they smile.
“What are you two up to?”
“Nothing,” they reply at the same time.
I shake my head but soon become lost in my thoughts about Davonyé while a comfortable silence settles between us. What if he is my mate? I wanna ask my parents but they’ll know something is up. But I need their help to understand these emotions. These feelings are so unsettling.
I finish my second helping of food and then after I down the rest of my water, I decide to ask them about it.
“How do you know when you’ve found your mate?”
They both look up at me straight away and I know that this is some serious shit to them.
“If you’re asking us that question, then it means that you think you have,” dad says.
“I agree with dad, Ariella,” mom says seriously. “Who is he?”
“What makes you think I know who he is? I just asked how you know.”
“Don’t give me that,” mom says, finally smiling. “You’ve asked because you’re feeling a way towards someone.”
Ugh… I hate that she just knows shit. They both do. But even without her having visions about me, she always seems to know things about me. I sigh. “There is a boy at my school—”
“Oh God!” mom gushes while dad just looks at me.
“Mom, calm down.”
Her eyes almost pop out of her head when I say that. “Calm down? Do you know how big of a deal this is?”
“Well, yeah. That’s why I’m asking, mom.”
“How does he smell?” dad suddenly asks.
I frown. “How does he smell?”
“You heard me.”
“Uh…” He smells… “Amazing.”
“Oh, God!” mom shrieks again.
“Mom, can you stop? I don’t wanna be the reason my brother or sister arrives early.”
“Oh, stop it. I’m fine.” She looks at dad.
“How do you feel when you’re around him?”
Shit, I feel everything… “Nervous, scared, excited, and like it’s only the two of us that exist in the entire world.”
“That’s him,” mom says straight away.
“The attraction between mates is undeniable. You’ll feel an unexplainable pull towards that person. You’ll feel a need to be close to them, and you’ll lose all desire to be with anyone else, intimately.”
“Well, I haven’t been with anyone else so I wouldn’t know about that last bit, but I feel like I like him.”
“Have you spoken to him?”
“No,” I say in a rush. “And I kinda can’t.”
Mom frowns. “Why not?”
“Because…” I sigh in torment. “It’s complicated.”
“He’s with someone, isn’t he?” dad says in realisation.
Ugh, dad. Sometimes I wish he wasn’t so damn old and experienced in everything. I just nod my head.
“Ohhhh,” mom says as my situation clicks. “That’s shit.”
I laugh a little at that. “Yeah, it is, but I don’t know if he really is my mate, yet. I guess I should actually try to talk to him sometime. Maybe he’ll be at Harmony’s party.”
“The more you see him the stronger the connection will become,” dad says. “Even if he’s with someone, he won’t be able to stay away from you if he’s your mate.”
I hope he can’t. The way I’m feeling at the moment, I want him all over me. “Okay, well, can we not talk about it until I figure it out? It’s kinda depressing.”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
