Finding Home

Chapter Twenty Four-Paige

"What?" he asked as they turned the corner.

"Nothing." Her smile changed into a smirk. "It's just good to see that stick come out of your ass."

"Okay, is that really necessary?" He rolled his eyes at her teasing.

"No, I mean it. I thought you were going to have to have it surgically removed." He laughed at her and she laughed right a long with him. It was comfortable.

They turned the corner and ran into Holly, the pack receptionist and girl who attacked Paige at Micah's binding celebration. Her head was down and it was clear she was lost in thought and wasn't paying attention to what was in front of her. She had almost walked into them before she looked up and jumped back.

"Alpha!" she exclaimed, "Ms. Wilson, I am so sorry I didn't see you there."

"It's quite alright Holly." Nathan said magnanimously, "Just be sure you watch where you're going. We wouldn't want any accidents."

"Of course sir."  She could have moved around them but she stood there like she wanted to say something more. "I, uh, actually could I speak with you for a minute?" She looked at Paige with apprehension, like she wanted her to say yes but was also terrified to hear it.

"Uh, sure." She looked at Nathan who said he'd wait down the hall. She watched him go. She couldn't help but let her gaze linger on his ass. She always had a thing for asses and his was a nice one. The way his broad shoulders tapered down to his waist in a perfect inverted triangle, it made her heart skip a beat. Almost as if he could hear her thoughts he looked back at her with a smirk that said he knew she'd been watching. She blushed furiously and jumped a bit when Holly stepped in between their line of sight. She cleared her throat, "Yes, Holly, what can I do for you?"

"I wanted to tell you- to apologize to you, for my behavior at the reception this weekend. I was inappropriate and said somethings I never should have even thought and I don't know-"

"It's alright Holly. Life happens and none of us are at our best when we're drunk. Though I would suggest you go easier on the wine next time." Paige said with a smile.

"You're not mad? I attacked you, I... I.. claimed the Alpha, I called you... I accused you..."

"Don't worry yourself about it. I'm not one to hold grudges."

"But how can you be so..?" The girl looked lost, like she was sure Paige was going to demand her to be exiled. She had seen how close the Alpha and Paige had become and thought for sure it was only a matter of time before she's thrown out of the pack.

"Holly, let me ask you something. You're what? I'm guessing 21? 22?"

"I just turned 20."

"And you've had a crush on the Alpha for..." She turned pink and stammered out that it had been a while. "And you thought that because the Alpha didn't have a mate that maybe you could be his mate, and when you saw me dancing with him you thought that I was trying to take him from you?" Paige's voice held no accusation. It was all kindness and genuine concern.

"I don't know what that has to do..."

"You said as much that night," the girl winced.

"I know he's older but he's just so..."

"He is. The Alpha is a good and kind male, and hot as fuck." Holly let out a laugh at her bluntness. "But he's also to old for you." Paige was trying to help her drop her crush on Nathan, not because Paige was threatened by it, but because Holly deserved more.

"Allow me to let you in on to something, you are a beautiful young woman who has so much potential, but you're not finished yet. You have to finish growing yourself before you can start to grow with someone else. There's a reason the mate bond doesn't activate until after both wolves are twenty-five. There's a part of your brain, called a pre-frontal cortex, that doesn't finish developing until then. That's the part of the brain that mostly responsible for regulating our thoughts, actions and emotions. But it also directs our problem solving, personality expression and decision making. Something like taking a mate, fated or chosen, is a big decision to make so the goddess doesn't allow it until after your brain is done developing. Males who date younger females are preying on that lack of development. If he was trying to date you, that'd be more cause for concern."

"But it's only nine years," she was having a hard time letting go of it. "A nine year age gap is nothing. Don't they say half your age plus seven is where it's okay?"

"You're right. It is nothing, when you're 39 and 30, not 20 and 29. Right now, it's not an age gap, it's a power gap. Not because he's an Alpha and you're part of his pack, but because he's nine years older than you. And if you have to do a whole bunch of math to justify the age gap, then maybe you shouldn't have that big of an age gap to begin with."

"But the other guys, they all said...." Holly trailed off, Paige knew what she was going to say. She had clearly been in relationships with older males and it skewed her perceptions of relationships a little bit.

"I know," Paige said kindly, "They're all fuckers and even if you were their age you'd still be too good for them."

Holly smiled up at her, before scrunching up her face and letting out a big sigh. "Goddess, I really made a fucked up mess didn't I?" She pulled a hand down her face. Paige chuckled.

"You did, but that doesn't mean it can't be cleaned up or that you have to keep making messes."

"I really am sorry." Holly said, "Even more so now, you're nicer than I thought you'd be. Most female wolves aren't like you. In my old pack they were... it was awful."

"Lucky for you I'm just a human then." Holly laughed with Paige.

"Really though," she said, getting serious. "Thank you for talking to me."

"Of course, Holly." Paige hugged her. "You are a smart young woman with a beautiful future. Don't waste it on assholes who are the werewolf equivalent of a participation award."

Paige released her watched Holly walk away, it might have been her imagination but she thought she saw Holly hold her head a little higher and walk with a little more confidence. She turned and headed back to Nathan.