My Challenging Mate

Men, Can't Live With Them, Can't... That's It

For silver, it means security, modesty, maturity and dignity. All of those things perfectly describe me. But, the red means energy, speed, strength, power and aggression, which also perfectly describe me. I guess that's why I got those colors, eh?

After I got the leaves and sticks out of my fur, I shifted back into my human form so Maci wouldn't see me and sat back down next to Tyler. He instinctively put his arm around me and I leaned into his side.

"So, Raaavyyyn. I was juuust telling Weees and Maaaci here thaaat I can sooo do a douuuble handed baaackflip even thooough I'm sooo drunk." He accentuated most of his words and I had a smile on my face as he tried to speak. "Do youuu think I caaan?" Tyler was swinging around the bottle of vodka and I saw that it was down to the bottom. I grabbed the bottle out of his hands and finished it off, just like I had the other bottle.

"Of course you can do it!" I encouraged him, even though I wasn't quite sure. I just wanted to see him fall on his face! Hey, I mean, I needed something to get my mind off of Ryder. Tyler was the perfect person to do that.

With what I said, he smiled and got up. He stumbled a little bit, but was on his feet in no time.

"OK, you guys watch this and be amaaazed." Tyler had walked back quite a while and then he began running. Seconds after he jumped, he spun around and successfully did a double handed backflip. I couldn't believe my eyes! Tyler, who was quite clearly drunk to no return, just did a double handed backflip with no problem! Well, I spoke too soon.

Tyler stuck the landing, but then he started to loose his balanced and fell backwards.

"Aurgh!" He yelled out. That made Wes, Maci and I crack up laughing.

"Hey, you did it!" Wes screamed at Tyler, obviously having less to drink than his best friend.

"I guess I did." Tyler strained, still on his back. The wind was knocked out of him, but he was fine now. Lycans always bounce back quick. Just one of our many perks, I guess.

"Get up already!" I yelled. That just made Tyler laugh as he started getting up off the ground.

"Alright, alright." He mumbled, slowly picking himself up off the ground. "Remind me to never do that again when I've been drinking." Tyler told me as he wobbled his way back over. It seemed like he was having a hard time getting back over to where we were so I got up and helped him. He put his arm around my shoulder and I grabbed his, making sure he was keeping his balance.

"Don't worry, I definitely won't let you do that again." I snickered to him. He seemed to have sobered up just a tad since falling on the ground.

"Will you just take me inside?" He asked me as I was walking him over to Wes and Maci.

I nodded my head, "Yeah, sure." I began walking towards the house. "Aye, Wes and Maci? I'm taking him inside. We're gonna go to bed." I yelled back at them. They had been so consumed in talking that, after Tyler fell, they never took their eyes off each other.

Mates. I grumbled in my head. Wait, I have a mate! I think... I still wasn't sure if Tyler was my mate, I was fairly positive, but I wanted to make Ryder angry and prove him wrong so that's what I said.

"There you go." I told Tyler as I layed him on his bed in the room next to mine. I guessed that Wes and Maci were sharing a room. I just hope they don't wake us in the middle of the night... I shuddered at the thought, but figured my brother wouldn't do that. Not here, not now. He had too high of morals to even think about doing that.

"Thanks, Rave." Tyler said to me. I was walking out the door and I turned off his light.

"Night, Ty." He didn't respond back which led me to believe he had already fallen asleep.

-

My dream was odd. Not out of the ordinary odd, just odd that I would dream it tonight. I mean, I had dreams of Ryder all the time. Us hanging out, us fighting, anything to do with our friendship, I dreamt of. This dream was different.

I was laying in the bed I was in now and I had my eyes closed. I didn't really see anything, but I could hear Ryder come through the window. Don't ask me how I knew it was him, this was a dream, remember? When Ryder got inside, he walked over to my bed and knelt down on the side of it, placing both his hands on the bed.

"Ravyn." He spoke softly, placing a hand gently on my face. "I bet all of this would be a lot easier if I wasn't here, right? I'm so sorry for the way I've acted. I just can't help myself. The secrets I carry, they burn me on the inside. They really do, Rave. I wish I could tell you, I just wish I could... I don't know how you'd think of me then. I don't want to lose you. You mean too much to me, Rave..." With that, he placed a kiss on my forehead and started walking back out. I heard a little noise coming from a place near the window, but then it disappeared.

"Please forgive me." He whispered softly as he stepped back out into the night. Right before the window shut, he said one last thing.

"You've always known." Then, he was gone.

-

The next morning, I woke up confused.

Was that a dream? It had to have been. I wasn't awake, There's no way it wasn't a dream.

Everything just seemed so real to me at the time, but then again, most dreams do.

I climb out of bed and go to the dresser, where the mirror is. I look in the mirror and I notice how tired I am. I groaned internally and then was turning around when something didn't feel right. I looked back at the dresser and noticed something was missing.

The picture of Ryder and I.

-

A.N-

I dedicated this chapter to Starchaser because she really made me feel like I was a good writer(: she's also telling people about this story which is fantastic! So, Bridget, if you're reading this, I want to say thanks. She's also an incredible writer so go check out her story "I'm Yours", you won't regret it(:

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