The Wolfless Mate

Audrey McCormick

Today was the day.

Today was the day that Micheal would become Alpha.

I couldn't wait for my idiot brother and Katie to take over the pack.  It's not that Dad's a bad Alpha--he's actually a pretty good one--but he's stuck in the past.  Not only dose he do none of the pack stuff on a computer, but computers have been banned.  It makes doing homework difficult.

Smiling I pulled my long hair into a high ponytail as I set off through the pack house  to find Katie.  Since Micheal had brought her home we'd gotten really close, and it was nice to have a friend that wasn't trying to get with one of my brothers.  Padding down the hall to the small room she shared with Micheal I paused, rethinking my decision.  I didn't want to walk in on the two of them going at it again. Not an image of my brother I wanted to have in my head.

Brushing the thoughts off I knocked on the door, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

Immediately the door flew open revealing a humming Micheal as he growled out, "What?"

All too used to the emotional outbursts of an Alpha wolf, I rolled my eyes at my brother.  Huffing I stated, "It's nine.  The Alpha ceremony starts in an hour.  I came to see if Katie wanted help getting ready, but I see that you have it covered."

"Get out,"  Micheal ground out, "Ryan's home go bug him."

As the door slammed in my face, the words registered in my mind.

Ryan was on pack grounds.

Despite the fact that Ryan was my brother I knew hardly anything about him, including where he stayed when he came home, I just knew that he never stayed in the pack house because he had a strained relationship with Dad.

Stepping out of the pack house I decided that the easiest way to find my brother would be to start at the parking lot with his car.  Even if he wasn't there I'd be able to pick up his scent on his car.  It was a beat up Jeep that needed to be replaced.  I could still remember when Mom and Dad gave it to him when he started working for the council at sixteen.

As I approached the battered Red Jeep I noticed Ryan throwing a sleeping bag into the back of the vehicle.  Grinning I speed up lunging at my brother and wrapping my arms around his waist.  I was so excited that he was finally home again, and couldn't wait to hear the stories of his adventures with the council.  He always told the most fantastic tales.  It took him a moment's hesitation to wrap his arms around me.

"Hey Pipsqueak," Ryan laughed as he pulled out of the hug and tucked me under his arm.

"You're home!" I grinned.

"Of course I came to visit the pack.  Michael's becoming the Alpha today," Ryan smiled putting a bag in the back of his  rickety Jeep, "I always come down for your big events."

"So when do I get to meet your mate then?" I asked excited, he had never spoken about his mate, but I figured he was just keeping it quiet so Mom didn't embarrass him the way she had Micheal.

"You don't," Ryan said blaming the car door shut.  Steering me back towards the pack house he continued softly, "Audrey there are a lot of things about me you don't know, things Mom and Dad are ashamed of, or don't know how to explain to you."

Rolling my eyes at his ridiculous statement a laugh slipped out as I said, "Like the reason Micheal is becoming Alpha not you? Look I get that your trying to protect me but I know more than you think, besides there are things about me that not even Mom and Dad know."

"Like Julian being your mate, or like your connection with your wolf being abnormal strong.  So strong you have conversations and know your relation to a person the moment you meet them for the first time," Ryan countered lifting one of his dark eyebrows over his hazel eyes.