Oliver's life turns upside down when he learns that werewolves exist and one of them is his mate, but things get dangerous when he starts to learn more about himself.
*****
"It's a gift...
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-Jaden-
"So... Nothing?"
I glared at my father for a short moment before turning my attention back to the people in the huge hall in front of me. "Tell me again why it's so damn important for me to be here?"
"Language!" my mother snapped at me, standing behind my shoulder. I just rolled my eyes.
"It's been over a year, and you still haven't found your mate," my father muttered, occasionally bowing his head in a greeting when someone passed us by. "We must use every opportunity we have to look for her."
I sighed. So, that was why I had been dragged to my mother's father's cousin's niece's wedding. Or whoever the hell the person was and whatever she had to do with me. It wasn't even the first time my parents had decided to bring me along. I had been in a dozen gathering in a dozen different state ever since I turned sixteen. Now I was way past my seventeenth birthday, and no mate.
"What's the hurry anyway?" I sighed.
"Don't you want to find your mate?" Mom asked with a shocked voice, like I had just informed I wanted to leave the pack.
"Not the first thing in my to-do list," I said bluntly.
"You're just saying that because you don't know how wonderful it is to have someone special by your side," Mom spoke, and without even looking at her, I knew she was smiling at my dad. Once again, I just rolled my eyes.
"The world is big, she can be anywhere," Dad continued. "I'd be damned if I died knowing I didn't do everything I could so my only child would find his mate."
"Maybe there's something more important for me to do," I spoke, trying to keep my annoyance out of my voice. "Maybe I could use my time better than mingling with these people."
"Well, if you want to talk about what's a good way for you to use your time, then maybe we could discuss you skipping classes, hmm?" Mom said softly – danger alert.
"What? Jaden!" Dad gasped and smacked me on the back of my head. "Again?!"
I cursed my mother, and glared at her. She had a smug smile on her face, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"It was just one class," I muttered. It was a big, fat lie, but Dad usually believed everything I said.
Mom didn't. Sadly.
"Was it just one class though? I received an email from your teacher and I think there was something else you've done–"
"All right! All right! I'll go and mingle," I hissed behind gritted teeth, and stormed away before Mom could spill anymore secrets.
The thing is, Mom was born a werewolf. To her, school was merely a place where we learned to act like humans. Learning to read and to solve two plus two was a bonus. Grades didn't matter much to her because most of us would end up living in our own territories, away from humans. We didn't need to pass school to get jobs. My Dad, on the other hand, was turned into a werewolf in his twenties, so to him school was much more important.
