ANNALISE
I sighed and embraced Xillon, putting on my best pouty, pleading face. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to speak to my mother?” I asked. “We might have a better chance of coaxing her to be on our side if you’re there with me.”
“While there isn’t much that scares me, Annalise, your mother, my Luna, is one of the few who does. Therefore, I cannot go. As you know, I have a firm stance on this matter and believe it is best to wait until you turn eighteen to do the right thing.”
“Well. I guess I’ll need some luck then,” I said, feeling uncertain. “But don’t expect any sexual favors from me for a long time. You’re supposed to be on my side,” I added, pulling away and making my way towards the door.
“I love you, Annalise. However, if enduring a year of abstinence is the price I have to pay for not going against your mother, then I’m willing to do so.”
I shake my head, feeling a mix of annoyance and frustration, and stick my tongue out at him. And he smirks at me before I forcefully slammed the door shut. The sound echoes down the hallway as I take a deep breath, feeling my chest rise and fall. I walk down the hallway, the carpet soft beneath my feet, and ascend the flight of stairs leading to the Alpha and Luna’s suite. As I climb the stairs, I can feel the cool wooden railing beneath my hand, and the faint smell of wood wafts through the air. I take another deep breath, inhaling the scent and feel a sense of calm wash over me.
***
“Mama,” I said, my voice filled with exasperation. “I don’t understand why we have to wait.” The room was stuffy, the air thick with the scent of lavender and the sound of cicadas outside the window. I rose from the bed, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. Frustration coursed through me as I waved my hands in the air, trying to release the tension building within me. “We already know that we are fated mates,” I continued, my eyes meeting my mother’s.
“Annalise,” my mother’s voice was stern, “I understand that you and Xillon are eager to mate, but you are only sixteen years old. Therefore, I cannot allow this to happen. It is final.” She motioned for me to sit back down on the bed next to her. The sound of her voice was like a sharp whip that cut through the air, making me feel small and ashamed. I complied and sat back down next to her with a huff.
“I must say, I am extremely disappointed in both of you,” my mother continued. Her eyes bore into mine, and I could feel the weight of her disappointment crushing me. “I thought that you, two of the most mature teenagers in our pack, would be the ones to make it to your mating ceremony with your virginities still intact.”
I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks, and I looked down at my hands, which were clenched tightly in my lap. The soft cotton of my dress felt scratchy against my skin, and I longed to change into something more comfortable.
“It’s not fair,” I muttered under my breath. My mother’s head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed.
“What did you say?” she demanded.
“I said it’s not fair,” I repeated, my voice a little louder this time. “We love each other, and we’re ready to take the next step. Why do we have to wait?”
My mother sighed heavily and rubbed her temples. “Annalise, I know you think you’re ready, but you’re still so young. You have your whole life ahead of you. Trust me when I say that waiting a year won’t make a difference in the long run.”
I knew she was right, but it didn’t make it any easier. The thought of waiting one more year to be mated with Xillon felt like an eternity.
“Xillon and I have always felt a deep bond, one that seemed to suggest Selene meant for us to be together. And now, Selene has confirmed our suspicions: we are, in fact, mates. Mama, I know this may not be what you were hoping for, and for that, I am sorry. But we cannot change what has already happened.”
“We waited to mate for the first time after our mating ceremony concluded,” my mother tells me. “It wasn’t easy, because we loved each other very much, but we wanted it to be something sacred between mates. And even though sex is an important part of a relationship, there are other things couples can do to connect and show affection.”
“Annalise, you’ve been awake for a week now. You were in a coma for eight months and missed your sister’s birth. It’s hard for me to accept that it was simply because you and Xillon couldn’t keep from having sex. It’s important to remember that sex between mates should be something special and meaningful, not just a physical release. I hope you can understand that.”
As she speaks, my mother sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, clearly feeling frustrated and disappointed.
“Mama, it’s not just Xillon and me who are having sex around here. But we’ve learned how to avoid issues like a condom breaking. As long as we don’t have a repeat of the previous episode, everything should be fine. Besides, Selene has already spoken to all our wolves, so there’s no need to worry anymore. That’s why I don’t understand why we can’t have our mating ceremonies together.”
“I’ve had enough. This conversation is over. I’ll be speaking with your father.”
“Mama, you’re always on my side. I was hoping you could help convince him to let us have our mating ceremony with Lorna, Finley, and the rest of the group. It’s scheduled for next week, or possibly a week after I turn seventeen, whenever the full moon is. It’s not as bad as having it at sixteen.”
As Mom shakes her head, she gestures between us and points out my behavior. “The way you are acting right now shows me you are not mature enough to handle a marking and mating ceremony. So, it will not happen, Annalise,” she says firmly. “That’s my final word. No more words until your father gets here. You might not listen to me, but you damn sure will listen to your father. And I think you know exactly what his reaction will be.”
***ONE YEAR LATER***
Although I tried hard to convince my parents to allow us to go through the mating bond when I was just seventeen, my efforts were in vain. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just my parents who were against the idea; even my grandmother, the moon goddess Selene, disapproved of it. As a result, Xillon’s suggestion to wait until I turned eighteen ended up being the course of action we followed.
It did not limit the impact of this situation to just Xillon and me. Xena and Zariah were also affected, as they were supposed to bond with Dante and his twin brother Declan. Despite being alphas, Dante and Declan could feel the mate bond with them at eighteen, a year earlier than expected. When this occurred, Xena, Zariah, and I went to speak with my mother, but none of our arguments convinced her to change her mind.
As I was saying, Zane and Crissy - or should I say Crystalyn, as she goes by her full name now - have discovered that they are fated mates. Along with Jarek and Calissa, they had their mating ceremony six months ago. After Calissa turned eighteen and confirmed the mate bond with Jarek, they decided not to wait for the rest of us to hold the ceremony together, as we had originally planned. And who could blame them? This past year has been a nightmare without being able to mark Xillon.
With only a few weeks left until our eighteenth birthdays, Zariah, Xena, and I are eagerly anticipating our combined mating ceremonies. The occasion will coincide with the full moon, and we’ll be celebrating alongside Finley and Lorna.
Selene has appeared to me in my dreams many times, always intending to prevent me from losing six months of my life. Though we have communicated in this way, she has offered to erase memories of the past, which I have refused. This refusal is fitting, given that our lives have already been altered and redirected on multiple occasions. I have made a conscious effort not to let these past lives shape or alter my current future.
Beyond Xillon, Finley, Lorna, and me, no one knows what happened, and I intend to keep it that way. All four of us feel that revealing the truth would only bring confusion and stress to everyone involved. Although the elders, alphas, and Lunas of both packs are aware of our bond, it did not persuade them to let us bond early.
We revealed that my uncle, Alpha Gabriel, is mated with both his twin flame/twin soul and his fated mate. It’s interesting how fate can work in mysterious ways. Before I shared this news, most people didn’t even know what a twin flame was. But then Selene approached Alpha Gabriel to confirm my suspicions.
With Selene’s help and guidance, efforts are underway to document the twin soul connection between Finley, Lorna, Xillon and me in history books. The hope is to incorporate this into high school literature for future generations to learn from. According to Selene, this is the first case of its kind in shifter history, surpassing even that of my uncle and his mates. Unlike my uncle’s situation, his chosen mate had never met her true mate.
***
“Annalise! Stop daydreaming inside the stall and come out here!” Calissa shouts impatiently. “We’re eagerly waiting to see the dress!”
“Patience is a virtue, woman. Just hold your horses! Even better, could you please come in here and lend me a hand with these frustrating ties at the back? I’m struggling to tighten each strand properly and get a good fit for the dress.” I grunt in frustration, hoping that with your help, we can make it work.
“I’m three months pregnant, and I feel like I’ve lost all patience!” she exclaims, her tone sharp. “Let me in!” She says, pounding on the stall’s door.
Calissa and Jarek wasted no time in starting a family. As is typical for shifters, they quickly mated and marked each other. Now, Calissa is pregnant with triplets. Fortunately, wolf shifter pregnancies are much shorter than human ones, lasting only six months. As a result, Calissa can still move around with ease, despite being heavily pregnant. However, before coming to the city, she and Jarek had a disagreement. He was worried about her traveling so far while pregnant, but she won the argument. Of course, Jarek, Xillon, and the other guys came along to ensure her safety in case anything happened.
Zane and Crystalyn are expecting twins. They got pregnant right away. Crystalyn is due any minute, yet she attempted to be here with us. Zane is the only guy following us around, tending to her every need. However, he has earned a few slaps from Crystalyn because he tries to pick her up and carry her everywhere we go.
As I opened the door to let Calissa in, she greeted me with a wide grin. However, her expression quickly turned to one of disapproval as she shook her head. “You were there for mine and Crystalyn’s mating ceremony,” she reminded me. “So I don’t understand why you want to wear what looks to be a wedding dress that could fit two of you in. That just won’t do, Annalise. The dress is beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But it’s going to get ripped to shreds.”
“Although I might not be human per se, this is still my wedding and I want a wedding dress. I simply don’t care what others might think.”
As she glances at the two other enormous dresses hanging beside the one she is supposed to help with, she shakes her head again in disapproval. “I’ll be back,” she declares, “but I’m not helping you with that dress. Or those either,” she adds, pointing to the remaining garments hanging on the rack. Without another word, she turns and exits the room.
As I walk through the store, I hear a woman’s voice yelling at the saleslady on the sales floor. She says, “Excuse me! Where can I find your bridesmaids and prom dresses? Specifically, I need a size ten in any shade of blue that you have available!”
‘What the hell?!’ I spat at Larissa.
“You know she’s right. You need something easier to remove. When the time comes for me to shift and run away from Xavier who’s hunting us, I won’t wait for you to take off this monstrosity.”
‘Seriously, Larissa!’
‘I have to be honest with you, girl. I know we usually agree on fashion, but this time, I have to disagree. What you’re wearing right now is just hideous. And to be completely transparent, as a wolf, I couldn’t care less about what you wear. In fact, you could be naked and it wouldn’t bother me. The important thing is that you’re able to strip that outfit off quickly so I can shift and run. Plus, you’re struggling to even tie it on your own. No!’
‘You have got to be freaking kidding me!’
After quickly taking the dress off, I throw on the shorts and tank top I had on before. I then return the dress to its hanger and pry the door open to take it back to where I had gotten it from.
I stopped a sales representative who was walking by to ask for help. “The dresses I tried on didn’t work out. Would you be able to take them back for me, please? I need to clear some space for any new dresses my sister-in-law may show me.”
As he began taking the dresses back to the sales floor, I realized that I could have helped him. However, I was not in the mood and my mind was more focused on finding Calissa and putting an end to this chaotic day of dress searching. Despite my desire to locate her, I decided against it, knowing she was in a bad mood. Instead, I sat down next to Zariah and Xena who snickered and shook their heads at me.
“Finally, that’s more like it,” Calissa exclaims as she gestures towards the sales lady carrying several dresses. “Her dressing room is just this way, Annalise. We don’t have all day,” she adds, urging me to rise from my seat and follow her.
While Zariah, Xena, and Lorna had already purchased and taken their dresses out to the car, I was the only one who hadn’t gotten around to buying one yet.
“Calissa, go sit down. I’ll help you,” Lorna says as she guides Calissa to a nearby chair and assists her in getting seated.
Lorna whispers to me and tugs me towards the dressing room, “Jarek is on his way to get her. She’s so hardheaded.”
After trying on multiple dresses and modeling them for my friends, it was the final one that caught everyone’s eye. I bought it, and soon after, the guys arrived to lead us out to the car. It’s unbelievable that in just two weeks, we’ll all be happily mated.