I think I'm freaking out a little...or a lot.
Tomorrow's my birthday. I'll be eighteen. I'll be able to detect my Mate.
Why am I freaking out? I've been waiting for this forever!
Frowning at my naked form in the mirror, I turned from side to side before looking down at my groin. I'm not very big in that department. What if I can't satisfy my mate?! What if I'm not attractive to him? I mean, everyone has always picked on me because I'm small, I'm a natural redhead covered in freckles and I have a gap. They make it seem like those features are unattractive. What if my mate thinks the same?
I don't have much body hair, my leg and armpit hair is more of a strawberry blond and can't really be seen unless you're looking closely. Should I shave my legs like mom? Maybe I should shave my pubic hair, it's red like the hair on my head.
Shrieking, I shifted into my small wolf and took off out of my room. While I was running down the stairs to the first floor, I tumbled and ended up falling the rest of the way down. Landing with a thud, I grunted and laid their unmoving for a moment before pushing myself up.
Mom and dad were in the living room and I went to mom whimpering. She looked up from her Kindle and I jumped up on the couch beside her. I was unconsciously yipping like a young pup for its mom as I pressed my head against her side. Dad was watching curiously but I hid my face. Mom sighed and started running her fingers through my copper fur which had an immediate effect and calmed me down some.
Like in my Human form, I'm not very big. I'm a runt. My wolf is about as small as a medium sized dog, and my fur is still kind of fluffy like a pups. I looked like a house pet but at least I could curl up on the couch beside mom as she scratched behind my ears. She was reading again and I slowly wiggled until I was laying half on her lap so she could scratch my belly. I liked that the most. My leg involuntarily kicked as she scratched some spots but I didn't mind, it felt good.
I woke a few hours later alone and to the smell of food that made my tummy grumbled. Slipping off the couch, I went upstairs to my room knowing mom would yell if I went into her kitchen with my fur.
Shifting and quickly dressing in pajamas, I went back downstairs and found my parents in the kitchen. They were talking lowly but stopped and looked at me when I entered. Looking away embarrassed by how I'd acted, I climbed up onto a barstool.
"Hungry?" Mom asked knowingly. I nodded. "Good, I'm making your favorite since I can't tomorrow."
I frowned at that and looked up. My birthdays usually weren't happy days for me. Especially after all those years mom made me hand out invitations to my whole class. I'd spend the day on the couch waiting for at least one classmate to show up. No one ever did. I finally got the nerve when I was eleven to tell mom I didn't want to celebrate my birthday anymore. So we compromised and mom decided she'd make me a birthday dinner with only immediate family.
"Don't look at me like that. I have to be at the pack house tomorrow, the Alpha is having guest from another pack for dinner."
"What? Why?" I asked, curious. The Alpha doesn't just allow anyone on his territory, it'd have to be someone important. "Who?"
Mom shrugged and I looked at dad who pretended not to notice. "It doesn't matter, you're going to stay away." She said, looking up to glare at me. They must be really important. Maybe another Alpha?
"Yes ma'am." I said after realizing she was waiting for a response.
"Now, are you going to tell us what that was about earlier?" I dropped my head onto the counter and groaned.
"Nothing." I said lowly.
"Sit up and answer your mother."
I did as dad said and sighed. "It was nothing. I was just being stupid." It was stupid of me to worry about my Mate not liking me, even if he doesn't, he's stuck with me for life. "Just...I was just thinking about tomorrow."
Mom looked up from the noodles she was boiling, a smile stretching across her face. "Thinking about your Mate weren't you?" She giggled excitedly and I looked at her weirdly. "Any idea who it could be?"
I shrugged and dad laughed. "There's someone you'd like it to be." Dad said knowingly, making my face burn.
Before they could gang up on me, the front door opened and they both sniffed before looking at each other. Clearly speaking through their bond link.
I didn't smell anything but I heard two sets of footsteps and I dreaded the thought of Robby being with him. I didn't want to see him at all and was about to get up and run upstairs to hide until Calvin entered the kitchen. That dark haired female I remembered from the fair following closely behind.
"Calvin," Mom said putting on a fake smile. "Who's your friend?"
Calvin seemed hesitant before he grabbed the female's hand and pulled her to his side. My eyes widened in surprise as I got an idea of where this was going.
"Mom, dad, I have something to tell you."
Oh this was not going to go good. Mom lost her smile as if knowing this too.
"This is Carmen, my girlfriend." Calvin looked down at the female and then back to our parents. "She's pregnant...with my pup."
****
Stuffing Shrimp Alfredo in my mouth, my eyes jumped from mom to Calvin. If I have to be honest, my older brother looks scared. As he should. He's knocked up a female that's not his Mate and actually brought her home to meet our parents. Did he not expect our mom—who has always been a firm believer that every wolf should wait for their Mate—to not be upset?
This was the worst birthday dinner since I was a pup. At least the foods good.
I grabbed another piece of garlic bread and scooped some noodles onto it.
"Um...so how far along are you?" I asked the female, Carmen. She's been silent the whole time, staring down at her plate of food. She was probably scared mom poisoned it. I wouldn't be too surprised if she did.
She looked up at me, her olive skin paler than it was when she first came in. Her lip raised a little in distaste, not very pleased with me talking to her. I shrunk away some, averting my eyes.
Silverware clashed and I jumped, looking at mom to see her glaring at the female. "He asked a good question, how far along are you? Better yet, how do we know for sure it's my son's?" Mom said. "Females like you usually have more than one partner."
My mouth popped open as I looked from one female to the other.
"I don't know what kind of female you assume I am, Mrs. Frey, but your son is the only male I've had any sexual relations with." My nose wrinkled like I smelled something bad. I really didn't want to hear about my brother's sex life over dinner. Or ever, really.
Mom scoffed, taking a sip of her wine. "Is that what you tell them?"
"It's my pup, mom." Calvin butted in before mom could say anything else. "We've been together for a year now."
Everyone let this new information sink in. I didn't know what to think. If the pup is Calvin's, I'll have a niece of nephew. I can buy them all kinds of cute outfits and toys! If their mom lets me, Carmen doesn't seem to like me.
"I feel sorry for your Mate, Calvin and I hope they'll be able to forgive you." Mom said, standing abruptly and leaving with her glass of wine.
Dad sighed and ran a large hand over his stubbled face. He hadn't said anything since Calvin got home and he'd just been eating like everything was fine.
"We'll talk later. Alone." Dad said to Calvin before getting up to go find mom.
I grabbed another piece of garlic bread.
"I told you we shouldn't have told them." Carmen hissed at Calvin.
"It was the right thing to do." Calvin sighed. I watched them silently while eating.
This was the effect humans had on us. If wolves still waited for their mates, this would never be happening. I guess we should be thankful that he didn't knock a Human up. It's against the law to expose ourselves to humans that aren't family or mates. That would have been bad.