April 29th... exactly three months after my father said he would announce my title and three months until the Alpha Conference actually began. It was finally my 18th birthday and my mother was busy setting up for my party. To accommodate for all of the pack members and guests coming, the party was going to be held in the clearing behind the pack house. A werewolf's 18th birthday was a big deal for a werewolf for a lot of reasons. Besides being a legal adult in the human world, 18 is the age when a werewolf is first able to sense their mate. An Alpha's 18th signifies getting serious about taking responsibility of the pack. An Alpha's 18th birthday was a party to rival all parties. They were known for being huge and crazy, and from the looks of it, my party was going to be no exception.
"What are you doing here? You should be home getting dressed," my mom said, appearing out of nowhere. I was stuck in a trance though. All these people decorating and cooking for me was kind of weird. My mom pushed me out of my trance. I snapped out of it and took a step back.
"Alright, alright, I'm going," I chuckled. My mom was a petite but stubborn woman. Even up against an Alpha who was taller and stronger than her, she still acted like the biggest and toughest person in the world. I left the clearing and walked back to my house. It was a short walk from the pack house. I stepped into the house and made my way up to my room. I sighed as I closed the door. I hesitated when I saw Jessie sitting on the edge of my bed. He held up a small black box in his hands and stood when he saw me.
"Happy birthday, Kenny," he smiled, holding the box towards me. I frowned as I began to think of an argument about Jessie wasting his money on me, but he saw it coming and beat me to it.
"Jessie-"
"Nope, no arguing, Kenny. I know you told me not to get you anything, but it's your 18th birthday and you beat me to it. That's a big deal. I had to get you something special. Just open it," he cut me off. He was actually nervous which is what made me bite my tongue. I sighed, sparing him the lecture, and just opened the box. A shiny silver pendant necklace with a small diamond off-centered greeted me. I opened the locket to find two shrunken pictures of Jessie and me. One was of us covered in mud at a soccer game we ran away from, and the other was a photo booth picture of us. I was looking directly at the camera laughing while Jessie kissed my cheek. I smiled gently before looking back to Jessie.
"It's beautiful, Jessie. Help me get it on," I asked. I turned and moved my hair aside as Jessie latched the necklace at the back of my neck. I let go of my hair and touched the pendant gently. I turned and hugged him tightly.
"I wanted you to always have something to remember me by. No matter what happens, I'll always have your back. You know that right?" He said. I chuckled and kissed his cheek.
"I know, Jess. You know what, let's make a pact," I said. He looked confused but I was set on my idea. "I know that tonight I'm supposed to be able to sense my mate for the first time, and I really hope it's you, but in the event that it's not, let's make a pact that it we don't find our mate, or we do and we don't like them, we'll be each other's chosen mates," I said. He looked surprised at first but then he smiled.
"You want me to be your chosen mate?" He asked. I shrugged.
"If you're not already my fated one," I added. He chuckled and shook his head.
"You're crazy, Kenny. You're talking about possibly rejecting our mates," he reminded me. I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Jessie, I love you. There's no one else who could ever take your place by my side," I said honestly. He thought about it for a moment before he chuckled and shook his head at me.
"Okay, deal," Jessie smiled softly.
"I should get ready for the party," I said, moving to my closet.
"When is the time set for?" Jessie asked as he followed me. An Alpha's 18th birthday, a timer was set and everyone would do a New Year's style countdown to the exact moment of birth.
"11:13 tonight," I said as I pulled my birthday dress out and set it on my bed. Jessie hugged me around the waist and rested his head on my shoulder. I couldn't help but to chuckle.
"Are you okay, Jess?" I asked. He sighed as a heavy feeling settled in the air.
"It's just... everything is going to change tonight," Jessie said nervously.
"Come on, Jess. You and me verses the world," I said reassuringly. He chuckled and held his fist towards me.
"Shake and bake?" He asked with a stupid accent. It was a stupid quote from a movie but it lightened the mood. I touched my fist to his.
"Shake and bake," I repeated. I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Now go get ready before my mom comes up here to do it for you," I said, faking a shudder. Jessie kissed my cheek before he left my room, closing the door behind him. I sighed and turned back to my dress. It was long and a deep purple color. It was very formal with a straight neckline and accents of tulle. I started on my hair first, turning away from my dress. I brushed it out and got to work putting my long copper hair in tamer, loose ringlets. I left most of my hair hair down and pinned my bangs back. I got lazy by the time I got to makeup. I only bothered with applying eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick.
"Kennedy, why aren't you dressed yet?" My mom asked, coming into my room.
"Will you help me with the back?" I asked. She smiled before helping me into the dress and lacing up the corset back. She turned me around and smiled lovingly at me.
"You look beautiful, honey," she smiled. "Come on, let's go. Everyone is waiting," she added. We walked out to the field where the party was set up and music was playing. People stopped me occasionally, wishing me a happy birthday.
Before I knew it, it was only a minute until my birth time. I took my place on a small makeshift stage as my father announced it. We waited until the countdown began, and I was starting to get nervous.
10...
9...
8...
7...
6...
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...
Everyone simultaneously shouted happy birthday as it felt like a wind blew through my body. It literally took my breath away. My nose tickled with the smell of odd fruits, hibiscuses, and salt water for some off reason. It was strange. Those weren't native smells.. When I caught my breath, I placed my hands over my stomach and tried to remember where I was. Jessie was standing directly in front of me and everything still felt sort of normal between us. I felt my heart squeeze uncomfortably as my hope dissolved.
Jessie wasn't my mate.
"Kenny," Jessie said softly. I could tell he was upset too. Tears pricked my eyes as I hugged him. I didn't know what else to do. He pulled me in tight to him.
"This doesn't change anything. I still love you, Kenny. And I'm still your best friend and Beta," he whispered. I only squeezed him tighter as I sniffled.
"I'm so sorry, Jess," I replied. He kissed my cheek quickly before burying his head in the crook of my neck.
"I knew you two were mates," a chipper voice said from behind me. I turned to see my mother. I brushed my stray tears away quickly and shook my head. My mom's smile fell as she released a breath. "Oh... I'm so sorry honey," she said sincerely.
"Kenny!" Micah yelled. He tried to wish me a happy birthday but his English wasn't great yet. Micah was the polar opposite of me. While my skin was pale and covered in freckles, Micah's skin held a natural tan. My hair was a fiery red and Micah's was curly and dark brown. My eyes were icy blue like my father's and Micah's took on a hazel green all his own. He reminded me a lot of my Uncle Taylor. Besides Jessie, Micah was the other love of my life. I slapped on a fake smile and placed him on my hip as I kissed his cheek.
"Thank you, Mickey," I replied. Micah handed me a bracelet made of thread and colorful beads. The beads spelled my name.
"My teacher helped me make it during class," he explained with a giant smile. I smiled for his benefit before standing up straight to face my mom.
"I think I want to be alone for a bit," I said to her before I snuck out of the party and back to my house alone.