"Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel alive."
~Queen, 'Don't Stop Me Now'
~~~
*Type's POV*
"Type! Where are you?" I hear my mom calling out. I snicker to myself as I hide behind the large tree in our backyard. Crouching down, I try to make myself as small as possible to avoid being seen. I love forcing my mom into a game of hide-and-seek.
"Type!" She shouts again. "Come on out! Tharn is here!"
My ears perk up when I hear the name of my best friend. I scurry away from the tree and run towards the house. A wide grin spreads across my face when I see Tharn standing next to my mom.
"P' Tharn!" I squeal, tackling him down in a hug. Tharn giggles and wrestles with me. He pins me to the ground and looms over me as if to brag about how much stronger he is than me. "P' Tharn!" I whine.
Tharn wrinkles his nose. "Don't call me P'. It makes me feel old."
"That's because you are old," I laugh as I push him off me. Tharn rolls over, pretending I'm actually strong enough to force him away. It's not really fair. Tharn was born an alpha, so he's naturally stronger than me. I'm just an omega, so I'm weaker than a lot of the other kids. That's okay though. If they try to mess with me, I'll still beat them up.
We stand up and brush the dirt off our clothes. My dad steps out onto the back patio and stands by my mom. When he pecks her on the lips, Tharn and I cover our eyes and pretend to vomit.
"Mom! Dad!" I whine. "Stop it, that's gross!"
My dad chuckles at me. "You won't think it's gross when you're older. You're still young."
"I'm not that young," I pout.
"You're 8 years old," my dad deadpans. "When you're older and find your mate, you'll want to kiss them all the time."
I gag at that. "That sounds gross. Girls have cooties."
My parents exchange a look that I don't understand. Tharn is still standing next to me with a goofy grin on his face.
"Hey, Type," Tharn says. "My mom said there's a new ice cream place a few blocks over. Want to go check it out?"
I excitedly look at my parents. "Can we??"
My mom nods her head. "Just stay together. And don't stay out to long. You need to be home before dark," she warns. I nod my head and excitedly jump around.
"Race ya!" I shout before taking off. Tharn shouts and runs after me. We zoom across the small town, going as fast as our little legs will carry us. I laugh wildly, racing alongside my best friend.
I finish buttoning up my shirt, smiling at the memory that's nearly a decade old. Tomorrow is a very big day, which is putting me in a great mood.
Tomorrow is my 18th birthday.
For werewolves, our 18th birthday marks the day we become full-fledged wolves. We become stronger, faster, and have access to our pack's mind link. Best of all, we're able to find our mate.
I've heard it's instantaneous. Once you've reached the age of 18, your inner wolf alerts you when you've spotted the mate the Moon has blessed you with. The moment you lay eyes on each other, you feel that connection. Some people find their mate right away, but it takes longer for others.
Take Tharn for example. He's 19 years old, and hasn't found his mate yet. I know he hasn't, because he would've told me if he did. He doesn't seem too worried about it though, which is good. It makes me feel like I don't have to worry if I don't find my mate right away.
It's not that I'm in a hurry to find my mate, anyway. I've just heard some horror stories about people finding out their mates died during childhood, so they're left without a mate, creating a hole in their souls that can never be fixed. For some people, the Moon has mercy on them and provides them with a second mate. But that's pretty rare.
I hope that isn't what happened to Tharn. He's the best person I know, and he deserves to find his mate. I'm sure he'll spoil her and treat her like a queen. Which, she pretty much would be. Tharn's next in line to lead the pack, which means whoever his mate is would become our Luna. Our Luna is pretty much the pack's queen, if you view the alpha as our king. Some people do, some people don't. For me, it's a bit different. Tharn's dad is our alpha, which makes his mother our Luna. They were practically my second parents growing up, so I don't see them like everyone else does. I still respect them and listen to what they say, but I feel more like their son than just another subordinate.
Our pack, the Golden Moon Pack, has claimed a large portion of this city as our territory. That includes my parents' house and the high school. For that reason, the only wolves in our school are from our pack. The other students are simple humans who have no idea that wolves even exist. The pack house is in the center of the territory, where the alpha lives with his family. There's another pack in the city, The Silver Sun Pack, but we maintain a peaceful relationship with them. They stay off our land, and we stay off theirs. There's still plenty of neutral land in the city where both packs are allowed to roam.
"Type!" My mom calls from downstairs. "Hurry up, we're going to be late!"
"Coming!" I shout, smoothing down my tie before slipping on my dress shoes. Tomorrow is a big day for my wolf side, but today is a big day for my human side.
High school graduation.
Finally, I'll be free from the confines of high school. It's just much freedom, as I'll be starting college in the fall. But still, I'm just excited to not be a high school student anymore.
I bound down the stairs to where my parents are waiting. We hop in the car and head towards the center where graduation is held. Upon arriving, I instantly spot another close friend of mine, Techno.
"Hey, No!" I cup my hands around my mouth to make my voice louder. Techno turns around and grins when he sees me. His black graduation gown hangs casually off his shoulders, revealing the white button up shirt and black slacks underneath.
"Hey, Type! Bout time you showed up," he teases. I roll my eyes and grab the garment bag from the car. Unzipping the bag, I pull out my graduation gown and throw it on.
Techno is another member of our pack. He's a beta, which means he's a higher rank than I am, but a lower rank than Tharn. He turned 18 a few months ago, and has been complaining nonstop about how he hasn't found his mate yet. We all just laugh and roll our eyes, reassuring him that he'll find her eventually.
As a beta, Techno is eligible to be chosen as Tharn's second in command once Tharn takes over as leader of our pack. Techno is adamant that he'd be great in that position, but we all think he's too goofy and laid back for the job.
We get positioned in line to walk out for graduation. While we're waiting, a feel someone lightly tug on my sleeve. Turning my head, I see Puifai standing next to me. I instantly smile when I see her. Puifai is the prettiest girl in our pack. She turns 18 in two weeks, so she doesn't know who her mate is yet either. God, I hope she's my mate.
"You look nice today, Type," Puifai smiles at me.
I try to hold back the blush threatening to crawl up to my cheeks. "You look really nice too, Puifai."
"What are you doing after this?" Puifai asks.
I'm about to answer when Techno slings an arm around my shoulders. "We're going out to dinner with our friends," Techno interjects.
Puifai awkwardly fidgets with her fingers. "Ah... well, I hope you guys have fun," she mumbles before turning on her heel and getting back in line.
I shoot a glare at Techno. "Why did you do that? I think she was wanting me to ask her out."
"Type! You can't ditch your friends for a girl!"
"Puifai isn't a girl," I smirk. "She's a woman."
Techno rolls his eyes and stands back in line in front of me. One of the teachers stands in front of the crowd of students and announces the ceremony is starting. Taking a deep breath, I walk into the ceremony center with my class.
***
"To freedom!" Champ cheers, holding his glass out to us. We all cheer and clang our glasses together around the table. While the drinking age in Thailand is 20, Tharn is friends with the owner of the bar. P'Jeed knows we're celebrating our graduation, so she's allowing us to drink on the condition that we don't get too crazy.
"Type, are you looking forward to your birthday tomorrow?" Team asks. "I'm looking forward to eating all the cake."
Champ slaps Team's arm. "Don't take advantage of our friend's birthday," he scolds. "Unless you're planning on sharing with me." Team laughs and agrees to share his stolen cake with Champ.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Tharn announces. "Does anyone want me to grab them a drink on my way back?"
"I'll have another beer," I tell him. Tharn smiles brightly at me and nods before walking away.
"Type," Techno starts. "Do you think you'll find your mate right away?"
I shrug. "I'm not sure. If I do, I hope it's Puifai. Or another equally hot girl."
"What if your mate isn't a girl?" Techno wiggles his eyebrows.
My face scrunches up in disgust. "Why wouldn't my mate be a girl?"
"The Moon doesn't care about gender, Type. She pairs us up with the person who is destined to make us the happiest."
"Yeah, well if that's the case, my mate will definitely be a girl. I could never be happy with a guy as my mate," I shudder at the thought.
"What's wrong with having a guy as your mate?" Champ grumbles. Team squirms in his seat, and I feel a little guilty. I tend to forget that Champ and Team are mates. They haven't completed the mating process yet, but they're still destined to be together. Instead of answering, I stuff my mouth with the nachos sitting on the table. I don't hate Champ and Team for being gay, but I would never choose that lifestyle for myself. What's the point of two guys being mated together? They can't naturally have children, and our pack depends on us to reproduce to keep our pack going. We're not supposed to insult the Moon, but I honestly think she's insane for mating people of the same gender.
Tharn returns to the table, oblivious of the awkward tension. He sets down another round of beers and takes his seat next to me. "Oh, Type," he starts. "I'm probably going to be late to your party tomorrow. My dad wants me to sit in on another meeting."
I nod my head in understanding. Since the next alpha traditionally takes over when he turns 25, the current alpha will typically start preparing the next alpha early on.
The tension passes as we drink, and we continue on the night celebrating our graduation with alcohol and food. I'm not entirely sure how I got back home, but I'm pretty sure Tharn had something to do with it. He's always looking out for me, and god knows the others were far too wasted to even take care of themselves.
When I wake up the next morning, my head is pounding with the hangover. I look over at my bedside table and see a glass of water with a few pain killers. There's a note stuck to the glass, and I squint to read it through the migraine.
Type,
Drink plenty of water and take medication for the pain. Make sure to eat something, too. Happy birthday!
Tharn
I grin appreciatively, sitting up to take the medicine and drink the water. Once my head starts to clear, I'm able to notice the changes that occurred once I turned 18. I can feel my inner wolf stirring to life. With excitement shooting through my bones, I quickly get up and get ready for the day. My parents have already left for work, so I take the chance to try shifting for the first time.
I run towards the forest on our pack's territory and strip my clothes, draping them on a nearby log. Closing my eyes, I try to concentrate on shifting. Every wolf goes through training to prepare themselves for the day they're finally able to shift. Following the teachings I received when I was younger, I focus on connecting to my wolf. My body begins to tingle, and then comes the agonizing pain.
To shift, our bones have to break and reform. They say shifting hurts less and less the more you do it, but the first time hurts like a bitch. And they were right. The pain is horrid, but luckily it doesn't last too long. Fur sprouts over my body, and I land on all fours. My hands are replaced with paws that dig into the dirt. I take a second to catch my breath before taking off in a sprint.
The wind blows through my fur, and it's one of the purest feelings I've ever experienced. I can smell every part of the earth around me; the trees, the grass, the dirt. The natural aroma is intoxicating, making me feel even more connected to my wolf.
I stop when I approach a small pond and peer at my reflection. My fur is pure black, and my eyes have turned into a brilliant shade of gold. I close my eyes and try to reach out to the other members of my pack through our mind link.
'No? Champ?' I think.
'Is that Type?' I hear someone say. It sounds like Techno, but in a lower voice.
'Type! Bout time you joined the pack!' A voice teases. This one sounds like Champ.
My tail wags in excitement at having successfully tapped into the mind link. 'Don't forget my party tonight at my parents' house! My mom made two cakes in case Team eats a whole cake by himself.'
'Hey!' Team joins in. 'I only did that a few times!'
'That's still a good reason to prepare for the inevitable!' Techno points out.
I let out a barking laugh before continuing on my run. I'm not sure how long I ran, but it felt like hours. When I return home, I shower the scent of the forest away and get ready for my party. My parents set up all the food before heading out for the night. They agreed to take tonight as a date night, as long as I promised not to trash the house.
My friends from the pack start to show up, and I try to make eye contact with each girl that walks in, hoping I'll feel the mate connection with one of them. So far, no luck. But Puifai hasn't shown up yet, so I haven't given up yet.
As we get more into the party, it's not long before we have to break out the second cake. Team sits in the corner guiltily with frosting on his lips and fingers, while Champ scolds him. Everyone is talking and laughing over the music, and I feel elated. I'm finally a full-fledged wolf, and nothing can bring me down from this powerful high.
Or, so I thought.
Over the loud music and chatter, I barely hear the sound of the door opening.
"Hey, Tharn!" Techno shouts.
I turn around to greet my best friend, and freeze in my spot.
My inner wolf starts yipping with excitement, while my stomach churns with dread.
Our eyes meet, and my worst nightmare comes to life as my wolf whispers in my head.
'Mate.'
And I run.
~~~
I hope you guys are looking forward to the story! I know I am 🤘🏼
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-Gumbie