"You say you'd rather be alone. 'Cause you think you won't find it tied to someone else."
~Ben Platt, 'Grow As We Go'
~~~
*Tharn's POV*
"The person you are trying to reach is unavailable at this time. Please leave a message after—"
"Damn it, Type," I sigh, hanging up the phone. For the past two weeks, Type has been avoiding me completely. He won't answer my calls. He won't come to the door when I'm waiting outside for him. I understand that Type needs time to process everything, but it's been two weeks. I need him. Not only because he's my mate, but because he's my best friend and I miss him.
My wolf has been restless ever since Type stormed away from me that day in the forest. It's getting closer to that time of the month. And no, I don't mean the week where females are more in tune with the moon or whatever. While this is dictated by the Moon, it's a bit more torturous — especially without having your mate by your side.
Each month after finding our mates, wolves go through heat. To put it bluntly, it's a three day period where our wolves become sexually ravenous, and the intense desire to be with our mate is enough to drive someone crazy.
Until the mating process is completed, wolves continue to hit their heat each month. The mating process isn't simply sex, although that's what clouds our minds. To complete the mating process, we have to mark our mates by sinking our teeth into the crook of their neck at the point of climax.
Just thinking about sinking my fangs into Type's neck while I'm deep inside of him makes my cock twitch. Fuck, I'm eager to be with him.
Since I discovered Type is my mate a while ago, I've been hitting my heat alone. Well... mostly. But that was a one time mistake; an itch I stupidly scratched when my heat first hit and I didn't know how to handle it.
Anyway, Type's heat will be in sync with mine. All mate pairs hit their heats at the same time each month. If both partners are in heat, they're more likely to complete the mating process. The Moon doesn't make mistakes, so it makes sense that she would want us to mark our mates as soon as possible.
I've been able to track when I'll hit my heat, and it's scheduled to hit in two days. I've been desperately trying to contact Type, and that desperation has been growing the closer we get to our heat. The last thing I want is to have Type be in pain because he's trying to handle his heat alone. Or worse — he continues to ignore me and I only see him when he wants a quick fuck. I want more than that. I want a relationship.
I dial the only other person that is close enough to Type to know how he's doing. The phone rings for only a few seconds before the call is answered.
"Hello?" Techno says on the other end of the line.
"Hey, No. Have you heard from Type?" I ask.
Techno is silent for a moment before he answers slowly. "I don't really want to get in the middle of this."
"So he did tell you," I state, not really as a question.
"Maybe we should meet in person. I don't feel comfortable talking about this over the phone."
"Fine. Meet me at our regular coffee shop in an hour," I say before hanging up. With a sigh, I run my hand over my face. The fact that the only way to reach my best friend and mate is through our mutual friend is really frustrating.
I hop in the shower to freshen up before going out to meet with Techno. Upon arriving at the coffee shop, I see Techno already parked at a table in the back corner.
"Techno," I call out, approaching the table. "Did you wait long?"
Techno shakes his head. "Not really. I just got here I few minutes ago."
I nod and take a seat across from him. "So. What's going on with Type?"
"Diving right in, huh? Can't you at least buy me a coffee first?"
I smirk at Techno. "Fine, I'll buy you a coffee. But I'm not interested in talking about anything else until we've discussed Type." I flag down a waitress so Techno can put in his drink order. I hand the money to the waitress, and it only takes a few minutes for her to return with Techno's coffee. Once his coffee is in front of him, I look at him expectantly. "So?"
Techno squirms uncomfortably in his seat. "You know as well as I that Type always thought his mate was going to be a woman. Hell, you've seen how uncomfortable he is with the fact that Champ and Team are mates. I know he says he's cool with it, but we know him well enough to see that he's not okay with guys being mates. It's understandable that he needs time to... process everything."
"It's been two weeks," I sigh, exasperated. "How much more time does he need? My wolf is going crazy without him. It causes me pain to know he's avoiding me. When do you think he'll start to accept me?" Techno falls silent and stares at the table. His silence makes a knot form in my stomach. He knows something. "Techno..." I start slowly. "What are you not telling me?"
Techno looks at me, and my heart thuds at the amount of pity I see in his eyes. Whatever he knows, it's bad. "I had promised Type I wouldn't say anything, but I don't feel right about keeping this from you. You deserve to know so you can prepare."
"Prepare for what?"
"Type has been researching ways to break the mate bond."
My blood runs cold. "He's... what?"
Techno nods with a grim expression. "He tried talking to the pack elders, but they wouldn't help him. They said it goes against the will of the Moon, and they refuse to take part in it. But that's not stopping Type."
"W-What's he planning on doing? Doesn't he know that rejecting one's mate causes both parties an intense amount of pain?"
Techno releases a deep sigh. "To Type... that pain is preferable to having a guy as his mate."
I wince, feeling a sharp pain slice through my heart. Type would rather put himself through unimaginable pain than be my mate. Why? Because I have a dick? Because we grew up together? Because we're best friends?
Anger floods through my veins, and I clench my fists. I've been Type's best friend for over a decade, and he's willing to hurt me over some silly homophobic fear. As my best friend, Type always insisted that he had my back no matter what. That he would always be there for me. And now, he's researching how to hurt me in the worst possible way. Some best friend.
"Where is he?" I ask through clenched teeth.
"Tharn, I don't think—"
"No, fuck that. I'm sick of this. If Type wants to reject me, he needs to say it to my face. I'm not playing his game where he ignores me until he finds a way to break the mate bond. Now, where is he?"
Techno eyes me warily before caving. "There is one last pack elder Type was going to ask for help. He's there now, so he'll probably be back in a few hours."
I nod my head and stand up. "Thanks, No. I appreciate your help."
Techno smiles weakly. "I'm really sorry, Tharn. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. I haven't found my mate yet, so I can't begin to understand how much it must hurt to hear all this."
"And I pray you never have to understand. I just hope whoever your mate is will accept you and love you the way you deserve."
Techno blushes and chugs his coffee to mask his embarrassment. Chuckling, I walk out of the coffee shop and head towards Type's house. This time, I'm not going to wait outside for him to let me in. There are vines that scale up the sides of the older house. My muscles flex as I pull myself up the vines towards Type's bedroom window. I push his window open, rolling my eyes at how irresponsible Type is for not locking his windows. But I'm sure after this, Type is going to bolt his windows shut to prevent me from breaking in again.
I sit on Type's bed and wait for about an hour and a half until I hear the front door opening and closing. Footsteps thud up the stairs, and I instantly recognize the scent. My wolf whimpers from the lack of contact with our mate. My anger with Type is almost overshadowed by how much I've missed him. Almost.
The door swings open and Type freezes when he sees me sitting on his bed. His dark eyes widen, and his cheeks flush red. "What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get in?"
"You should really lock your windows," I deadpan.
Type bristles angrily. "You broke into my house? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" I shoot up from the bed and stalk over to Type. I look down at him with blazing eyes. I feel my alpha side wanting to be released, but I hold it back. I don't want Type to talk to me as an omega submitting to his alpha. I want him to talk to me as my best friend. My mate. "When were you planning on telling me that you're trying to break the mate bond?"
Type's face briefly pales from shock before his eyes narrow. "You talked to No, didn't you? Dammit, I told him not to say anything!"
I ignore his question and continue on. "Does our friendship mean nothing to you? Do I mean nothing?"
Type's eyes glow with varying emotions. "Don't start that shit with me," Type growls. "This has nothing to do with our friendship."
"Like hell it doesn't!" I shout. "I've had your back for ten years, and you've had mine. And now you're really trying to figure out how to rip out my heart by rejecting me?"
Type rolls his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. You'll be fine without me as a mate. Maybe the Moon will take pity on you and assign you another mate."
"You know it doesn't work that way. Having a second mate is rare. It's usually reserved for wolves who have lost their mates due to death. A second mate isn't provided simply because someone was too scared to accept their mate."
"I'm not scared," Type snaps. "I'm just not gay. And no one, not even the Moon, can force me to be with you."
His blatant rejection cuts through me like a knife. A mix of anger and pain swirls around inside of me. I step closer to Type and grab his shoulders, pulling him closer towards me. Type's eyes widen and he tries to push against me, but I tighten my grip.
"We were paired together for a reason," I insist, my voice softer this time. "Please, Type... please just give me a chance."
A low growl rumbles deep in Type's throat. He roughly shoves me, making me stumble against the wall. I go to steady myself, but Type pins me to the wall. Anger flashes in his dark eyes as he stares me down. He opens his mouth to argue further, but stops. The pupils of his eyes dilate, and his cheeks flush red. I see Type's nose twitch as he sniffs the air. I tilt my head in confusion, and then it hits me.
The air thickens, and my senses are heightened. I instantly recognize what's happening, although I'm a little surprised. This wasn't supposed to happen for a few more days, but I suppose the intense environment triggered it early.
My mind becomes cloudy, and my pants tighten. My skin feels like it's on fire, but the pain causes enough pleasure for me to moan lowly in my throat. Type still has me pinned to the wall, his chest rising and falling as he breathes heavily. His dark eyes flicker with confusion and lust as he tries to figure out what's going on. Leaning forward, I nuzzle my nose into the crook of Type's neck, inhaling the delicious scent rolling off his skin. I hear Type's breath hitch as he finally realizes what's happening.
The heat.
~~~
I'm baaaaack! I've been trying to write while my baby is sleeping. I'll try to get out at least 1-2 chapters a week
Please remember to comment/vote!
-Gumbie