A Wolves World
Mates

Erica’s POV

Brett was supposed to come to my house to get me before we headed back to the den and maybe the lake that was in the woods but he should have been here by now. With the threat of his pack coming I decided to go to the den to make sure he was okay. When I got there he was talking with an old man who I assumed was Arthur. They didn’t seem to notice me approaching so I stayed silent and listened to their conversation which I then regretted. I heard them talking about Brett’s mate but not in any of those sentences does he say my name. I went to confront him and he said he wanted to explain things but I wasn’t going to hear it. It wouldn’t make me feel any better as I am in love with him and thought that maybe I was his mate but apparently I was wrong. I shift and run back to my house.

I go through the back and lock it behind me so Brett shouldn’t be able to get in through my wolf is howling at the idea of him not being able to get in. The further away from Brett that I get and the angrier I get, a pain grows in my chest that makes it feels like my heart is being ripped into pieces. I go up to my room and close the door. I open the window in hopes that the fresh air would help with the pain. I sit on my bed facing away from the window and I try not to let myself cry but I can feel the tears threatening to come out. Soon I hear and smell Brett climbing through the window.

Brett’s POV

“Erica please let me explain.”

“I left the window open hoping the fresh air would help the pain I started feeling in my chest.” our mate bond was still cracking. I could feel it and it was taking a lot of energy out of me and if I didn’t fix this soon one or both of us may die.

“I can explain things and maybe soothe this ache in your chest if you will just listen to me. Please, Erica.”

“Go ahead.” she doesn’t make a move to turn and face me so I walk around her bed and crouch in front of her so I could look her in the eyes.

“You did hear me talking about my mate with Arthur but once did you ever mention a name?”

“No, but what does that have to do with it.”

“How do you not realize it? Erica, I did replace my mate, I found her before we started dating don’t interrupt me.” I say noticing her slight change in facial expression. “You see Erica she is beautiful. She is kind and caring and loving. She makes me smile. She has been my only friend since I lost my pack. She is my pack and my whole world and best of all she is right in front of me.”

“What really?” she asks as tears start to roll down her cheek.

“Yes Erica you are my mate and I am yours. And I love you. I will love you all my life and in death, I will love you.”

“I love you too Brett.” At this point, there are tears flowing from her eyes. I put my hand to her cheek and used my thumb to wipe them away. I grabbed her and pulled her into me so she sat on my lap and she rested her head in the crook of my neck. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she whispers

“Because I didn’t want to tell you this and have you feel pressured to do the ceremony when you weren’t ready or to get scared and run off and leave me I don’t want to lose you when I found out we were mates we had practically just meant and I felt it would weird you out. And I am sorry I should have told you I was just scared. Since I first felt the bond we have I knew that I loved you but I didn’t know if it was from the mate bond or if it was because you were the first person I turned and the first member of my own pack.”

“You should have just talked to me, Brett. I may have been a little cautious at first because this was and still is all new to me but I wouldn’t have run away since we first met I felt a connection I just didn’t know what it meant.”

“I know I am sorry I didn’t tell you and I am so sorry you had to replace out this way,” I say giving her a kiss on the top of her forehead. “But there is still something we need to talk about.”

“What is it?”

“Arthur came to warn me that my mother found the letter from Connor’s parents and is gathering pack members to come and hunt me down and that she may be on her way at the moment. But he also came because he was the one who helped me confirm that you were in fact my mate and with him being the elder he is one who can do the mating ceremony. And though when I was younger I never believed that mates were real I always said that I would want him to do the ceremony for me if I ever found my mate.” She was silent for a minute. “I understand if you are not ready for it we can wait maybe replace some other pack with an elder willing to do the ceremony when we are older--”

“No, I am okay with doing it now I just wasn’t expecting we would have to do it so soon plus I did just replace out for sure that we are mates. If you want Arthur to do it and if this may be the only time he can do it we need to do it.”

“You are sure you are okay with it?”

“Yes, I am positive.”

“Okay, do you remember what I told you about the mating ceremony,” Brett says standing up pulling me up with him.

“A little bit I remember that we have to bite each other’s necks and that a crescent moon will appear with your mate’s initials and that there is other stuff but I am sure you and Arthur can tell me what to do.”

“Alright let’s go Arthur will want to do the ceremony soon so we can figure out where to go from there if the pack is coming.”

“What ceremony?” Erica’s father’s voice stops Erica from replying as he opens the door to her room and walks in followed by her mother.

“And what do you mean by a pack coming?” her mother asks.

Erica’s POV

“Mom, Dad, you’re home earlier than I expected.”

“We thought we would come home to have some lunch with our daughter and her boyfriend. Now can you answer our questions.” My mom says with this worried but knowing looks as if she knows what we have to tell them.

“I am a werewolf. I bit your daughter and turned her into one and she is my mate and I--” Brett starts off but is cut off by my mother.

“Oh, Brett you didn’t necessarily turn her.”

“What!?” We both say honestly confused.

“I should have told you this long ago but your father and I didn’t think it would affect you so we both decided not to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” I turn to look at my mom in confusion.

“That I am descended from werewolves that had human mates, your grandmother was actually a werewolf though she didn’t shift until her 18th birthday.”

“Then why aren’t you a werewolf?”

“The wolf gene isn’t dominant in me and it was more so in your grandmother enough to make her turn when she turned 18.”

“How could I not know grandma was a werewolf?”

“She did a good job at hiding it; she had come from generations that have been living among humans with no real contact with other wolves so they got good at hiding it from others.”

“Why did you not think it would affect me?”

“Well since it wasn’t dominant in me enough to make me change and your father is one hundred percent human we thought it would be diluted enough that it wouldn’t affect you or future generations.”

“But if it is diluted enough why would you say my bite might not have changed her?” This time it was Brett to ask a question.

“Well, in all honesty, we didn’t know if she would start to turn when she reached her 18th birthday we elected not to tell her unless it happened and that is what we hoped for but she could have turned on her birthday so you could have just made it happen sooner.”

“Okay, but what ceremony are they talking about?” My dad asks, still very confused.

“If I am correct it is one of the only ceremonies that werewolves have, the mating ceremony. Is that a correct guess.”

“Yes, it is mom. How do you know about the ceremony?”

“I have heard stories passed down from the first wolf who ran away with a human mate.”

“Are you okay if we do the ceremony?” I ask hesitantly.

“Maybe if you explain the situation because I feel there is an underlying reason you are talking about it at such a young age.” The next few minutes Brett explains the situation including his father’s death and the prophecy and what the ceremony entails to my parents. Once in a while, they interrupt to ask a question.