The Blood Moon Twins
Chapter 6

AULDER

\tl wandered out to the back yard, and it was already filled with people. As I scanned the crowd, I didn't see a single person I didn't know. It was my job to know everyone in the pack, especially since I would take over it one day. It was easy for me, especially because, at school, I was one of the most popular kids. I didn't see anyone in particular I was itching to talk to, though.

\tRemy and Harper were probably still getting ready. Remy was known to be fashionably late, and Harper would be right by her side, supporting her. It was only one of my favorite things about her. Harper was genuine, and she didn't care if she was having a quiet night at home or partying with a group of people. As long as she was with good friends, she could blend in everywhere. She would make a good luna one day.

\tl grabbed a drink off the concession table and downed it quickly, trying to wash away those thoughts. I was getting ahead of myself. This whole mate thing was like a plague in my brain, and it didn't feel fair. Remy was the one who wanted to replace her mate right away. I was happy in my blissful youth, doing whoever I wanted whenever I wanted. Now, there was only one person I wanted to even look at, and it was confusing. It was Harper, after all, which made it more complicated than any other girl in the pack. \t"Hey, man! Happy birthday." A pat on my back made me nearly choke on my drink.

\tl looked back, and Bennett was standing next to me with a goofy grin on his face. Bennett was Beta Scythe and Percy's adopted son. He was big enough to be a football player, but he had a heart of gold and would rather spend his time in a book. We had grown up with him, just like Harper, but he spent more time with Remy than me. They had more in common.

\tl was pretty sure he had a slight crush on her, but he was a little older than us, and he would've already felt the mate bond if they were meant to be together. Remy was completely clueless to his little crush, and I didn't bother to inform her. Bennett was a good guy who would never cross a line with her, and I didn't want her to overthink their friendship.

\t"Thanks, man." I gave Bennett a quick nod up. "Have you seen Remy or Harper? They're late."

\tBennett chuckled. "I was going to ask you the same thing. My dad is going crazy since things are running behind already."

\t"What's new?" I chuckled.

\tScyther and Rie held the beta position of the pack together. It was a little unconventional, but they balanced each other out in a lot of ways. Plus, with how big the wolf pack was, it helped our father out a lot.

\t"If you see them, link me." Bennett disappeared into the crowd as quickly as he had shown up.

\t"What's taking you so long?" I linked to Remy. I felt antsy waiting for the two of them to come down.

\t"Relax. We're coming down now. Are you eager to see Harper or something?" Every word of hers dripped into my head. s**t. Of course, Remy picked up on something strange between Harper and myself. She noticed almost everything with me. \t"Everyone is waiting for you." I ignored her comment, knowing it would only make her more suspicious. I could deal with that later.

\tl moved through the crowd with ease, since everyone parted as I slipped through them. I kept my eyes glued to the back door. Remy was the first one to exit the pack house, and all of the guys around me had their eyes glued to her. She was an absolute beauty, even if she didn't see it. My eyes were glued to Harper though. She was just a step behind Remy, and she was in a dark blue dress that matched her eyes. I had never seen a more beautiful sight before.

\tl started walking over to her in a slight trance, but Bennett made it to Remy and Harper before I could. He grabbed Harper's hand, and a growl echoed in my chest. Bennett meant no harm, but I didn't like another man touching her. I pushed my way over to them, and when Bennett saw me, he waved me over.

\t"Oh hey! My dad wants the birthday people over by the mic stand." Bennett was smiling, and he had no idea what thoughts were going through my head. I was ready to lunge at him, but Remy stepped between us and put her hand on my chest to stop me. \t"What has gotten into you?" she linked, looking at me with wide eyes and a tight jaw.

\t"He's touching Harper." I wanted to punch him.

\tRemy looked at Bennett with a smile, keeping her hand firmly planted on my chest. "We'll be there in a moment. I need to talk to Caulder for a sec."

\tHarper glanced back at us with concern laced in her beautiful eyes, but Bennett didn't think anything of it. When neither of them were looking, Remy grabbed my hand and dragged me off to the side of the yard where there were fewer people. I couldn't help but look into the crowd, trying to catch a glance at Harper.

\tRemy snapped her fingers in my face, pulling my gaze to her. "Okay, spill."

\t"There's nothing to spill."

\tShe rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Come on, Caulder. Don't lie to me. I know you. What's going on with you and Harper?"

\tThis wasn't how I wanted to tell her. I still was trying to sort things out in my head, but maybe it would help to get some feedback from her. She was right. I always told her everything, so it wasn't worth trying to hide it. "Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to keep this a secret. For real. You can't tell anyone."

\tShe held out her pinky to me. I hooked my pinky around hers, and we twisted our hands until our thumbs touched. "Twins for life, secrets to the grave. No matter the strife, our lips will stay brave." We had done this since we were little kids, and we had never stopped. If there was something we needed the other one to swear to secrecy, this was the oath we made to each other. We had never broken this vow to the other when we made it.

\tl took a deep breath, knowing her reaction was going to be a lot. "Okay. The thing is, Harper is my mate." I held up my finger, stopping her squeal before it escaped her lips. "I can't tell Harper, though. She won't be able to feel the mate bond until her birthday, and I don't want her to feel any pressure. I want her to fall for me on her own, so I don't scare her away."

\tRemy's lips curled back, and her smile was filling her entire face. "This is so exciting! I always knew you two would be a good couple. Ugh, this is so exciting."

\t"You can't say anything to Harper. I'll figure out a way to make her fall for me. I haven't failed at getting a girl before." Harper hadn't responded to my flirtations yet, but I wasn't one to give up. When I wanted something, I worked hard until I got it. \tRemy pushed my chest. "That's the problem, doofus. Harper isn't like the other girls you mess around with. She's not going to fall for you because of a few witty comments and the charm of you being the future alpha. Harper will need more finesse and care." She pointed a finger in my face. "You better not mess this one up. I've been waiting for the day you two got together."

\tl swatted her finger away. "You are much too invested in my love life."

\tRemy ignored my comment. "Come on. Let's get back to the others before they start questioning us."

\tThe two of us headed over to where Bennett said we were needed, and they were already waiting for us.

\tScythe quickly approached the two of us, putting his arms around our shoulders. "Finally! The birthday kids are here. I'm just going to make a quick announcement, and then the two of you will pick a partner to start off the dancing."

\t"Wait, what?" Remy said, her eyes wide. "Scythe, I don't have anyone to dance with."

\tScythe let go of us and waved his hand in front of him. "Nonsense. I'm sure all the boys will be eager to dance with you."

\the scurried away from us, hopping onto the stage. The music cut out, and Scythe grabbed the microphone. "All right everyone. We just want to thank you for joining us at Remy and Caulder's birthday party. It is truly a wonderful night to be celebrating Alpha's and Luna's daughter. It is incredible to see just how much these two have grown over the years, and I'm excited to see what amazing people they continue to become."

\tThe crowd cheered in excitement, and I didn't fully understand it. We were officially adults now, and our wolves were supposed to have fully emerged, drawing our mate to us. It wasn't something worth clapping over. If everyone knew the truth, I wondered if they would still be clapping. I still had never met my wolf, and my werewolf side was weak. I had inherited more skills in sorcery, but I had never admitted my lack of wolf, fearing it would make people look down on the fact that I was supposed to be the future alpha. \tScythe motioned to the sky and continued talking. "It's even supposed to be a full moon tonight. It is supposed to bring the greatest luck to all werewolves who come of age under a full moon. But enough about that. We are going to really get this started by having the twins join a partner on the dance floor in celebration of them being able to now replace their mates. We will cut the cake a little later, but for now, enjoy the snacks and refreshments, and have fun. Caulder, Remy, please grab a partner and move to the dance floor."

\tl was grateful the speech was over. I wasn't a fan of all of this attention being put on us, but that was Scythe's way. He liked to make grand spectacles out of everything, and he was always in charge of these kinds of events.

\tl knew everyone was waiting for us to start dancing, and I could feel all of the girls staring at me, hoping I would pick them. All of the girls but one.

\tl looked over at Harper, knowing this was my chance. I walked straight up to her and held out my hand. "Will you dance with me?"

\tHarper looked to her left and right, as if not realizing it was her I asked. Finally, her eyes settled on my hand. She bit her lip, which made me go a little crazy, but I kept my patient appearance up. She lifted her eyes to my face as she took my hand. "Okay." She seemed shy, and her heart beat faster in her chest. I wasn't sure if she was nervous because all eyes were now on us, including many of the girls I had hooked up with before, or if she was nervous about dancing with me.

\tEither way, I knew this was my chance. I was suddenly grateful for all of the dance lessons Scythe had made me take over the years.

\t-

\tREMY

\tl looked around at the crowd, but none of the guys were approaching me. I wasn't popular, like Caulder. He got all of the girls he ever wanted, but I had never been in a relationship before. No guys had ever asked me out, and I had never gotten up the courage to take the first step. Caulder told me it was because the guys knew better than to ask out his sister, but I was pretty sure he was just being nice.

\tCaulder was lucky. He was more sociable than me. Even if he hadn't found his mate right away, he could have gotten any girl to dance with him. He didn't understand the struggles I faced.

\tl wasn't popular like he was. Everyone was nice and smiled at me, but guys didn't clamor over me like they did over popular girls, and I never understood why. I wasn't unattractive. I was cute at the very least. I was smart. Even if I wasn't naturally good at school, I studied hard. But I didn't go to the parties where girls got drunk and took their clothes off. I didn't wear skimpy clothes that showed off my body. I wasn't flirty and suave. I was just me, but that didn't feel like enough for the guys.

\tl tried not to let it get to me. I had Caulder and Harper, and Bennett when he wasn't busy. I had my family, and that was okay most days. Today was one of those days that it wasn't okay. Why did Scythe have to make us do this dance? I could practically hear the whispers and the rumors people would say after this party.

\t"How embarrassing. No one wanted to dance with the alpha's daughter."

\t"She will never amount to anything."

\t"Only if she were more like her brother."

\tl wanted to cover my ears to block out the imaginary whispers, but I knew it wouldn't do me any good. I swallowed hard, desperately looking at the crowd for someone. Anyone would do. Just a body to fill the space so I wasn't alone with this partner dance. \tThe hair on the back of my neck rose, and suddenly I got an overwhelming sensation of being watched, but it felt different than all of the other eyes already on me.

\tA throat cleared, and my eyes focused on the hand held out in front of me. I looked up, forgetting about that strange feeling.

\t"Will you dance with me?" Bennett asked, fidgeting in place. He looked nervous as hell, but I wasn't about to refuse his offer.