Having Two Mates {2017}

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN:

"Happy birthday!"

I peered over the covers, my vision focusing to find my family waking me up by singing to me. My mother and father had the biggest smiles on their faces as my mother held a cake in her hands. I couldn't help but smile, seeing that it had been a while since I was woken up like this for my birthday.

"Hurry up and blow the candles out before the wax gets on the cake." I heard another voice say.

I sat up and blew out the candles, getting cheers from my parents.

"I'll go cut it and we'll have it for breakfast." My mother smiled. When she left the room with my dad, I fell back into the bed, ready to fall asleep again.

"You turn sixteen only once in your life and you chose to sleep the day away?" Someone snatched my blanket away. "Don't make me have to pull you out of the bed, Hales."

My eyes flew open and my body jolted up. I turned to the source of the threat, finding my older brother holding my blanket in his hands. He looked almost the same as he did when he left except he had grown a little facial hair and his voice had finally caught up to his age.

"Jared!" I jumped out of bed and into his arms. "You actually came!"

He chuckled, "I wouldn't miss it for anything," He tells me.

"When did you get back?" I asked him.

"A few days ago," he says. "I decided to spend my spring break here."

I placed a hand over my chest, "I feel so honored."

He rolled his eyes then turned to pick up things I placed on the new bookshelf. "I didn't come for you," He said. "I just happened to remember it was you birthday and said—"

I chucked a pillow at the back of his head, frowning.

"I'm just joking, Hales, geez." He rubs the back of his head.

"You better be."

He shakes his head, putting what he had picked up back where it was. "Hurry up," He says. "There's someone I want you to meet."

I quickly washed up, anticipating today's events. I was sure my parents were planning a party for me but Jared coming home was a complete surprise. I hadn't heard much from him since he left so his return for my birthday was quite a shock.

I jogged down the stairs towards the voices welcoming my brother home. I smiled to myself, feeling warm inside knowing that my family was in a sense of wholeness for once. My parents seemed happy to see their two kids under the same roof again. It was almost as if the split never happened.

"Took you long enough," Jared approached me. He grabbed my hand and led me further into the living room. "There's someone I want you to meet."

My smile slowly faded as my eyes landed on the girl in front of me.

"Hailey, this is Demetria." Jared introduced. "She's my mate."

The girl turned around, tucking her dark brown hair behind her ear. She bared a smile towards me, "It's nice to meet you."

"M-Mate?" I stuttered out. Brief images of the girl from Nathan's house came back to me. She was the same girl that stood on Alex's porch with that smug look. It was her that I saw, this I was sure of. "I-I mean, nice to meet you too."

She grabbed my hand to shake, "You're just as funny as Jared said you were."

Her hands were cold to the touch but I ignore the chilling feeling creeping up my spine. I forced a smile, knowing everyone was waiting for my approval. "Oh really?" I said. "I didn't think he'd speak of me."