The Unexpected Mate

Part 1

Fish. As I wake up all I can think about is fish, which if that wasn't odd enough already add in the face that I can't stand it. The smell, texture, taste, blech. I find it just absolutely disgusting, and have you ever touched a fish? Nope, no thank you. Yet for the past month I've woken up craving fish on several occasions. My best friend Renee got mad with me at first when I told her about my cravings thinking that I had been a guy, not told her, and was now pregnant, she tended to over react sometimes. I quickly reassured her that she hadn't missed out on anything in my love life and that I was definitely not pregnant. I was saving myself for my mate, which tomorrow is when I will be able to find him. Werewolves don't find their mates until they turn 18, that's apparently when the moon goddess thinks we are mature enough to handle a relationship and everything that comes with it. I may not even get to meet him tomorrow if he's not yet turned eighteen, just the thought of that makes my stomach sink. I've been dreaming about this day since I was a little girl and could fully grasp the meaning of what having a mate would be like. Someone who will be by your side for the rest of your life to love you, support you, make you laugh, cook you pancakes in the middle of the night when you're hungry, just to always be there. Twenty hours lay between me and hopefully finding my mate, whomever he may be. My dad, Alpha William Rogers of the Harvest Moon Pack, swears by the moon goddess that my mate is Sam Baker, the son of our best warrior. Sam is being trained to step into his father's footsteps and be the top warrior and protector of our pack. The perfect mate for the Alpha's daughter, or so my dad thinks. Don't get me wrong, Sam is definitely a panty dropper looks wise, he's tall, dark and handsome but it's when he opens his mouth that he suddenly becomes the most irritating person I've ever met. Arrogant doesn't even come close to describing him, he thinks he is the goddess's gift to woman and unstoppable. Sam turned 18 a month ago and has yet to find his mate. My dad thinks it's a sign from the goddess and has successfully planted that thought into Sam's head also who now insists on calling me 'mate' every time he sees me which earns him a nice growl from me. I pray that I haven't ever angered the moon goddess enough for her to actually mate me with Sam, I pity anyone who ends up mated with him.

Just because I have been saving myself for my mate doesn't mean I've been walking around with blinders on, I'm not a nun. I do have my eyes on a certain werewolf, who am I kidding, I've had a crush on him since we were cubs. Jeremy Martin, insert mental sigh here. He was six foot even, had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a smile complete with dimples that made me melt any time I was lucky to be on the receiving end of it. He wasn't always on my radar, it wasn't till this one time in middle school when he pulled on my braid that I had worked so hard on that morning. I wasn't having anyone mess with my glorious braid, which probably looked awful if we are being honest, so I turned around and punched him right in his snout. Both of our eyes had widened as blood flowed from his nose, we both knew he would heal but my punch had surprised us both. We've been inseparable ever since. So that's a lesson to all you little girls out there, if you want a guy's attention just punch him in the nose. Wait, no, don't do that.

Anyways, our story sounds all cute and perfect right, like one of those corny romance movies? Wrong. He only looks at me like a little sister. One of the guys. His buddy. His pal. I know what you're thinking, maybe he's waiting for his mate too. I mean he could be, but werewolves are allowed to date we are part human! And trust me, if Jeremy had given me the time of day I would have been all over that, but unfortunately I am nothing more than a friend to him. It's probably another reason I've stayed single this whole time, I had always held out hope that Jeremy would one day want me more than as just a friend.

But all of it could change tomorrow, I hope and pray that it will change tomorrow. Jeremy turned 18 last week and didn't find his mate at his party, meaning his mate is not in our pack or as I know in my heart, I just haven't turned 18 yet. The moon goddess has got to be on my side with this right? I can picture how the night will go, I'll have on my new dress that fits me like a glove. Hair will be perfect. Make up will be on point. I'll walk into the hall that will be decorated in thousands of white lights, all the unmated males will be lined up along the walk but I won't see them. I won't see them because my eyes will be locked on Jeremy, in that moment we will realize that we are meant to be together for the rest of our lives. He won't see me as a friend anymore but as a woman, his woman. He will sweep me into his arms and gaze into my eyes, 'It's you' he will whisper. I'll nod in response to overwhelmed to speak, he starts to lean in for our first kiss and I close my eyes in anticipation.

"Why is your face all scrunched up like that?" A voice asked interrupting my fantasy. I sat up quickly in my bed and looked towards my door where my little brother David was standing looking at me as if I had grown two heads.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I told him, "And you're supposed to knock when you want to come into my room."

"I did knock but you didn't answer me, now I know it was because you were kissing the air." He explained as if it was completely normal for me to be giving kisses to the air around us.

"I wasn- you know what never mind. Do you need something?" I asked him.

He looked at me with a confused look as he tried to remember what he came into my room for. I gave him a smile as he thought, I didn't want him to feel bad for not remembering. David was a little slower mentally, it's rare for werewolves to have complications during birth that result in harming the pups but it does happen.

He snapped his fingers as he remembered, "I came to wake you up!"

"I have an alarm clock for that you know?" He may be a little different but he was still an annoying little brother.

"I know but can an alarm clock tell you that you're running late and your hair looks like a bee's nest?" He said as he giggled.

I looked over at my alarm clock and he was right, I was running later than normal. "Crap!" I yelled as I jumped out of bed.

David starting laughing from the door way, "Better get to moving, don't want to look worse than usual."

I threw a pillow at him just as he was shutting the door, "Brothers" I muttered to myself as I rolled my eyes and attempted to tame my bee's nest on top of my head.