My Mate

Chapter Fifteen

I think I'm freaking out a little...or a lot.

Tomorrow's my birthday. I'll be eighteen. I'll be able to detect my Mate.

Why am I freaking out? I've been waiting for this forever!

Frowning at my naked form in the mirror, I turned from side to side before looking down at my groin. I'm not very big in that department. What if I can't satisfy my mate?! What if I'm not attractive to him? I mean, everyone has always picked on me because I'm small, I'm a natural redhead covered in freckles and I have a gap. They make it seem like those features are unattractive. What if my mate thinks the same?

I don't have much body hair, my leg and armpit hair is more of a strawberry blond and can't really be seen unless you're looking closely. Should I shave my legs like mom? Maybe I should shave my pubic hair, it's red like the hair on my head.

Shrieking, I shifted into my small wolf and took off out of my room. While I was running down the stairs to the first floor, I tumbled and ended up falling the rest of the way down. Landing with a thud, I grunted and laid their unmoving for a moment before pushing myself up.

Mom and dad were in the living room and I went to mom whimpering. She looked up from her Kindle and I jumped up on the couch beside her. I was unconsciously yipping like a young pup for its mom as I pressed my head against her side. Dad was watching curiously but I hid my face. Mom sighed and started running her fingers through my copper fur which had an immediate effect and calmed me down some.

Like in my Human form, I'm not very big. I'm a runt. My wolf is about as small as a medium sized dog, and my fur is still kind of fluffy like a pups. I looked like a house pet but at least I could curl up on the couch beside mom as she scratched behind my ears. She was reading again and I slowly wiggled until I was laying half on her lap so she could scratch my belly. I liked that the most. My leg involuntarily kicked as she scratched some spots but I didn't mind, it felt good.

I woke a few hours later alone and to the smell of food that made my tummy grumbled. Slipping off the couch, I went upstairs to my room knowing mom would yell if I went into her kitchen with my fur.

Shifting and quickly dressing in pajamas, I went back downstairs and found my parents in the kitchen. They were talking lowly but stopped and looked at me when I entered. Looking away embarrassed by how I'd acted, I climbed up onto a barstool.

"Hungry?" Mom asked knowingly. I nodded. "Good, I'm making your favorite since I can't tomorrow."

I frowned at that and looked up. My birthdays usually weren't happy days for me. Especially after all those years mom made me hand out invitations to my whole class. I'd spend the day on the couch waiting for at least one classmate to show up. No one ever did. I finally got the nerve when I was eleven to tell mom I didn't want to celebrate my birthday anymore. So we compromised and mom decided she'd make me a birthday dinner with only immediate family.

"Don't look at me like that. I have to be at the pack house tomorrow, the Alpha is having guest from another pack for dinner."

"What? Why?" I asked, curious. The Alpha doesn't just allow anyone on his territory, it'd have to be someone important. "Who?"

Mom shrugged and I looked at dad who pretended not to notice. "It doesn't matter, you're going to stay away." She said, looking up to glare at me. They must be really important. Maybe another Alpha?

"Yes ma'am." I said after realizing she was waiting for a response.

"Now, are you going to tell us what that was about earlier?" I dropped my head onto the counter and groaned.