Prologue #2
Several pack mates stop me and congratulate me along the way.
Finally, I make it to the drink table. I’m in the middle of pouring my drink when a scent slams into me.
I stagger back a step and nearly drop my cup.
My head whips up, trying to figure out what the scent is and where it’s coming from.
My wolf rises to the surface, surprising me, and I nearly shift right on the spot.
I wrestle him back down. It takes a minute to push him down enough that I can function.
I start walking towards the scent and feel my fangs drop as I do.
That’s not something I’m unfamiliar with.
I’ve been able to do a partial shift for several years.
As I move towards the other side of the yard, the scent gets stronger.
My senses are on high alert, and my wolf growls inside me.
There’s not a doubt in my mind about what’s happening.
I’ve been told about this my entire life.
I never understood how you would just “know” when you met your mate, but this scent that’s driving my wolf mad is a clear indication that this is exactly what is happening.
So, when my wolf growls in my chest and sends me, Mate; I’m not the least bit surprised.
Shocked it’s happening? Yes. Surprised that this is what it is?
No. I can barely keep from running, but somehow, I manage to keep a cool head.
The scent gets stronger, and I try to figure out who it’s coming from.
Suddenly, the scent gets stronger and then...
“Reid, congratulations on your shift. I’m sorry I missed seeing your wolf.
I just got back from a game.” My mind sort of short circuits as I stare down at Riley, Zane’s sister...
Zane’s sister who is more than three years my junior.
I feel my fangs, and horror whips through me.
I stumble back a step. “Reid? Are you okay?”
She reaches out to touch me, but I take another step back and take a shallow breath through my mouth, not my nose.
“Yeah. I’m good.” Then I turn on my heel and walk as fast as I can in the opposite direction.
My wolf fights against me and almost causes me to shift.
I manage to open the back door with hands that are partially shifted.
I stumble inside and try to make my way to my room.
“Reid?”
I hear my mom, but I keep going. I have to get away from here somehow.
The only place I know to go is to my room.
I close the door a little too hard and lean against it, trying to catch my breath.
I bend over, regretting all the food I just ate.
“Reid?” I recognize my dad’s voice. “Son, can I come in?” I debate a moment, but I know I need help.
I’m barely restraining my wolf right now.
He wants to go right outside and mark Riley.
I dry heave and try to breathe. The door opens, “Reid, what is it?”
“Close the door,” I manage to get out. He does and then drops a hand on my back. “Are you sick? Was it something you ate?”
And then I tell him. “I found my mate.”
That hand on my back goes still. “Son, that’s amazing.” I can hear the confusion in his voice.
I stand to my full height then. “It’s Riley.” My words are barely a whisper. I watch as the knowledge hits him.
“Oh.”
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Yeah.” I suck in another breath and grit my teeth. “I can barely control my wolf.”
That snaps my dad to attention. “Keep a tight hold on him, Reid. You remind him that you’re the boss.” He looks me in the eye. “Obviously, you can’t bond with Riley yet.”
I snort. “No kidding. She turns fifteen in a few months.” My father grimaces, and I know I’m in so much trouble. “Why would this happen to me?”
“Don’t say that, Son.” My father’s rebuke is swift. “Our mates are an incredible gift, and Riley will be too, just not yet.”
Just hearing her name makes my wolf react. I bite my tongue until I taste blood. “What am I going to do?” There’s agony in my voice.
My dad looks me dead in the eye. “You are going to fight against the effects of the bond and the power of your wolf. I know how hard that’s going to be, but there is no other option.
For now, you treat her the same as you always have.
You treat her as a younger sister, nothing more.
You make sure she’s safe and protected, just as you would if you had a sister.
Other than that, you leave her alone. The more you’re around her, the harder it will be.
Keep your distance and only interact with her when you have to. ”
I take a breath that gets snagged in my lungs. “That feels impossible.”
“But you’ll do it,” my father says, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You’re strong, Reid. You always have been. Now, you use that strength for the good of your mate.”
“Do I tell Alpha?” I ask.
“No, good heavens no.” His answer is swift. “He’ll lose it if he knows. This stays between the two of us. Do you understand?” he asks, meeting my eyes.
“Not even mom?”
“Not even mom,” he affirms. “She’s too close to Riley’s mom; I wouldn’t ask her to keep this from her.” He meets my eyes again, making sure I’m paying attention. “You don’t tell anyone, not even your friends.”
“Not even Zane?”
“Especially not Zane,” my dad says.
“Why would fate do this to me?” I can’t help but ask again. “I have to wait three years for her.”
My father’s voice is stern. “And you’d wait for years after that if you needed to, Son. She’s your mate. You will always do whatever is best for her.” I nod, feeling appropriately chastised. “And don’t see it that way. See it as a gift.”
“A gift? How is it a gift?”
“You’ve got a little over three years to find out everything you can about your mate, to learn everything there is to know about Riley Blackwood.
Don’t waste the time you’ve been given. Until then, keep your distance, treat her as you would a younger sister, and claim a front row seat to watching your mate grow up. ”