She sighed. “Of course, I get it. Why do you think I live in town rather than being closer to my kids, and grandkids?”
I shrugged. “No idea.”
I’d wondered about it a few times, why she’d moved away after our grandfather had died. But I’d assumed it was to be close to her human friends. Or… something.
She picked up a cookie and inspected it. “Because your pack is full of speciesist assholes. Despite all the years I’d lived with the pack, they made me feel wholly unwelcome after your grandfather passed. All because I’m human.”
“Speciesist?” I repeated. Was she serious?
She laughed at me. “Why are you looking so shocked? You’re a prime example of it.”
“Me?” I repeated. I’d never been called such a thing in my life.
“Yes, you. Look at you being horrified that Fate sent you a beautiful young girl as your mate. You’re all twisted up because she’s not a wolf shifter… Well, I’m glad she’s not! That pack has become far too inbred. Look at the lack of females being born, if at all. Look at the infertility of your generation.” Grandma shook her head.
“The…” infertility? I hadn’t even thought about it.
And were we lacking in females. Yes… I suppose we were. Not that I had issues finding a nightly bed warmer if I needed one. But Grandma was right. There weren’t enough females to mate with the males.
And now that I thought about it, there were very few babies. I hadn’t even seen a pregnant woman in… years.
She nodded slowly. “You need to talk to some of your friends, your parents, Jackson. That pack is in trouble, and if you ignore this call from Fate, you may end up like half the other men in your pack—alone and childless.”
“That wouldn’t happen,” I said, sitting up straight. “Not that I’m ready for that, anyway…”
Grandma rolled her eyes. “Oh, cut out the Peter Pan shit. You’re twenty-eight years old. Your father was twenty-five when he married your mother and your grandfather was barely twenty-one when we got married. I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to find her.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not fair…”
“It is. You’ve gotten away with being rootless this long. It’s time. Obviously. Or Fate wouldn’t have sent you this girl. Now, forget all the crap you’ve been taught, that your must mate with a shifter. You wouldn’t exist if your grandfather had ignored the pull of Fate that happened between us.”
I nodded slowly. “That’s true.”
Even as a pure human, my grandmother had produced five strong sons for my grandfather. All great fighters. There was obviously nothing wrong with mating outside of our pack, I’d just never expected to need to.
“Thanks, Grandma.”
She nodded. “You’re welcome. Have some cake.”
She shoved the plate at me and we went back to less heated subjects. But on the way home I was left with a strange feeling in my gut. That there was something wrong, something missing.
And I wasn’t sure what it was.
Darren
My grandmother had been a full-blood Witch, one of the few accepted by pack men in the past. She’d died a few years ago but through my life it had become obvious that I’d inherited a few of her traits. An uncomfortable ability to know when something was wrong, was one of those things.
I spotted the guy I was looking for as he walked out the front door of his parent’s house.
“Hey Billy. I need to speak to Jackson. Do you know where he got to?” I asked Jackson’s cousin.
Billy stopped in his tracks to answer me. “Yeah, I heard he went to the flower shop in town to pick up some stuff for Grandma, then was going to see her.”
I nodded, tension eating at my gut.
“I need to go find him,” I said, knowing full well what Billy would say next.
“Sure. I’ll come with. Haven’t seen Grandma in ages. Wanna take my truck?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Billy had the better vehicle, a black truck with a bull bar and massive wheels. Not my style, but it was comfortable.
Once we jumped into the truck, he turned to me. “You sure you don’t wanna wait until he gets home? He probably won’t be long.”
I opened the door and shook my head. “Nah. Gotta find him now.”
Billy shrugged, but didn’t argue, climbing into the cab alongside me. “Okay.”
Most of the pack ignored my heritage, but they also did what I asked, when I asked for it. They knew I had some strange insights and just went along with it.
We drove the fifteen minutes into town, looking out for Jackson’s truck along the way.
As we slowed down to drive along main road, the florist caught my eye.
A tingle, unlike anything I’d ever felt, passed over my neck. It felt like a warning, and yet there was something positive and good in the feeling as well.
Something I shouldn’t miss, perhaps?
“Hey. Stop there.” I pointed.
“Where?” Billy asked, slowing down regardless of the fact he didn’t know which way I meant.
I pointed out the front window. “The flower shop. There. The shop with the pink sign.”
Billy pulled hard on the wheel and we turned straight across the road and parked outside the shop.
Billy glanced to me, a puzzled look on his face. “I don’t think Jackson will still be here.”
“Probably not, but I…. wanna go in. Just for a minute.”
I stepped out of the truck and was surprised to find Billy getting out too.
“You don’t have to come,” I told him, another strange premonition passing over my skin. Something was about to happen.
He shrugged. “May as well buy something too. I haven’t seen Grandma in a while either.”
I had a retort for that but bit my tongue. I knew that Jackson and Billy, and most of their siblings, had practically abandoned their grandmother when she’d moved into town.
Why, I’d always wondered. Other than the fact she was human, of course. But that shouldn’t have been a reason to ignore a woman who had cared for them practically their whole lives.
But the pack was weird like that.
I pushed on the glass door as we entered the shop, the tinkle of a bell sounding above our head.
An older woman with dark hair and a cheery smile greeted us. “Hello. Can I help you?”
I smiled back at her, but soon recognized that this person wasn’t the reason that I’d been called to come into the shop.
“Yes. I was just looking for a friend that came this way today. Jackson…”
Billy sidled up next to me and said in a low voice, “Hey, can you smell that?”
Being part witch rather than full shifter meant that my wolf senses weren’t as attuned as his.
“No. What…” Then I did smell it. A sexy, sweet, all-consuming scent that made me want to go down on my knees and thank the heavens for the person it belonged to.
“Who…?” We both looked around the room.
It couldn’t be the old lady. There had to be someone else…
“Did you say Jackson?” came a voice from the right.
We both turned to stare at the angel who was walking through a staff-only door, towards us.
She had long red hair and the most beautiful face. I’d never seen anyone so perfect, even in my dreams.
My heart thumped in my chest as my mouth ran dry. Who was this magnificent creature and why was Billy growling beside me?
I forced myself to swallow. “Ah, yes. He was headed this way and we stopped by to see if he was still here.”
Then it hit me, like the force of a tornado.
She was a witch.
And she was my fated mate.
My knees trembled and I forced them to lock. If there’d been something nearby to grab onto, I would have hauled myself over to it.
“And you are…?” I managed to say, glancing to my left where Billy was trembling.
What was his problem?
/>
She swallowed visibly, her eyes going as round as the full moon. I could see her magic pulsing, like a silver halo radiating around her.
“I… ah… Ruby. I’m Ruby.”
“Ruby.” I couldn’t stop myself from repeating her name. It suited her, from her glowing red hair, to the jewel she obviously was.
“I’m Darren,” I said. “This is Billy.”
Billy growled a little then snapped his jaws shut.
She stepped closer, shivering as though caught in a draft. “Did you say you were looking for Jackson?”
“Yeah, why?”
Her cheeks warmed in a strange way, as though blushing at the mere mention of his name. “He came in to pick up some flowers, then left. Didn’t say much.”
I glanced over at Billy. It seemed like he was having the same trouble speaking.
I looked back to her, smiling broadly. “Do you always have that effect on men?”
She shook her head. “No! No, not at all.”
She glanced away as though embarrassed. Billy tugged on my jacket, pulling me towards the front door once again.
I didn’t want to leave, but I could feel Billy’s anxiety and need to get away.
“Looks like I need to go, but I suppose I’ll see you again.”
She nodded. “Halloween tomorrow night. I’ll be around.” She smiled brightly and there was a hint of understanding in her eye. Could she sense the witch in me also? “Will I see you here in town? Will you come back for All Hallow’s Eve?”
Normally I wouldn’t venture into town on Halloween, not if you’d paid me.
Billy continued to tug on my shirt, but I said back. “Definitely. See you then.”
I followed Billy outside.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked, then out of the corner of my eye, saw Jackson in his black truck fly by.
I nodded towards the retreating vehicle. “There’s Jackson. Looks like we missed your grandmother’s meeting. You still wanna see her? Or go back to the pack?”
Billy paced like a man possessed, his hands clenching in and out of tight fists.
“Pack. Now,” he managed to get out, before twisting around to leave.
I followed his lead by jumping in the truck and we took off after Jackson.
Billy was shaking like a dog trying to get rid of water and clenching his hands around the steering wheel as though to wring the life out of the car.
“What’s going on, Billy?” I asked, glancing at the speedometer and hoping there weren’t any cops around today.
He was way over the limit, but we were catching Jackson pretty fast.
I glanced ahead and pointed out the obvious.
“Oh, look. There’s Jackson. You can slow down now,” I said, laughing light heartedly.
Billy didn’t say anything, but he took his foot off the gas so that we followed Jackson at a safer, and more legal, pace.
Billy didn’t try to speak to me for the rest of the trip, so I just sat back and enjoyed the feelings flowing through me.
Now that I wasn’t focused on Billy and his weirdness, I could think about the fact that I’d found my mate!
She wasn’t a wolf. She wasn’t a human. She was a witch! How perfect was that!
I’d always secretly wished I had more power than the small amount of intuition and fortune telling I was able to do.
Of course, having Ruby as my wife wouldn’t increase my power, but our children would be incredible, and it would be a joy to see her come into more of her own magic as she got older.
She only looked about twenty-one, twenty-two. Maybe. Most witches had only just started to develop their skills by maturity. I would be there to see it all.
My dad wouldn’t be rapt of course, but Mom wouldn’t mind. After all, it was her mother that was the full witch.
We slowed down as we headed into our own town. Our pack had built the houses and roads a century ago, beginning with a large farm with just a few houses on it, to a substantial settlement now.
We relied on town for most of our needs, although we did grow some food and had local carpenters.
I was a sparky, one of about five electricians in the pack.
Billy pulled up behind Jackson, who had parked in his driveway in front of his house.
Most of us single guys still lived with our parents, or in bachelor housing set up for the extra males our pack seemed to be having.
Jackson was one of the few single men in town who’d already built his own house. But then again, he was a jack of all trades.
He did building, plastering, some plumbing, and brick laying. He was an Alpha wolf, one of the few we had in this generation. They were designed to lead by example and step up in times of stress. Luckily, we hadn’t fought a battle or a decent enemy in decades so Jackson could just be a member of the pack.
Billy turned off his truck and jumped out.
I followed suit, a strong contentment making my limbs soft and relaxed.
I lumbered after Billy as he went straight after his cousin.
Jackson was opening the front door to his house and called over his shoulder. “Hey Billy. Come on in. Boy, do I have news for you.”
“Hey,” I said, lifting my hand and waving at him.
He smiled at me, though he looked a little confused as to why I was there.
I jumped in to explain. “I had a… premonition I needed to find you, so Billy and I went into town to look for you.”
“Oh.” Jackson frowned, then like most people in the pack, just accepted what I said and moved on. “Okay. Come in then.” He waved us inside, and I followed him and Billy.
As soon as we stepped inside the large living area, I couldn’t stop myself from looking around. I hadn’t seen inside the house since it was finished.
It was impressive, with exposed beams and a large open kitchen.
“Jackson! You won’t fucking believe it!” Billy said, running his hand agitatedly through his hair.
“What?”
“I met my mate!” Billy spat, as though it was the worst thing he’d ever admitted to.
Then it hit me.
I spun back to face him. “What are you talking about?”
He couldn’t possibly be talking about my mate, could he? Because I was pretty sure that wasn’t how this worked.
Jackson chuckled, heading to the fridge. He opened the door and pulled out a six pack of beers. “You guys want one?”
“Hell yes,” Billy said.
I didn’t usually drink, but something was telling me today was going to be one of those rare times I needed it. “Yeah. Thanks.”
Jackson cracked each of the three cans and handed us each one.
“Well, it looks like it’s the day for finding mates,” he announced, puffing up his chest as though about to say something important, “because I found mine too.”
I shuddered, an overwhelming sense of destiny shivering down my nerves and through my gut.
“Fuck…” I held tight to my beer as I grabbed a nearby kitchen stool and sat down, my legs giving way.
This was bad.
“You okay?” Billy asked from beside me.
I managed to focus my eyes and look towards him. “It’s her.”
“Who… her?” Jackson said.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to say it. But there was no way around this now. “I met my mate today too. All the signs were there. Instant attraction, incredible smell. Visible shock and awe. Everything.”
“You don’t mean….” Billy said, his eyebrows lowering as he glared at me.
I nodded. “It’s Ruby, isn’t it?”
I glanced from one glowering wolf to another.
“Ruby?” Jackson repeated.
I exhaled sharply then lifted my tone, making my words seem flippant so as not to cause instant alarm. “Yes, Ruby. My mate is a red haired, gorgeous young witch who works at the florist in town. How about you guys?”
“No!” Billy practically yelled. “That’s impossible.”
I shifted my gaze over to Jackson who was shaking his head. “You have to be mistaken. She’s my mate. I met her earlier when I picked up Grandma’s flowers. She’s got long red hair and…”
I huffed out an uncomfortable laugh. “Yeah, and blue eyes, pink lips, and a silver aura of magic all around her.”
Jackson looked at Billy who slammed his fist into the marble bench top. “Fuck.”
Yeah. You can say that again.
Ruby
I ran home practically screaming after work. I’d met three men—three—all of whom I had an incredible attraction to.
Were they all my men? Or was I meant to choose between them? How did this work, exactly?
Could one of them be for Bella and one for Courtney? Had I called all three of them to me by accident? No, I didn’t think so.
When I got home, Mom had left a note on the table.
Gonna be late. Dinner’s in the fridge. Love you.
I pulled out my cell phone and messaged Bella and Tiffany.
Got AMAZING news! Come over as soon as you can.
Both of them responded straight away, saying they’d be over in about an hour. Perfect.
I put Mom’s homemade meat pie in the oven and jumped in the shower to wash my hair. I smelled like roses and lilies and general dirt. It was strange how much I loved the many fragrances of the garden but found it super overwhelming as well.
I stepped out of the shower, dried myself, and dressed in comfy sweatpants and a hoodie. I was set for a night with my friends, hot chocolate, and movies.
That was if they wanted to stay, after what I told them.
Hopefully they wouldn’t be too jealous that they hadn’t found their men yet.
I ate the pie Mom had made. She loved to bake from scratch, despite her magical abilities which would make things so much easier. Although, I had to admit, her pies definitely tasted better than the ones I could conjure up.
I was just putting my plate in the sink when the doorbell rang.
“Come in!” I called out and a cacophony of sound burst through my front door.
I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face. “In the kitchen!”
Tiffany strode through the door holding bottles of soda and Bella had blocks of chocolate in her hand.
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