"Quincy, please hurry up and leave the bathroom. I need to shower too!" Wendy's frustrated voice came from behind the door, accompanied by insistent knocks.

"Just give me five more minutes!" I yelled back, almost finished dealing with the aftermath in the bathroom.

After a moment, I unlocked the door and let Wendy in. She immediately recoiled at the odor. "Goodness, what's that smell?!"

"My stomach had a war with some spicy snacks," I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed about the ordeal.

Wendy, exasperated, advised, "Maybe ease up on the spicy food, seriously."

I protested, "Snacks are my comfort food. Without them, life is dull."

Rolling her eyes, Wendy reminded me, "Well, we need to leave soon. We're going to be late."

I checked my phone and realized we had an hour left before we needed to head to the airport. I was taken aback by how much time had passed.

Unperturbed, Wendy instructed, "Get ready quickly. I'll start the car."

I rushed through getting ready, trying to make up for the lost time from my bathroom adventure and last night's snack binge. As I finished packing, my wolf companion Zadie chimed in, teasing me about the rough start to the day.

'My, what a wonderful start to a not-so-great morning, huh?' she quipped.

'Shut it, Zadie,' I responded, a bit grumpily. Zadie just chuckled before severing our mental connection.

...

Eventually, we made it to the gates, thanks to the generous flight attendants who allowed us in despite being a few minutes late. A mix of relief and embarrassment washed over me as I realized we had caused a brief delay for the entire plane.

Wendy and I quickly settled into our seats as the flight attendants went through safety instructions. I found myself observing the humans around, finding amusement in their reactions and mannerisms. However, boredom soon set in, and I tried to engage Wendy in conversation, only to discover she had already fallen asleep.

Typical Wendy, falling asleep in record time.

Our flight was taking us from the US to Canada, specifically from Florida to our old pack's territory in Canada. I couldn't help but let out a sigh, hoping that my mate would be there. Visiting the pack was rare for me, and now, at 23 years old, I was still without a mate.

The uncertainty gnawed at me. Was my mate still in the pack? Could they be in another pack in a different country? The possibilities left me anxious.

I reached out to Zadie, my wolf, through our mental link, seeking reassurance.

"Zadie, what if we don't find our mate? What if—"

'Quincy,' she interrupted in a scolding tone, 'there's no use in dwelling on what-ifs. It's a path to unnecessary worry and trouble.'

'I'm just worried,' I confessed, my anxiety evident.

Zadie sighed, 'I share your worry, Quincy. But I truly believe our mate is out there. I can sense it. I've been restless lately.'

I hoped she was right.

'I trust you, Zadie,' I responded.

'Good, because I'm always right,' she replied confidently.

'Well, reluctantly, yes,' I said with a hint of sarcasm.

Smirking, I severed the mental link and took a deep breath, gazing out the window.

Let's hope for the best, but something in me was certain that something wasn't quite right.

"We're here! Oh, sweet Canada! I'm so glad to be home!" Wendy exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and taking a deep breath of the fresh Canadian air. Werewolves truly appreciated solid ground after being in the air for a while, so her enthusiasm wasn't surprising.

The flight had been exhausting, and I was ready to rest. Wendy's excitement about returning to our old home was contagious. If I found my mate here or nearby, we planned to use our old home as a vacation spot. But if I didn't, I'd likely return to the US.

Watching Wendy's excitement sparked a mischievous idea. Smirking, I decided to have a little fun at her expense. "Hate to interrupt your party, Wendy, but you've got a little drool there. And your makeup? Well, it's not exactly runway-ready. You look like the clown you truly are," I teased, pointing at the edge of her mouth and gesturing to her face.

Wendy froze, panic flashing in her eyes. "What?! Where? Why didn't you tell me earlier, Quincy! Oh god! Help me! I don't want Blaze to see me like this!"

We were waiting for Blaze, Wendy's mate, to pick us up. Their relationship had faced challenges when we were younger, but they had overcome them and were deeply in love now. I still remembered the rocky road they had traveled, and it wasn't easy for me to forgive him back then. But I was grateful he was Wendy's mate.

As Wendy worried about her makeup, I pretended to inspect my nonexistent ring on my ring finger, masking a hint of sadness with a playful act. "Shouldn't have left me bored to death with those humans, Wendy."

She shot me a glare. "Is this a prank?"

"What? No, of course not. Why would I do something like that to my best friend?" I replied, feigning innocence.

"Oh, come here, you!" she playfully growled before chasing me in small circles. Truthfully, her makeup was perfectly intact, and there was no drool. But it was all in good fun.

Our playfulness was interrupted by a deep voice, and Wendy froze.

"I see you haven't changed," the voice said.

Wendy slowly turned to face him, whispering, "Blaze?"

I shifted my attention to where she was looking, and indeed, it was Blaze—tall, with gray eyes, brown hair, and a perfectly muscled physique. Blaze had a presence that exuded strength and confidence, as all werewolves did, displaying natural beauty and strength.

Wendy, on the other hand, sported hazel eyes and brunette hair, looking remarkably well for her age of 26, while Blaze was 27. The moon-goddess had blessed everyone in our pack with extraordinary looks—it was almost as if she had a penchant for creating stunning beings. I couldn't help but imagine the envy of the humans watching us; they saw us as ordinary, not realizing we were supernatural.

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly noticed Wendy rushing into Blaze's arms, tears streaming down her face. It had been six months since they last saw each other, a difficult separation for both of them. The pain of being apart from your mate was a unique kind of torture; it felt like a part of you was missing, an unbearable yearning.

As they reunited, their kisses and tender whispers began, which I didn't mind at first. However, as their passion escalated, it started to become uncomfortably heated. Their public display was drawing too much attention.

"Okay, I hate to interrupt this lovely reunion, but perhaps we could save the more intense displays of affection for a less public setting. The humans are starting to notice," I whispered in complaint, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

Blaze and Wendy reluctantly broke apart, their eyes now pitch black with desire.

With a wink from Blaze to Wendy, and the word, later from her, I knew they would be going down and doing the dirty after we arrive to the pack house. These damn horny wolves. I'm the single one here!

"My poor virgin eyes... it's like Twilight in action, only that it's way worse,' I complained, rubbing my temples.

Maybe this resembles Fifty Shades of Grey?

'You'll understand when you meet our mate,' Zadie replied softly.

I clicked my tongue when Zadie said that.

Yeah, if we meet him.

...

After another three hours of driving, we finally reached our destination. I was beyond exhausted and just wanted to doze off. Blaze and Wendy hurried off elsewhere, probably making up for lost time, if you catch my drift. Ahh, must be nice to not be single in this lonely world of ours.

Shrugging off my envy, I entered the complex with my luggage. It was beautiful, resembling a classic celebrity mansion, much like the pack house I remembered from years ago. It was an exact replica of the pack house before the tragic fire. I hadn't visited much since my parents passed away in the attack, and a wave of sadness washed over me before I pushed it aside.

Once I found my old room, I started settling down. The bed was almost the same as I left it, but I could tell the bedding had been changed. I sniffed the air and realized Blaze must have done that.

I was truly grateful he was Wendy's mate. Levi had been such an unpleasant memory. I sighed, burying my face into the pillow, and just when I began to doze off, my stomach growled, demanding food. I couldn't sleep on an empty stomach.

Groaning, I sat up and went downstairs to the kitchen. But my groans turned to frustration when I realized I had forgotten my phone. I cracked my knuckles out of habit and headed back to my room. As I trotted up the stairs, a particular scent hit me like a brick—it was that ocean cologne from Bath and Body Works, a scent I now favored. Zadie began pacing back and forth, intoxicated by the fragrance.

The scent grew stronger the closer I got to the top of the stairs. It was coming from the next two floors up. It was too alluring, and my wolf was practically begging me to follow it. How had I not noticed this scent before? It seemed like whoever it was had just returned from patrolling.

I followed the captivating scent, and it led me to the Alpha's office. But why would the scent be coming from there?

Before my hand could reach the knob, the door swung open with a bang. I looked up and found myself staring into the most mesmerizing sky blue eyes.

At that moment, Zadie went haywire in my mind.

'MATE! MATE! MATE!' she screamed.

My breathing hitched, eyes dilating in disbelief.

No way...

"K-Kayden...?"

'Wait a minute, isn't Kayden the Alpha's and Luna's son? You do realize what that makes me, right, Zadie?' I thought, a mix of surprise and realization settling in.

'Obviously a Luna, duh. Regards to that, our uterus is ready. Let's have sexy time with our mate,' Zadie purred, clearly distracted by her own desires.

'You're horny as hell, listen to me!'

Mentally sighing, I acknowledged that Zadie wasn't in a state to listen. She was too preoccupied with the allure of Kayden and his wolf.

Kayden, however, remained silent, his eyes fixed on me as if he were admiring me from afar. Admittedly, I found myself appreciating his appearance from every angle. But I had to reel in my thoughts; this wasn't a fantasy. It was a real-world situation, and inappropriate thoughts bordered on sexual harassment.

He wore a white T-shirt that emphasized his bulging muscles, and his fluffy brown hair made me wish to run my fingers through it. The moon goddess had indeed made my mate exceptionally attractive.

Maybe now I understood why Wendy and Blaze couldn't keep their hands off each other. I had a strong urge to squeeze Kayden's bicep.

Clearing my throat, I refocused on reality. "... Hi, my name is Quincy. I'm a pack member who went abroad. I just returned today, hoping to find my mate. Little did I know, you're my mate," I said awkwardly, rubbing my neck.

'Real smooth, human, real smooth,' Zadie grumbled, rolling her eyes.

'Quiet you! I'm trying!'

Growing frustrated, I cut the mental link again, wondering why Kayden hadn't responded. Could he be shy? If so, that would be endearing. Shy men were one of my favorites, especially when they blushed.

Kayden continued to give me a peculiar look. Was I gawking at him or something?

His prolonged stares made me lose my confidence, and I nervously laughed, "Sorry, I'm... um... you're hotter than any other man I've met, so I'm kinda flustered. My wolf is all... excited and keeps telling me that my uterus is ready for mating," I blurted out, trailing off in embarrassment.

"He arched an eyebrow, clearly amused by my behavior. Why was he still silent? I longed to hear my mate's voice, damn it!

"Are you shy?" I inquired softly.

He shook his head, indicating he wasn't.

Okay... so if he wasn't shy, why wasn't he speaking? It was odd. Worry started to creep in. This was my first encounter with someone who remained so silent, especially a mate; it was unheard of. I wished I could mind-link with him this time, but there were conditions to mind-linking, especially with your mate. Mating and marking were prerequisites for a mind link, and we needed to be in the same pack. This exclusivity made the bond more significant, setting it apart from linking with others. It required hard work and effort.

As far as I knew, neither of us had mated or marked the other. We were simply in the same pack. It was frustrating.

Letting out a sigh, I blinked at Kayden. Was he playing a little trick on me? Did he want me to play along with him to hear his voice? I believe he finally understood my confusion because he pointed to his neck. Even more puzzled, I asked, "What's wrong with your neck?""