"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?""
"Who's 'her?'" I asked softly, tears streaming down my cheeks. My mate is mute... I can't believe it. Damn hormones are making me cry.
Kayden extended his hand to my cheek, gently wiping away more tears. His touch caused a pleasant tingle, making me smile at his warmth. This, indeed, confirmed that we were mates. Zadie was howling, overjoyed with being touched by our mate. Kayden then continued to write on the notepad's page, and wrote, 'My mother.'
His mother? Wasn't that Luna Yvette? If my memory served me right, she was the sweetest Luna I remembered. The pack only grew strong and powerful under her rule alongside the Alpha.
"Why would she do such a thing?" I asked, growing increasingly worried.
This time, though, he didn't answer. Based on his body language, he didn't want to. Kayden seemed slumped, his shoulders hunched over in shame. But why? After a series of attempts, Kayden still refused to answer my questions about his mom. Deciding that it was useless and that I would probably be doing more harm than good, I changed the subject to getting to know my mate more.
"Did you choose to be mute, or is it because your mother did something?"
He quickly wrote, "She did something."
I nodded, asking, "What's your favorite color? Mine is actually not a color; it's a shade. It's black."
He gave a small grin and wrote, 'White.'
Gosh, his smile is so adorable.
"Age?" I asked, curious.
He replied in writing, '22.'
The rest of the evening played out like that, and I absolutely loved it. Besides Zadie being amorous, everything was perfect. He was perfect. I never thought having a mate could be this enjoyable, and I wished it would never end.
Or so I thought.
...
That evening, I joined the pack for dinner and took a seat next to Kayden. Despite some initial surprise from the pack members, they welcomed me warmly. However, there was one she-wolf, Macy, who seemed to harbor resentment.
If my memory served me right, Macy was Kayden's ex. Their relationship had been short-lived, but it appeared she was struggling to let go. Was she jealous? I couldn't be certain without asking. I caught her whispering to another pack member, criticizing my appearance and claiming I wasn't fit to sit next to Kayden. Seriously?
Growing tired of the disrespect, my wolf wanted to confront Macy and find out why she was glaring at us.
"Do we have a problem, Macy?" I demanded, my authority clear in my tone.
The room fell silent as the pack members turned their attention to the unfolding confrontation. Macy's glare softened for a moment before narrowing further. "No, Luna. Everything is just peachy," she spat out, clearly annoyed.
Disregarding her disrespect, I was determined to understand her grievances. As the new Luna and a motherly figure to the pack, it was my duty to address concerns.
"Is that so? Then would you like to explain why you keep glaring at me?" I asked, my hand under my chin.
I wanted to spend more time alone with Kayden, not assume Luna duties right away. But circumstances had changed overnight.
Macy snapped, standing up and slamming her hands onto the table in frustration. "I keep glaring at you because you don't deserve to be Luna! You just appear out of nowhere and act like the pack house is your kingdom!"
I frowned, taken aback. "Excuse me?"
Her eye twitched. "Exactly as I said! Do you even know why the Alpha is mute? Were you even there when he needed you most? Huh? Or are you that oblivious to what's going on around you?"
Her words left me speechless. I didn't have all the answers, and I lacked the knowledge of what had truly happened to my mate besides the fact that it had something to do with his mother. Macy was right in some aspects, but I couldn't let her words slide.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is our future Luna. This is who we're entrusting the pack with. If it were up to me, I'm more qualified to be Luna. She doesn't even know a thing about our al-"
A loud bang cut through the air as the table shook. I turned to Kayden and saw his eyes pitch black, not in arousal but in anger. His wolf was trying to surface, wanting to protect his mate.
I reached out and ran my hands along his arms, attempting to soothe him. Sparks ignited between us, and warmth filled my body. He flinched a bit at my touch but gradually calmed down.
He clenched his jaw, his eyes clouding over. I realized he was using the mind link. Judging by Macy's reaction, with her biting her lip and eyes clouded over too, he was communicating with her.
Macy looked down in shame and apologized to me. I accepted her apology, but her words continued to echo in my mind.
Dinner was silent and uncomfortable, prompting me to finish quickly before retreating to my room. I felt heartbroken, and although I understood Kayden' reasoning, I wanted to help him.
"I'm so useless," I whispered, and Zadie reassured me, 'Don't bring yourself down like that, girl. He will tell us eventually.'
I nodded, trying to find comfort in her words.
A knock on my door made me jump, and I quickly composed myself before opening it to find Kayden with a concerned gaze.
I allowed him in and asked, stumbling over my words, "Something you need? Do you want me to stay with you?" I blushed at my own words. I needed to filter myself. This was embarrassing.
Zadie seemed eager, but Kayden blushed and shook his head, tentatively caressing my cheek as if asking, 'Are you okay?'
Offering a half-smile, I replied, "I'm fine. Thank you for coming to see me and for what you did back there. I was going to say something, but you beat me to it."
I thought he would leave right after, but he held out a hand-picked rose he had hidden behind him and offered it to me. My eyes widened in surprise, and my heart squeezed tight. It was clear he had hurt his hand a little since roses have thorns. It seemed he had never picked flowers before.
"Is that for me?" He nodded, rubbing the back of his head shyly.
Overjoyed, I impulsively kissed him on the cheek. Kayden froze at the direct contact but a small blush formed on his cheeks, making me giggle. He was so adorable.
He took out his notepad and started writing quickly. Turning it over, it said, 'I will tell you someday, but not now. I'm sorry.'
I smiled sheepishly, "It's okay. You don't have to apologize. Tell me when you're ready."
Kayden left my room after that, leaving me puzzled. Why wouldn't he want me to sleep next to him? Typically, mates would mark each other on the first day they met. However, Kayden was different. He kept me at an arm's length, as if cautious of me.
The real question remained: What had Luna Yvette done to make my mate mute?
