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She gives us the safety talk that she has given us every time we have left the house since becoming teenagers. She acts like we won’t be right up the road at the pack house, a place she can easily come to check on us. We also have pack elders that will be around to ensure the safety of the party. Shaking my head, I motion to the girls to head out the door to walk the path toward the pack house. One thing I do love about living in Jasper is that we all live within walking distance of each other. Nobody really drives cars because it would be a waste of time and pollution of our lands.

Arm in arm, the girls and I take the short walk. Already, you can see people pouring in and out of the pack house. The music is thumping loud enough that I can hear it long before we are near the building. Groups of kids are huddled together on each side of the double doors leading in.

As we walk up the steps, we hear someone yell out, “The party has just arrived!”

Looking over, I see Samson and Alic walking over to us. The two of them together always mean trouble. Not in the way that is threatening to someone’s health; more like they are always up to no good. In class, they would pull pranks on teachers and staff that would always disrupt the day.

Groaning, I say, “You two better not get up to any of your shit tonight.”

They both make the cross their hearts gesture at the same time, which is cute but creepy. “We will be on our best behavior. Plus, we can’t wait to celebrate with three of our favorite girls.”

Hazel leans forward to look around me, “Don’t you say that to all the girls?”

Alic shakes his head in mock innocence. “Never!” He gasps and holds his hand over his mouth. You can’t help but like these two. While some of their pranks have gotten out of hand, they are quite fun to hang out with.

We all shake our heads as we walk into the party. The girls outdid themselves with the streamers, balloons, and decorations everywhere. I look over at both of them, watching them beam with pride. They didn’t need to do all of this, it’s almost too much. I don’t even think 90% of these people are here because of me, but instead as an excuse to party. Why did I agree to this again? This is way more of Willow’s scene than mine. It’s moments like this that I don’t feel seen by my friends. Don’t get me wrong, I know they love me, but if they really saw me then they would know this is the farthest thing from what I would want on my birthday.

“You know we had to go all out for the baby of the group. Happy birthday, Aspen,” Willow says as she leans into me. “Let’s get a drink!”

She cheers as she drags me toward the back, where a table of punch and cups is set up.

We weave through the crowd as people say happy birthday to me. After filling three cups with punch, Willow turns to Hazel and I as she hands us each a cup.

“Here’s to our birthday girl, and many more birthdays and adventures together.” Willow holds out her cup for us to clink ours.

We all say cheers to that and throw back our first cups of punch. The alcohol burns as it goes down and I can’t help but make a sour face.

Hazel coughs a few times, tapping her chest. “I swear it never gets easier. Why is the first cup always the worst?”

Laughing, I fill my cup again.

“It’s because it’s the first hit to your system. I think every cup after that burns, but you are too intoxicated to care.” Willow laughs.

The girls fill their cups as well as we turn to examine the crowd. Samson and Alic find us again through the crowd.

“Ladies, can we interest any of you in a dance?” Samson says, with an eyebrow waggle.

Hazel and Willow both look to me.

“Go ahead. I am going to mingle in the crowd and make my rounds.”

“You sure?” Hazel asks.

“Yeah, totally. You guys go have fun,” I say with a shooing gesture.

The girls head off with them onto the dance floor. The pews that normally line this room are pushed up against the walls and people are scattered all over them. You know as we were growing up, turning eighteen was supposed to be this big moment in our lives. Wolves find their mates, a string of courting style things would happen, and you would settle down with the one fate chose for you. Some wolves dreamed of the moment as if their entire lives revolved around it, while others dreaded the moment as if they were quite literally going to be put on the pyre to roast alive. I definitely fell into the latter.

But, now that I’m here, I feel a bit of trepidation towards it. My only experience in the “love department” was with Warrickand we know how well that worked out. What if I get a mate like him? The unfaithful one? They say that a mated wolf can’t cheat because the idea of being with someone else should repulse them. What if it doesn’t? Or worse, what if I end up with a wolf who abuses me like Orion, who abuses the females of our pack? My anxiousness over the moment is becoming overwhelming. Between the bodies bumping into me, the loud music, and my thoughts running wild, my skin feels tight with tingles running across it.

Scanning the room, I need to find a place to sit, hopefully somewhere with less people. I am just about to go find a place to sit when I feel a tug in my chest. My mouth drops open. I know that we find out who our mates are at eighteen, but I didn’t think it would literally happen today. Would it be bad if I just turned and ran away? I’m so worried that I’m cursed with forever being heartbroken. Can’t I have just a moment to have fun before fate steps in? What if I just wanted to dance with some random guy tonight? Instead, I’m going to follow this pull in my chest to whom fate has chosen for me.

I scan the room to see which direction it's pulling me in. When I feel it tug the hardest, I head in that direction. Weaving my way through the throng of party goers, the draw is only getting stronger the closer I get to the person. Elation is rushing through me that I won’t have to be alone.

I can finally move on from Warrick because I will have my mate to love and care for me.

As the final people clear out of the way, I push my way around the last couple, only to come to an abrupt stop. Directly in front of me at one of the tables with chairs is Warrick. But he isn’t alone.

Writhing on top of him is Scarlett, a female pack member that is one year below us. My heart is racing. I don’t understand. Looking around them, I check to see if there is someone else that was over here that the bond could have pulled me to. My eyes scan back to Warrick as Scarlett sucks on his neck. His eyes are closed as his hands rest on her waist. I watch as he moves her forward and backward as she rocks on his lap. I’m just about to turn around when his eyes snap open and he looks right at me.