Red carnations. My mom's favourite. On our way to the pack's burial grounds, we pass through the florist to get her a bouquet. My dad takes his time, picking the best of the best. It's the least she deserves after losing her life to bear his pups.

We live in a rather small village. About two dozen houses, scattered around a river so tiny that it can pass for a stream during hot rainless months. We have the river on one side, the forest on the other, and the closest human town is about an hour drive away. It suits us just fine. We can be us. We can roam free and unbothered by humans during Full Moon. The only humans that live here are either mated to werewolves, or related in some way to our mates - brothers, sisters, mothers. Some humans agree to follow their mate here only if they bring their whole family along.

Our burial grounds are a 10-minute walk away from the village, hidden further into the forest, and established in what used to be a big meadow. Three rows of mouldy tombstones are lined up, some decorated with fresh flowers, some so old that weed and vines are left to grow freely, overtaking the gravestones completely and making them one with the forest again. The sad part is, most of the people buried here were female humans like my mother, braving to bear their mate's pups. Werewolf children are so fast to pop out that if you were unfortunate enough to start giving birth in the middle of the night while the pack doctor is in the town over... well, it was bad luck for our mother. We came prematurely and there was absolutely no way they could've predicted that.

When we reach the burial grounds, my brother is already there, smoking his lungs out.

My dad bends down to change the withered flowers while I take my place besides Pablo, hands in my pockets. I'm itching to take the cigarette out of his mouth and stomp it to the ground, but I don't. Thankfully, he finishes it soon enough and I breathe out in relief. I hate the stench of these things! I have no idea how he puts up with it. And even likes it? He's the weirdest werewolf I know.

We stand in silence, observing how our father caresses the decorative stones over our mom's grave as if that would get him closer to her.

"I wish she was here to see you now," our dad utters with watery eyes. "Her boys all grown-up!" He nearly breaks.

And I'm standing there, struggling to evoke any kind of emotion for the woman beneath my feet. But I can't. I never knew her. I feel sorrow but not for her but for my father. That he misses her so much. That she could've been alive if it wasn't for us and yet he does his best as a parent. For the children that took his mate away.

Pablo lights another cigarette and I give him the usual glare but he doesn't seem to notice. It must be hard being the younger twin, knowing that if it wasn't for him our mother might've made it. If she just had only one child to bear... I don't blame him. I never did. But this is what passes through my mind as I stand there, over the grave of a mother I have no memory of.

~°•♡•°~

On our way home we pass through the local greengrocer to stock on fruit.

"Good afternoon!" Flora greets us with a bright smile.

I'm not quite sure how this whole mate thing works. Will I know now if she was my mate? Or tomorrow? Or after the next Full Moon? I have no idea. I don't know anyone that have met their mate on their birthday so maybe it takes time to show?

"Good afternoon!" Pablo smiles at her.

My father greets her and turns his attention to the melons on display.

"Happy birthday, boys!" Flora almost jumps in her spot, her deep grey eyes directed at Pablo. I guess we know now who she is hoping to be her mate.

"Thanks." I smirk and take one of the plastic bags, hanging near the counter.

"Thanks, girl," Pablo says. "You look exceptionally beautiful today!"

I glance at her after his comment but there's absolutely nothing worth my attention. If I have to be honest, I'm really hoping my mate is a guy. For more reasons than one.

"Thank you!" She beams at him and I feel the need to gag on something. She's wearing a blue shirt beneath her apron and she would've looked good in it too if it wasn't for the mess she calls hair. It's more like a raven's nest.

She chats with Pablo about the party tonight, being overly cheery for my taste. They're so busy flirting with each other that I have to cough to attract her attention so she can do her fucking job. She regards me with this annoying smile of hers and I hand her the lemons I picked.

"You two act like you're fated mates," I whisper in my brother's ear once we are out of earshot.

"I didn't feel anything different," he whispers back.

"And yet, you gave her the lovey-dovey look."

"I like her," he admits, shrugging his shoulders. "As a person, I mean."

"Sure," I mock him, not believing even for a second that his horny werewolf ass doesn't want to bang that chick. I try to imagine her being my sister-in-law but I just can't.

"Our pack isn't big," our dad says. "If your mate is here, you'll know before you go to uni."

And our pack is small indeed. Enough to fit at seven low wooden tables, aligned next to each other, in our backyard. We place blankets and pillows around so the guests can sit in comfort. Pablo decorates with a few flower arrangements and three sets of candles, while my father and I pitch the bell tent for the Alpha and his family.

I smell meat before I hear Valentina talking. She's our Alpha's fated mate. Our Luna. The fucking bitch took the only desirable bachelor in our pack! They met at Amber University, where most werewolves go to complete their higher education. With some luck, I might meet mine there too. And he would be even hotter and more handsome than our Alpha!

Our Luna is carrying a dozen casseroles, filled to the brim with steaming steaks, pork ribs, grilled chicken and butter baked salmon. Aided by a few Omegas, of course. And yes, I smell all of them. The steaks, not the Omegas. The scents invade my nostrils, making me drool at the thought of eating them up.

My father goes to greet our Luna and I'm left to finish the tent on my own.

After I'm done, I make myself useful in the kitchen, preparing the salads for our feast. Two female Omegas volunteer to help and I let them perform simple tasks like washing the lettuce, or... well, there isn't that much to be done here.

I let the Omegas do the serving, placing only one salad bowl on my own on the long table, and go to check on my useless excuse of a brother. He's sitting on the couch in the tent that I just put up, between our Luna and two other Omega women, looking like some maharaja with a private harem. The fucking prick!

Not that I'm jealous. Not at all. They aren't my type. Were women ever my type?

"I'll take a quick shower before the guests arrive," I inform Pablo.

He chokes on his cigarette but manages to mutter an "Ok" in between coughs.

"Maybe you should as well. Although, if you smoke afterwards it kinda loses meaning."

He glares at me, ready to pounce, his electric blue eyes slowly turning golden. I cough nervously in my fist and leave before we get into yet another fight. I feel like the lesser man backing down like that but someone needs to be the more mature of the two.

I go inside the house, only briefly glancing at my father who is setting up a white sheet for an outdoor movie night, with the help of a female Omega. Now as I think about it, we only have one male Omega in the whole village and he didn't come with Valentina this afternoon.

I slip my sneakers off by our back door, pass through the kitchen and make my way to the utility room.

I discard Pablo's T-shirt in the laundry basket, along with my jeans, and go upstairs in my room. Yes, fortunately we have our own rooms. I don't know what I would've done if I even had to sleep in the same room with that morron! It wouldn't have worked. Werewolves are way too territorial. We would've torn each other to shreds by now!

My bedroom possesses what some would call a minimalistic design: plain single bed with white sheets is plastered in one corner of the room, a floral tapestry in purple and white, hanging on the wall next to it, a purple Yoga mat is spread out next to the bed, instead of a carpet, my favourite Yoga poses hanged low on the wall right under my window so I can look at them while I do my morning routine. I know them all by heart by now. But back when I was just starting to do Yoga, I needed something to remind me of what move comes next.

Our dad says that Yoga helps with the transition. You know, all that bone breaking and reshaping we experience every Full Moon. He started teaching us Yoga before our first transition so I don't know if that's true or not. Would it hurt even more if I wasn't flexible enough? I guess I'll never know.

I discard my underwear on the floor and go under the shower. Yes, I have my own bathroom as well. All of it just for me! And if you haven't guessed it by now, I love purple so my bathroom's ceiling is purple as well. I don't know, there's just something magical about that colour.

I close my eyes, appreciating how the warm water cascades down my body. It was a long day. And it was going to be an even longer night. The whole pack will soon gather in my backyard and one of these werewolves might be my mate, a person I already know but never even considered as a love interest before.

I reach for the lavender scented soap, relishing in the aroma. I promised my brother that I won't be long but now that I'm finally able to relax and enjoy the moment, I have the feeling he would have to do without me for a few more minutes.

I inhale the fragrance one more time and start soaping myself. First, my arms, then, my neck, and slowing down at my chest. What was supposed to be a quick shower turns into a jerk off session. I'm acutely aware that I moaned at some point. I just hope that none of the guests paid attention. Werewolves and their supernatural hearing. Nothing can be kept a secret in this place.

I exit the bathroom in a sleepy daze, completely relaxed and rested.

I dry my hair, slip on some boxer shorts and dark wash jeans, and take my time picking a shirt to wear. I opt for a black long sleeve shirt with a flower print.

I comb my chestnut brown hair, assessing the stubble that's starting to form, but delaying myself even more to shave would be an overkill. I bet my dad is starting to get anxious already, wondering what was taking me so long.

I put on my lucky black jacket, even though the weather isn't all that cold, wink at my reflection in the mirror, and go outside to welcome my guests.

The first person to greet me is a cute Omega she-wolf with short, wavy, light brown hair, unfortunately already mated. I think her name is Lucia.

I return the greeting with a smile and make my way towards our Alpha, stopping now and then to welcome a few fellow werewolves. Not everyone is seated at the table just yet.

"Alpha del Bosque, welcome!" I grin like a fool. A content fool. Hopefully, he has already forgotten my little outburst from this morning.

"And here's the other birthday boy!" He smiles, engulfing me in a hug.

It feels good being in his arms. But unfortunately, it lasts only a fraction of a second.

"I'm glad you came," I say as if he had a choice in the matter. One of his responsibilities as an Alpha is to be present at every birthday, wedding or funeral in his pack.

I'm whisked away by an unmated she-wolf in her mid 30s. All single werewolves in our pack speculate whether or not I could be their mate. I don't mind. I thrive in the attention I am given. But after talking with literally every eligible bachelor or spinster in our pack, I'm starting to get disheartened. I don't feel anything. No exceptionally pleasant scent, no tingling sparks when we touch. Nothing.

"For some werewolves the mate link is activated only after the first Full Moon has rolled around." My dad tries to comfort me.

We sit on the table, with Lucas on my left and my dad situated on my right. My mirror image is looking at me from across the table, with the same disappointed look in his electric blue eyes I suppose I'm having as well. I don't know if I should gloat his mate isn't from our pack or sympathise with him.

But it's still early. We have one more week till Corn Moon. One week until we're completely sure our fated mate is from another pack. 

~°•♡•°~

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