Chapter 13

SHANE

"A human?" Kade asked, his voice incredulous. "A human can't be his mate. They're not from our world. They don't have magic."

Jasper shook his head. "But they do have a connection to the moon, just like us. They're capable of great things, they just don't know it yet. A human could be his mate. They could save him."

"But there's so many humans, how can we know which one is the right one?" Kade asked, a worried look on his face. "It could take years to find the right one."

“Well, you don’t have to find.” I say, “I’ve found the one already.”

"You're joking, right?" Kade said, laughing. "There's no way a human could be your mate. Especially one that's weak and naive. That's the last thing you need in a mate."

"I'm not joking," I said, my voice low and serious. "I've met her. I know she's the one. She's got a fire inside of her, I can feel it. She just doesn't know how to use it yet."

Jasper studied me for a moment, then nodded. "I believe you. You're very intuitive.”

“I’m serious!” I shout. “And I also need money.”

"Wait," Kade said, holding up a hand. "You're telling me that not only did you find your mate, but you also need money?"

Jasper chuckled and shook his head. "That's some story you're spinning, Shane."

"I'm serious," I said, his voice firm. "I need money to help my mate. She's in trouble and I need to help her."

"What kind of trouble?" Kade asked, his eyebrows raised. "And why do you need our help?"

"Fine," I said, his voice tight with anger. "I'll find a way to help her on my own. I don't need your help. I'm a grown man, and I can handle this on my own."

Jasper put a hand on my shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. We're not saying we won't help you, we're just trying to understand the situation. We'll do whatever we can to help."

Kade nodded in agreement. "Yeah, of course, we'll help. We're family, after all.”

They had agreed to help me so I was a bit relieved. They escorted me out of the school building, and I was planning to return.

As I got to the outside of the vicinity, I smelt a familiar scent of my own.

My mate!

I stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew that scent, knew it belonged to my mate.

I scanned the crowd, searching for the source of the scent. And then, I saw her.

She was walking with a group of friends, laughing and joking, but there was something about her that seemed off. She looked tired, her shoulders slumped and her smile forced.

I felt a pull, a magnetic force that drew me towards her. I knew I had to speak to her, had to find out what was wrong.

I watched as Harley sat down on a nearby bench, her head in her hands. She looked so sad, so lost. I couldn't bear to see her like that.

I had to do something, had to make things right. But how could I approach her? I was a stranger to her, and I didn't even know where to start.

Our eyes met, and I saw something in hers that made my heart skip a beat. There was sadness there, but there was also something else, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I held her gaze for a moment before I suddenly felt self-conscious. I turned to walk away when I heard a voice behind me.

“Is that her?” Conor asked as we walked and I nodded. “Well, she’s my student.”

"Your student?" I asked, my voice full of disbelief. "You're her teacher?"

"I am," he said, a sheepish smile on his face. "I know it's not ideal, but it's what the universe has given us."

I shook my head, still trying to process the information.

"I don't know what to do," I said, my voice surprised. "I don't know if I can be with someone who's so much younger than me."

"I understand," he said, his tone gentle. "But maybe we can just see where this takes us.

We stood there in silence for a moment, the absurdity of the situation settling over us. And then, we all burst out laughing. It was the only thing we could do, in the face of such a ridiculous situation.

"I can't believe this is happening," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Connor said, shaking his head. "But maybe we should start by getting a drink. I could use a beer right about now."

Kade and Jasper nodded in agreement, and we made our way to the bar.

We sat at the bar, nursing our beers. The conversation was stilted at first, none of us knowing what to say. But eventually, we started to loosen up, the alcohol doing its work.

"How did you know she was your mate?" Kade asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Was it something you felt, or did you just know?"

"It was both," I said, taking a sip of my beer. "There was this feeling, this pull when I first saw her.”

"What, like the pull of a magnet?" Connor joked, earning a punch in the arm from Kade.

"More like the pull of a tractor beam," I quipped back, making the others laugh.

The atmosphere was lightening, the tension easing away. I started to feel more like myself, more like the person I was before I found out about the mate bond.

"What do you do when you're not busy being a teacher?" I asked Connor, trying to make small talk.

"When I'm not being a teacher, I'm usually hiking or playing video games," Connor said, his eyes lighting up. "I love to get out into nature, and explore the world around me. And when I can't do that, I love to lose myself in another world, in a video game."

"What kind of video games do you play?" I asked, genuinely curious. I knew very little about video games, but I was eager to learn more.

"All kinds," Connor said, his enthusiasm contagious. “Naughty ones.”