Chapter 11 Chapter 11
~ Suki POV ~
It was like any other birthday I’d had growing up. My father would happily make my birthday as extravagant as possible. It was his way of making it up to me for never being around, so he would allow me to throw huge parties with my friends.
Was he present? Of course not. Little did he know that I would’ve accepted a cosy dinner with him on my birthday over whatever dramatics he put on for me.
I never blamed him, though. We both always missed my mother more on our birthdays. Plus, my birthdays were the only time he would really allow me to embrace and enjoy being my age with parties and whatever else my age bracket enjoyed doing.
The party was booming through the night. There was dancing and drinking, and just general good vibes.
Reynard and I were closer than usual that night, but I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was the alcohol just making me looser. I was finally old enough to drink, and my birthday was the only time I got to really let myself do whatever I wanted.
We were dancing together to the wild music, but the instant a slow song came on, before I even had the chance to shy away like I always did, Rey grabbed me and pulled me closer to him. Our bodies touched, and I couldn’t help but keep my head down to hide my blush.
I had a childhood crush on Rey, then I eventually grew out of it when I hit my teens, but then, as we continued to grow together, there was always that inkling in me that told me I was complete when he was close.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, brushing his mouth against my ear so only I could hear him against the loud music.
My heart thudded in my chest. “Just about how happy I am to have you in my life.”
He smiled, scooping his hand behind my neck to hold me, “I’ll always be here for you, Ki.” There was a look in his eyes, one that made me think maybe he felt the same way about me, but I was too afraid of ruining our friendship to ask.
As the night continued, I partied with all my friends who joined the celebration. We were celebrating the night before my actual birthday, so once it hit midnight, I could feel my connection to my wolf and experience it entirely.
It was a beautiful experience; it was like my soul had doubled in size and strength. It wasn’t like anything I had read before; it wasn’t disruptive or chaotic in my mind. Two sides of myself didn’t fight against each other – human and wolf – we were one. I was one. Finally, a werewolf.
Being connected fully to my werewolf spirit meant I could finally shift into my wolf form and had complete access to my power. I was fast at running before connecting with my power, and once I had, I was even faster.
I sped through the forest, completely forgetting about the party. I was having the time of my life. By the time I returned, everyone had gone home, apart from Rey…
He was busy skimming through a book that he took from my room to occupy himself while he waited for me, perched comfortably on a lounge chair by the pool.
“Enjoying the book?” I giggled.
“Very much actually,” he didn’t look away from the book as he responded. Turning a page, he continued, “I didn’t know how long you’d be gone, and I wanted to see your face when I gave you your present.”
I crossed my arms, pouting, but a smile was trying to break free. “Well, I’m here now, so–” My smile instantly faded as he closed the book and looked into my eyes.
My surroundings became still, sounds obsolete. The world had become dark, and it was like I had tunnel vision all of a sudden, and my best friend was at the end of it, beaming brighter than ever, his scent pulling me in like it never had before.
He stood slowly, his face mirrored the shock I felt, too. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me, bringing his hand up to my face, tracing his fingers against my skin like he was afraid I would wither away. His eyes glistened when he finally spoke, “Mate.”
“Mate…” A tear slipped down my cheek, and I smiled. “It’s you.” Resting my hands on his chest, I leaned into him. The only real thing in my life, not forced together by any connections of my father, my childhood crush… he was my mate.
Rey tittered, “Yeah.” He wiped the tear away with his thumb and sighed, “Ki, I–”
“Suki! I’m home,” my father called from the house.
“Should we tell your dad the good news?” he whispered, holding my waist to keep me close, and I could feel my enhanced senses prickling with excitement from his touch.
I bit down on my lip and shook my head, “I want to enjoy this – us – just for a little while, before my father finds a way to turn it into some sort of business transaction. Is that okay?”
He smiled, “I love that idea.” He kissed my cheek, pausing as he pulled back, only a few centimetres away from my lips. The pull was strong and harder to resist than I think either of us ever imagined. “Ready for your present?”
“I fear it won’t be as good as this.” I gestured to me in his arms.
“I think it might.” His eyes glowed with more excitement as he pulled a chain from his pocket and let it untangle and drop from his grip to dangle before my eyes.
Taking in a sharp breath, I stuttered, “Is… Is that?”
“Your mother’s.”
My mother owned a clear quartz crystal; she always told me the stories that her grandmother would always tell her as a child, about werewolves from different packs having the ability to harness unique powers based on their pack. It was once a common thing, especially within the higher-ranked bloodlines; however, even for us high-ranks, it’s a rarity in present times.
The Moonstone pack once had werewolves so powerful that they could harness power from crystals to heal others.
Clear quartz, once an easy-to-come-by crystal, was now as rare as painite. Yet, those who do have it wear it as a symbol of the past; no one has had the power to harness healing magic, which is why most werewolves rely on witches’ magic instead. I told Rey about the crystal, how every time I saw it, it made me feel like I was close to my mother again.
“It took not as much convincing as I thought it would with your father for him to entrust me with it. I had it encased in a silver barrier and put on a chain, so you can have it with you at all times.”
My eyes glistened with more tears. “You added moonstone to it, too?” I traced my fingers around the crystal, now with a halo of small moonstones surrounding it.
A nod. “A small symbol of your home, plus it is your birthstone.” He smiled, “May I?”
I turned instantly, scooping my hair away from my neck to allow him better access to put the necklace on. Turning back to face him, I wept, “This is the best gift ever, I love it.” Leaping into his arms again, I embraced him tightly, “I’m never taking it off.”
It was the best day of my life. I found my mate, and he was my best friend. I couldn’t be happier.
Nothing could take this moment away from me.