His Future Mate

His Future Mate
Epilogue (One year later)
Scarlett
I smiled when Osprey flung the door open. I held up the plate of peanut butter cookies I had made with him in mind.
“I made cookies for dessert,” I murmured, looking down at the ground.
He took the plate from me and his hands slid over mine. My eyes shot up to his and he smiled at me. My heart started pounding and my tummy fluttered.
“Thank you. Mom made lasagna.”
He turned around and I followed him into the house while Aunt Tasha stepped out onto the porch to speak to my parents. We went into the dining room and I glanced around.
“Where are your siblings?” I asked.
“Out hunting with our fathers.”
I played with the tablecloth. “Why didn’t you go?”
“I wanted to be here when you got here.”
My face heated and I couldn’t help but smile. “You could have gone hunting.”
He unwrapped the plate and handed me a cookie. “I did hunt earlier.”
I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear. “So, you’re not hungry?”
“I am. Would you like a plate? I’ll make you one.”
I took a bite of the cookie, nodding. “Yes, please.”
He took my hand and my knees shook. I let him lead me into the kitchen and stood close to his side as he put lasagna on a plate for me. He carried it to the table before sitting next to me. The back door opened and his family came in. Elena and Annie ran over to me to hug me.
“Scarlett, you’re finally here. Someone was waiting all day for you,” Elena said teasingly.
Osprey growled at her, making her giggle. She shoved his arm.
“Just admit it, Os, you have a crush on Aunt Scarlett.”
His face turned red. “You’re just jealous because she’s perfect.”
Pride filled me. He thought I was perfect. Nobody had ever told me I was perfect before. I touched his arm and he looked at me.
“I think you’re perfect, too.”
“Osprey! Switch seats with Gerald,” my brother said.
He grumbled but got up. Elena threw herself into the seat next to me and waited to be served lasagna. I started to eat, throwing glances at Osprey every once in a while only to find that he was watching me every time. His mother came back in and sat at the table with us. I listened to the happy chatter around me as I ate.
“Mom? Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, Osprey.”
“How will I know when I find my mate?”
My head snapped around to look at him. He kept his eyes on his plate as he pushed the lasagna around on it.
“It feels like you can’t breathe and you just want to be around them all the time. You think about them all the time and would do anything to be with them. When you are with them, it feels like the world is perfect and you couldn’t be happier. Do you think you found your mate?”
My heart started pounding as I waited for his answer. I didn’t want him to have found his mate. My mouth went dry when I thought about how he had been spending time with Vanessa lately. I didn’t know what I would do if I didn’t have him to look forward to. He meant the world to me and I didn’t want anybody to have him. Especially not Vanessa. He was my best friend and I needed him. I pushed my chair back and he looked at me. I jumped to my feet with tears in my eyes.
“Well, did you?” I asked.
“Letti…”
“Answer your mother, Osprey. Did you find her?”
He hesitated before responding. “I don’t know but even if she’s not, I’d like her to be.”
I stared at him for a moment before running from the room. I ran upstairs to the room I used when I was there. I slammed the door before throwing myself on the bed, burying my face in the pillows to mute my sobs. Someone knocked on my door and I stiffened.
“Scarlett?” my brother said as he walked in to sit next to me on the bed. He put his hand on my back. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I rolled over to look at him before sitting up and wrapping my arms around my legs. “Why does he have to have a mate? Can’t he just stay my best friend forever?” I whispered miserably.
He put his hand on my knee. “Scarlett, every bear will eventually find their mates but he will always be your family. He won’t ever leave you fully.”
I sniffled and wiped my nose on my pants. “Not even for Vanessa?”
He brushed my hair back. “No, sweetheart. You two have a bond that nobody can break. He will always look out for you and his mate is just going to have to understand that.”
I knew he was trying to comfort me but it wasn’t working. I hated the thought of Osprey being with someone. I was confused. I had never felt this way before and lately, it had gotten worse. Seeing him with Vanessa had made me sad and angry. I wanted to be the only one he hugged, the only one he smiled at. I hated her so much but he seemed like he liked her.
“What if she doesn’t?”
“She will. We all know how he feels about you. She will, too.”
I sniffled again. “I hope so.”
He opened his arms and I crawled into his lap to hug him. “Do you want me to talk to him, honey?”
“About what?”
“Anything you want. I can tell him it hurts your feelings when he’s with Vanessa or I could tell him to leave you alone.”
“NO!,” I cried. “I don’t want him to leave me alone. He makes me smile.”
He sighed. “Okay, Scar.” He squeezed me tight. “If you change your mind, let me know. I will talk to him.” He set me back on the bed. “You’re going to find someone someday and you will realize that you don’t need him to be happy.”
I nodded, not believing that I would ever not need him. “Okay, Raul.”
“Do you feel better?”
“Yes, thank you,” I lied.
He kissed my forehead and got up. “Want me to bring your food up here?”
“No, but thank you.”
“Tomorrow I will take you into the city to see a movie. Mom told me there was a movie you wanted to see.”
“Can Osprey come?”
“If you want but I was hoping that we could spend some time together while Mom and Dad took Morgan to college.”
“Okay. We can.”
He hugged me again. “If you need anything, you know where I am.”
“Thanks.”
He walked out of the room and I got up to turn the lights off before laying back on the bed to cry quietly. I cried for hours until the sun had set and the house was quiet. I got up to open my window to let the sounds of nocturnal animals in the forest help me relax. I wiped my face as sounds of frogs, grasshoppers and coyotes filled my room. Someone knocked softly on my door.
“Letti?”
I crept closer to the door without responding. He sighed and I heard him slide down the wall.
“Letti, I’m sorry I upset you,” he murmured.
I sat down beside the door and I heard him shift outside.
“I’m not going to leave until you forgive me,” he told me.
I repositioned myself so that I was lying beside the door. “I forgive you, ‘Sprey.”
His fingers came under the door and I hesitated before linking mine with his.
“I love you, Letti. You’re my best friend.”
I squeezed his fingers. “I love you, too, Osprey.”