Chapter 49 Changes

It was June. The end of the school year. We managed to get through the whole year without any problems. No major ones anyway. I managed to convince Beth’s father to let her date. He made me fill out an application to date her, which was weird, but then he said we could date. We had been on a few. Things were going great with us. I kind of understood Artemus’s continuous babbling over Sebastian because I was now always talking about Beth. I knew she wasn’t my mate but I had a lot of fun when we were together. She made me laugh with her silliness and she was quite cute when she was mad.

We still had training before school and after dinner on most days. But I was spending more time just being a teenager. I hung out more with my friends and my girlfriend.

The only problems the council was getting were reports of vampires over-feeding in some areas. Rose spoke to those vampires and told them to stop. But occasionally, she would have to remind them. I told her to get them on blood bags or else they’d be imprisoned. Overall, things were great.

The pack built a movie theater near the center of town. We didn’t have to go to Boston to see movies any more. Taylor wanted them to build a bowling alley. Dad said that would be their next project. Taylor would occasionally challenge me to a magic duel. We were both getting really good at using our magic. I enjoyed our little battles. The family still came over for game nights, including Phoenix. The twins had shifted a couple months ago and we would go for runs together in our hybrid forms. They didn’t have a wolf form like me. I taught them how to fight in their hybrid forms, too.

The Yorks adopted Christopher and Sara. The two kids were doing very well considering what they had been through. They started going to the pack school and were making new friends.

It was Artemus’s graduation tomorrow. I know she was looking forward to it. She would also be shifting at the next full moon. I wondered if she would be surprised to find out Sebastian is her mate. I knew he had kept that a secret from her but she was smart, she may have figured it out.

Summer had begun and everything was great. I took Beth to see a movie and we went by the spot where they were going to build the bowling alley. I had never bowled before and was looking forward to taking Beth when it opened. Taylor had suggested that we form teams for opening night so more people could bowl. There would be twelve lanes and ten people to a team. I had asked the others to be on our team. So my team would be me, Beth, Lucas, Ethan, Layla, Kat, Patrick, Ryan, Jeremy, and Steve.

*****Layla’s perspective*****

Over the last year, I had visited several packs looking for my mate. I didn’t have any luck. But then I didn’t go very far from our pack either. I may go north over the summer and check out those packs. I just hope I don’t have to go south, it’s so hot. I prefer cooler climates.

EJ was doing well. He actually got to be a kid for once. He even met a girl. She was good for him. It’s not right for a kid to have to be serious all the time, he should get to have fun, too. Artemus was in love with Sebasatian and when she shifted for the first time he was with her. Once she shifted, she jumped all over him. And I heard him say “Yes, I have known we are mates this whole time.” Guess that explains a lot. The lost boys had shifted also. We would go for runs together all the time.

This year, I was looking forward to the pack run on National Hunting and Fishing Day. It wasn’t just going to be our pack this year. The council warriors would be joining us this time. EJ thought it was important for the warriors to spend time with each pack. This way everyone got to know who they were. And the warriors would get a chance to visit with their home packs every once in a while. I thought that was pretty cool of him.

I had taken this last year off from school. I knew Shawn had wanted me to go to Harvard but I didn’t. I wanted to find my mate and go to school near his pack. I might have to take another year off though. I hope I find my mate this summer.

*****Artemus’s perspective*****

Sebastian and I have gotten to know each other very well over the last year. He is a wonderful man. I hope he is my mate. He is only two years older than me but still, he is mine. That’s what I told myself before I shifted. Then when I shifted, my world was right. He was my mate and he knew all along. I was a little upset that he didn’t tell me, but then I wouldn’t have known the truth until I shifted anyway. I have heard the rumors about shifted males who claim a girl is their mate, but then the girl shifts and finds out he is not their mate. So I guess it is good that he didn’t tell me, I would have thought he was trying to trick me and wouldn’t have seen him the way I do now. I am glad he let our bond form over time, it made me love him even more.

I’m also glad that EJ started letting the warriors visit their home packs. Sebastian hasn’t seen his family since he came here last year. It will be good for him to see them again. And I will be going with them when they visit his pack.

Now that I’m eighteen, I can move out of the packhouse and move in with Sebastian. I can’t wait. I am sure his house is plain, mostly because he never let me visit him there. He always came to the packhouse and we would go out for dinner or to see a movie, sometimes we went dancing at the promenade, but we never went to his house. So I would finally get to see his house, our house. I was looking forward to decorating it.

“What are we doing tonight?” I asked him.

“I thought we would have dinner and go dancing,” Sebastian replied.

“That sounds fun. But can we maybe go to your place for dinner,” I asked.

“We could, but I don’t know how to cook.”

“I can have the kitchen staff make us something to take to your place.”

“I think that will be okay. I can learn to cook from them.”

“Me too, I guess. I can’t cook either.”

“You’re a princess, I don’t expect you to cook.”

“Everyone else expects it. I should learn anyway. Someday I will need to cook for our children. I’m not going to be a princess forever.”

“No you won’t. After our mating ceremony, you will be my queen.”

“Ah, don’t call me that, it makes me sound old.” I laughed.

We went to the kitchen to talk with the staff. They were delighted I wanted to learn how to cook, Sebastian too. They started with the basics, measuring spices and other ingredients. I had no idea there were two types of measuring cups, one for dry ingredients and one for liquids.

For our dinner, we were making pasta. We started with boiling the water for the penne noodles. Sherry, the head cook, told us to add Nature’s Seasons, garlic, and butter to the pot of water. While we waited for the water to boil, we cooked the meat, two pounds of ground beef. We seasoned it with Nature’s Seasons, garlic, minced onion, and paprika. Then we put it in the frying pan with a cup of water, to prevent burning. When the water started to boil, we put the noodles in and turned the heat down. Sherry told us if we do this right, the meat and noodles will be done at the same time. We stirred the meat every few minutes. And in a separate pot we made the sauce. We poured in the tomato sauce. Then added Nature’s Seasons, garlic, red peppers, green peppers, onion, and parmesan. When we were done cooking, we drained the meat and the noodles, and then mixed everything together. Sherry helped us find a bowl to put it in and a basket to carry it. After we got it packed up, we headed to Sebastian’s house.

His home wasn’t what I had expected. It was very lovely. It was mostly decorated the way I would have done it. He set the table and we ate while we talked.