Page 69 of Locke

“Tell us about mates, again,” Amaryllis sat promptly up in her tiny cot.

We shared a bedroom, much to our father’s dissatisfaction, but my mother knew how important it was for twins to stay close to one another as pups. Amaryllis and Iwerevery close. We did everything together. From playing, to learning, sparing and even sharing the same room.

“Not tonight,” our mother sighed, “I still have dishes to scrub.”

Amaryllis pouted, her lip quivering. “Please. Father isn’t here.”

Our father had yet another alpha meeting and wasn’t due back until late. Mother put us in bed early on the nights he was gone. It was to make up for lost sleep time; Father wouldforce us to stay up late and quiz us on battle techniques and formations, or teach our bodies to run on less sleep.

Mother huffed, sat on my cot and rubbed both of our arms lovingly. It wasn’t common for Mothers to show affection in the Blood Rose pack, especially out in the open. In the confines in our home, Mother let us know we were loved, when the watchful eye of our father wasn’t near.

“Mates are gifts given to us by the Moon Goddess. They are the other half of your soul. They will make you feel complete in all ways and make you feel so loved and full.” My mother smiled sadly and squeezed our hands. “You will find your mate when you are a full-grown wolf. Their smell will draw you in and once you look them in the eyes, there will be no one else in the entire world that will matter. It will just be you and your other half. It is all-consuming, all-powerful. They will make your heart flutter, your soul sing, and your spirit soar. Finding your mate is the most precious gift a wolf can receive, and you must cherish and protect that bond above all else. Your mate will be your rock, your confidant, your partner in every sense of the word. And when you find them, you will know in your heart that they are meant for you, destined to walk by your side for eternity.”

Amaryllis’ smile widened. Her toothy grin aiming at me. “Can’t you wait, Koen? To find your mate?”

I shrugged my shoulders. My face heated.

“Stop embarrassing your brother.” My mother swatted my sister. “Boys do not wish for those sorts of things so young.”

Amaryllis threw her head back and laughed. “What about you, Mother? What was it like meeting Father?” My sister’s voice grew solemn when she spoke.

Our father was neither a patient nor a kind man. We never spoke ill of him in front of him or anyone else. We were torespect him being the alpha of our pack, but it wasn’t respect I had for him. It was fear.

To go against the alpha was treason. According to the by-laws, the alpha has the authority to tear a child to pieces in front of their parents, if they speak badly about their leaders.

Mother rolled her lips, her heart raced.

As I reached out and held my mother’s arm, her body stilled as she rested against me. I could feel her heartbeat slow against my fingertips. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to answer?”

My intuition was stronger than my sister’s. I was the second born. My sister was strong and extroverted, while I liked to stay by myself. Amaryllis could be bold in her questions, but me—I read the room.

My mother’s throat bobbed and she nodded. “A story best for another day.”

Amaryllis growled, her tiny eight-year-old body shook in the bed. “I heard an elder say he isn’t your true mate.”

Mother snapped her head to my sister and narrowed her eyes. “It is treason against your father and alpha. You best not utter those words aloud, again.”

Amaryllis narrowed her shoulders. “Don’t care. Is it true?”

My mother stood up, her footsteps resonating softly on the wooden floor as she made her way towards the doorway to our room. With worry in her eyes, she gently pushed the door open, allowing a sliver of light to filter in from the hearth of the kitchen. After a brief moment, she closed it with a gentle click, shutting out the outside world. Returning to us, she gracefully lowered herself to the floor before us.

“This does not leave this room, nor is it repeated, my sweet pups.” Her hand cupped both of our faces. “I think it is why I teach you about mates, so much, because I want you to find your own—your true mates. Your grandparents wanted the same for me.”

My heart seized in my chest with sorrow, but my sister exuded anger.

“A long time ago, our pack was peaceful, until your father—a single alpha male - came along. His pack was strong, and was envious of our territory and how well we took care of the forest. He wanted it for himself. He visited our pack many times, offering my father an alliance. That alliance would be to mate with me and join the packs together. One day his patience grew thin and he gave an ultimatum. Submit or there would be a war.

“My father refused. He believed in the mate bond, but your father wanted me for my body and for the land. That was when war broke out, at the negotiations table.” A tear ran down my mother’s cheek.

I climbed down from my cot and sat on her lap. My sister did the same as we held onto her.

“The battle was brutal. We weren’t ready for such bloodshed, but Mordecai was. It lasted for days. Our resources were depleted and many of us took to the forest. That was when I caught a smell that relaxed my body and nearly drifted me to sleep.”

“Your mate,” Amaryllis gasped.

Mother nodded. “Yes, and he was so handsome.” She brushed my sister’s hair away from her face. “He was a warrior for Mordecai, but ‘sides’ blurred at that moment because we were both instantly drawn to one another. We both shifted and, naked, ran to each other, holding one another.”

“Ew,” I squirmed in my mother’s seat.

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