♦ ♦ ♦

There is only so much lovey-dovey shit I can take when I've waited twenty-eight years for my own chance at love and yet I am still waiting for my mate.

I wouldn't say I'm much of a jealous person because I know I am truly happy for others when they find their soul-mates. It is an astonishing and life changing discovery but when it's plastered right in front of you, every second of every day for the last two weeks, then it gets to me a little.

I stare back at my sister as she sits across the kitchen counter from me, her eyes gazing dreamily into her mate, Jesse's eyes. They met two weeks ago and they have been inseparable since.

"Now it's your turn to feed me." Her eye drops into a wink as Jesse smirks in response, dipping a strawberry into melted chocolate and bringing it up to her lips.

He smothers it against her mouth and then she opens and chomps down on it, laughing in response. But not a funny laugh, a deep, sensual laugh. And I should not be here right now watching them have mind-sex whilst feeding each other chocolate strawberries.

"Now it's your turn to feed me," his husky voice rumbles through the kitchen.

"Okay," I say aloud as I crunch on my cereal. "Can you guys not do this right here?"

Fran's blue eyes turn to me suddenly and she zones back into the room. It's like she had no clue I was even here in the first place and my unanticipated presence has confused her. "Are we bothering you?" She sighs and licks the chocolate off her lips.

"No but this is a communal area," I glance around at the large kitchen. "I'd appreciate it if I could eat my cereal in peace and not consider throwing up into the bowl."

She rolls her eyes dramatically at me and Jesse scratches the back of his head with awkwardness. "Why can't you be happy for me?" She sounds out each word fairly harshly.

"I am happy for you, Fran," I dismiss her question and fold my arms across my chest. "You know I am but seeing you two like this every day doesn't give me a lot of hope for the future. I don't want to come down here and find you two... fornicating on the fucking counter. Chocolate involved and all."

Jesse slaps a hand across his mouth to stop himself from laughing but it only earns me a judgemental shake of the head from Fran. "You are unbelievable."

I raise my hands in defence before grabbing my bowl and shoving it into the dishwasher. "You know I'm right though, it's only a matter of time before that shit starts escalating," I mumble and turn back to her. "So I'd appreciate it if you can be more respectful around the house, in front of me, in front of the pack."

"You're just jealous, Everett," she hisses at me as I walk around the kitchen counter. "Just admit it, you can't bear to see me with Jesse because you still haven't found your mate."

Her words have my hands balling into fists, jaw tensing because deep down I know what she said is somewhat true. When people find their mates, a part of me dies inside because I'm still looking, waiting, dreaming.

What have I ever done not to deserve a mate?

"Don't be so harsh," Jesse's voice floats into the air. "I was the same before I met you, the sight of other people's happiness made me feel upset, nauseous. Didn't mean I wasn't happy for them, sometimes it feels like it's being rubbed in your face a little."

"Well I shouldn't have to stop showing my affections to you because Everett can't handle it," Fran's voice rises. "I can't help it if I want to touch you every second of the day, I can't help it if being with you makes me feel like a lovesick teenager."

I turn around to face them, Fran's brows are pulled down in a sharp expression. "I'm not saying to stop showing him your affections," I drop my tone and she finally looks at me again. "I'm just saying, sometimes being considerate of your surroundings and other people can go a long way. I want you to be happy because I am happy for you, sometimes it's just hard to see when I'm losing hope."

Fran doesn't respond for a moment and then her face relaxes. "You're not losing hope, Ev," she sighs and pushes off the counter to walk towards me. "You have been so optimistic but now I feel like you're just giving up."

"I'm not giving up."

"Good," she gives my arm a squeeze. "She's going to come when you least expect it and then you'll understand why I am in another dimension when I'm with Jesse."

The corners of my mouth flick. I would love to understand her reasoning for smothering Jesse at every given second. My prayers will be answered the second I meet her because the bond will be unbelievably strong.

Least that's what Fran said. The pull is so overbearing that you can't deny it.

I clear my throat and she pulls away her hand. "We've got the committee meeting tonight," I purposely change the subject. "We're leaving here at six, make sure you remind everyone when you see them."

She nods her head and smiles. "Of course."

"Okay," I take one step back. "I'm going to go now. You can resume your chocolate eating breakfast, or whatever."

I don't hear her response as I take myself upstairs and head straight for the shower.

♦ ♦ ♦

Committee meetings are nothing more than a chance for allies to meet up, drink free alcohol and have a night off from running the pack. Not that I'm complaining because after the morning I've had, I need about ten drinks.

We arrive on time and meet up with Kassian and Cleo and their pack. We see each other as much as we can, Cleo has always come over to help with her old pack but most of them have now left and been reunited with long lost family members.

Ever since our pack crossover, we've been closer than ever. Kassian and I go out with the boys and Fran has girly nights here with Cleo and the girls, babies included.

Sometimes we have a games night to wind down, enjoy our weekends and other times we train together. Never have I felt so lucky to have an ally pack that I can call some of my closest friends, it's like an addition to our family and I wouldn't want it any other way.

We mingle amongst packs and drink champagne because we tend to get drunk before the speeches and discussions amongst the district. I know I should be taking it more seriously but I can't help but feel down about everything these past couple of weeks.

Nothing feels in reach, everything is out of my grasp and I know I need to get my shit together for the sake of the pack. But tonight feels like my night off and I deserve to drown myself in free booze because I know it's what I need.

A hand claps down on my shoulder and I glance up at my younger brother, Milo. He's looking sharp and smart tonight, usually he doesn't care to put much effort in considering he's my beta but tonight he's done me proud.

"You good?" I ask as he glances around the room full of people.

"Yeah," he exhales slowly. "There are just so many fine ass people here tonight, damn."

I roll my eyes. "Stop trying to set me up or whatever it is the fuck you're doing. I don't need to get laid, alright? I'm fine."

Milo scoffs in my direction. "Who said I was talking about you? I'm talking about all he fine ass men here, fuck. We should come to committee meetings more often."

A laugh rumbles from my chest and I push his shoulder. "You're such a sleaze," I joke.

"And that's meant to be a bad thing?"

Milo hasn't found his mate either but he's four years younger than me. He has time, a lot more time than I do and yet he's not even worrying. Sometimes I feel like he's not even concerned but that's because he's enjoying life. Doing what he does best. And I'm fretting.

"What about your mate?" I shoot back.

"What about yours?"

"Don't go there."

Milo smiles into his flute glass and shakes his head. "Chill bro," he mumbles. "You're so uptight."

"I don't need you on my back," I grumble under my breath.

He holds up one hand in defence. "I think you just need to forget, focus on today. Not what could be. You'll drive yourself into some deep fucking depression and I'll have to be the one who gets you out of it."

A curse word slips from my mouth and I press my fingers into my eyes. He might be right but this isn't the conversation I want to have right now, not in front of hundreds of other wolves.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Milo chants and I turn to him suddenly.

"What?"

"The fittest man I have ever seen at two o'clock," he says quietly and focuses his eyes on someone over my shoulder.

I turn to look at who he's talking about and I raise an eyebrow. "He looks about forty," I comment and look back at Milo.

He shrugs but doesn't look at me. "I like a bit of an older man," he sighs and then grins in my direction.

"Whatever," I take a step away. "Enjoy your flirting, you slut."

Milo winks and clicks his tongue at me before strolling past and straight towards the man who would eat him alive and then definitely have room for seconds in the morning.

I shake my head and down the remainder of my drink and head towards where my pack are mostly congregating. My feet stop dead in their tracks when my body begins to tingle gently, first in my fingertips and then straight through my forearms.

My eyes gaze down at the shirt covering my arms and then the sensation is gone. I tilt my head and walk straight towards my pack members, engaging with them and downing a few more drinks along the way.

As the night progresses a deep, musky and honourable scent keeps invading my nose. Sometimes it's prominent and other times barely detectable but it's always there. The smell has hairs standing up on the back of my neck.

A sensation I have never experienced before.

It has my eyes closing in satisfaction, like someone has given me a full body orgasm.

My eyes scan the room but the sound of chatting and the wave of heads has my balance off. I draw in a deep breath, that scent almost sending me into a frenzy. My feet take off in the direction of the smell, getting clearer and stronger with every step.

I focus on a set of double wooden doors towards the back of the room and I push my way into them, my eyes colliding with a pair of icy ones, ones that look like a deer caught in headlights.

She's at least a foot shorter than me, long ashy blonde hair that almost reaches her hips.

But my eyes have already caught onto a set of gold plated candle holders that she has slotted into a bag, an action that cannot be ignored because they look so ridiculously big in her tiny hands.

Then I shoot my eyes back to hers and she's studying me carefully. I can see the cogs turning inside her head, figuring out what her next move should be but all I can think about is the way my wolf is whipping inside me. Wanting to claim her, telling me that she's ours over and over until the words barely sound like words anymore.

Everything vibrates inside me and her scent is everywhere in this room. I am consumed by it within a matter of seconds, my chest tightens and I forget how to breathe. I forget how to breathe because the girl I have waited the majority of my life for is now standing directly in front of me.

And she barely looks phased by the idea that we're mates. More concerned by the idea that I've just caught her stealing items from the committee because she looks like she's about to bolt at any given moment.

This definitely wasn't the meeting I was expecting.

♦ ♦ ♦

Author's Note

HELLO MY LOVES❤️🥰❤️

Eeeeek, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of REIGN. I am so excited to share this one with you!🤩

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