Don't you know how to knock?" Scolds us Chase, when Asher and I enter my room.
Boxes were thrown around, half-filled with Bee's stuff. Suitcases left on the floor and mounts of clothes on both of our beds. And amongst all this mess, there were Chase and Béatrice looking extremely angered by what we just stopped from happening. The picture brought a slipper of fury in my veins, all of it direct to Asher. I stopped another wicked feeling from creeping inside my heart, because I couldn't be jealous on my friend's happiness. I'm glad because they found each other, although I didn't dare ask about Dennis yet. I'm sure they will figure everything out, because that's what soul mates do.
Don't they?
"You should've locked it, if you didn't want to be interrupted," I tell them and Chase simply rolls his eyes. Bee jumps from the bed and comes before me, all joyful and radiating.
"What news you have for me?" I ask her, a smirk forming in my lips.
"First, I'm coming to Australia too," she says and I stop myself from commenting that I've already figure that out, because she continued, "second, do you want to be my moon-sister?"
"If you'll tell me what that is, sure," I answer and Bee just giggles, nodding.
"It's like a maid of honour, but also a future godmother," explains Béatrice and I slightly shudder at the last word.
"Wait," I say, slightly confused. "Are you getting married any time soon?"
"I've let Phoebe and the rest of the pack know that I've found my soul mate," explains Chase and I figured this is why the whole pack was in the living room when I left this morning. "And she and Adam insisted to have a double ceremony on Saturday."
"Apparently, the mating ceremonies are supposed to be once for all the mated pairs in a werewolf pack, but the Lycans don't usually do this. Having a double ceremony will also celebrate Adam's origins," explains Bee and I'm dumbfounded by how fast she assimilated the supernatural factor in her life and learned their ways. I've been born around them and I still fall short on many things when it comes to their customs or point of views. Maybe the fact that I've been taught to hunt and not mingle with them was the key-factor in this.
"And who is going to be your groomsman?" I ask, thinking that he is going to have the same role as me, as the future godparent of Chase and Béatrice's children. Which is a big commintment and I feel a lot of pressure from being offered such an important role. I don't think I'll be alive after the mission, I can't promise Bee to be her children's substitute parent.
"Asher promised to be my moon-brother ever since we were in middle school," says Chase and my gaze falls directly on said Lycan. Perhaps this is why Bee asked me, believing that Asher and I will be together forever because of our supposed mate-bond, not being aware that our relationship is not exactly like theirs. They just met, but are already planning their engagement. Or wedding. Or whatever a mating ceremony is supposed to be because I didn't quite understand, from Phoebe's brief explanation, what it is supposed to represent in a human society. All while Asher and I can't seem to last a day without fighting.
"Well, aren't the godparents of a child supposed to be married?" I ask, trying to tell them in a polite manner that I can't accept their offer.
"The mating ceremony is like a wedding in our world," explains Chase.
"So the moon-sister and moon-brother are supposed to be... mated?" Chase just nods and I feel Asher shifting on his legs beside me.
"Then I can't accept this, Bee," I say and her smirk fades immediately. "I'm sorry but I'm not eligle for the part."
"You're soul mates, Adeline." Says Chase, giggling at my words. "You don't need a mating ceremony to be a moon-sister along Asher for me and Béatrice."
"No, but we should be mated," I say plainly and Asher just puts a hand on my shoulder, maybe to make me shut up already. But I brush it off and Chase frowns at my movement. He stops himself from gaping when realisation hits him and gives his friend a questioning look.
"Can I talk to Bee alone?" I say and grab my room mate's hand before anyone can argue. I drag her out of the room and to the terrace.
I sit on the loveseat, while she takes a seat on the used sofa. I scoop my pack of cigarettes and throw it on the improvised coffee table, after scooping one out. I lit it and watch Béatrice meaning to say something, but stumbling on her own words.
"Just say it," I tell her, watching her lips growing into a thin line and her eyes not able to face mine.
"Am I speeding up everything?" She asks, frowning at the coffee table.
"Why would you think that?"
"Because I didn't even got the chance to talk to Dennis properly since I met Chase, but I'm already marrying him."
"Does it feel rushed?"
"No," she says without even pausing to think. "Not at all, but you..." she draws a breath, before continuing. "You and Asher met almost a month ago and aren't in that moment of your relationship, but Chase and I... I feel like I'm betraying Dennis and ruining my future with Chase by doing everything now."
"Asher and I aren't the best example of a healthy relationship, believe me," I tell her, lighting the cigarette as I speak. "But you are right about one thing. You should talk to Dennis before the ceremony, otherwise you'll feel like one chapter of your life hasn't ended properly. And it was an important bit of your life, even if it wasn't your meant-to-be."
"I was going to call him anyway, but it is still strange," she argues and she finally faces me, tears forming in her baby blue eyes. "I didn't even tell my family about it... I don't know how to tell them, Ally. And I want them to be with me when I marry him," she says through little hiccups. "I want my father to give me away at the altar and give Chase one of his death stares for stealing his daughter away, before taking a seat next to my mother and looking at both of us with happiness and pride. I want my cousins to be there, to help me with my dress before the ceremony and steal the spotlight on the dance floor at the party later. I want to go on a honeymoon after, without worrying that I'll miss too many classes." She pauses, before finally telling me. "I want my fairytale, but I may not be ready for it now."
Her words just hit me like a wave of ice-cold water. Béatrice isn't ready for this whole 'mate' thing, and neither am I. And neither is Asher, although he showed just how much he wants me, in the beginning. The moment I wanted more, he backed off. But as Bee doesn't want to marry Chase now because it is not the right time, Asher may have the same reasons. He actually told me that, but I was just blinded by my own selfish desires to be able to fully understand him. Or maybe it was the utter fear, that I may not have the time Bee has to enjoy the natural course of her relationship with Chase, that drove me to be reckless and impatient. And I may have hurt Asher, made him go as insane as storming into an institute full of hunters that could've arrested him on spot. Only because I was too afraid to let him know what is going on with me, or why I'm acting like I'm living on borrowed time.
And I'm still afraid of telling him the truth.
"Maybe you should tell Chase everything," I tell her and she stops her crying, nodding. "Maybe he wants just the same things as you do. After all, you're soul mates."
A cheerful smile appears on her swollen face and she wipes all her tears before hugging me tightly. "Thank you, Ally. I know you don't usually do things like this."
"Things like this?" I ask, giggling and hugging her back.
"Showing that you care around people," she answers and a half-smile appears before I can stop it. If I'm going to leave this world, at least I can help those that remain as much as I can. I never tried to care before, but it does feel good.
Bee leaves to find her soul mate and I remain on the loveseat, staring at the mid-day slightly clouded sky and breathing in the chilly november air. My phone rings for a beat and I scoop it from the pocket on my jacket.
>Meet me at the cafeteria in 10 min