~Annora's POV: Present Day~
"Mom, where are my leggings?" I walked downstairs in my pjs, trying to get dressed for school. My favorite leggings were nowhere to be found, at least not upstairs. I checked everywhere, except my laundry. My laundry was gone as it was Monday, so Mom was doing the laundry today.
"You have leggings upstairs I thought?" Mom called from the kitchen as she threw my breakfast in a Ziploc baggy. Her brown, slightly wavy, grey flecked hair was in a slightly soggy messy bun and her blue eyes looked tired as always, and one of my father's old shirts was beneath her bathrobe. She wore her usual pair of faded red sweatpants and her pink slippers like she did every morning.
"The one with a wolf on the side! I can find a top that will do for school, but those leggings are my favorite ones!" I whined childishly. I was an eighteen-year-old, yet I was whining over a pair of leggings. Real mature.
"Washer. Put it in the dryer a few hours ago." She said as she leaned against the island and sipped at her freshly brewed morning coffee. The washer beeped downstairs, and I groaned. I was gonna be late for school if I didn't leave in the next 10 seconds.
I ran downstairs as fast as I could, my barely matted, light brown, slightly wavy hair billowing out behind me slightly. Not much, but it was enough to show how fast I was going. By the time I had slipped on my sky-blue crop top with the words "Daddy's Little Queen" on the front in a slightly darker blue, a nice navy-blue sweatshirt to hide my crop top a bit, my old leggings with a wolf made of rhinestones on the side, and my black, nearly knee-high sneakers, I was cutting it close. By the time I actually got to school and entered the class with my bookbag over one shoulder, I was 5 minutes late. Thankfully the teacher was running a bit late too as I ran into the classroom, according to my best friend Thailia.
Thailia had rich green eyes and short blonde hair that faded into bright pink at the bottom. Her hair was straight, her body build not extremely athletic. We had been best friends for two years now, and we both agreed that boys were trouble. The door sharply opened, but instead of our teacher my dad was standing there. I looked away from him as some other students started to murmur.
"Annora, get your things. Now." He said sharply. I groaned and gathered my things, my wolf whining in shame. This was every teenager's nightmare, and the fact that he said that like I was a child didn't help. We left the school quickly, heading home.
"What did I do this time?" I mumbled as I looked out the window.
"For once you didn't do it. A man came, claiming to be of a high rank in another pack, came by though just as I came home though. Said he was looking for his son's mate. Apparently, he has been going door to door, checking all daughters with his son then leaving if they aren't a match for his son." He said, pulling onto our street. A different car was parked down the street, right in front of Thailia's house.
As we walked into the house, I saw Mom sitting at the kitchen island across from a handsome boy, right around my age. Mom was wearing a short sleeve white shirt and some jeans, the boy wearing a button up polo shirt with a red checkered pattern on it along with some plain jeans. He also wore sneakers, the newest Nikes if I wasn't mistaken. His curly tan hair was attractive, his blue eyes like two pools I wanted to drown in. I stopped dead in my tracks, my backpack falling from my grasp and onto the floor, and stared at him. My wolf was howling happily, my whole-body tingling. This boy, he was my mate. I was sure of it, and his scent sealed the deal for me. I reminded myself of my plan for the past three years, reject my mate and never get married.
"You must be Annora. Your charming mother told me a bit about you." He said, standing up a bit straighter and walking over to me. "You are more gorgeous than your parents claimed you were."
"I- What is your pack and your rank?!" I blurted out. I never blurted out anything! Something must be wrong with me. Oh. Wait. He's my mate. I am most likely gonna do stupid shit
"Norra! Do not disrespect him!" Dad snapped at me.
"Dear, calm down. No need to act like an alpha over this." Mom said, looking at Dad. Her tone dropped as she kept speaking, keeping it faint. "I think our little girl just found her mate..."
"Oh, it is quite alright. She only wants to know who I am." The boy said, smiling at my parents. He turned to me, causing my heart to flutter as our eyes met. "I am Calab of Northern Aurastone Pack, son of Alpha Michael and Luna Savannah."
My jaw dropped. He was the son of one of the most powerful alphas ever, and apparently my mate. This was absolutely insane, and the words 'no I reject you' were caught in my throat. I stood there, speechless as I looked my mate up and down in awe. I noticed that he had muscles to die for, and his strong jawline made him look a bit sexy.
He slowly reached up and brushed some of my hair out of my face, his knuckle brushing against my forehead gently. Sparks erupted from the spot where he brushed against me, causing me to inhale a bit sharper than usual. He looked at me, his joyous smile softening a little to a gentler and kinder one.
~Caleb's POV: Present Day~
I looked at her, gazing into her eyes longingly, before pulling her close and breathing in her scent.
"Mate..." I mumbled into her soft hair. Her parents were silent, though why was unclear. They most likely wanted to let us have our moment in peace, but who was I to assume that? She slowly pulled away from me, shaking her head slowly. She grabbed her backpack and went upstairs slowly, like she was hesitant to leave.
"Mr. Cathelman, may I-" I started, turning to look at him.
"Go ahead." He smiled and gestured at the stairs before his mate could butt in. I slipped off my shoes and went upstairs. The door to what I assumed was her bedroom closed as my hand left the banister and walked through the hall.
Pictures of the Cathelmans lined the walls up here, the little one always dressed like she was a celebrity compared to her parents who were always wearing the more classic outfits of a shirt, sweater, tank top, ect with jeans, shorts, a skirt, ect. It was kinda cute how despite being the youngest Annora had better taste in fashion than her parents. I got so caught up in the pictures that I didn't realize her door was cracked open until I heard her chuckle faintly. As I looked over the bit of her figure that was visible pulled away from the door. I smiled faintly and walked over to the door. I knocked gently, trying not to invade her personal space.
"Come in..." Her voice was soft and faint.
As I pushed the door open slightly, peeked my head in. I looked around in awe as I saw how her walls were a stunning shade of purple and her carpet was white. It looked pretty nice, honestly, with her bed in one corner and a large window at the front of the room. My wolf, Alex, decided that that moment was a good moment to bring up the fact that the window being so large may be a problem if things go how I hope they go.
"You, uh... You okay there Caleb?" She asked questioningly.
"Oh! I- Yeah just-" I stumbled over my words like a fool.
She chuckled and looked me up and down again before nodding slightly. "Get yourself some cowboy boots. It goes better with the red plaid and the blue jeans. The sneakers so clashed downstairs."
Did she really just say that to me?!