"I want ice cream!" I announced loudly into the phone, pulling down the covers to my waist. When my announcement was met with silence from the other end, I demanded sharply, "Did you hear me? I want ice cream."
There was a long-suffering sigh, followed by a loud yawn. "Cole, do you realize what the time is?"
I pulled the phone away from my ear to check the time. "It is 2:34 am. What has that got to do with my craving for ice cream?"
Another sigh. "Cole, it's in the middle of the night and you woke me up from sleep after jet lag from an eight-hour flight back from a trip you sent me to, just because you want ice cream in the middle of the night?"
I shrugged carelessly even though he obviously couldn't see me. "That's what I pay you that high salary for, Declan. Not to hear your complaints, but for you to get me anything I need, regardless of the time."
Technically, it was Dad who paid him, but that was beside the point. Declan Masters and I had known each other since childhood, but it wasn't until Dad hired him three years ago to be my Assistant that we spoke to each other beyond pleasantries.
I had initially protested having an assistant hired for me that I didn't choose myself, but over time I have been forced to admit that he was the best choice for me. I honestly believe that Declan is the only person who can deal with me on a regular basis as my assistant without going crazy.
He muttered something ineligible under his breath that I couldn't hear properly.
"What?" I demanded with narrowed eyes he couldn't see. "Is that another complaint I'm hearing?"
"Of course not, Boss. I'll get your ice cream immediately." I knew he was annoyed since he only called me Boss when he was extremely vexed with me. However, I don't really care as long as I get my ice cream.
"Buy two tubs of chocolate-mint and one tub of cookies-and-cream", I told him, and he responded with a dry "Sure Boss, anything else?" He had a credit card he used to make purchases for me.
I decline and hang up, rising from the bed with a smile. I had woken up about thirty minutes ago craving ice cream, and since I couldn't sleep anymore my craving had to be fulfilled.
I knew that waking my assistant up at 2 am to get me ice cream was mean, but I didn't care or feel bad enough to forego my craving for his comfort.
Walking to my sitting area with my phone in hand I open Weregram, the most popular werewolf social media, and smile proudly when I check my notifications. Lots of likes and comments on previous posts and a hundred new followers. Being an influencer in the werewolf world was nothing to scoff at, and I was immensely proud of myself for becoming the most influential and most-followed fashion blogger and influencer in our world.
With over five million followers worldwide, nobody was touching my spot anytime soon.
Posing with a sad smile on my face, I take a quick selfie and I type "Craving ice cream, who will be my hero?" under the picture and hit "post," laughing in delight when within a minute I had thousands of likes and comments.
"Let me be your hero, baby. I will buy you the whole shop."
"What flavor? Nvm, I'm sending every available flavor!"
"If I bring the whole truck will you share it with me?"
I went through the comments, liking and responding to the ones I particularly liked.
Getting attention and being fawned over by both males and females was something I was used to. I was gorgeous, wealthy, and popular. I had a great fashion sense and the kind of life only a few people could ever hope for. My wolf was white with a deep blue tail; one of the rarest colors a wolf could be. People love me, and I enjoy having them love me. I didn't have a humble bone in my body and I had no qualms admitting it. I was a spoiled brat used to getting everything I wanted, and I had no problem at all being that way.
I was still going through the comments when I felt a soft body of fur rubbing against my legs. Without dropping my phone, I reached down to scoop Cookie into my arms. Most people found it extremely strange that a werewolf had a pet poodle, but Cookie and I had loved each other since we first met two years ago and have been practically inseparable since. My wolf loved her as well and they went on runs together.
I rubbed her head, petting her absentmindedly with my left hand while I continued to scroll through my comments with my right hand.
Twenty minutes later a very unhappy and tired-looking Declan Masters arrived with my ice cream. I stifled the stab of conscience that threatened to break through at how exhausted he looked and reached greedily for the ice cream.
"Gimmie! What took you so long?"
He handed one tub of chocolate-mint ice cream to me with a teaspoon. "Oh, I don't know, clearing the sleep from my eyes, getting dressed, and finding an open shop that sells ice cream at this ungodly hour perhaps?"
I grunted through a mouthful of ice cream, ignoring his sarcasm.
"Do you want me to put the other two in the freezer?"
I gave him another grunt, and after he was done storing the ice cream he dropped tiredly into the opposite seat, closing his eyes with a groan.
"Oh no, you don't. Ice cream is bad for you," I told Cookie when I noticed her inching stylishly closer to my ice cream with her tongue out. She paused at my admonishment and looked up at me with an innocent expression I wasn't buying even for a second.
I put her gently on the ground to avoid her trying to steal a quick lick regardless. Cookie was almost as spoiled as I was and didn't like to be told no. She gave me an annoyed huff and went to rub herself against Declan's legs, causing him to open one eye.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I eat little dogs like you for breakfast?" he demanded gruffly, eyeing my dog, but Cookie wasn't the least bit intimidated and continued to rub against his legs with pitiful whines until he picked her onto his lap.
"One of these days you're going to annoy the wrong wolf," he told her while he rubbing her head. She ignored the warning and closed her eyes in satisfaction, enjoying his petting. I watched them while I continued to eat my ice cream and go through my Weregram feed.
Declan Masters was a handsome beta, and at 6ft2 with cropped wavy hair and smooth dark skin, he and I were total opposites. I was a 5ft8 omega with fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, and a face that was more pretty than handsome.
Apart from my family, there was nobody I trusted more in the world. Over the three years since he had been my assistant, he had gotten me out of more scuffles than I could count and calmed situations before they could escalate into serious problems.
"Have you heard from your parents?" Declan suddenly asked, his eyes still closed.
"Are you kidding me?" I demanded with an eye roll. "They call me almost every hour! I'm a fully-grown adult capable of taking care of myself but they always act like I'm a kid who still needs looking after."
"That's debatable," he muttered under his breath, opening both eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I groused with narrowed eyes.
"Let's start with something simple. Do you know where your T-shirts are?" he asked instead, making me frown.
"Of course not, Martha lays whatever I feel like wearing down for me. Why should I need to know where anything is?"
He raised his eyebrows and stared intently at me as if expecting me to grasp the correlation. When I just stared back defiantly, he shook his head.
"Never mind, you're not ready for that particular discussion. However, the fact is that they dote on you because they love you. You should be happy they care so much," he advised.
"Well, it's nice and all, but sometimes it can get overbearing."
He shrugged. "They are probably more concerned because you still haven't received your true match letter and it has been two years already."
I stifled the flash of guilt of lying to my parents about my mate, but I must not have stifled it fast enough because Declan trained narrowed eyes on me.
"Cole, what did you do?"
I looked away and tried to give him a bright smile. "Nothing!"
What would he say if he knew that I had in fact, received my mating letter two years ago?