The first official day of summer should always be spent sleeping. After a week of finals and the hype of the last days of school, he always spent the next day in bed, in and out of slumber. His parents always allowed this day of rest, because the next day was when summer training started. So, when his mother knocked on his bedroom door, he was promptly annoyed.

He could only tell it was his mother because no one else would have the audacity to bother him today. “Come in!” He grumbled through his pillow, knowing that his mom heard him without having to yell too loudly. He heard the door open, but she didn’t step into the room.

“Get up and make yourself presentable.” She said, and Cohen peeked up at her to see if she was being serious. Of course, she was, his mother almost never joked.

“Why?” He whined, trying to give her puppy eyes.

She didn’t even pretend to look phased. “Your first lesson is today. Our warriors found a witch on our property.” He felt his heart sink at the mention of a witch. What were the possibilities of two, completely unrelated witches being near their territory? The chances were slim, but he was still hoping that it wouldn’t be the guy at the party he saw the night before.

His mate.

“Fine.” He muttered, standing up and heading over to his closet. Even if it was him, at least he might have a chance to reject him. “Let me get dressed.”

“We’ll be outside.” She said, before shutting the door. He listened to her footsteps recede, then pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt. Out of all the things his mate could have been why did it have to be a male witch? Those are the worst two things it could have possibly been.

Maybe Selene hates him for something he did in his past life and now he’s suffering because of it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Cohen tried to not seem so antsy. He couldn’t help it though; he was just standing on the porch with his parents and Uncle Jack. None of them were even talking. Most of the wolves had taken shelter inside despite the warm weather, news traveled in the pack like wildfire. Who would want their children and mates out when a witch was in their territory?

Witches were nasty creatures. They were crafty, never said what they actually meant, and often only acted in their best interest. Their only redeeming quality was they usually liked to keep to themselves, emphasis on usually. Clearly the ones in this area were looking for trouble.

Just when he thought he might actually snap from nerves, he finally spotted David, the head warrior, and his team approaching. He couldn’t get a good look at the intruder because they were surrounded by wolves and David was a big guy, but he could tell just by the aura radiating off them that it was the exact same as the other night.

They got closer, and his mother stepped off the porch and met them halfway up the driveway. She said something that he didn’t bother to listen to because he was getting his first good look at his mate. The other night it had been pretty dark and he had been pretty spooked, he still was actually, but now it was broad daylight and he could see just how beautiful his mate actually was. Axe was practically howling in his head, boasting about how attractive their mate was.

He was tall and skinny, but in a good way, with angular features and cold, almost silvery eyes. His skin was ghostly pale, like he’d never been outside for more than a few minutes at a time in his entire life. The patrol leaves suddenly, and nothing is said for a few moments. Suddenly those silvery eyes are on him, and he could see the witch studying him, making his stomach flip nervously. Could he feel the mating bond too? Then the witch looks away again, seemingly uninterested and bored with everything that’s happening.

“Come inside, I suppose.” Mom finally broke the awkward silence, beginning to head back inside. “We have eavesdroppers.”

The witch doesn’t make any move to follow her, instead crossing his arms over his narrow chest. “Don’t want anyone to hear me while you rip me apart?” He questions. Cohen shivers at the sound of his mate’s voice, it was deeper than he would have imagined, but nice nonetheless.

Once they were all inside, Cohen found it even more difficult to concentrate. Though the room was spacious, his mate’s earthy scent quickly fills the area up, tickling his nose and making it impossible not to think about burying his face into his pale neck.

It made him feel disgusting and weak, wanting to touch a witch in such a way.

“…You know. It’s Silas.” Cohen caught the last words of his sentence, and he was glad he did. Silas seemed like a fitting name for a witch, and it definitely fit the gloomy aesthetic he had going on. Who wore all black in ninety-degree weather?

He only heard bits and pieces of the conversation after that, like that Silas was a necromancer and he had a human parent. Other than that, he was too focused on trying not to stare to actually listen.

“Cohen.” Mom said suddenly, making him snap out of his thoughts. He looked over, nodding slightly, “Yes, Alpha?”

“Escort Silas home, please. He will be in danger until I conduct a meeting regarding his presence and safety to our pack.” She said firmly, and he was just opening his mouth to object, but his mate beat him to it. “I can shadow travel home. It’s not too far.” Even though he didn’t actually want to take him home, Axe was still upset that his mate didn’t want to be around them.

“We insist.” Mom said, and even Silas shut his mouth.

He stood up with a sigh, but then gave them all a cold smile. “Well how can I refuse such hospitality? This was a pleasure; we should all get together and do it again sometime.” Silas began to leave the room. “Come along, puppy. I have a curfew.”

He couldn’t help but growl at the unflattering nickname, but still stalked after his mate, grabbing the keys to his vehicle on his way out. He made his way to the driver’s side and opened the door, glancing back to Silas who had stopped in his tracks.

“A truck?” He questioned, like he’d never seen one before. His nose scrunched up slightly, like the idea of being near a truck was repulsive. Cohen would have thought it was cute if he wasn’t so annoyed.

“Would you rather get eaten by wolves?” He asked, ignoring Axe’s “I know what I’d like to eat…” thoughts in the back of his consciousness. Seriously, that was disgusting. Cohen decided that mentally blocking him out for the rest of this journey would be a good idea.

The had the blond circling the truck to hop into the passenger side seat. “No, becoming dog food is certainly not on my bucket list.”

He backed out of the driveway, trying to ignore the intoxicating scent wafting off of his mate. Silas seriously smelled too delectable for his own good. He blasted the A/C in an attempt to dilute it, gripping the steering wheel hard. Silas didn’t seem to notice, he was tapping his fingers on his knee, looking out the window watching the trees pass.

“So, how many wolves are in your pack?” He suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them.

Cohen glanced over, Silas was now looking at him, and he couldn’t help but stare at his lips for a moment. Were they as soft as they looked? He cleared his throat, “Why do you want to know?”

“I don’t know. Just trying to make conversation.” He huffed, resting his elbow on the door. “You know, Elizabeth moved here to get away from Supernaturals. I wonder if she even realizes that she lives in a werewolf town.”

“Is she your mom?”

“Hardly.” He grumbled, rolling his pretty eyes, “I think she thinks that I’m Satan spawn, but she’s letting me live with her to repent for her mistakes or something. Christians are all about “loving thy neighbor” or whatever.”

That did not sound like the southern Baptists that he knew personally, but he supposed it didn’t really matter. “Did something happen that made you move here?” It wasn’t his business, and he didn’t know why he was asking, but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Silas looked at him for a moment, as if thinking about what he was going to say, before looking back out of his window. “Nah, I just needed a change of pace.”

Cohen didn’t believe him, but he let it drop.

The rest of the ride was silent as he soaked up having his fated mate beside him for the first and last time. He looked so cute, sitting there, blissfully ignorant to what was to come. Would the rejection even hurt him at all?

He didn’t need Silas to give him directions because he knew exactly where the Stewarts lived. Ethan was best friends with one of his younger brother’s after all. When he pulled up to their house and put his truck in park. “I…” He started to say, turning toward Silas, completely ready to formally reject him. The words lodged in his throat though, and he physically couldn’t force himself to say it. What was happening?

“Are you trying to get us killed?” Axe took the forefront of his mind suddenly, and Silas’s eyes grew wide. “Uh…dude, your eyes just turned yellow.”

“Sorry.” Axe spoke through him, the wolf’s voice was much deeper and gruffer than his own, “You’d better go.”

“Right…” Silas agreed, unbuckling himself and throwing them a confused glance before getting out of the truck. He didn’t even look back as he scurried inside his house.

Axe stayed in control the rest of the way home, letting Cohen comprehend the implications of being unable to reject their mate.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“I found my mate.” Cohen revealed. He had Lennon meet him at their treehouse, which was pretty much a rickety wooden box that his dad had built him when he was little. Now it was mainly used for smoking and talking about things they didn’t want others to hear.

“I’m guessing by the look on your face that it’s a boy.” Cohen nodded, and Lennon crawled over to hug him. Her scent was familiar and helped calm him, but he couldn’t help wishing that it was a certain witch that was embracing him instead. “I’m so sorry. Have you rejected him yet?”

He shook his head, croaking out a small no. Lennon sighed at his response, softly rubbing his shoulder, “The longer you wait the harder it will be.”

“I tried to earlier, but Axe stopped me.” Only the dominant in a mating can reject their partner without facing death. So if Axe stopped him… that meant that Silas was stronger than him. That hurt his pride a lot more than he’d like to admit.

“Are you mated to another Alpha?” Lennon questioned, but he shook his head, “Then who?”

“You know that witch that was trespassing earlier?”