Alex sat in silence for a few minutes, eating and thinking about what his sister told him. At some point during their conversation, their mother had woken up and came downstairs, listening to her children from the other room. She was proud that despite their large age gap, they were close. Hearing her son ask, “So should I start with things that I already enjoy and move on from there or should I do some of the things you said?” Harlow was happy her son had someone to teach him about being a wolf since she couldn’t. Being latent allowed her heightened senses and immunity to most illnesses but she couldn’t shift or even begin to understand what it meant to have such a strong connection to her wolf felt like. She could hear Leah’s response of “Start with what you’re already familiar with, there’s no reason your wolf wouldn’t enjoy what you enjoy.” While she was happy for her son, she was heartbroken for how her daughter had to learn about being a wolf. She never once thought that her children would have the ability to shift, especially after her mate had walked away from them, calling her children abominations and disappointments. She had assumed he knew something she didn’t, that he knew they wouldn’t have the ability to shift but it turned out he left too soon, Leah had shifted a few years after he left. A shock to both of them.

Walking into the kitchen, Harlow saw both her children had eaten and were laughing while Leah told her brother stories of other wolves’ first shifts. When Leah saw her mom, she started making her an omelet, a smaller version of the ones she and her brother had already eaten. Sensing a pause in their conversation, Harlow asked, “What are your plans for the day? Who is helping me unload the truck?”

Although her inner clock told her it was getting close to 9, Leah double-checked the oven clock before saying, “Matthew is coming to pick me up soon so I can talk to his father, the Alpha. I still need to get permission from him to stay here. And I’ve already unpacked the kitchen boxes. Everything is mostly put away, there are just a few things here and there that need a place to go.”

“I was going to unpack my room and then get a feel for what’s in the neighborhood, how far everything is, and if I can ride my bike to school or not.”

Turning to Alex, Harlow said, “Good. You can help me unpack the rest of the house before you go riding around.” Looking Leah in the eye, she said, “Matthew. Is he your mate? The fact that neither one of you wanted to leave the other last night and he’s already planned to pick you up today along with your eyes have changed, I’m assuming that he’s not just your mate but your true mate?”

Alex whipped his head around to look at his sister, “What? Let me see!” Leaning towards his sister so close that he almost bumped his head against hers, he could see that her familiar golden speckled, emerald eyes were now lined with a crystal blue giving her already mystical eyes an ethereal look. “Why didn’t you say so last night? I knew something had happened between you two but I didn’t know it was this! Did you know? What was it like? Was it as mystical as Kade always said it would be?” Alex was throwing questions out faster than he could take a breath and when he finally stopped, Leah threw her hand across his mouth, stopping him from saying anything else.

“I didn’t say anything last night because I didn’t want you nosing into anything. Yes, it was as magical as Kade said it would be.” Kade had described to them what if felt like to find your true mate a few years before. He wanted them prepared for anything and everything, teaching them proper wolf etiquette after hearing Leah breached protocol by not bowing to the High Alpha and meeting his eyes rather than looking away. “Yes, I knew what was happening and yes so did he, and yes before you ask anything else, we both want to see what happens and be together.”

Before Alex or their mom could say anything else, the doorbell rang and Leah knew without a doubt it was Matthew. The bond that had sprouted between them the night before, was tugging at her mind, calling to her, driving her towards the door before she even realized she was moving. Behind her, she could hear Alex laughing at her eagerness and a glance backward showed her mom chuckling and shaking her head and her brother doubled over in laughter.