My eyes snapped open, rustling me out of my sleep. There was a faint creaking noise echoing through the building, sending chills down my spine.

Someone was in the house.

'Nic?' I mindlinked the approaching creature, but received no answer in response. 'Dad? Mark?'

Silence.

'Who's out there?' I Alpha commanded through the pack link. 'I demand an answer.'

The silence only confirmed my worst suspicions. Whoever was outside my door definitely wasn't a pack member. I could hear the footsteps coming from outside our room. I didn't have time to log onto my laptop so I could check the security footage.

The time on my phone read 3:14 am, and I shivered. Who could it possibly be so early in the morning?

They were getting closer and closer...

I immediately leapt out of bed, and despite my fatigue, I braced myself for a potential transformation. While the organism outside my door felt oddly familiar, although I could never be too sure, especially in the dead of the night.

Opening the door, I could make out a humanoid figure standing in front of me. I was about to growl at them, before the odour of an all-too-familiar perfume hit me.

"Chantelle, what are you doing here?" I rubbed my eyes. "It's 3 in the morning! I was prepared to rip your throat out, I thought you were an intruder."

"I forgot to mention it to you earlier, but I'm staying over at the pack because I wanted to meet your mate in person!" she gushed, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. "Is he in here?"

"You seriously drove all the way here just so you could meet my boyfriend?" I deadpanned. "How did you get in?"

"Sorry," she dismissed. "But I am restless, and I am curious. I just have to know. Nic was the one who let me into the pack boundaries. Is Frankie in your room right now?"

"Yeah, he is, but he's sleeping."

She frowned. "Seriously? I thought you guys were nocturnal or something. You're usually up at this hour."

"Usually, yeah." I ran my hands through my hair.

"Is something wrong?" Chantelle asked, looking concerned. "Are you sick or something?"

"No, it's not that," I sighed. Glancing behind me to ensure Frankie was still sleeping, I lowered my voice and continued speaking. "When werewolves first meet their mates, they're expected to be more, well, intimate with each other. If they aren't, there tends to be some very minor and temporary side effects. I'm just a bit more tired lately, that's all. And my senses are a bit woozy. But I'm fine, really."

"By intimate, do you mean...?"

"Yes," I affirmed her thoughts.

"Ah," she said gingerly. "I see. But didn't you guys meet not too long ago? I mean, isn't it too quick to be settling down?"

I shrugged. "It's a mate thing, Elle. He's the literal embodiment of the other half of my soul. That's why we werewolves move through our relationships very quickly. We find each other, we get mated, we have pups, all as soon as possible. That's usually how it is in the werewolf world."

"So...Frankie, the person who isn't supposed to hurt you, is hurting you by not being with you."

I hesitated, unable to argue with that logic. "Come on in. Just don't wake him up, though."

We tiptoed back into my sitting area, and I collapsed into the sofa.

"How's school?" Chantelle asked me casually.

"Oh, man," I groaned. "I haven't prioritized school in weeks. Ever since Frankie and the rogue attacks came up, I've been so busy with pack things. But I guess overall, it's been alright. I'm finishing my homework, getting good grades."

"Cool. Can I see your mate?"

"Sure," I gestured towards the room. "But again, keep your voice down."

Chantelle peeked around the fireplace and curiously observed my mate, who was curled up quietly on his side of the bed, the blankets tucked under his chin.

"Aw, he's adorable," Chantelle whispered. "He seems really sweet, too."

"Yeah, he is," I said proudly. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I hope he warms up to you one day. Although, you better not be forcing him into anything, Ben. Consent is always applicable, even in romantic relationships."

"Don't worry, I'm being patient. I don't mind waiting for him, and I could never force him to do something he didn't want to do."

"Good," Chantelle said before frowning. "Wait, is that a stuffed hot dog?"

"It is indeed. I gave it to him as a peace treaty before we discovered we were mates. We didn't always get along, you know. Its name is Ketchup."

"That's so thoughtful," she sighed dreamily. "If only Evan had been as caring during our relationship, and gotten me a stuffed food item."

I remembered the young, greasy man who somehow managed to woo my cousin's heart a couple of years ago. Evan had been 5 years older than her, and he was a part-time employee at some grocery store who smoked weed in his spare time.

What Chantelle saw in him, we had no idea, and my family had offered on multiple occasions to arrange for his 'mysterious disappearance.' She had refused, but last year, Chantelle (thankfully) ended things with him after he got fired for showing up to work high.

"Maybe the concept of mates isn't entirely that bad," Chantelle said thoughtfully. "It's definitely rushed, in my opinion, and you don't have a choice, but at least your mate will treat you right, you know? You've got a built in best friend and partner."

"I suppose. But even mates do have a choice. They can reject you."

"Rejection? Ouch. That's got to hurt."

I gave her a dry smile. "Yes. A rejection rips out half of your soul, and it becomes irreparable for life."

Her eyes widened. "What? What if your mate's a bad person?"

"It doesn't matter. Even if you reject someone horrible, your soul will still be damaged."

Chantelle grimaced. "Yeah, I kind of take it back, then. That would suck."

"It would," I agreed. "But the Moon Goddess blessed me with an amazing werewolf."

"That's fortunate, then. But if you don't mind me asking, why haven't you two done the deed yet?"

"He's just not ready," I admitted. "When I found him, he had been injured and bleeding pretty badly. I think he was a rogue, or something. It's been hard to get him to open up ever since. Frankie's quite secretive about his past."

"I say you just give him some time," Chantelle patted my shoulder reassuringly. "He'll open up to you, I'm sure. Anyway, I should get settled into the guest room, all my things are there."

"Got it. Oh, and Chantelle? Please be careful within the pack. Don't go out of the house alone."

"Why? What's wrong?"

I sighed. "We're under emergency protocol right now. We've got threats of rogue attacks. And we also found out that they're armed with some pretty dangerous technology. Like, really advanced technology, possibly even more advanced than what my pack has."

"Oh," she shuddered. "That doesn't sound good."

"No, it really isn't. So please, stay safe out there."

"Thanks for the warning, cuz," she gave me a small smile. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow morning. I can't wait to officially meet your mate!"