Vow of a Mate

ROSE

I glanced up from my laptop when a high-pitched squeal followed by a giggle echoed through the room. A smile tugged at my lips as I took in the scene before me.

A little boy was hot on the heels of a girl, their laughter filling the airport lounge. They could have been siblings, maybe a year or two apart. They were oblivious to the hustle and bustle around them, lost in their own world of joy.

Suddenly, the girl ducked behind a woman who scooped her up into her arms. The boy, not to be left out, raised his arms for his turn and let out a surprised yelp when a man lifted him from behind. A picture-perfect family, wrapped up in their own bubble of love.

A pang of sadness hit me as I watched them. Why was I denied such love? My mind wandered back to my parents, who I lost when I was just a child.

My dad was our pack’s doctor and my mom was his assistant. He was loved and respected by everyone. I can still remember that tragic day. I was only ten.

Mom and Dad had dropped me off at school before heading to the clinic. Dad had showered me with kisses, making me giggle and squirm out of his grasp before I ran inside the school.

That was the last time I saw them. A few hours later, Alpha Jackson himself came to pick me up.

Instead of taking me home, he brought me to the luna in the pack house. I couldn’t understand why everyone looked so sad. Luna’s tear-filled eyes scared me.

I didn’t understand when they told me my parents had been in an accident. How could that be? It just wasn’t possible.

For the next two days, I stayed with Luna. I was too scared to ask any questions, except to see my parents. Alpha Jackson gently told me they were still in the hospital.

That made me feel better. The hospital was where Mom and Dad spent their days. If they were there, they must be okay.

When I told Alpha Jackson this, he smiled and patted my head. The only person I felt comfortable talking to was the alpha’s daughter, Olivia. She was three years younger than me and quickly became my friend.

Even though everyone was kind to me, by the end of the second day I was getting restless. I asked about my parents again, and Luna promised to take me to see them the next day.

With that promise in mind, I went to Olivia’s room, which I was currently sharing.

But early the next morning, Luna woke me up. She didn’t say anything, just helped me get ready, tears streaming down her face.

After breakfast, Alpha took me to his room and sat me down next to him. He gently told me that Mom and Dad had gone to visit the Moon Goddess.

I refused to believe it. My parents had left me? They would never do that.

Everything after that was a blur. They brought them back to the place where I used to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Now they too would have a stone with their names.

I sighed, pulling myself back to the present. I still had an hour before my flight.

We wolves usually avoided flying. We preferred to travel by car or truck. If we had to fly, we’d charter a jet with as few passengers as possible.

Even though we were human, our souls were intertwined with our wolves’.

Our inner wolves would get restless if we were cooped up in a plane, which could lead to accidents. Especially when humans were nearby.

We were still a secret to the human world.

We lived in packs, close to forests. Our homes were like upscale gated communities, with restricted access. This way, we could live among humans while still satisfying our beastly instincts.

Olivia had offered me a private jet, but I chose to fly commercial. My wolf understood why, and she was okay with it.

I knew she was the one who suffered most on these journeys. I shared her pain every time and wasn’t sure how much longer we could endure it.

For someone who preferred to stay indoors, I was now traveling to crowded places as often as I could. That’s why I arrived at the airport so early.

I wanted to see as many people as possible, coming and going.

My wolf and I were searching for one person. The person who was etched into our minds, hearts, and souls. The person who vanished just like my parents did.

Ironically, he disappeared in a similar way. But instead of showering me with kisses like my dad, he gave me one long kiss and promised to see me again.

I wanted to find him and ask him one question. WHY?

***

“Good evening, Diana,” I greeted as I walked into the diner, spotting her hunched over some papers behind the counter.

“Hi, dear. Are your classes over?” she asked, looking up at the sound of my voice.

“Yup!”

“Your coffee is ready. And I’ve got some biscuits for you. Go freshen up and come back,” she said, her smile warm and motherly.

I chuckled. “Sometimes it feels like I’m coming home, not to work.”

She laughed and shook her head.

I settled into my favorite spot overlooking the forest and sipped my coffee. We still had an hour before the diner opened.

I remembered that tragic day: how Alpha picked me up from school shortly after my parents dropped me off; how I was told that Mom and Dad would never come back; how I realized I would never see them again.

From that day on, I lived with Alpha and Luna. I couldn’t understand why my parents had left me and kept asking when they would come back.

Why had my parents had an accident after visiting a patient? I couldn’t accept that they had been severely injured and died in the hospital.

It took a couple more years for me to accept that they were never coming back. I slowly closed myself off to everyone except a few friends, especially Olivia.

Olivia was my best friend and sister to this day.

After that, I had one goal—to become a doctor. I thought that if I became a doctor like my dad, I would feel closer to my parents.

My dad was always Dr. Nooman, and whenever I was addressed as Dr. Nooman, I felt like Dad was right there with me, smiling at the sound of his name.

But becoming a werewolf doctor wasn’t easy. You had to study human medicine and veterinary science. Then you had to work with a pack doctor for a year. Only then could you work as a pack doctor.

Becoming a doctor after more than a decade of hard work isn't something many people would choose to do, especially not werewolves. It means leaving the pack and living among humans.

Being part of a pack is everything to a wolf. But if you leave the pack for this reason, you're not seen as a rogue. You're not part of the pack anymore, but you're still under their protection. That's why werewolf doctors are so respected—it's a tough road to travel.

I'd finished my human medicine studies and was now in my last year of veterinary science. I lived near my university because I didn't want to risk staying in the dorms with humans. Plus, I couldn't share my place unless it was with another wolf, so my living costs were higher than most.

Even though I was under the protection of the nearby pack, I couldn't ask for more than basic help. My parents had saved some money for me, but I wanted to be independent.

So, I worked part-time at a diner close to my university. Diana, the diner's owner, was a she-wolf who treated me like her own daughter. Her mate had died in a rogue attack a while back, and she didn't have any other family.

We were living our lives, supporting each other.

It had been two years since I'd seen Olivia. The last time was when I finished my human medicine course and was about to start my next one. I missed her mating ceremony last year.

She was still mad at me.

Her parents, Alpha Jackson and Luna Allison, kept in touch. Even though they saw me as their own daughter, I always felt like an outsider in their home.

But I could never forget or repay their support and care. They never treated me as a burden, but as family.

I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of the wind chime near the door. Customers were starting to come in, so I got up to start my shift.

Besides Diana and me, four other people worked here. Nate and Yoni were in the kitchen, and Alice and Clarke were servers.

Alice was another wolf, but Nate, Yoni, and Clarke were humans who didn't know about us.

They were all friendly, especially Alice and Yoni.

As if she'd heard my thoughts, Alice walked into the diner.

“Hey ya, Rosie.”

I smiled at her. Her laughter was infectious. I wished I could always be around her. But we didn't have time to chat.

The diner was busy, and after a few hours, the crowd started to thin.

We finally closed up, said goodbye to Nate, Yoni, and Clarke, and settled into our usual routine of sitting and talking for a while after closing.

We usually had dinner or just coffee. I made a cup of hot chocolate and sat down.

“Did you know Aubrey is back?” Alice blurted out.

Diana nodded. “Yes, I heard.”

“Aubrey?” I asked, confused.

“Alpha Reol’s sister. She went away to college, but she's back today.”

Diana asked, “I heard she brought her boyfriend with her. Is that true?”

Alice confirmed, “Yes, she brought her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? You mean mate?” I asked.

“No, not her mate. She's twenty-six and said she's given up hope of finding a mate. So she brought her boyfriend. I heard she mainly came to get her brother’s permission.”

If you choose a life partner who isn't your mate, you need your alpha’s permission. This rule was mainly made for wolves who had lost their mates.

Wait, if Aubrey was twenty-six, how old was her boyfriend? And what about his mate? I asked the same.

“He's thirty-one and hasn't found his mate. Maybe he's also given up hope.” She shrugged.

Diana shook her head. “I don't know what they're thinking. You shouldn't take the mate bond lightly.”

Diana valued the mate bond more than anything. Almost all wolves did. It was our way of life.

“I'm glad you haven't settled for a relationship like that, Rosie.” Diana smiled at me.

I laughed. Little did she know that I wasn't ready to commit to anything except my career. Diana didn't understand that, and I didn't want to hurt her.

“Anyway, there's a welcome party for Aubrey tomorrow. Almost all the nearby packs are coming.”

“Why so many packs for a welcome party?” I asked, surprised.

Diana explained, “These parties are just a formality. The real purpose is to discuss alliances within packs and strengthen them.”

Ah! Pack politics. I would never understand those.

“You should come, Rosie.”

I shook my head. “No, Alice, I have exams in two days.”

Alice mumbled something about kidnapping me. I laughed at her antics.

I then said goodbye to Diana and Alice and went to my room.

Did I know that this party would change my life forever?