Love Bites

“Scarlet Rose Wrett, get down here right now or you’re grounded for a month!” My mom’s voice echoed up the stairs, pulling me from my Netflix binge.

I guess she’d been calling me for a while. With a sigh, I hit pause and left the comfort of my bed to head downstairs.

Let me fill you in. I’m Scarlet Rose Wrett, twenty-one years old. Yeah, I know, practically ancient. No need to remind me.

I’m part of the Red Moon Pack.

My dad used to be the beta, the second in command. My older brother Jake, who’s twenty-six, just took over the role. His mate Maria is twenty-five.

Our alpha recently stepped down, passing the torch to his son, David. He’s twenty-seven and his mate Jenny is twenty-five. I also have a younger brother, Matthew. He’s only eight and the cutest thing you’ve ever seen.

Jake and I know Matthew was an unexpected surprise, but we’ve decided to keep that to ourselves for now. We’ll save it for some good-natured teasing when he’s older.

Right now, we’re just doting older siblings. I spend most of my time with Matthew since Jake is busy with his new responsibilities.

And of course, there’s my best friend Aria.

Aria’s dad is the temporary alpha king, holding the position until Aria’s cousin returns to claim it.

My mom, bless her heart, spends most of her time trying to find me a mate. You see, I’m twenty-one and still haven’t found mine.

Most werewolves find their mate at eighteen. If you don’t, it could mean your mate is dead and you’ll remain mateless.

Some werewolves in this situation end up with humans and live happily ever after.

Or, your mate could be human, and you have to slowly introduce them to our world, which can be a bit of a shock.

My mom, however, refuses to accept either scenario. She’s convinced I just need to get out more.

I don’t leave the house much. Can you blame me? My bed is my one true love. So, my mom has taken it upon herself to find my mate for me.

I racked my brain for any recent missteps. My mom’s not someone you want to cross. Even David, our alpha, is scared of her when she’s mad.

I walked into the living room and my mom immediately pulled me over to the couch.

“Scarlet, do you have any idea how long I’ve been calling you? What’s the point of having heightened senses if you don’t use them!”

I gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, Mom. I was busy.”

She raised an eyebrow at me.

“Busy? Doing what? Watching Netflix? You need to get out more. Go for a run, do something.

You haven’t found your mate because you’re always cooped up in your room. He could be closer than you think.”

But I kept that thought to myself. She was already mad, and I didn’t want to make things worse.

I needed to placate her.

“You’re right, Mom. I need to get out more. Starting tomorrow, I’ll go for daily runs in my human form. That should give me more chances to find my mate.

I’d go today, but I promised to help Aria. But I swear, tomorrow I’ll go out and try to find my mate.”

My mom nodded slowly and stood up. “Good. I know you can’t go today; there’s a big event tonight.”

Her eyes sparkled as she added, “Who knows, maybe tonight will be your lucky night?”

She kissed the top of my head and gave me a knowing smile.

“Was that all?” I asked.

“There was something else, but you made me so mad I forgot. If I remember, I’ll text you,” she said, heading back into the living room.

I let out a sigh of relief. That hadn’t been as bad as I’d expected. Probably because she forgot what she really wanted to talk about.

Luckily, I had to leave the house, so she could only text me. How mad could she get over a text?

The house was eerily quiet with Matthew away at camp for the next two weeks. I missed the little guy; he always kept Mom and Dad on their toes.

I headed back upstairs, lost in thought. Glancing at the clock, I cursed. Shit, I was late. I always lost track of time when I was daydreaming.

I was supposed to be helping Aria. Tonight was a big night for her and everyone else.

Without wasting another second, I quickly got dressed, dashed out of the house without saying goodbye to Mom, and hopped into my car.

As I sped off, cursing myself for being late, I felt a pang of loneliness. I acted like I didn’t care about not having a mate, but that wasn’t true.

I wanted to be loved. To have a mate who would protect me, love me unconditionally, and care for me.

Seeing my brother and my parents so happy only made the hole in my heart grow. They all had such wonderful relationships, and I was jealous.

Was it too much to ask for a mate? Something every werewolf looks forward to?

A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. Mom’s words echoed in my head. Could tonight really be the night? I shook off the thought; I didn’t want to get my hopes up for nothing.

Besides, Mom was just trying to comfort me. I couldn’t let these thoughts distract me. Tonight was supposed to be exciting for Aria, and I wouldn’t let my sadness bring her down.

I pulled up to Aria’s place and headed inside. The house staff greeted me as they always did, letting me know Aria was upstairs. I returned their smiles and made my way up to her room.

The house was a flurry of activity, with people rushing past me, their arms full of various items. I figured it was all in preparation for the alpha king’s return. But the fear etched on their faces was hard to miss.

I’d heard stories about the alpha king, Dylan. He was just thirteen when his parents were murdered by rogues. The whispers said they were brutally killed right in front of him.

The tragedy sent him spiraling into a world of pain and grief, triggering a killing spree. They said his wolf lost control, becoming more vicious than anyone had ever seen.

Dylan’s victims were always men. He spared women and children, but he didn’t discriminate between single men and those with families.

It was Aria’s father, Henry, who finally managed to stop Dylan’s rampage. It wasn’t easy, but he somehow calmed Dylan down.

Henry decided it was best for Dylan to leave for a while. As Dylan’s uncle, he had the authority to send him away. Only Henry knew where Dylan had gone.

Henry was the younger brother of Dylan’s mother, but it was Dylan’s father who carried the royal bloodline.

With the royal family wiped out except for Dylan, Henry was given the temporary title of alpha king. Dylan had agreed to this before he was sent away.

Aria, being Dylan’s cousin, always mentioned how her father kept Dylan’s whereabouts a secret from her. The story sent a chill down my spine, making me wonder what Dylan was like now.

People were ready for the rightful king to reclaim his throne, but there was an undercurrent of worry. Dylan had been a killer once, and no one knew if he had truly changed.

With a sigh, I reached Aria’s door. I rarely knocked, and today was no different. I pushed open the door to find Aria in the middle of a passionate make-out session with some guy.

Really? This girl. She hadn’t even noticed me walk in, so I decided to make my presence known.

“Oh my God! Gross!” I pretended to gag.

That got her attention. She broke the kiss quickly, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

I stood there, raising my eyebrows at her, waiting for an explanation.