The Silver Siren

I woke up with one thought in my mind: I was officially an adult.

Today was my eighteenth birthday, which meant I would finally meet my wolf and shift for the first time. It also meant that I would now be able to find my mate. While I was excited about experiencing my wolf’s strength and agility, I wasn’t excited about finding my mate.

Your mate is the other half of your soul, bestowed upon you by the Moon Goddess. Finding your mate creates an irresistible bond that’s almost impossible to break. It completes you. But I wasn’t sure I wanted a lifelong partner. I had an exciting future planned for myself, and I didn’t want to give that up to serve as a pup-making machine for some stranger.

It’s possible to reject your mate, of course, but it’s dangerous. Severing your mate bond is extremely painful, and if you aren’t strong enough, both you and your wolf could die.

I thought about the possibility of finding—and rejecting—my mate as I rolled out of bed and made my way downstairs.

When I walked into the kitchen, there were streamers and balloons everywhere—hanging off door handles, kitchen cabinets, even the light fixtures.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the kitchen table, where there was the biggest chocolate cake I had ever seen. It was three tiers of chocolate deliciousness with a gold “eighteen” in the center surrounded by eighteen gold candles.

My godmother, Melissa, was standing in front of the coffee maker with her arms outstretched. She was my mother’s best friend and was named my guardian when my parents died when I was a baby.

She hugged me tight and squealed, “Happy Birthday, Allie!”

Although she was human, the bond between her and my mother, Suzanne, was strong, and they considered themselves sisters. Because of that, she knew a lot about werewolves and the werewolf community, which was unusual. She was the closest thing I had to family.

Cake?” she asked with a devilish grin.

“For breakfast?”

She nodded.

We both laughed as she pulled out plates and forks.

The cake was everything a chocolate cake should be—fudgy, sticky, sweet, chocolatey goodness in every bite. It was the perfect way to start the day.

“I have a gift for you,” she said as she finished her slice.

She walked over to the dresser in the kitchen and opened the top drawer. Inside was a large brown envelope. She gestured toward the living area, and I followed her to the sofa.

“Now, this isn’t from me,” she began, taking a deep breath and gripping the envelope with shaky hands. “It’s from your parents.”

Silence filled the room.

“Before your parents passed, they left instructions for me to become your guardian if anything happened to them, which was understandable since they had already named me your godmother.”

She exhaled sharply and took a steadying breath. Talking about my parents had always been hard for her. “You and your parents used to live in a beautiful house close to here. When I began caring for you, their house was sold, and the money was put into a trust fund.”

She handed me the envelope. “Open it.”

I reached for it with trembling hands. As I pried off the top tab, the contents slipped out onto my lap. I clutched the papers and read the words “Trust Fund,” followed by my name and a staggering amount of money.

A choking sound left my lips, and I felt Melissa’s hand give mine a gentle squeeze.

I had wanted to open my own gym since taking my first self-defense class at thirteen. Learning to fight was second nature for me. I had always been shy and quiet, and I never had many friends since the other kids knew I was an orphan and left me alone. But the self-defense class had boosted my confidence and helped me make friends.

Every time I went to class, I felt accepted and like I belonged. It felt like I had my own little combat family. By the time I finished the first class, I knew I wanted to create that same feeling for other people, especially young teens.

I had already decided against going to college because I wanted to work and save money for the gym. So getting the money to open my own gym was a dream come true.

I don’t know how long I sat there staring at the documents, but a noise from Melissa brought me back to the present.

I looked up to see her smiling at me, but after a few seconds, the smile changed to anguish.

“I’m so sorry they aren’t here with you, Allie,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Something strange flashed in her eyes, but she blinked before I could figure out what it was.

It looked like guilt, but what did she have to feel guilty about?

She had taken care of me for most of my life, providing me with everything I needed physically and emotionally. And now she had given me what I needed to make my future a reality.

I looked at the papers again. “I can’t believe this. Thank you so much,” I whispered.

“Happy Birthday, Allie,” she said as she leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Your parents would be so proud of you, just like I am.”

She didn’t talk about my parents very often, and when I would ask her about them, she would always tell me that they were wonderful people. As I got older, I realized how much pain she felt when she talked about them, so I stopped asking her questions.

She was devastated when they died in a car accident when I was just six months old. I don’t remember anything about them, but sometimes I thought it was for the best. The pain of losing them would be unbearable if I remembered their faces, their voices, their scents.

Melissa and I were close, but lately I’d noticed her acting strangely. She was normally chatty and bubbly, but she’d been quiet and withdrawn.

Last week, I came home to find her gazing at a framed photo of my parents. And on the few occasions I’d mentioned my birthday, she seemed like she didn’t want to talk about it.

She was always a little sad after my birthday because it was another year without my parents, but this year seemed different. The only thing I could think was that she was worried she would lose me if I found my mate.

Thinking of my future mate brought my mind back to my plans for the gym. My mind whirled as I realized that I had all the money I needed to make my dream a reality.

It was all happening so much sooner than I had planned or imagined. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to Melissa for thinking about my future so many years ago, but that happiness was slowly turning into fear.

What would happen now? Should I still get a job? Should I go to college? I had tuition money now, but would it delay my plans too much? There were so many questions and not enough answers.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped up when I realized how late it was. I was supposed to meet Kayla in an hour! I hugged Melissa and thanked her once again, then headed upstairs to shower.

Afterward, I quickly brushed and blow-dried my waist-length hair, then put on a pale-yellow tank top and black workout leggings and headed downstairs.

Melissa had already started tidying up the dishes from “breakfast.”

“I’m meeting Kayla for a movie. I’ll be back later!” I said as I pulled on my old, battered black sneakers and grabbed my bag.

As I headed for the door, Melissa called out, “Wait! I need to give you my gift!”

“But you already gave me a gift,” I said.

“That was from your parents. This is from me,” she handed me a tiny box wrapped in gold paper with a massive red bow on top.

I took the small package from her and tore off the ribbon and paper. Inside was a shiny key.

I looked up at her, puzzled.

“Look outside,” she said with a chuckle.

For a moment, I couldn’t move, but as she walked out the front door, I managed to get my legs working and followed her. Sitting in the driveway was a small red soft-top car with an oversized red bow wrapped around the hood.

“What the…,” I managed to squeak. This was a dream, right? It had to be.

“It’s all yours, sweetie,” she giggled. She had always loved surprises, and I could tell how much she was enjoying this one.

“Are you serious?” I choked.

“Of course,” she broke into laughter.

“Oh my Goddess!” I launched myself at her, hugging her tight. “Thank you!”

“Why don’t you give it a try?” she asked, opening the door.

I walked over and slowly climbed in. It was a classic model, compact but powerful, and in mint condition. It had beautiful black leather seats that were as soft as snow. It wasn’t flashy or over the top, and it fit my personality perfectly.

I was already in love with it as I put the key in the ignition and the engine purred to life.

“It’s amazing!” I squealed.

I sat with the engine running for several minutes, admiring every inch of the car.

Melissa’s voice snapped me out of my daze. “You better get going. You don’t want to be late,” she said. “Be careful!”

“Um, right, sure,” I spluttered. I shifted into drive, released the brake, and slipped out of the driveway. Thankfully, it was a quick drive, and the car drove like a dream.