After eating I went and got the girls and had them drive me home. As we pulled up to the house I remembered about Pete.

"Hey, do me a favor and check on Pete for me, there was something off about that Gabriella girl he was with last night."

"What do you mean?" Asked Alice.

"I don't know, the way she moved didn't seem human, but it wasn't wolf either. I don't know, can you please check?" I asked again.

"Sure, we'll swing by his place later." Alice reassured me.

"Thanks, well wish me luck." I said as I got out of the car.

The girls drive off as I make my way to the door, opening it I find my mother sitting on the staircase waiting for me. Seeing her I immediately notice the annoyed look on her face, letting out a deep sigh I go up and take a seat next to her. Neither of us say anything for a moment and then I feel a sharp pain shoot down my arm.

"OW!" I exclaim.

My mother had pinched me quite hard.

"What was that for?" I asked while rubbing my arm.

"Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you." She answered.

"Sorry, it just sort of happened." I answered with a deep sigh.

"Well, I really can't blame you, I mean apparently she's your mate. Honestly, nothing is going how I hoped it would." Her annoyed tone amused me.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I was hoping for you to find a nice normal wolf girl, not freaking a alpha." She answered.

"What's the difference?"

My mother gives me a sideways glance, "Are you really going to tell me that you aren't here to pack your things to leave and move in with her?"

"Oh." Was all I could say.

If Keira had been a regular wolf, she would've more than likely been the one to join our pack, instead of me joining hers. That's when the gravity of the situation really hit me.

Holy shit, I'm moving out and practically married all at once!

The ridiculousness of the entire situation made me chuckle.

"Wow, either she really is your mate or you two had a REALLY good time last night, or was it both?" She asked with a questioning smile.

I just stared straight ahead not taking her bait, but I could feel the embarrassed flush on my face, this was one conversation I did not want to have with my mother.

Unfazed by my unwillingness to answer my mother just continued to stare at me, I could practically hear the gears in her head turning.

"Well, at least you're in a better mood than last time. After your first time with Claire you seemed more guilty then happy." My mother stated.

My eyes widen in shock and I slowly turn my head to look at her.

"Oh, come on, you really thought we wouldn't know?" She asked.

"Dammit Claire." I said exasperated.

"Oh please, Claire never said a word. She didn't have to." My mother said coming to Claire defense.

"Then how?" I asked

"Honey, we're werewolves, we could smell it the moment it happened." She answered.

I slap myself in the forehead, like an idiot I completely forgot about a werewolves' keen sense of smell. Here I am trying to keep my night with Claire a secret and everyone already knew the moment it happened.

"Wait a sec, if you all knew this whole time why didn't any of you say anything?" I asked

The smile on my mother's face grew wider and I could see her trying to hold back a laugh.

"Oh, that's just great, the whole pack having at laugh at my expense." I said with my tone filled with annoyance.

Just great, my own family laughing at my naivety.

"It was just funny that you didn't think we would know." My mother said while still smiling.

And of course, Claire had to know that they knew, it's probably the reason for all her innuendo and ass slaps.

Goddess I'm an idiot.

Feeling a bit defeated, with a heavy sigh, I decided to answer my mother's previous question.

"Yes, she is my mate and yes we had a very good time last night." I said, blushing on the last part.

"May I see it?" My mother asks me with a victorious smile on her face.

"Yeah." I reply as pull the shirt over my right shoulder exposing my mark.

"Ouch, it looks deep, are you ok are you in any pain?" Her worried making me smile.

"I'm fine, it doesn't even hurt." I tell her truthfully.

"And were you able to mark her?" My mother asks me in a wary tone, as if afraid of the answer, she even stops breathing.

"Breath mom, yes I was able to mark her. Which I gotta say is confusing the hell out of me right now. I mean, I know there have been other human mates, all females of course, but even if that wasn't the case, I still have no idea how any of this works. Were they all able to mark their mates too, and on that note why don't mating marks heal? I mean I never thought about it until now but shouldn't a bite like that heal instantly?"

I start to ramble but am interrupted when my mother grabs my shoulders and turns me to look at her.

"And your body does it feel any different?" My mother questions me in an excited tone.

"How did you know? I feel great, I feel lighter than normal." I shift and move my shoulders to get a feel of this new lightness. "Is this a mating thing, I mean is this feeling normal?" I ask.

But instead of answering my question my mother begins to cry and pulls me into a bear hug so tight I can hardly breath.

"Mom?" I wheeze out.

Her hold loosens enough for me to breath.

"Sorry." She says as she continues to bawl.

"What's wrong?" I ask worriedly.

She pulls away and wipes her face, "No, I'm just happy.", a small laugh coming through her tears.

I look at her confused.

"I'm not sure on the details but that lightness your feeling is from the fact that your body's growth is beginning to slow down." My mother explains.

"What? Wait you mean!?" I slowly realize what she's telling me.

"Yep, in a few more years you'll stop aging completely." My mother says with a big smile.

I just sat there dumbstruck by this sudden revelation, I now understood my mother's sudden jubilation. Her fear of watching me grow old and die, had been resolved.

"Wait, wait, wait, how do you know this? The little information I was able to find on human mates only mentioned that they don't age. It never said how it happened or what the signs of it happening were." I stated

My mother scoffs. "Please, the information in those old scrap books is hundreds of years old. Not to mention the wolves who wrote them were clearly not fans of humans or human mates and refused to write about them." She answered.

"Then how do you know about this?"

"Easy, we just asked wolves with human mates." My mother replied nonchalantly.

"What!? when! Are there wolves with human mates around here? How come I haven't seen any, and what do you mean by 'we'? Are you saying dad knew about this too?" I was in shock, a dozen different question running through my head.

"First off, of course your father knows about this, you're his son he loves you. Second, no, there are no wolves with human mates around here." She stopped to gather her thoughts before continuing. "A few months after we adopted you, your father put the word out that he was looking for wolves with human mates who could help us and was willing to pay. It took a couple of years, but we finally found two couples who were willing to talk to us."

"Why didn't you guys ever tell me this before?"

"Well we didn't know if any of this would apply to you and we didn't want to get your hopes up." My mother explained.

Hearing that I understood their hesitation, we're in uncharted territory when it comes to me, the first male human mate.

"Soo what did they say?" I said eager to learn what I could.

"Well just like you, neither had a problem marking their mates, and their bodies started feeling slightly more energetic. At first neither knew what it meant, but after years went by and they saw no signs of aging it finally clicked."

"How old were they?" I asked curiously.

"Well they both looked to be in their twenties, but one was about fifty and the other one around eighty."

"Are you still in contact with them? There's so much I want to ask them."

"Unfortunately, no, just getting them to meet us was hard enough, once they answered our questions, they took their money and left. But the good news is the mating process between a wolf and a human is exactly the same as the mating process between two wolves." My mother reassured me.

"Well that's good to know."

"Now as for why mating marks don't heal, if you're looking for a rational answer ask your father, I'm sure he has some theories. As for me, I just believe it is what it is, love." She smiles at me.

I couldn't help but smile back, I've always thought of my life as having an expiration date. But now, not only am I going to be around for a long time, but I get to spend it with my soulmate. Which now that I'm thinking about it is still a mystery to me, I've never even had a girlfriend before. I've literally gone from being single to being mated in the span of a week, and I have no idea how relationships work let alone being mated.

"Mom, what should I expect from being mated?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know that Keira is an alpha and that she'll always be the dominant personality in our relationship. But you and dad have always seemed so equal in everything and I'm just wondering if that's possible for me and Keira?"

"Honey, there are no set rules for being mated. You and Keira have to figure out your relationship on your own."

I let out a sigh, 'Its hard, she's my mate but a stranger at the same time."

"Surely you've gotten to know her a little by now."

"Oh sure, like the fact that she can be quite forceful when she wants something." My mind flashes back to what happened earlier in the kitchen and what would've happened if that wolf hadn't walked in.

Hearing that, a worried look crosses my mother's face.

"I didn't mean it like that, she hasn't forced me to do anything. There have just been some moments where I felt...compelled to do as she says." I try to explain and reassure her.

She considers me a moment before finally speaking, "That could just be fear."

'Fear?" I repeat confused.

"Yes, the fear that she'll leave you if you don't do what she wants." My mother explained.

"No, no, that can't be the case. I mean I..."

I trail off as I start to really think about it, am I afraid that she'll leave me?

"You just have to remember that she is your mate, and she'll always loves you. So, don't be afraid to speak up or challenge her on things. If you don't, you'll eventually become unhappy which in turn will make her unhappy which will then make the pack unhappy."

"Are you saying this happened with you and dad?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, it's a bit hard picturing me not speaking my mind huh?" She replied.

"That's an understatement." I scoff.

I feel another pinch on my arm.

"Ow!"

"Anyway, you should go see your father while I finish packing your things." Her tone becoming melancholy.

"Don't worry mom, I'll still be over here all the time. Besides I have to bring you Keira so you can meet her." I said with a soft smile.

"You better." She smiles with a few tears in her eyes and hugs me.

Getting up, I head upstairs to my father's study, I knock on the door before entering and hope things go as smoothly as they did with mom.

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