Katya
The weekend passes by in a whirlwind blur. I am a little upset, though. Something is wrong with Mateo. Ever since he took me to my house, I have hardly seen him and he doesn’t even have dinner with us, making me wonder if he and Ezra had a fight.
Waking up, I’m greeted by my parents singing happy birthday through the mindlink, I groan, sitting up, looking around to find the other side of the bed empty. I look to the bathroom door, sniffing the air, looking for his scent but it is faint.
“Happy Birthday, Pumpkin,” my dad says, and I roll my eyes, throwing my legs over the edge of the bed.
“Thanks dad.”
“I will see you in a few hours at school, Kat,” Mom says before cutting her link.
“When can I see you?” I ask my father.
“I am on night shift tonight, but I will come over tomorrow when you get off school, feeling different? What do you think of Alpha Ezra?” He asks.
“The Alpha? Yeah, he is good,” I tell him, a little confused he would ask about him on my birthday.
“Feeling wolfy?”
“Nope, it feels like any other day, dad,” I tell him while stepping in the shower and rolling my eyes.
“She’ll come, typical woman always late.”
I sigh, knowing once again they were in for disappointment. “Or not at all, you say this every year, when are you going to realize it may not happen?” Every year the same thing, Dad is always hopeful then disappointed.
“It will happen, Kat; you just need to hold out a little longer. What are you doing today besides school?”
“Not sure, it depends on what the Alpha has planned, he wants to take me somewhere,” I tell him.
“You didn't ask him? Didn't you wake up next to him?” This question has me blinking soap from my eyes.
“Dad!” My face flames at his words; I haven’t exactly told him we are sleeping in the same room! How had he found out?
“What? Nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re at that age now where you are probably curious about the opposite sex. When I was the Alpha’s age-”
“Ew, Dad, enough and I know you are not trying to give me a sex talk right now, like no dad, gross." I shudder, thinking about what his next words would have been. I'd happily go back to all the Pumpkin talk if it saved me from that kinda discussion.
“Nothing wrong with sex, your mother and I still go at it.”
So not what I want a mental image of.
“Nope, not doing this, bye Dad,” I tell him. He laughs before I cut the mindlink. I shake my head at that embarrassingly awkward conversation.
I quickly shower before hearing a knock on the door. “Just a sec.”
“Gotta go soon Kat, you will be late,” Mateo sings out from the other side of the door.
“Yep, getting out now.” Cutting the water off, I grab a towel, wrapping it around myself before opening the door.
“There's the birthday girl, oh and in her birthday suit.” Mateo laughs and I smack his arm walking past him.
“Where is the Alpha?” I ask him.
“Ah, busy. He was called away, but don't worry you have me to annoy you. Get dressed, I will meet you downstairs,” he suggests before grabbing me and crushing me against his chest. “Happy birthday, Kat,” he says, before letting me go.
“Thanks, I will be down in a minute.” I walk into the walk-in closet and grab my bag that has my clothes in it. Mateo leaves and I snag some jeans and a tank top. Walking back out, I quickly slip on my bra and panties before getting dressed and pulling my hair up into a ponytail. Thankfully, I can wear them again. Grabbing my sneakers, I walk out the door and down the stairs.
“Gosh, you’re slow, woman, hurry up. You do realize you're already going to be late?” Mateo whines.
I slip my shoes on before hopping up and find Mateo with my school bag over his shoulder. “Come on hurry up.” Mateo grabs my hand and tugs me out the door. I walk to his truck, and he opens the door, turns, grips my hips, tossing me in just as I am about to climb up.
I fall forward, falling into the driver's seat floorboard.
“Falling for me, Kat?” He says, opening his door as I try to climb out.
“Jerk!” I scold him. Sitting in my seat and clipping my belt.
“So, still no wolf?” He casually asks, putting the truck in reverse and turning it around.
Digging through my bag, I pull out my schedule. “Nope, and I wish everyone would stop asking.” I huff. How many more times will I have to have this conversation before everyone gives up?
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he apologizes, his usual cheer fades and his shoulders sag.
I sigh. “You didn’t. I already got the lecture off my dad, along with an embarrassing one.”
“What was the embarrassing one?” He asks with a chuckle. Had he been faking a few seconds ago? I shake my head. No way am I telling him that.
“Aw Pumpkin, are you too embarrassed to tell me?”
I slap his chest and he laughs. “Don’t call me that, it's bad enough he does,” I complain.
“Yeah, usually nicknames wear off, but that one seems to have stuck with him,” Mateo agrees, making my face redden.
“Yep, he is never going to let me live it down.”
Mateo glances at me. Interest sparkles in his eyes. Oh no, I'm not letting this one know, ever. “Live what down?”
“The whole pumpkin thing, and no I am not telling you.”
“You can't say something like that, then not tell me,” Mateo says with a pout.
“Well, I did and I am not telling.” I will not be fooled this time by this rascal.
“Fine, tell me the embarrassing lecture he tried to give you instead?” He suggests with a wink. I shake my head looking out the window as we hit the town’s edge. “He tried to give you a sex talk didn’t he?” Mateo nods to himself and my face burns hotter than before, if that’s even possible, I seriously need to learn to control that.
“Ha, he did! What did you say?” Mateo is far too invested.
“Nothing to say, besides that is not a conversation I want to have with my father, he was about to tell me his and mom's sex stories.” I shudder. “So gross.”
“Nothing wrong with sex, I like sex,” Mateo states boldly, which reminds me of what I saw under his bed.
“I could tell by the dirty magazines under your bed and that sock,” I laugh at him and this time he blushes. “Oh, was that a secret?” I mock, laughing at him.
“No, it isn’t a secret, but what were you doing looking in them?” He counters.
“I wasn’t, I just found them.”
“Sure you did, pervert,” he growls and I elbow him. He grunts from the impact, reaches over and messes my hair, I slap his hand away. “You need to stop hanging around the Alpha, you are turning violent,” he laughs, pulling into the staff car park.
Jasmine waves from the steps when we pull up and she comes rushing over to the truck. I open my door hopping out, only to be crushed by her in a hug. “Oh my gosh Kat, I heard about what happened! I am so sorry that bitch did that.”
“Well, I actually forgot but thanks for reminding me,” I chuckle, hugging her back.
“I will see you later, Kat,” Mateo gives me a little wave before walking off.
“So where were you on the Pack run? I looked everywhere for you.”
“I was with the Alpha, actually.” She tilts her head to the side and I sigh, deciding to tell her about me not having a wolf. She seems a little shocked, but says she will keep it to herself and I trust her.