Harry

My brother and his unbelievable ability to run his own mouth.

Swear on your mate, really? She IS your mate, idiot!

"I meant I was swearing on my first mate's soul." He corrected himself after a minute of Rhiannon glaring daggers at him.

"Yeah, I got that." She stared him down in annoyance.

"Lucas checked with Jessica's parents if you were really there? Damn, I guess he really is not leaving any stone unturned." I was baffled by this information.

"Of course, dork. I was the number one suspect for the shooting. Did you really think he was gonna give me a pass just because he's my best friend?" Aaron glared at me.

"Lucas is our pack's–"

"I know who he is! Do you think I was born yesterday?" She cut him off, peeved.

"Well, I for one am glad it wasn't you, Mr. Staedler. I'd hate to have you tried for attempted murder." Landon told him, as uncomfortable by this line of questioning as me.

"Trust me, Alpha. If I had shot you, you wouldn't have survived." He smirked and all of us glared collectively at him.

"Aaron, for fuck's sake!" I reprimanded him, utterly perplexed by his gull.

"If I were to find out you had shot my mate, you wouldn't have survived it either, brother." I glared as many daggers as possible at him, seriously irritated.

We walked towards the living room, but I was already feeling my stomach turn by all this talk.

"Landon, do you mind if we go to your room? All this murder talk is not doing favors for my stomach." I said, feeling a bit queasy.

"You're gonna complete the bond already? Damn, you're fast!" Aaron snickered.

I punched his arm hard. He winced from the sharp pain.

"You better shut up before you get yourself expelled from this territory, moron! You're not in our house. You should be lucky to be permitted inside." I glared daggers at him, beyond annoyed.

Aaron got uncomfortable by my veiled threat. Rhiannon couldn't stop glaring at her mate.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I didn't mean anything by it. I swear, I'm innocent of your shooting." He told my mate, fearfully.

Landon was uncomfortable, but he was putting on a brave face.

"I believe you, Mr. Staedler." - He spoke politely. - "Let's go, Harry. I'll get you some tea for your stomach."

Landon gestured for me to follow him along, but before I did, I addressed Rhiannon:

"I'm sorry you got stuck with my brother for a mate. I promise you he's not always this idiotic." She faked a polite smile to me. I genuinely felt bad for her.

We left them alone in the living room, hoping they wouldn't kill each other. I mean, she wouldn't kill him. Landon accompanied me to his bedroom and got me some water, before going to the kitchen and preparing a tea for my stomach.

"Here you go." He handed me a cup of tea while I was lying down on his bed. He sat on a chair across from the desk facing me.

"I'm sorry for putting you off like this. I know you have to go back to work. I didn't mean to disrupt your life." I said, feeling a little guilty as I drank the hot tea.

"You're NOT disrupting my life, Harry. You ARE my life. I need you to be well." He said with a worried expression.

"I probably ate too much of your cooking, that's why my stomach is acting up." I said, humorously.

"Well, it's always available to you for as long as you want." He said, flirtatiously.

My phone buzzed. I took it out to see and it was a text message from Spencer.

'YOUR BROTHER GOT A SECOND CHANCE MATE AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT IT? WHERE ARE YOU?🤯'

"Oh boy. My best friend just discovered Aaron has a second chance mate. Landon, you can go back to your routine. I'll be fine here. If I need anything, I'll let you know." I dismissed him, feeling guilty for keeping him away from his official duties.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else? Maybe some medicine?" He offered me, kindly.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just a little rest. Thank you so much, I'll see you later." I assured him.

"OK, you know where to find me if you need anything." He said, before exiting his bedroom.

"I do. Thank you for the tea." I smiled at him as he walked away.

I called Spencer and explained to him that I had returned to Regency Falls to see my mate. With all this commotion recently, I forgot to tell him about my brother's mating adventures.

Truth is I didn't know if he wanted to be told about people getting mated. Because of his personal situation, I was a little cautious not to flaunt it in his face.

But he was mad at me for not telling him the 'hot tea'. I asked him how he found out about Aaron's surprise mating and he told me that's all people have been talking about lately.

He still has connections inside the warrior force and the hot gossip is spreading around like wildfire.

But he was mad at me for not telling him about it in the first place. And for not telling him about my impromptu trip.

I told him I followed his advice to stop using the mate bond as a form of punishment against my mate. I also promised to talk things through with him in person soon.

He is right. I needed to talk to him. I just had so much on my mind.

After an hour for the food to properly settle down in my stomach, I made my way out of Landon's room.

Luckily by now, I know my way around the pack house enough so that I don't get lost.

I searched for my brother and his mate, but the living room was empty. I didn't want to disturb Landon at his office, so I tracked down my brother's guest bedroom.

When I knocked at his door, he opened it tearfully. Immediately I felt sorry for him.

"Hi. The talk with Rhiannon didn't go over so well?" I questioned him, making my way inside of his temporary room.

"Not really, no. She didn't want to talk to me. She basically told me to go home and stay there." He said, tearing up.

"I'm so sorry, Aaron. Not to pile up, but I just got a text from Spencer saying the news of your second chance mating is on everybody's lips back in our pack." I informed him, dreadfully.

"I figured it was just a question of time. This type of news is impossible to contain. It's fine. No one can make me feel worse than I already do." He spoke, sounding broken inside.

"All I can tell you is: don't give up. Prove to her that you are worthy of being her mate. You are Aaron Staedler, the once and future Alpha of the Blood Moon pack." I reassured him in a firm tone.

"Thanks, Harry. I appreciate the support. Whenever you're ready to go home, I'm good to go." He told me, defeatedly.

"Yeah, about that..." I said with a peculiar intonation. Aaron sulked already anticipating what I was about to say.

"You're staying here, aren't you?" He inquired me with a suspicious expression on his face.

"For now at least, yeah." I replied, blushing a bit for no reason.

"It's just that now that I accepted my mate, there's a lot for us to talk about." I explained, still blushing.

"I understand, Harry. You wasted so much time already and now you have to race against the clock until you have to go back to college." He assessed.

"Pretty much, yeah. Ask dad to send someone to collect you. I'm sure he won't mind." I suggested.

I would lend him my car, but I am going to need it while I am here. And for whenever I go back home.

"It's fine, I'll find a way. Don't worry about it." He spoke, not wanting me to feel bad.

"I'm gonna go get my things out of the car and get settled in my guest bedroom. If you need help with anything, I'm around." I told him, before making my way out of the room.

"Thanks, Harry. And good luck with your mate. I'm sure you two will do great together." He smiled weakly at me before I left.

I took my bag out of the car in the garage and went back to my guest room to get settled as I had said.

As I walked back, I saw Lourdes coming out of the dining room with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Coffee for the Alpha?" I asked her with a smile.

"You know how it is." She replied with a smirk.

"Do you mind if I take it to him?" I inquired, humbly.

"Of course not, Luna. Be my guest." She promptly gave me the cup. I put the bag over my shoulders before I took it off her hands.

I walked towards the Alpha's office and entered, cup in hand.

"I heard the hottest Alpha of Texas needed a pick me up." I said, playfully. Landon gasped at my presence as he was staring at his computer screen. He blushed all of the sudden and I couldn't understand why.

"Harry, I'm on a conference call with your father and Beta Wilmont." He explained and then it was my turn to blush.

I put down the coffee on his desk and saw both my father and Lucas on the monitor, video chatting with him.

"Hi, dad. Hi, Lucas. I'm sorry to disturb your meeting, I just came to deliver a cup of coffee to my mate." I said, awkwardly. Both of us blushing at this awkward exchange.

"Hi, son. Good to see you're getting so familiar with him." Dad smirked.

"Yeah, they're great here. I'll leave you alone to resume your meeting. Please excuse me." I said, leaving the office next.

"Apologies for the interruption, Alpha. As I was saying..." Landon blushed before my father and his Beta.

Note to self: don't interrupt the Alpha when he is skyping.

I went to my guest bedroom and put my stuff down, arranging my clothes and personal items. I don't know how long I'll stay, but for now at least I don't plan on leaving any time soon.

I texted Spencer since I had the afternoon to myself, telling him all the latest news. He was happy for me to have finally accepted my mate. I know I was a bit scared he would judge me for it, but he was the one who championed my happiness from the beginning. I love him for it, honestly.

Especially considering the incredible loss he suffered at the hands of my mate. It still chills me to even think about it.

When it was time for dinner - they have a strict schedule around here, same as back home - I was surprised to see my brother inside the dining room. I thought he would've already left here by now.

"Didn't you talk to dad about getting you a ride back to our pack?" I asked him in an inquisitive tone.

"I did, of course. But he said I should stay here until tomorrow because you shouldn't be without family on your birthday." He replied and the entire room gasped in shock, including me.

"Your birthday is tomorrow?" Landon questioned me, loudly.

"Oh my Goddess, with everything that happened lately, I completely forgot about it!" I replied, gobsmacked as if this was news to me.

"We can't let your birthday go unnoticed. We need to throw a party in your honor." Luna Felicia announced, surprising me.

"That's alright, Luna. You don't need to trouble yourself on my account. I'm just a stowaway in your lovely home, I wouldn't wanna impose." I said, blushing.

"YOU ARE NOT A STOWAWAY! YOU ARE MY MATE!" - Landon shouted at me, baffled by my words.

All of us stared at him, wide eyed at his outburst.

"I only meant your mother doesn't need to trouble herself on my account. I hardly know enough people here to invite them to a party." I said, blushing deeper.

"It's fine, Harry. We'll throw a dinner party for close friends. You're welcome to invite your friends from the Blood Moon pack, isn't that right Lan?" She said, winking at her son.

"Yeah, mom. Exactly. Please invite whoever you want." Landon agreed, smiling at me.

"I didn't mean to throw a bomb in the middle of your dinner. I thought you were aware tomorrow is your birthday. It's the same date for almost 21 years now." Aaron snickered. I glared at him.

"Thank you, brother. Have you asked Luna's permission to stay in her house? This is not a hotel, you know?" I jabbed, causing him to blush intensely.

"Of course I asked her first. I was raised right!" He snapped back at me, glaring many daggers my way.

"Stay for as long as you want, Aaron. The more Staedlers the merrier." Luna spoke, cordially. That woman is a saint. Aaron grinned boastfully at me.

"I cannot believe I didn't know it was your birthday tomorrow. I feel like such a failure of a mate." Landon commiserated, feeling down on himself.

"Not even I remembered my own birthday. Don't feel bad, Landon. It's not a big deal. I don't know when your birthday is either." I tried to console him, not wanting him to feel bad.

"It's October 3rd. There's plenty of time." He said with a faint smile.

The rest of the dinner went like a breeze after the shocking news of my upcoming birthday.

Aaron seemed on his best behavior, but I know he was hurting over what happened earlier with Rhiannon.

I wish him the best of luck, honestly. But that is going to be an uphill battle to win over Rhiannon's acceptance.

Later that evening, I called Spencer to tell him about the dinner party in my honor. If this was in my pack, I would invite more people but I wouldn't want to crowd their pack house with individuals with potential grudges against my mate.

I still don't know who the shooter is, therefore everyone is a suspect. The only person who I am sure is innocent it's Spencer - outside of my parents, who were inside the house with me when it happened. I could never fathom he would shoot my mate, especially not after what he said about putting stuff into perspective and chasing my own happiness.

I invited the rest of my family. My parents are taking the opportunity to come visit here since we are allies now.

One way or another, the Goddess saw fit to lock down this partnership with two Staedlers mated to two Regency Falls residents.

Not to mention the fourteen people (couples) that got mated last Saturday. I am still getting thank you texts from members because of that meeting.

At night, I snuck into my mate's room like a teenager. I needed his lips on mine. I am done making excuses against my own happiness.

I am a freaking werewolf. This is my fate.

Freshly showered, I changed into shorts and t-shirt, then I walked inside his bedroom to wish him goodnight.

We kissed for the longest time, just enjoying each other's company. I basked in his warmth like a hot sunny July day.

Well, it is July and it's hot here in Texas. So...

"I missed you so much. Your lips are so delicious." I said once we parted from the kiss. Both of us are lying on his bed.

"You have no idea how much I wanted this. You by my side, preferably on my bed." He told me with a naughty grin.

"I wanted to be here too, mate. There were times where I'd psych myself out of missing you too much. I even got blind drunk and still couldn't shake you off my mind!" I confessed, flustered.

"Trust me, there was plenty of drinking on my side as well. But nothing could get you off my mind! I guess it's true what they say about the mate bond. If it were easy to deny it, no one would accept their mates." He blurted, painstakingly.

We stared at each other for a moment in contemplating silence before we surrendered ourselves to our bond.

Honestly, I couldn't get enough of him.

And hopefully I am just getting started...

https://youtu.be/FOjdXSrtUxA

A|N: This song came to me by accident - I mean, it played somewhere on social media, though I already knew of it - and I immediately wanted it to be included in this novel.

It's great how it connects not only our main couple's story but also Aaron's yearn for his mate. Sorry, Aaron. You need to atone for a lot.

'All I want is the taste that your lips allow.' That's poetry.

You DON'T wanna miss Harry's birthday party.

It's about to go down!

Love,

Léo.