Chapter 4 Chapter Four

I start glancing around the room looking for something anything to talk about, I hate awkward silence. Tiberius and I usually don’t have this problem, but something has been off with him lately. I figure it’s just his daughter becoming a woman or him missing his mate, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Right as I’m about to grab another glass of scotch I catch a whiff of Leilani’s sweet vanilla scent. I immediately turn to the grand staircase, where Leilani is coming down the stairs barefoot in a white fluffy robe. My heart flutters with delight as I watch Leilani descend the stairs.

“Why are you smiling?” Leilani asks with narrowed eyes. My smile falters. I didn’t realize I was smiling.

Ignoring her question, I ask one of my own. “Are you ready to head outside Leilani?” She quickly looks between me and her father. Her father gives her an encouraging smile. Leilani takes a deep breath before nodding slowly.

We all head outside, the cold breeze blowing off the mountains causes a chill to immediately set in. Leilani’s birthday is in mid-December, the eighteenth to be exact. Leilani shivers. “Just another minute sweetheart and you will be warm.” Her father says pulling her in for one more hug before sending her behind the wall.

Tiberius has a temporary privacy wall set up outside. A werewolves’ first shift is excruciatingly painful, and they tend to break anything and everything in their path. Once she is comfortable with shifting, she will be able to shift anywhere she wants to. Leilani won’t have to wear a robe, because she won’t feel the need to tear her clothes off. She will be able to control how quickly she shifts and how far the shift goes. There are several steps between full wolf and human form.

In a matter of seconds after Leilani disappears behind the wall, I hear the familiar sound of bones crunching. It’s begun. Every werewolves first shift usually takes anything from five to ten minutes. Five to ten minutes of the worst pain you can possibly imagine, next to losing a mate that is.

Tiberius and I exchange anxious glances as we listen to the sound of more bones crunching, with each bone crunch I flinch. I hate the thought of Leilani in pain. In less than a minute Leilani appears in wolf form. That was oddly fast.

Leilani is a beautiful wolf. Her fur matches her sandy blonde hair. Her eyes shine their natural gray color. She’s a petite wolf, which matches her five foot seven in human form. I hear her father sniffle from his spot beside me, but I don’t take my eyes off Leilani.

We watch as she prances around for a minute getting comfortable in her wolf form. She smiles canines bared as she runs off into the woods. Tonight has been a very odd night. My mind keeps playing through tonight’s events. Leilani is my mate, I’m sure of it.

“Tiberius, can I ask you something?”

Tiberius looks at me. “Sure Malakai. What is it?”

I suck in a deep breath. “What kind of guy do you hope will be Leilani’s mate?”

Tiberius narrows his eyes at me, “What made you bring that up?”

I fidget uncomfortably for a second. “Just thinking about the future.”

“Well, I imagine she will be with someone like that nice boy Lucas she was dancing with earlier.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes as irritation builds inside me. “His father is a pack protector, he’s a straight A student, and a star football player. He would be able to protect her, and they would make intelligent, caring children.” I fill with more anger with every word out of his mouth.

“Yeah.” I say in a snappy tone.

Tiberius raises his brows in confusion. Before he can say anything, he sways losing his balance. “Tiberius are you okay?” I ask as I catch his arm, keeping him from falling into the snow. I steady him as I help him down on the steps. “Do you need to go inside?” “Are…” I start to ask another question when Tiberius cuts me off.

“Malakai.” Tiberius says seeming breathless. “I’ll be alright, I think I just need to go lay down. Will you tell Leilani how sorry I am, and please wait for her. I don’t want her to be alone when she returns.”

“I’ll stay here Tiberius. Get some rest, do you need help getting inside?”

Tiberius shakes his head as he slowly stands up from the step. I watch closely as he slowly makes his way up the front steps. The butler George opens the door for the alpha. I motion for him to watch the alpha closely, George nods as he helps Tiberius to his room.

The door closes behind them, and I’m left in the cold alone. I should be used to being alone by now, I’ve spent the last fifteen years waiting for my mate. To fill the void, I’ve dated many women. There is such a thing as a chosen mate, someone you choose to spend your life with. I can’t see myself being with any of the women I’ve dated for the rest of my life.

I always knew one day my mate would waltz into my life, but I never thought it would be Leilani. What if she doesn’t even feel the same way? What if she turns twenty one and she’s fated to some young man such as Lucas? I don’t want to spend the rest of my life without her.

My heart races with anxiety, I need Leilani. Once she is of age I need her, until then I will be whatever she needs. The snow crunches in the woods to my left and I jump. Out of reflex I bare my canines, eyes darkening. I inhale deeply trying to catch a scent…. sweet, sweet vanilla. My Leilani. Retracting my canines, I smile in the direction of the sound.

Leilani slowly prances out of the woods, eyes darting. She must be looking for her father. Before I can explain she races behind the privacy wall and shifts back into human form. “Where’s my dad? He promised he would be here waiting for me.”

“Your dad wasn’t feeling to well, so I had George help him get to his room. He expressed his deepest apologies. He wanted to wait angel he just couldn’t.” I give her a reassuring smile.

Her eyes widen with concern. “Is he okay?”

“Yes, angel I think he just had too much to drink tonight, he has been a ball of nerves all day.”

Leilani giggles. “He has been acting pretty stressed the past few days, he probably needs the rest.” A full body shiver courses through Leilani. She’s only wearing the fluffy robe from earlier.

“Let’s get you inside. I can’t have you getting sick, especially on your birthday.” I pull Leilani into me and lead her inside. She leans her head on my chest. “Come on, I bet you’re exhausted.”

Leilani nods into my chest and yawns. “It’s past your bedtime young lady.” I say in a joking manner. I can feel her smile against my chest, and I can’t help but smile.