Matthew's P.O.V
"Theme park?"
I let out a slow sigh as Camilla whispered the words, tugging at the hem of my shirt. Her long, silky hair cascaded down as she turned away, her small hand clenched into a shaky fist. She looked nervous—either too scared or too shy to ask me outright.
She wanted to go. That much was clear.
Dad had dropped her off today because she hadn't been feeling well the past few days—some fever that kept her out of school. She barely touched her food and mostly just wanted to hang out with me. According to Dad, she still had a bit of a fever, but when I checked in on her, she kept brushing it off, saying she was fine.
She wasn't.
Camilla is my only sister, but ever since our parents divorced, we've been living separate lives. Mom and Grandpa wanted us to stay together, but Dad, who won custody of Camilla, wouldn't allow it. They fought in court for six months, and in the end, the judge ruled that I'd stay with Mom while Camilla moved to Canada with Dad.
Different countries. Different lives.
We were always close, and now we have to deal with not seeing each other for months at a time. It's not that our parents are keeping us apart—it's just that Camilla is adjusting to her new life, and I'm preparing to take over as Alpha of the Howling Crimson Pack. Neither of us has the time to hang out like before.
So, seeing her now, sick and exhausted just because she wanted to visit me… I couldn't help but feel bad. Who knows when we'll get another moment like this?
"Are you okay? Your head isn't spinning, is it?"
I pressed my palm against her forehead, checking for a fever just to be sure.
"No! I'm fine! Can you stop treating me like I'm fragile?" she snapped, which was so unlike her.
Since we started living apart, and especially after Dad remarried, Camilla had gotten way more sensitive. I felt for her, I really did. But the truth is, I can't do anything about the choices our parents make. They've moved on. Mom is all about my education, training me to take on my role as the next Alpha.
"Alright, I get it. I'll change my clothes; just give me a minute," I said, turning to leave.
But suddenly, she grabbed my hand.
"I brought money. Dad gave me a lot before I came here," she said, trying to convince me.
She pulled out her wallet and flashed a debit card along with a few hundred bucks in cash. It made sense—Dad had always been generous when it came to money. He never held back on giving us whatever we needed, and this was probably a big deal for her.
I chuckled, pushing her wallet back toward her.
"Keep it. That's yours. I'm your brother; I got this."
Camilla hesitated at first, but after a little more pushing, she finally gave in. That's my good little sister.
"We'll go tomorrow," I told her, "but for now, you should chill. You haven't even seen Mom yet, right?"
"I wanna go now!" she whined, her excitement bubbling over.
"What? But you still need to see Mom—"
"No! Now, Matthew!"
I sighed, shaking my head. "Alright, alright. Let's go."
Damn. I've never seen her this hyped before. It felt like she was finally going after what she wanted. Ever since we stopped living together, she's been getting more assertive—not at all like the quiet, easygoing Camilla I remember.
We grabbed the car and headed to the theme park. On the way, she kept talking about the rides she wanted to try and all the snacks we had to get.
Then, out of nowhere, she hit me with:
"Matthew, you're eighteen, got your wolf, and you're training to be an Alpha. Does that mean you'll find your mate soon and get hitched?"
I glanced at her. She looked relaxed now—too relaxed for someone who had been bouncing with excitement just moments ago.
If anyone else had asked, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it. But coming from Camilla? It hit different.
"No clue," I admitted. "Never really thought about it."
"Why not?"
I shrugged. "No real reason. Just… hasn't crossed my mind."
"Is it because of what Mom said?"
I shook my head. Mom is strict—way overprotective, but I never let her excuses dictate my choices. Still, when it came to mates, she always got real quiet.
I never gave it much thought before, but now that Camilla mentioned it, I realized, if I haven't even considered looking for my mate, I'm nowhere near ready to take on my Alpha role.
"So, what if you do meet her?" Camilla pressed. "Would you make her your Luna right away?"
"Let's put a pin in that convo for now."
When we got to the theme park, Camilla grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. The place was packed, giant ferris wheel, cable cars, roller coasters, food stalls. The energy was infectious, and Camilla was loving every second of it.
"Matthew, can we stay until they kick us out?"
"What? No way."
"Oh, come on! Just this once?"
"Not happening."
"Don't you wanna ride the Ferris wheel at midnight and see the city lights?" she pouted.
I let out a dramatic sigh. "You'll make me in trouble."
We got our tickets and hit every ride we could, snapping pictures, stuffing our faces with snacks, and making the most of it. Camilla was laughing so much, I almost forgot she had been sick.
But then I froze.
A scent.
Thick. Intoxicating.
My head spun, and sweat dripped down my back.
What the hell…?!
"Matthew! What's wrong?" Camilla's voice barely registered.
My vision blurred. My chest tightened. A cocktail of scents crashed into me, twisting my stomach into knots.
No way… this can't be happening. Not here. Not now.
I turned on my heel, forcing my way through the crowd, ignoring Camilla's shouts behind me. I didn't know where I was going, only that something was pulling me forward.
And then I found myself at the entrance of the public restrooms.
The scent was stronger now. Sticky-sweet, like caramel.
I pushed forward, my instincts on overdrive.
A crowd had gathered around one of the stalls, shouting and pounding on the door. Someone inside was in heat. The air was thick with pheromones, so strong it was suffocating.
I didn't think anything. I just moved.
I shoved past the bystanders, ripped the doorknob clean off, and locked myself inside.
And then, there he was.
A boy. Curled up on the floor, his face flushed, his breathing ragged.
No fucking way. My mate. A guy? A kid?!
His teary eyes met mine. He crawled forward, grabbing at my pants with trembling hands.
"Please.…" His voice was hoarse. Desperate.
I clenched my jaw. My body burned. My instincts screamed at me to take him, claim him, What the actual fuck on here?!
I barely had time to process before he yanked me down, wrapping his arms around me like I was the only thing keeping him sane.
And just like that, I knew, I was screwed.