The lost mate
Chapter 98: Invitation

Chapter 98: Invitation

Anne stood at the doorstep of Emily and Heather’s cosy little home, knocking gently. She had promised Damien she’d extend a personal invitation to the pack barbeque, but part of her had wanted to come by on her own to see how Emily and Heather were doing.

The door creaked open, and Emily appeared, her face a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "Anne, hey," she said, stepping aside to let her in. "Wasn’t expecting you this early."

"Hey, Em," Anne smiled. "I wanted to come by and invite you and Heather to the pack barbeque. It’s tomorrow. Should be fun—good food, lots of people." She grinned, trying to sound casual.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Pack barbeque? Is it... like, a wolf thing?"

Anne laughed. "Well, kind of. But it’s more of a community thing. Everyone’s welcome, even humans. Alpha Richard personally invited you both, so you don’t have to worry about feeling out of place."

Emily glanced over her shoulder towards the hallway, where Heather’s voice could be faintly heard. Anne walked in with Chris. Emily and Chris nodded at each other but didn’t exchange any words. Anne noticed the cold vibe between them but didn’t ask. She sat down on the sofa as Heather appeared.

"Hey, Anne," Heather said softly, giving her a small smile. "Pack barbeque, huh?"

"Yeah," Anne nodded. "I promise it’ll be fun. You two should come. It’s just a nice way for everyone to relax, eat, and bond."

Emily exchanged a glance with Heather, who seemed to hesitate. "I dunno, Anne. I mean, is it really okay for us to be there? We’re not, you know, like you. We’re human."

Anne waved off their concerns. "Of course, it’s okay! Alpha Richard wouldn’t have invited you if he didn’t want you there. He’s all about inclusion. Seriously, don’t worry."

Emily still seemed uncertain, but something in her softened. She glanced at Anne’s neck, her eyes narrowing slightly as they landed on the faint mark peeking out from under Anne’s collar. "What’s that on your neck?" she asked, her tone casual but pointed.

Anne’s hand instinctively reached up to cover the spot, but she stopped herself and smiled. "Oh, this?" she said, brushing her fingers over the mark. "It’s a mating bite. Damien marked me."

Heather’s eyes widened, and Emily’s face shifted from curiosity to something more complex, a mix of intrigue and discomfort. "Marked you?" Emily repeated slowly, her voice laced with concern. "You mean, like... you belong to him now?"

Anne nodded, her smile faltering just a bit as she noticed Emily’s reaction. "Yeah, kind of. It’s how our bonds work. The bite shows that I’m his mate."

Emily stared at the mark for a moment longer before blurting out, "And... there’s no way to get out of that? I mean, what if you—" She trailed off, glancing at Heather, who looked equally confused.

Anne shook her head, trying to keep her tone light. "Well, it’s a one-way thing right now. I haven’t marked him yet, so it’s not like it can’t be undone. It’s more symbolic at this point, you know? It can disappear if either of us were to... well, mate with someone else, but that’s not happening, obviously."

Emily was quiet for a moment, biting her lip as if debating whether to say something. Anne noticed the slight tension in her, but she didn’t press it. Emily always had a lot on her mind these days.

Heather finally broke the silence. "Well, if we’re invited by the Alpha himself, I guess we should go, huh, Em?"

Emily nodded slowly, still staring at Anne’s bite. "Yeah. Yeah, we’ll go."

Anne grinned, relieved that they’d agreed. "Great! You’ll love it. I’ll see you both there tomorrow."

"Do you people...get naked and shift ?" Emily asked curiously.

Anne laughed.

"Yeah, nudity is not a big deal among wolves, but nobody would be prancing around naked during a pack barbeque." Anne assured her.

Emily chuckled nervously, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension about the upcoming event. "I guess I’ll find out tomorrow," she said with a smile.

She turned to leave but paused, glancing back at Emily. "Everything okay?"

Emily forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, everything’s fine. See you tomorrow."

As Anne left, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with Emily. But she brushed it aside, assuming it was just the usual adjustment to their strange new reality. Inside the house, though, Emily was far from fine. She watched Anne walk away, her mind racing with the weight of what she knew. Damien had manipulated Anne to get her back. But seeing Anne so happy, so content with the bond, Emily couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Maybe Anne didn’t need to know. Maybe it was better this way.

"Are you okay?" Heather asked, placing a hand on Emily’s arm.

Emily blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Yeah. I am fine." She smiled, but inside, she was conflicted, wondering if keeping the secret was really the right thing to do.

***************************************************

Anne walked back into the house, a wide grin on her face as she kicked off her shoes by the door.

"Damien?" she called, her voice echoing through the hallway as she headed towards the living room. "Emily and Heather are coming to the barbeque! I was a little worried at first, but they seemed okay with it after I explained everything."

Damien was sitting on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, hands loosely clasped together. He looked up at her as she entered, offering a faint smile, though there was a tension in his shoulders she hadn’t noticed earlier.

"That’s great," he said, his voice a little too measured, like he was trying to sound cheerful but not quite managing it.

She plopped down next to him, folding her legs beneath her. "Yeah, it’ll be fun. They were worried at first about being the only humans there, but I told them not to worry. Your dad invited them, so it should be fine." She leant back, still grinning. "I’m actually really excited. It’ll be nice to have everyone together, you know?"

Damien nodded, but his eyes weren’t quite meeting hers. Anne’s excitement started to fade as she noticed his unease. She tilted her head, studying him for a moment. "You okay? You seem... off."

Damien exhaled slowly, running a hand through his dark hair. "Anne, there’s something I need to tell you. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I just... I can’t keep it from you anymore."

Her heart skipped a beat. She sat up straighter, her pulse quickening. "What is it? You’re making me nervous."