I was surfing on a slice of pizza when I felt my body hit a hard surface, I open my eyes and soon discover that I'm laying on my bedroom floor with my best friend Gabbie, laughing her head off on my bed. 

"What the heck?" I ask dazed, looking around rubbing my eyes, I thought I'd fallen asleep on the bed. 

"I tried waking you up but you wouldn't, so I decided to push you out of bed" she laughs, jumping down off my mattress, which was sideways. 

"You know there are nicer ways to wake people up" I say, getting up off the floor rubbing my arm, I look down to see it was red, fantastic! it's gonna bruise a day before my birthday! 

I turn 16 tomorrow, everyone is so happy for me but I don't really know how to feel. For those of you who don't know, when a werewolf turns 16 they shift for the first time, which means they're able to find their mate. 

"Now hurry up and get ready, we have to leave soon" She tells me, walking out my bedroom, I shake my head annoyed. 

Why did I choose her as a friend I will never know, with that thought I start getting ready for school, putting the thought of finding my mate at the back of my mind.  

It takes me around half an hour to get ready, I spent most of that time trying to sort my bed out, I make my way downstairs to see Gabbie talking with my parents. My father was eating his breakfast while my mother looked like she was cleaning. 

"Good morning family" I smile, as I walk throwing my bag on the floor.  

"Morning sweetheart" my dad says, while my mother just smiles at me but doesn't go to speak, something is bothering her but I don't know what, I mean she could just be tired. 

"It's your birthday tomorrow!" Gabbie shouts, causing everyone jump from her random outburst, she's a very loud person which this family isn't used to. 

I just shake my hand walking over to the fridge to find something quick for breakfast, I decide on a yogurt but I lean against the counter to eat it. 

"You're gonna be able to find you mate!" She says happily, but my mum just tenses looking like she was about to throw up, I thought I was meant to be the nervous one here. 

"Are you okay?" I ask, she just nods saying she needs fresh air before walking outside leaving me totally confused "Is she okay?" I ask my father, who folded up his newspaper rising to his feet smiling.  

"She's fine, she just doesn't want you to grow up, have a nice day at school" he smiles, placing a  kiss my head before walking out after my mum, leaving Gabbie and I in the kitchen.  

"Ready to go?" Gabbie asks, taking my yogurt off me walking out, I pick my bag up annoyed at her.  

"Hey my yogurt!" I shout, following her out the door, by the time I made it outside she already eat it all. 

I was walking towards the door after school, Gabbie was gonna come over but her parents said if she wants to hang with me on my birthday, she has to finish her school work, my mum and dad were walking out the door as I walked through. 

"We're just popping out for a bit sweetheart to get some stuff, someone's waiting inside for you" my dad smiles, while my mum just walks straight passed me and towards the car, is she trying to avoid me or something? 

I smile walking through the door just dumping my bag on the floor, my stomach started to rumble so I make the short journey to the kitchen, my hunger making me forget what my dad said. I walk past the window when someone catches my eye, I look closer and realise it's my older brother Ryan who I haven't seen him in nearly three years! He said he just wanted to get away for a while and hasn't come back since. 

I run to the back door but stop just before I was about to open it, I mean do I want to make it seem like I really missed him? He hasn't rang or anything for the whole three years and now he's turning up out of the blue. I decide to put on an act that I didn't care, cause hopefully that would get to him. I open the door slowly to see he was throwing rocks at the garden fence, he always did that if something was playing on his mind, but he hadn't notice I was there yet. 

"What you doing here?" I ask, walking out with my arms crossed, this made him jump and turn to look at me, mouth wide open might I add. 

"Savannah" was all he said, as I lean up against the wall my arms still crossed. 

"Last time I checked, but let's not forget the fact that you ran off" I say still annoyed at him, I haven't had the chance to talk to him about it cause he's been ignoring me for nearly three years! wow I didn't know it annoyed me that much. 

"I'm sorry Savannah, but I just needed to get away" he says, finally forming a sentence, he walks towards me I just continue to lean on the wall. 

"Why come back now then?" I question, as he comes to a stop in front of me, this makes him smile nudging my arm.  

"Why do you think? It's your birthday tomorrow I couldn't miss that" he smiles, making a little smile form on my lips, I never stay mad at people for very long, I'm a lover not a hater! 

He opens his arms for a hug, I laugh a little before accepting it, he holds me tightly sounding like he was taking deep breaths like he was taking in what I smelt like, I didn't think much about it and just hugged back, finally given into the fact that I missed him. 

 We talk for a few hours just about what's been happening here, I was so concentrated on the fact Ryan was back, that I didn't even realise my parents were out the whole night.  

"So where did you go?"I ask, sitting next to him on the sofa after, we finished a dinner that was left in the oven from mum. 

"Just with friends for a while, but I missed home so much" he says smiling, as he looks around for the remote, it was like he was trying to avoid questions about where he was or what he was doing. 

"Why didn't you come back before then if you missed it so much?" I ask, he seems to freeze like he was quickly trying to think of an answer on the spot.

"I just wanted an adventure I guess, break out of this boring town and see the world" he says, making me smile but yawn it was getting late,  he finally finds the remote turning the tv to a random channel "You should get some sleep" he says, catching how many times I've yawned, I mean I had school today and that's mentally draining as it is. 

"But I'm not tired" I say, laying my head on his shoulder feeling my eyes close, he wraps his arm around my shoulders. 

"Goodnight Savannah" he says, as I fully drifted to sleep.

I wake up in my bed where I lay there smiling, Ryan must have carried me upstairs. This was when I realised it's my 16th birthday, I can find my mate today! I sit up straight looking around rubbing my eyes, before I start hearing a voice. 

"Okay, what is that?" I say out loud, looking around trying to find the source of the voice. 

"It's me your wolf," the voice says, it takes me a second to resistor but I soon smile. 

"I forgot I'd be able to talk to you today, what's your name?" I ask, in my head this time.  

"Sky," she says, which makes me smile again, at least I know I'm not going mad. 

I get up and start getting ready before Sky starts going crazy in my head, telling me to hurry downstairs, I finish my hair and quickly make my way downstairs as an amazing smell fills my nose. 

"Hurry!" Sky says in my head again, as I get to the bottom of the stairs,  I start to make my way to the kitchen, I don't know why she's doing this, maybe it's her first time seeing a kitchen. 

I stand outside the door looking in but the only person in the kitchen was Ryan, why's she getting so excited about Ryan? 

"Mate, that's mate," my wolf said happily, making me just stand there in a state of shock, this dude is my brother! I can't physically be mated to him. 

"Dude that's my brother, that isn't my mate you've made a mistake," I say, still staring into the kitchen, he hadn't noticed me yet, luckily.

"I have not made any mistake, that is definitely mate," she says, with a hint of anger for me saying she was wrong. 

Before I could think anymore my feet do their own thing and walk into the kitchen, making Ryan turn to look at me. 

"Morning" he smiles, his voice sending shivers down my spine, okay this is weird! 

"It's happening cause you're mates, like I've been telling you," sky says smugly in my head. 

Instantly my eyes go to his where we both just freeze, our parents walk in a few moments later but it felt like hours had past.  

"Savannah we can explain," my father says, making me finally look away from Ryan who was now pacing a little, did he know about this and never told me?! 

"I know this must be so confusing but um," my father say,  but stops looking at my mum for help, who takes my hand in hers sighing. 

"You're adopted," she says, which makes me stare at her in disbelief, no way this can't be real, this is some sick joke they're playing which isn't funny. I start taking steps back slowly inching my way out the kitchen, as they continued talking. 

"We've wanted to tell you for years but we didn't know when the right time would be, then Ryan found out that you two were mates so we had to tell him," my father says, putting his hand on Ryan's shoulder. 

"You knew," I say looking up at Ryan, who was following me slowly out the kitchen, I had a feeling he's known all along but I didn't want to believe it, he kept this huge secret from me. 

"I'm sorry Savannah, I was told I couldn't tell you, that's why I left," he says ,still following me out the kitchen, wow so everyone knew before me, the person who should have been told first!

"But just because you're adopted doesn't mean we love you any less," my mum says, walking out the kitchen quickly trying to take my hands, but I bolt up the stairs leaving them all in the kitchen, I lock my bedroom door and start pacing tears just rolling down my cheeks. I've been lied to my whole life, my brother is really my mate, he found out 3 years ago and has never told me. 

I stay in my room alone for hours before my door starts knocking, I put the blanket over my head going into the fetal position.

"It's me" Gabbie's voice comes through the other side, I sigh pulling the blankets tighter around myself, I wasn't in the talking mood "I'm not leaving until you let me in, so you might as well just open the door" 

I stand up slowly walking over and opening the door, pulling her inside with me before locking it. 

"What's going on? your parents told me you're upset and won't come out your room" she says, which just makes me cry again hearing her call them my parents, they're not, my actual parents didn't want or care about me enough to even want to keep me. 

"I'm adopted," I say crying, she stands there shocked taking the information I just gave her in while I fall on my bed crying, she finally moves pulling me to sit up where she wraps me in a hug, telling me it was all gonna be okay. 

After I calm down a little she walks me over to the bedside table taking a bag off it, before joining me on the bed again.  

"Why have they only just told you, especially on your birthday," she says, sounding annoyed at them, I mean they could have told me before, not break the news to me when they had no choice. 

"I just found out, Ryan's my mate," I say, which makes her mouth hang open in shock "yeah tell me about it," I say looking down at the floor, what a great birthday I'm having. 

"Is that way he left a few years ago?" She asks, I shrug my shoulders I didn't know for sure but I guess that was the reason. 

We don't talk for a few minutes, I think she was trying to take in everything I told her. 

"Come on I've got you a present" she smiles, picking up the bag that was on the floor handing it to me, I open it to see a bracelet with my name on it, it was beautiful.  

"Thank you" I smile wrapping her in a hug tightly. 

"Now are you gonna sit there on your birthday all sad or show them that they haven't got to you," she says smiling, standing up with her hands on her hips. 

"But Ryan's gonna be there," I say, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to face him right now, he's lied to me for 3 years! 

"So what? Show him that he can't keep things like this from you, make him jealous to prove your point" she says smiling, walking towards my wardrobe placing her hand on her chin thinking. 

"How am I meant to make him jealous?" I ask, as she starts pulling clothes out throwing them on the floor, great I'm gonna have to pick them up! 

"I'm gonna make you look drop-dead gorgeous, all the guys at the party won't be able to resist looking at you, which is gonna make Ryan so jealous," she says, pulling out a really short grey dress which makes my wolf let out a little growl in my mind. 

"We shouldn't make mate jealous" she growls, but I ignore her looking to Gabbie. 

"I can't wear that, I think you're forgetting who's gonna be there," I say, standing up taking the dress from her. 

"The more guys there the better, now come on," she says, pulling me over to my dressing table to do my hair and makeup. 

It's been around three hours, Gabbie finally said I'm ready, my butt went numb cause the amount of the time I had to sit on that chair for. I walk over to my full-length mirror where I stand shocked. I didn't recognise myself, I was wearing the short grey dress that Gabbie picked with a jean jacket over the top, my hair was curled so it hung just above my shoulders, my makeup was done beautifully. 

"The outfit won't be complete without these," Gabbie says holding a pair of white dolly shoes "I was gonna make you wear heals but I don't want you breaking your neck on your birthday," she smiles,  handing them to me.

"Thank you," I say, wrapping her in a hug before sliding shoes on. She wore kind of the same dress as me but in white with a black leather jacket. 

"Let's go and make your mate jealous shall we" she laughs linking arms with me, before we both walk out and down to the party, where some people had already arrived.  

Here goes nothing!

We make our way downstairs where Ryan stood at the bottom of the stairs talking to some guy, he sensed I was there and looked up at me his mouth hanging open. I smile knowing our plan was working as Gabbie leads me outside to where the party was. 

"Step one is complete," she says when we're fully outside hearing the very loud music with a bunch of people dancing, I didn't know I knew this many people. 

"Make your mate see how beautiful you look," she says smiling taking a drink off the table handing it to me.  

"What's the second step?" I ask as a few of our friends walk over wishing me a happy birthday,  she shakes her head.  

"You'll just have to wait and see," she says before she turns to talk to one of our friends off to the side. 

I look to the back door to see Ryan standing there looking at me with his hands in his pockets, he didn't look that happy, Gabbie looks over pulling me aside so I'm forced to look away from Ryan. 

"You'll ruin the plan! just keep up you don't care about him act it'll work, but we need a guy to flirt with you," she says looking around the huge crowd of people, but I had a bad feeling growing. 

"We shouldn't be doing this, it's upsetting mate," Sky says wanting me to leave, I actually wanted to listen to her.  

"Gabbie isn't gonna drop this, don't worry nothing will happen I won't let it," I say back to her but a guy trying to grab my made me rethink what I just said " actually maybe you're right we need to leave," I say to sky totally taking back what I just said. 

"Gabbie I don't want to find a guy to flirt with me, "I say as she starts guiding me through the crowd? my wolf still wasn't happy telling me to leave. 

"You don't find them they find you" she smiles as we stop near a group of guys who immediately started to stare at us. 

"Go to mate!" Sky shouts but Gabbie had a tight grip on my hand so I couldn't. 

"See it's working" she smirks making me just stare at her totally shocked, she's never acted like this before.  

We chat for a second as a guy passes me a drink, I was so stupid to take it from him but at the time I wasn't thinking.  

After about an hour I felt so sick and dizzy I was just falling around, I've drunk before but I've never felt like this,  the guy from before just kept giving me more and more drinks which just made me feel even worse. I slowly walk over to the edge of the party my mind just everywhere   

"I'm taking us to mate right now," Sky says as I nearly fall to the floor, my body starts doing its own weird thing taking me over to the house I look up and see Ryan, my body walking straight over to him.  

"Mates gonna look after you now," Sky says nicely before leaving going to the back of my mind. 

"I feel ill," I say falling but he catches me before I hit the floor, once he touches me a million sparks flew all over my body making me feel the safest I've felt all night. 

"Has someone given something to you?" Ryan asks holding me up, he was the only thing stopping me from hitting the hard floor. 

"Gabbie took me to flirt with some guys, I didn't want to," I say holding tightly onto his t-shirt looking around at everyone else partying. 

"It's okay let's get you some water," he says wrapping his arm around mine to lead me slowly into the kitchen.  

He sits me at the counter grabbing a glass from the cupboard filling it with water, my head was still spinning at this moment so he brought the glass to my lips helping me drink.  

"Thank you," I say laying my head on his shoulder as he takes a seat beside me "We're mates Ryan," I say randomly looking at the wall. 

"I know we are," he says wrapping his arm around me making me feel safe once again. 

"I'm happy Ryan, I'm just shocked and scared," I say just saying what was on my mind whatever I had stopped me from having a filter. 

"You don't have to be scared, I promise I'll look after you, we'll take one step at a time," he says making me smile as I start drifting to sleep. 

"I'm probably not gonna remember this conversation" I laugh feeling myself falling to sleep.  

"You won't but I will" he smiles that's the last thing I heard him say before I drifted to sleep, safely in my mate's arms. 

~The next morning~

I wake up with an extreme headache making me sit up holding it in pain, I was sitting in my bed Gabbie laying next to me with her mouth wide open. I look over at the bedside table to see a note with pills and water beside it, I pick the note up to see it was from Ryan.  

"I figured you'd have a headache from how much you drunk last night, so I brought these up when I woke up 

Ryan"

I smile a little placing the note in the draw taking the pills before jumping into the shower I didn't smell the best, I decide to wear a pair of dark ripped shorts with just a plain white t-shirt tucking that into the shorts. I put the bracelet that Gabbie got me on before making my way downstairs to grab something to eat, the pills that Ryan got for me had actually helped, my head wasn't hurting as much anymore. 

I walk into the kitchen to see my mum and Ryan in there talking, I send them a little smile before taking a seat at the counter. 

"How are you honey?" My mum asks as she sipped her tea smiling over at me. 

"I'm fine," I say not looking up at any of them as the phone rang my father shouting he'd answer it. 

"Got any plans for today?" My mum asks me again trying to make conversation with me, she probably knew the way I was acting was because of the stuff I found out yesterday about being adopted and how they all knew Ryan and I were mates but never told me. 

"Gabbie wants to do something when she finally wakes up," I say as my father walks in quickly grabbing things from the cupboards. 

"What are you doing?" Ryan asks but he doesn't answer and  just walks out my mum follows suit as they both leave the house leaving Ryan and me in the kitchen. 

"How's your head?" He asks making me look up at him with a smile. 

"It's alright thanks to whatever pills you gave me" I smile as he passes me a bottle of water. 

"They always work for me so I figured they would for you, I actually got you something for your birthday but I didn't have the chance to give it you, wait here I'll just get it," he says before he gets up running upstairs leaving me alone in the kitchen where out the window I could see all the mess from the party. 

Within a few minutes, he walks back into the kitchen holding a little box in his hands.  

"It's not much," he says passing it to me, I slowly open it to see it was a necklace in the shape of the moon it was so nice. 

"It's a special kind of necklace it's what a male wolf gives to their mate to show other wolves that you're theirs before they mark each other, I know you're gonna want to take things slow so this is here so we can take as much time as you want, but others will still know that you're mine" he smiles taking it from me while moving to stand behind me to help me put the necklace on. 

"It's beautiful thank you" I smile turning around to look at him once it was on, I turn the necklace to the other side to see both of our names engraved in the back with the infinity symbol in between. 

"The only person that can take it off is me, try taking it off" he smiles, I try but it won't budge it felt like it was glued on. 

"Only your mate can take it off" he smiles making me smile at how happy he was. 

"Thank you," I say wrapping my arms around his neck as he wraps his around me. 

I hear someone walking downstairs making us all apart, Gabbie walks in looking between us. 

"Let's go out to eat," she says before she turns and walks out 

I smile to Ryan before following her out the smile not leaving my face.