~TOBIAS~
Tobias leaned against the edge of the training ring, arms crossed as he watched Helena dominate another sparring match. Her opponent, Edgar, was twice her size, but she flipped him effortlessly, his body hitting the ground with a loud thud. The surrounding warriors laughed and cheered, and Tobias couldn’t help but grin. She really was something.
“She’s pretty awesome, isn’t she?” Tobias said, nudging George with his elbow.
George smirked. “You’re just biased. You’re dating her.”
Tobias laughed and clapped George on the back. “And you’re just jealous I got there first.”
He watched as Helena bowed mockingly to Edgar before leaving the ring, her dark ponytail swaying with every confident step. Edgar glared after her, his humiliation evident, but Helena ignored him completely. As she reached Tobias, he slung an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close and pressing a quick kiss to her temple.
“Another victory, huh?” he teased, though he already knew the answer.
“You know it,” she replied with a smirk, her chest still heaving from exertion.
“You’re making me look bad,” he joked, squeezing her shoulder.
“That’s not hard,” she shot back, and Tobias laughed, enjoying her sharp wit.
Helena was a perfect match for him, at least for now. She was strong, confident, and didn’t ask too many questions. Tobias liked that about her. Sure, she’d started dropping hints lately about wanting something more—something permanent, but Tobias had no interest in being tied down.
At 28, he was well past the age most shifters found their mates, but it didn’t bother him. In fact, he relished his freedom. While most of his friends were busy with mates and pups, Tobias was enjoying life on his own terms. He had Helena, and sometimes others, to keep him company. As long as no one got too attached, he saw no problem with his arrangement.
Helena, however, was getting attached.
“I was thinking,” she began, her tone casual but her eyes sharp, “maybe we should make this official.”
Tobias raised an eyebrow. “Official?”
“Yeah, you know,” she said, shrugging as though it didn’t matter. “Chosen mates.”
Tobias chuckled, shaking his head. “Helena, you’re amazing. But I’m not exactly the settling-down type. You know this. We have spoken about this before”
Her smile faltered for just a moment before she masked it with a laugh. “I figured you’d say that.”
“You figured right,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. She kissed him back, but there was a slight stiffness to it. He knew she wasn’t happy, but he didn’t dwell on it. Helena was smart, and she knew the score. If she pushed too hard, he’d end things. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Later that evening, Tobias was sprawled on his bed, shirtless and relaxed after sparring with Helena. He was debating whether to join her in her room or wait for her to come to him when George walked in without knocking.
“What now?” Tobias groaned, sitting up.
George gave him a look, the one that said he wasn’t in the mood for Tobias’s antics. “We’ve got an assignment.”
“An assignment? You’re the Beta, George. What could you possibly need me for?”
George crossed his arms, his expression firm. “We’re guarding someone.”
Tobias frowned. “Guarding? Who?”
“Freya.”
Tobias raised an eyebrow. The name was familiar, but not memorable. “Who?”
George sighed. “The girl who lives in the cottage on the edge of the pack lands.”
“Oh, that one.” Tobias waved dismissively. “Why waste our time? She’s meaningless.”
“Alpha’s orders,” George said flatly.
Tobias groaned. “Why is she so important all of a sudden? She’s just some reject. I could be with Helena right now.”
George shot him a sharp look. “She’s shifting for the first time tonight. The Alpha doesn’t want anything to happen to her.”
Tobias rolled his eyes and flopped back onto his bed. “This is ridiculous. Let the pack’s rejects deal with their own problems.”
“She’s still pack,” George snapped, his tone brooking no argument. “And as warriors, it’s our duty to protect her.”
Tobias huffed dramatically. “Fine. But if Helena gets mad that I’m not there tonight, I’m blaming you.”
“Blame all you want,” George said. “Be ready in fifteen minutes.”
Tobias trudged through the forest alongside George, grumbling under his breath. When they reached the clearing near Freya’s cottage, the soft glow of candlelight spilled through the window. Darice was already there, holding a cupcake with an unlit candle. Tobias leaned against a tree, watching as she laughed with Freya.
Freya was exactly as he expected—small, mousy, and forgettable. She glanced at him briefly before averting her gaze, her movements timid and unsure. Tobias didn’t bother hiding his disinterest.
“Freya,” George said gently, “we’re here to make sure your shift is safe.”
Freya mumbled a quiet thank you, her voice so soft Tobias barely heard it. She tugged her cloak tighter around her, and Tobias rolled his eyes. He had no idea why the Alpha was wasting their time on her.
The moon rose higher, and the shift began. At first, Tobias watched with mild disinterest, but as Freya’s body began to tremble and her cries of pain echoed through the clearing, something shifted in him. He couldn’t explain it, but an uneasy tension gripped him, his instincts prickling with something he didn’t understand.
Her shift was over in minutes—far quicker than any he’d ever seen. As the cloak slipped from her body, Tobias froze.
Pure white fur shimmered in the moonlight, as if the light itself bent to illuminate her. Her eyes opened slowly, and Tobias’s breath caught in his throat. They weren’t hazel, as he’d expected, but a translucent lilac, glowing faintly in the darkness.
Darice knelt first, holding out a trembling hand. The wolf responded gently, nuzzling her hand before turning to George. Tobias watched, his chest tightening inexplicably, as the wolf met George’s gaze. Then she turned her head toward him.
The moment their eyes met, Tobias felt the air shift, charged with an energy that stole the breath from his lungs. His heart pounded in his chest, and his world narrowed to the wolf before him. Her lilac eyes seemed to pierce straight through him, and he took an involuntary step back.
“M-Mate,” he growled, the word leaving his lips before he could stop it.
The wolf—Freya—tilted her head, her expression curious. Tobias could feel George and Darice’s shocked stares, but he couldn’t look away. This was impossible. He didn’t want a mate. And yet, every fibre of his being screamed that she was his.
Freya. The girl he had dismissed as meaningless. The girl he had never bothered to notice. She wasn’t just pack. She wasn’t just a wolf.
She was his.
—–
Authors note: if you’re enjoying this story i would really appreciate a comment. Thank you 🙂
