My Mates Are Obsessed With Me

JUAN's POV

Tonight will be the longest night of the year, or as the Wolvenhore Might Pack call it, "The Howling Night." Everyone in the pack who turned 18 this year would find not only a partner but a wolf to call their own.

Thoughts of getting my wolf buzzed around my head. I cannot wait to finally have one, having a wolf will mark my coming of age. And aside from that, it's a good day for me to find a partner. I just know she'll be impressed. I smiled and went to the bathroom, still groggy from my sleep.

I dragged myself in front of the mirror to begin freshening up and settling down my black hair, which is currently a tangled mess with all the tossing I did during last night's sleep. I stripped swiftly and stepped into the shower.

Water from the shower head dripped down my body and I was able to collect my thoughts. It was an important day, so I was anxious about it. The thought of seeing my mate and my wolf made me grin ear to ear. I had no idea what to expect!

"Hey idiot, will you stop smiling to yourself like a maniac?" I was suddenly greeted by an unexpected voice. I couldn't help but smirk and roll my eyes at what I heard.

"Hey buddy, well, since you're so great at introductions, tell me your name."

"Luise," he started, "and I guess I am doomed to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm so lucky," he said sarcastically. His passive-aggressive teasing amuses me, I bet the two of us will get along well and become close in just a few days.

"To whom do you owe today's Wolfsbane?"

"Stop, you're not in the Mafia dress to impress our mate." Luise interrupted me as I was getting dressed, I had just changed into black pants and a white shirt. "Wear a black shirt, please."

"Shut up," I dismissed him with chuckle but obeyed nonetheless. I figured he was onto something, so I changed into a black shirt and slicked my hair back. I checked my reflection and was pleased with what I saw, so I went downstairs.

I smelled the eggs and pancakes as I made my way to the table, my nose scrunching up in delight. I found my mother already there waiting for me. She looks at me and nods before serving the food and sitting down to eat.

"Juan, my dear, you will meet your soul mate today!" Mom exclaimed. "I can't contain my excitement."

"I can clearly tell, Ma," I smiled at her. "By the way, I acquired my cute little bitch." Luise hisses at me upon hearing that I called him a "little bitch."

With narrowed eyes, she continued, "Language, Juan, and you'll be shifting for the first time tonight, so I suggest you not be a jerk to your wolf."

A grin spread across my face at the prospect of assuming my role as Alpha and the possibility of the pack finally getting Luna.

"Your Dad would've been proud, honey. I know you'll do well in his footsteps and do justice to his legacy," added my mother.

I nodded my head in acknowledgment and my thoughts drifted to my dad who was killed in the war when I was 12. I quickly pushed the sad thoughts aside, not wanting to distress myself on my special day.

The ceremony's start time was rapidly approaching. The ballroom where the ceremony will take place was packed with people by the time I finished eating and conversing with my mother. Since it's not a good idea to be close to horny, newly transformed wolves, my mom was unfortunately unable to join me for the ritual.

I was excited to see Hade again, the pack's Beta and one of my closest friends in the world. Since the presence of the Alpha and the Beta at the ceremony are significant, the pack made elaborate preparations for the event, and they were also anticipating a Luna and a Beta female.

I had intended to swing by Hade's before the ceremony, but I was already running late so I told him that we'll just see each other at the venue. I took a deep breath as I approached a beautiful stone structure with crimson carpets leading in and out of unnecessary high doors made of dark mahogany.

When I entered the ballroom, everyone stopped talking and stared at me. Being the Alpha of the pack, I needed to keep up appearances. I strolled slowly into the enormous, elaborately furnished apartment. To show my appreciation for the pack members, I nodded slightly while clenching my jaw, and the conversation continued.

I immediately noticed the guy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles all over his face. He may seem innocuous, but my Beta and best friend, Hade, is on his way to fuck me up.

As he lightly punched me in the abdomen and tackled me playfully, a grin spread across his face and eventually became a smirk. I battled back, and we fought for a while before breaking off to get beverages. Hade was always there for me, and I was glad to experience this special occasion with him.

"You ruined my hair, fucker," I spat at him as I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to fix it.

"Dude! Why the hell do you look like you're part of some Mafia?" he laughed hysterically at his joke.

"Maybe I am," I agreed which made him grimace. I took great pleasure in frustrating him.

Hade opened his mouth to react but was halted by a loud booming voice on the stage. It was the voice of his father, the current Beta. I owe an outstanding debt of gratitude to my Uncle Edward, who took on the role of father for me until I was old enough to handle myself. All eyes went to the stage as the Awakening was about to begin.

On stage alongside Uncle Edward were several pack elders, and as a sign of respect, I nodded to them.

Then Uncle Edward began speaking, "Young wolves, this marks the day you become adults and a valued part of the pack. I pray you all to find some measure of meaning in the events of today's celebration. We'll go for the first shift when the moon peaks tonight, so be there on time. Just that. Now is the time for the ceremony to begin." He conveyed an enormous amount of authority in such a formal, succinct fashion, and that's why I liked him so much. Wish I could do it someday, too.

After the elders told us to close our eyes, I followed suit, but not before glancing around the room, aware that any of these people may be my partner. I heard a rumble of chains when my eyes were finally shut close, which meant the roof was opened to let in sunlight and reveal our friends and family members.

I was worried throughout the wait. The completion of the ceremony was starting to feel like an eternity. In short, I was desperate to meet the one. Since every couple has a unique aroma that can only be detected by their partner, I was curious how she smelled.

We were finally allowed to open our eyes after what seemed like a lifetime. I didn't waste a second and immediately opened them. For a split second, the startling brightness pained my eyes and I squinted until they adjusted.

Then, I caught a whiff of flowers and chocolate and understood what it meant.

In my mind, Luise cried, "Mate!" as I hurriedly looked around for the source of the irresistible aroma that nearly brought me to my knees.

"Find mate, Juan, you moron, I want mate," Luise screeched in my head.

"I am trying! Shut up for half a second and let me look for her,"

Then I realized where the source of the smell was coming from. I whirled around to investigate the source of the aroma and saw a befuddled Hade staring at me with glazed eyes, as if he were having an internal conflict.

Hade was my BFF and Beta, and we were... soulmates?

When we found our mate, the source of the scent, I heard Luise's voice say, "Mate" again, but this time with a sense of serenity in his voice.

How? What? Why? I raced with these thoughts as I stared at Hade, who avoided eye contact.

Hey, how's my pal Hade doing? A guy like him. Is this possible? In all seriousness, he is my closest companion. What if this makes him too uncomfortable and he decides to reject me?

I spaced out for a few minutes and when I came back to my senses everyone was talking and introducing themselves. Upon noticing that Hade was still stoic, I decided to approach him. I needed to have a word with him before I left.

"Hade- Hadey," I called out to him.

Hade still wasn't looking at me. He was obviously more interested in the floor we were standing on than his mate. "Hade, will you please look at me?" I said in a softer voice and lightly shook his shoulder.

Nothing from Hade yet, and the fact that he wasn't even acknowledging us was starting to set Luise off. Seeing that others were beginning to glance at us, I needed a quiet spot to deal with all the feelings I was feeling right now, and I'm sure so did Hade. I yanked Hade out of the ballroom and put ourselves in a back room.

"Hade, please," I tried again as I lifted his chin with my hand and made him look me in the eye.

When I saw it, my stomach fell. Hade's eyebrows were knit together, and he was crying. I looked at him directly in the eyes as I cupped his cheeks with both hands and gently wiped away his tears with my thumbs.

I knew he was crying, but glancing into his icy blue eyes was all it took to make me feel instantly at ease. It felt weird and foreign to admit this.

Hade's nose was scrunched up by this point, and his sobbing broke my heart into a thousand pieces. Seeing him like this makes me want to hug and kiss him till he calms down, and I just found out that we're mates.

He looked up at me with sad eyes and called my name with his trembling voice. I had no idea how to respond.

"Hade," was the only thing I could say. I said his name in the most reassuring voice I could muster, and gave him a look that said, I don't know what the fuck is going on but I'm here, and he got it.

Before I could finish my sentence, Hade had his head on my chest and arms around my waist. He gave me a bear embrace. We used to embrace like this all the time, but this time, it was different-it was better. I hugged him back by wrapping my arms around him and stroking his neck.

Because of how close we were, I could smell him. This is now my favorite smell in the world. I was relieved to hear that Hade's tears had subsided to sniffles. I ran my hand reassuringly down his back, thinking it could help.

Once Hade had settled down, I searched for his face and looked into his eyes. "Hey, I know this situation isn't what either of us had in mind for the awakening day, but I promise we'll figure it out and be happy." I told him sincerely. Tonight should be a night full of smiles, but here he was crying instead. I don't want to see him this way but I fully understand his reason.

Hade nodded into my chest in understanding, which elicited a snarl of delight from Luise. I tried my best to soothe Hade so he could finally stop from crying. Whatever happened, all I could think about was how I could best safeguard my partner.

I couldn't help myself and I kissed his forehead. My action made him smile and feel the skin on his cheeks tingle.

HADE's POV

My best buddy, who I now know as my partner, kissed the crown of my head.

Holland's soothing voice in my thoughts said, "Mate kissed us, Mate likes us, Mate Hadeth," and I felt a smile spread across my face.

This may not be too horrible. In my opinion, Juan likes me. They'll accept me as much as they take their alpha. But what if he decides he doesn't want to commit to a man? What if he turns his back on me? All these questions swirled in my thoughts, and before I realized it, I was bawling into my mate's chest again.

Being close to Juan calmed me down. Somehow, we emanated the aroma of a roaring fire. When he saw that I was crying, he put his arms around me and rubbed my back until I stopped shaking.

I just needed to have a conversation with Juan. His voice was like music to my ears, and I pleaded with him, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Juan, please don't reject me... I want t-- I want to have a mate."

Juan's lips distorted into a pout for a second as he cleared his throat. "Never. I would never do that, Hadey." he murmured in that deep voice. His dark brown eyes had a hint of possessiveness. "Listen, I get that this is shocking, but I can assure you that I will not simply reject my mate, and I hope you won't either."

"We'll figure this out," I murmured, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

He used his thumbs to wipe away some of the tears. I looked pathetic, crying in front of him like this, but for some reason, I felt he wouldn't criticize me.

I looked directly into his chocolate brown eyes, which had gone unnoticed. They still seemed so emotional now that I longed to be submerged in them. I'm almost sure he saw me staring as his lips contorted into that horrible, crooked smile I find so attractive now.

"It's time to get going." I nodded and followed Juan outside the storage room, unconsciously linking my hand to his. "The first shift will start in a few hours," he said.

Since we had been in the basement for so long, the ballroom was deserted. We were ready to exit the ballroom when we were interrupted by someone clearing his throat, we turned around to see my dad.

My father looked at us in bewilderment as we turned around with our hands still clasped. He cocked an eyebrow and said, "Are you boys, mates?" with a sense of serenity in his voice.

"Yes, Uncle Edward." Juan answered, "I don't know how, but we are," and gave me a comforting hand squeeze.

Father appeared to be considering the implications of this news before breaking his silence. "Very well, this is unusual, but the moon goddess always has a plan for us. I need to see you in my office after tonight's shift, Juan. You'll be taking over your father's tasks soon, son."

Dad smiled at us. He was presumably glad that I found my Mate, despite his stern exterior. He had probably already mind-linked Mom to tell her about us.

Juan indicated that we could leave by nodding, so we did. I had no concerns that my father would reject me. He was not a conventional thinker and accepted the will of the moon goddess.

We left the enormous ballroom and returned to Juan's place to take it all in. We were greeted with curious glances as we strolled through the streets that make up our pack's territory. Still, no one dared to hold them for long out of respect for the Alpha and the Beta.

When they expected us to return with the Luna and the Beta female, I could tell they were staring at us because we held hands. It didn't matter that I was the Beta, the second-best warrior in the pack, I still felt insignificant in front of everyone's critical gaze.

I gave Juan a teasing scowl, which quickly turned into a blush, and he responded by pulling me closer and placing his hand on my waist.

"Aww, is little mate blushing from me?" inquired Juan, his signature sneer etched over his forehead.

"Your mom's blushing," I shot back before giving him a little smack in the gut.

I felt an overwhelming want to touch his abs, much to Holland's chagrin, but restrained myself.

He laughed at this, and we proceeded to his residence. As we crossed the park, the intoxicating scent of candy met our nostrils.

Like the aroma of a potential partner, it was beckoning to us.

"Mate!" yelled Holland into my thoughts.

"What? Mate? But we have Juan already, don't we?" I asked, but he ignored me and kept barking at me to keep going.

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked over at Juan, standing still while his nose scrunched at the aroma. I tried to read the response in his eyes.

When our gazes connected, we communicated effortlessly. Since most children were already home for the night because of the first shift, we followed the pleasant aroma into a nearly deserted park.

The source of the enticing aroma was a girl I saw sitting on the swings. She had brown hair tied in a French tail, green eyes that were fixed on the book on her lap, and a dress with shimmering sequins at the bottom.

Holland's voice said, "Mate, she's mate Hadeth," and I found myself paralyzed.

"What about Juan then?"

"He's mate, too."

"What? How?" Holland disregarded my question.

When she saw us staring, the girl broke into a radiant smile. Since she didn't attend the event, she obviously has yet to turn 18.

Once, I glanced at Juan, who seemed just as perplexed as I did, but I still knew she was his mate.

We both said, "Mate," in unison.

JUAN's POV

In unison, Hade and I said, "Mate," as we eyed the girl on the swings.

"What the actual fuck, Luise?" I questioned Luise, "What about Hade?!" virtually shouting the question in my brain.

"You have more than one mate. Get over it," Luise said casually, practically salivating over the girl.

Put an end to it! Two friends? What the f*ck, man!

"I'd like it if you could approach her and talk, Juan. Have a minute to chat?"

When I looked at Hade, I could see that he, too, was having a conversation with his wolf because his eyes were glassy. He chewed his lower lip, a telltale sign of extreme nervousness. I know I shouldn't condone it, but he was so adorable when he bit his lips. All I could think of was how badly I wanted to stop Luise.

I met the girl's doubtful gaze as she gazed at me. I would be perplexed if two men approached me and yelled, "mate," too.

"Alpha, Beta," the girl murmured in a voice as soft as velvet, and proceeded on showing us her neck in the pack's traditional display of submission to the alpha and beta. Luise's temper outbursts continued as she gave off a fearful expression, as if she'd done something wrong to end up on the Alpha's radar. After only one day with this guy, I want to throw myself into a giant shredder.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to contain my Alpha voice so as not to frighten her anymore.

"Myrtle," she answered, but she avoided making direct eye contact with us.

I smiled as I thought, "Myrtle, what a lovely name."

"Why didn't you attend the awakening today?" Hade asked her.

"Beta, I am seventeen years old." She responded sheepishly, glancing at the pebbled ground and saying, "I'll be attending the next awakening."

She's only 17? Until she forms a mating relationship with us, she probably won't experience any attraction like we do.

I could feel Hade's eyes on me as he wondered aloud, "Do we tell her, or do we wait for her to feel the bond on her own?"

"Myrtle, I need to speak with you in my office tomorrow," I added, trying not to frighten her with the full disclosure.

"Okay, Alpha," she responded with a shaking voice.

"Don't worry, Myrtle, you're not in trouble." Hade, noticing her distress, smiled slightly and tried to reassure her, "Just be there tomorrow."

She acknowledged my gesture with a nod and then left the park, leaving Hade and me alone.

"Really? Another mate? Where can I find Moon Goddess?" I told Hade.

He shrugged, obviously too preoccupied with his own thoughts to give me a proper response.

Once again, we embarked on the brief journey to my residence.

I invited Hade inside by opening the door for him. My room was soundproof, so we could have a private conversation there without worrying about anyone overhearing. My mother's voice called out as we prepared to ascend the stairs, "Is that you, Juan?"

My mother, unlike any other wolf I've ever met, couldn't identify me by scent since she was human.

"Yes, mom."

"Is it you in the house already? Did you finally find the one?" I could hear her voice coming from the kitchen. Then she finally revealed herself with a smile. "Who is she?"

She emerged from the kitchen with an apron in hand from preparing a special dish for today and noticed Hade and me ascending the stairs. She gave us a bewildered look. "You boys are supposed to be with your mates today, not each other! Since first grade, you two have never been apart. You guys need to go hang out with your friends instead of playing those stupid games upstairs," she said.

"Hey, Mrs. Wolvenhore," Hade said, but he left it up to me to break the news.

I stammered out, "Ma, um- um, well," as I tried to explain to her. WHAT IS UP WITH ME TODAY.

"Juan, baby, what is it?" she inquired, appearing concerned.

It seemed to me that there was no point in sugarcoating the truth, so I blurted it out. "Ma, Hade is my mate, and there is also another girl who is our mate."

Her face suddenly took on a look that I couldn't place. Did she hate the idea? Is she mad?

"You do what makes you happy, darling, and I couldn't be more delighted that Hade is your mate. He's the only one who could stand you," she replied sweetly.

At that, both Hade and I laughed out loud. Strangely, I'm already able to empathize with some of his feelings. Mom walked over and embraced us both. Because of her smaller stature, we had to stoop.

When I turned to look at Hade, he was beaming. He was so handsome while doing it and it made me grin wider. When Mom finally broke free, we both redirected our attention upward.

"Hey, no funny stuff up there, you two," Mom yelled as we went upstairs.

"Mom!" I screamed back at her. She was probably trying to embarrass me.

We entered my room holding each other's hands.

Hade and I were sitting on my bed when he began talking. "What about Myrtle? Is tomorrow the day we inform her?"

The answer was an unqualified "no," but in the end I said, "Yep, I don't think I can go a whole year without my mate."

"How about the gang? Will they agree?" he questioned, his voice full of concern.

"Hey, I run the show around here. You're the Beta, I'm sure the pack will accept."

"Alright, we may take our time before the switch. What do you want to do?" he finally inquired.

"Ma has fixed us up a nice meal. After that, we'll be leaving."

He just nodded and slouched back on the bed, arms under his head. He had been to my room a million times, so he wasn't embarrassed about using it.

His stance afforded me a terrific view of his body. His toned body was pressing against his tight shirt. He was the Beta of the pack, therefore, he was powerful and frightening, but he was cute in my eyes. I was pleasantly ogling his physique when he spotted me. He looked away from me, his cheeks flushed from the attention, and I'm guessing he realized I was staring.

With his hair in disarray and his eyelids drooping, he looked positively heavenly in the soft evening light. I held his cheek in my palm and looked into his blue eyes, and I have never felt more at ease. I was sitting still, but his grin made my legs go weak. The immediate skin contact felt like currents of heat rushing through us, amazing.

"You look so beautiful Hadey," these words exited my mouth before I could even think about them, and I lie down on the bed next to him.

Too embarrassed to establish eye contact, his blush deepened, and he bit his lip again. I had known him for many years and considered him a close friend, but I had never seen him so embarrassed or exposed like this.

I carefully leaned in till our noses touched, my hand still cupped his face, and we locked gazes. In my mind, Luise was flipping like a top, and I could feel Hade's wolf nearby.

As things were about to heat up, Mom rang the doorbell.

The treachery was complete when my mother cockblocked me just as I was about to kiss my mate.