The Wolf’s Forbidden Mate by Layla Silver

Chapter 2 — Waverly

“Don’t be silly, Waverly,” my mother said. “It’s simply out of the question.”

I sighed as I slumped into the antique armchair in our living room. The posh fireplace opposite me hosted dozens of photographs, all of them of our family and all of them proudly boasting a smiling face. I spotted mine. It was a forced smile. Something just didn’t feel right that day, but I had to perform as a good daughter. That was how it was sometimes. The lively plants lining the room rivaled my current mood.

“Mom, it’s a cat. It literally bathes itself. It’s the easiest pet to have.”

She turned her nose in the air and sniffed a few times. “But the litter box smell permeates everything. I’ve been to homes that had cats. It was gross.”

“Cats. Plural. Of course, it smelled awful. This will be one cat and I’ll take good care of it.”

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Waverly.”

Mom kept shooting glances at Laurene who was seated with purpose nearby, long legs folded one over the other and hands perched under her chin. She had Mom’s features, creamy peach skin with symmetrical features, a small nose, but with striking red curls that spilled over her shoulders. I wasn’t as elegant or as beautiful as my sister. I found myself smoothing my delicate fingers through the strands of my hair, combing the tight black curls nervously as my sister rolled her dark eyes in my direction.

“What do you think, Laurene?”

I shook my head. It’s like she’s only opposing me because Laurene opposes me. Mom has always been like that. I sighed. But this is the most my mother has spoken in months. Maybe I should savor it, even if she is opposing me.

“Waverly has always been obsessed with cats,” my sister replied with a snooty tone. “After all, she makes those plushies and fur suits all day in her room. What are you hiding up there, Wav?”

“Nothing special.”

She snorted. “And yet you claim not to be a furry yourself.”

“There’s nothing wrong with what my clients enjoy.”

“Have you seen what they do in those suits?”

I pursed my lips as I crossed my arms over my chest. “My clients aren’t harming anyone. What they do with each other is consensual—and it’s also none of my business. I just make the suits. You’re stereotyping them, Laurene.”

“Maybe I’ll get a cat of my own.”

If her tone wasn’t dripping with sarcasm, then I would have been happy to have her verbalized support. Yeah, we were wolves, but having a cat in the house would be beneficial for everyone, not just me. And it would give me something to focus on, something to take care of so I wasn’t lost in the world of stuffing plush animals and sewing mesh eyes onto the heads of large, anthropomorphic animal heads.

I sighed as I prepared for her word assault. It was coming soon. I just had to engage my shields and hope she missed her mark. But that was impossible for my sister when she was so eager to stab.

“After all,” Laurene added, “Hailey is mated to a handsome cat herself.”

Yep, I knew that was coming.

“You don’t have to be rude, you know,” I stated as I stood up. “It’s unbecoming.”

“Mother, she’s being stubborn again.”

My mother sighed loudly, a clear sign that she was done with the conversation. She was a woman of few words and she had already exhausted herself with the cat conversation. I offered her a gentle smile before walking away and ascending the wooden staircase to my bedroom. Each step offered a horrific creak that reminded me of the age of the house.

I’ll go to the resort, I thought as calmly as possible. If anyone understands my desire right now, it’s going to be Hailey.

I grabbed my satchel and tossed it over my shoulder, pausing in front of the wall-length mirror to get a good look at myself. Black hair hung in tight curls around my round face. My trim black eyebrows curved over my gray eyes. Many of my features were like my mother—small nose, symmetrical, creamy peach skin—other than my lips which pouted slightly more than anyone else in the family and my round face. My lips were fuller, more like a model’s lips than that of a wolf.

The pout accentuated as I reviewed the conversation that had happened mere minutes ago downstairs. I shook my head, took a few deep breaths, and then headed out to my car. I drove to the ski resort, using that brief time to reflect on why I wanted a cat other than the obvious reasons. I wasn’t entirely sure.

But if anyone knew me best, then it would be my best friend in the entire world.

As soon as I was inside the cabin, I hugged Hailey gently, being mindful of her protruding stomach. I smiled as I drifted back from the embrace and took a seat across from her on the couch. She sank into the cushions just beyond the coffee table and grinned warmly.

“I’m becoming my own planet,” she joked while running her hand down her stomach. “Soon, I’ll have my own gravitational pull.”

“You’re silly.”

She shrugged. “It’s true. I’m happy you came by. Was the drive okay?”

“It was fine. It’s getting chilly up here.”

“It’s always chilly up here. What’s on your mind today?”

I smiled weakly. “How can you always tell?”

“Is Laurene getting on your nerves again?”

“In a way, yes. I’m thinking about getting a pet.”

Her eyebrows rose curiously. “Really? What kind of pet?”

“A cat.”

She giggled. “I bet Mother wasn’t particularly happy to hear about that.”

“No, but I’m pretty sure the only reason she hates the idea is because of Laurene.”

“Laurene always had a special pull between the two of you.”

I rolled my eyes. “A special kind of annoyance is more like it.”

“Why do you want a pet?”

“I…” I trailed off as I tapped my bottom lip. “I’m not exactly sure. I thought maybe it was because I just wanted to introduce an animal to the house. It would help everyone get along better.”

“I don’t think it’s that.”

I squinted playfully in her direction. “And what do you think?”

“I think you’re lonely.”

I frowned. “That might be true.”

“How long has it been since I left?”

“A while. The house feels weird without you around.”

She nodded. “Empty.”

“Do you ever feel that way? I mean…” I craned my neck to see where Silas was in the house. He was in the kitchen placing a kettle on the stove. I turned back to Hailey and whispered, “I know you have Silas, but does it ever get lonely here?”

“Sometimes. I miss being in the house with the family. We’re wolves, after all. We belong in a pack.”

“But I’m part of a pack.”

She nodded. “That doesn’t mean you bond with every single member of that pack.”

“I hate admitting that I feel that way.”

“It’s important to admit what you feel, even if it isn’t appealing to others.”

I smiled. “This is why I love you.”

“I love you, too. Have you thought about looking into volunteering? If the house isn’t ready for a pet, that could give you some of what you would get from adopting.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

I pulled out my phone and did a quick Google search, switching couches so I could sit next to Hailey and show her the results. I pointed to the third link down.

“It’s a cat shelter right in Boston,” I said. “And it looks like they want volunteers.”

“That could help you adapt to me not being in the house.”

I studied her features. “Are you sure?”

“Why not? You’ve always loved animals.”

“Always,” Silas purred as he wandered into the room wearing his usual dashing grin. He set a tray hosting a teapot and teacups on the coffee table in front of us. He kissed his mate on the forehead before taking the seat on the couch opposite us, reaching out to pour tea into each cup. “What shelters are you looking at?”

“This one is called…” I searched the web page. “Paw Pride Shelter.”

He froze mid-pour, nearly spilling tea. “You should stay away from that shelter.”

I gave him a quizzical look. “And why’s that?”

“It belongs to the pride,” he said, his dashing smile melting from his face faster than sugar cubes dissolving in hot tea. “The situation between the pride and the wolf pack is getting more heated.”

“So?”

He shook his head. “So, it wouldn’t help anyone if you—a Wolf—volunteered at a panther facility of an enemy pride. It stinks of bad news.”

“I think it would have the opposite effect.”

“Don’t be foolish, Waverly.”

I shook my head. “I’m not being foolish. I’m thinking of the future. Wouldn’t you both like to see panthers and wolves get along for once?”

“It’s just not something that’s going to happen.”

“And what about the two of you?”

I glanced at Hailey who had taken to hiding her lips behind her teacup. She sipped pensively, not lowering the cup from her lips as she hummed thoughtfully. She shrugged. “It’s different. Silas is already part of our pack. I guess we got lucky because of that.”

“It’s more than luck. Wouldn’t this be something that brings the pride and the pack closer together?”

Silas laughed. “That’s childish. You hardly understand shifter politics.”

“Silas, that’s not fair to say,” Hailey argued. “Waverly is just thinking of what could benefit us—all of us.”

“It’s ridiculous and you know it.”

I rolled my eyes. “So, it’s only fine if it benefits you, right?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that it doesn’t seem fair for you to steal Hailey away from us.”

He arched his right brow. “You’re in my home. Be careful what you say next.”

“It’s my home, too,” Hailey interjected. “I think it’s best that you both take a breath before you start a war within our own pack.”

“I won’t start a damn thing,” I said while standing up. I gave Hailey a quick, tight-lipped grin and then nodded to Silas. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Waverly, stay,” she called after me. “Just take a breath.”

“No, I should head back. I have some orders to fill.”

She gave an exasperated sigh as I drifted past her. I heard her whisper to her husband, my ears prickling at the sound of her chiding him for being an ass. He purred in response and claimed to be thinking of both sides of the equation. But it was bullshit in my opinion. I didn’t entirely understand why wolves and panthers couldn’t get along. What was so different about us, anyway?

After I left, I drove slowly so I could think. It only added about five minutes to my drive which was already a ten-minute drive, but it gave me an opportunity to consider the facts. Maybe Silas was right. Maybe things were just too muddy for me to get involved. But what else could I do? I was going stir-crazy in the house without Hailey there.

I sighed as I pulled into the driveway of the house. Maybe I need therapy.