There's Just Something I Need To Tell You (Wolves Of Slovenia Part 1)

         I watched her skip home like a sparrow flies merrily from tree to tree and my heart swelled with love. My inner wolf howled for me to go to her, get closer to her, talk to her, just to keep looking at her and kill any man or wolf that dared come with a mile of her scent, but wolves did not know the human ways of love, chivalry and courting. I had to wait.

         “She’s your mate?” Jonah asked, coming up to my shoulder and smirking.

“It can only be her, Jonah.” I said, staring wistfully out the window. I cursed my unlucky stars that Jonah had to be an annoying prick and interrupt me for the last few moments I’d see her till this evening.”

“Raiden, you do realize that after you’re finally bonded, you’ll have the rest of the few hundred years you’ll be alive to do more than just stare at her, right? You’re such a typical example of lovestruck, possessive male werewolf.” he asked, shaking his head. I scowled.

“Wait till you find your mate. And I do hope sincerely that’s it’s a long, long, wait.” I added the last part under my breath.

*

“Ille!” I screamed, throwing myself at the girl who opened the door. Ille was my best friend from middle school, but she’d unfortunately moved away to Norway just before our freshman year of high school.

“Adele, hi!” she said, hugging me right back. “I’m Ille, your early Christmas present!”

“Shut up!” I said. “When did you guys get here?” I asked. “Are you jetlagged? How’s life?” I persisted, pushing her in. “I want to know everything.”

“There really is nothing to say.” Mom said, coming from the kitchen with a fresh batch of cookies. “I think Adele spends more time video-calling you than she does talking with me!”

“Oh, cookies! What’s the occasion?” Ille asked, bouncing up and down in her seat like a giddy schoolgirl.

“It’s nearly Christmas.” Mom mused.

“Yes, but there’s this super-hot guy at school. His name is Raiden, and he’s pretty new here, but I’m so crushing on him. I think he likes me back too.” I gushed.

“Get to the point,” Ille teased, swatting my arms, but the sparkle in her eyes told me she wanted to know more.

“Well, Raiden invited pretty much the whole class to this cookie exchange at his house. He said we could bring up to 5 people with us, so it’s massive. Mom’s baking 500 cookies for the cookie exchange.”

“500? All by herself? Oh, poor, poor Mrs. Rochester! You’re so lazy, Adele!” Ille scolded.

“No, Ille, Adelaide actually put the first batch of 3 dozen in before she left for school.”

         I squirmed at the use of my full name. I’d been christened Adelaide, but I much preferred Adele. It felt more… me.

“500? Either this guy Raiden’s gotta have a huge house for hosting over 100 people for a damn cookie exchange or Adele’s so in love she’s willing to bring 500 cookies to the table.” Ille mused.

“It’s kind of both.” Mom teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Though he’s a hell of a hot rich dude, I’m leaving the steak to you, wolf.” Ille laughed. “When is this party, anyways?”

“6:30. We’re striving to be there by… 7, maybe.”

“It’s 4:30 already. Why don’t you girls help me out in the kitchen with these cookies for a while, and then you can start getting ready?” Mom asked.

“Sure.” I replied, following her, but my eyes were on the door, anxious to finally leave.

*

“Mati’s very generous to let you throw a full-on American party so soon after moving here, brat.” Jonas warned.

“You’re picking up on your Slovenian, mali bratec Johannas.” I hissed, using Jonas’ actual name instead of his nickname.

“What? It’s my homeland and I lived there for the first 16 years of my life, veliki bratec Raiden.”

“And if you don’t leave, it’ll be for the only 16 years of your life, podlasica.”

“Weasel?” he asked. I growled ferociously, his banters getting on my nerves as I waited in agony for the time my soon-to-be mate would walk through my door.

“Sorry, Raiden. Just chill, man. She’ll be here. It’ll be easier if you don’t stand at the window like a creepy stalker, though.”

“I suppose so.” I sighed. Jonas put an arm around my shoulder.              I looked around the splendid mansion I now called home. As the alpha of a large, powerful pack, Oče was very wealthy, and he had owned this house for more than 7 decades, almost as long as he had been mated with Mati. The 2600 square feet of the ground floor was covered in shiny white marble clear enough to see your reflection in. The large French window I’d been looking through stretched from the ceiling to the floor, a height of nearly 9 feet.

The Greek pillars that supported the ceiling and the crystal chandeliers would likely be broken, or at least damaged to some extent by the end of the night, if what I’d heard was right about the way some American high schoolers could get during parties. The plush, expensive, velvet furniture we’d had shipped from our home in Slovenia was far too valuable to be vomited on, so me and Jonas had seen to it that any trace of alcohol, especially Oče’s prized wine and champagne, was moved to the safe in the cellar. We’d locked the basement door, too, for good measure.

         “How many people do you think are coming?” Jonas asked, looking at the 16-seater teakwood dining table covered in a strip of paper awaiting bowls of cookies. We’d set up a few extra tables beside it as well. I smirked.

“Considering there’s 102 directed invited guests, who are all allowed to bring up to 5 guests, there’s a total of 102 plus 510 people who may turn up, which equals 612.”

“Do we have enough cookies?!” Jonas asked, panicked. I growled.

“Cookies isn’t the only thing to be served tonight. We also have sandwiches, cheese, some punch, popcorn chicken, fish fingers, cheese sticks, chips, etcetera. And then cucumber and carrot sticks. Along with coke, Fanta, Pepsi, Sprite, 7-up”

“Those won’t even be touched. This is a complete middle-school level party.” Jonas groaned.

“Mati and Oče were quite clear this wasn’t going to be a full-on high school party. It’s a cookie exchange.”

“With dance, music, finger foods, cookies and a formal invitation on cardstock paper handwritten in India Black Ink.” Jonas smiled, arching an eyebrow.

“Don’t forget Adelaide.” I whispered.

*

“How do I look?” I asked Ille, nervously.

“You…” she began, chewing on her bottom lip, “should be against the law.” Ille turned me around and I gasped. She was right, I looked perfect.     

         My blonde curls sat regally over my back and shoulders. My eyeliner was perfect, without a single smudge, and my lashes were perfectly brought with mascara. Ille told me to ditch the eye shadow, and I was glad I did. The slight blusher on my cheeks made me look innocent and sweet, just what we’d been aiming for. Other than that, Ille had insisted we stay almost completely natural with shiny lip gloss in a hue of light pink-ish red.

         Ille had thrown half of my wardrobe out before she finally decided that a golden sheath dress that hugged me in all the right places was, I quote “…the one!”. It matched Mom’s borrowed silver heels (like day matched night) which I planned to wear, despite Ille’s insistence on the red block heels.

“Raiden is going to drop dead. He won’t spare any other chick a glance.” Ille grinned evilly, looking just as perfect next to me with a similar look.

“Let’s go.” I said, ushering her out of the room. “It’s already 6:45, we’re going to be late!” I shrieked.

“I’m driving, and you’re wearing the red block heels I told you to.” Ille commanded.

“No, I’m wearing the silver ones Mom loaned me, they look much better with this dress. Now hurry up, you snail! It’s too late to appear fashionably late now!” I snapped.

“My god, someone’s in a hurry.” Ille laughed, but I’d already shoved her out of my room and halfway down the stairs.

*

“Jonas, is she here yet?” I asked, panicked. My watch read 6:58. It had been 28 minutes since the cookie exchange started, and there was no sign of my darling Adelaide.

“Raiden, women always take time to appear “fashionably late”. Entertain your other 72 guests in attendance till se gets here. She’s coming.” Jonas snapped, his patience wearing thin. I’d set him to circling the living room at 6:45 and insisted on asking him after every round if he saw her.

“Fine.” I relented, going away to talk to some of my classmates from Biology and Jonas perked up, happy to be free to talk with his friends.

“Max, hey man! So glad you turned up!” I said, forcing a smile onto my face as I greeted a friend.

“Raiden! Great party! It’s refreshing to have something low-key for once, instead of some full-out rave with booze and all.” He said.

I smiled for real. “Thank you. My parents wouldn’t consent to something like that, nor do I have any will to throw it.”

“Did you finish watching Stranger Things yet?” he asked. Max had suggested I watch the series, and I’d found it quite captivating.

“No, man. Season 3, Episode 6. If I hadn’t been so busy all day with the cookie exchange, I’d have finished it.”

“That’s alright. I’ll be waiting for you.” He smiled.

         Then, I felt something I’d been waiting to feel for exactly 30 minutes and 27 seconds.

*

“We’re 27 seconds late!” I hissed into Ille’s ear. Ille smiled at me.

“Chill, lass. You have no idea stupid you sound.”

         Raiden’s house was somewhat near the outskirts of the city, and very, very big. It turned out his family owned the Stelfinger Mansion, and the house had been in their family for almost 75 years. A coincidence indeed. I knew that Raiden was way out of my range, given the crystal chandeliers and the winding staircase (with a whole red carpet, too!), but I still couldn’t help but feel…

         “Let’s go look for him.” I said, grabbing Ille’s arm, but Ille tugged back so hard, she nearly dislocated my arm.

“He’s the host and the guy. He should come look for you. Come again, is that my Kimberly Clarington?” she asked, pointing at my red-headed friend. I’d nearly forgotten that Ille hadn’t been in America for 3 years.

*

         My heart stopped when I saw Adelaide. She looked like the great goddess Luna herself, in silver heels and a golden dress. She and a friend were talking to a girl from my AP English class, Kimberly. I had to fight the urge to run across the hall at full-wolf speed and telling her how wonderful she looked. I bit the inside of my cheek and walked with slow, casual steps. I forced my lungs to take calm, composed breaths, but my inner wolf was yipping and clawing, howling at his mate’s proximity. That spoilt little brat of a beast. I was going to have to teach it a lesson someday.

“She’s here.” Jonas breathed, appearing by my side. “Certainly took her own time, but better late than never.”

“Don’t you dare talk about my mate like that.” I threatened.

“Fine, I’m sorry. Now that she’s here, forget about the other 104 people in attendance and go entertain her for the rest of the night.”

I scowled at Jonas and made a mental note to myself to torture him to Hell when he finally found his mate.

*

“You must be Adelaide.” A suave voice called from behind me. I turned to come face to face with a set of sea green eyes.

“Y-yes, I am, but I prefer Adele, to b-be honest. And you can only be Raiden.” I said, trying not to stare at his handsome face and shaggy brown hair. Ille elbowed me from beside me, and I could tell she disliked my stammer.

“Adele it is, then.” He said, staring at me with those seafoam green eyes.

“Great party, dude.” Ille said, breaking our mini-staring session.

“Yes, great party. It’s wonderful. You have such a charming house.” I blushed.

“Thank you, Adele. This must be your friend.” He said, looking at Ille.

“Nuh-uh, mister. I’m her overprotective best friend who will kill any damn fool who tries to even think about wishing about daring to consider imagining hurting this little angel.” Ille said.

         I wished the ground would swallow me whole.

The guy next to Raiden, who could have passed off as his identical twin if not for the subtle difference in facial features, hazel eyes, and height, threw up something that sounded dangerously like a laugh.

“That, is Ille.” I said, refusing to lift my crimson face, but the power of Raiden’s gaze drew mine.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Ille.” Raiden said, clearly unaffected by Ille’s dramatics. “This is my brother, Jonas.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Jonas said, smiling.

“The pleasure is mine.” I responded, shaking his hand.

“I believe someone brought Blueberry Pie-flavoured cookies. I’d be honoured if you’d sample them with me.” Raiden said, with an excited shine in his eyes. Could he possibly be as flustered as I was to see him?

“I’d be thrilled to.” I breathed, taking his hand.

“Your man is hot, rich, a gentleman and cool. Take him before the vultures start circling.” Ille whispered in my ear, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, pushing me away, as she batted her eyes at Jonas.

*

The whole time I sampled Blueberry-Pie cookies with Adelaide, who it turned out preferred to be called Adele, I couldn’t stop staring at how beautiful she was. She blushed and dimpled prettily, and I forced myself to not act like a crazy, possessive, lovestruck unbonded male werewolf, despite the fact my mate was standing right in front of me and…

I realized it was time I told Adele the truth.

“I do hope I’m not taking advantage of your kindness, but would you mind taking a walk in the gardens with me, Adele? There’s just something I have to tell you.”