Page 2 of Can't Be Love

Thomas

Chapter 2

I had tried to ignore the tingling sensation alerting me to my mate’s arrival—not just a compatible mate, but my one and only true mate. I wanted to identify her before I let on that she was there. I didn’t even understand how it was possible. I knew every eligible woman in Collier Pack, so unless she was very young and recently turned, I didn’t know how it could be happening.

I thought hard. My sister Maddie was coming to visit. I knew she was bringing her family, but Dad hadn’t mentioned anyone else.

It was the oddest sensation. I felt her getting closer and imagined my wolf jumping up and wagging his tail in anticipation. I itched all over like I needed to shift.

Suddenly, there she was with big blue eyes that stared back at me in a dreamy way. It wasn’t until recognition flashed on her face that I realized I knew her. I flinched when she spat out my name, cursed, and ran off.

Lily Westin. My one true mate was Lily freaking Westin. She had been my sister’s best friend when they were kids. Every male wolf within at least three packs had lusted after her at some point in their life. Heck, she had starred in my first wet dream when I was only twelve. Even as a kid she was super hot and completely unattainable. And now she was mine.

I grinned at her retreating form. Lily freaking Westin. My mate.

She and Maddie had been inseparable every summer growing up and Lily often visited us throughout the year, too. I cringed, remembering how I’d tormented them. While I enjoyed playing the classic bratty baby brother role, I had always gone above and beyond in hopes of getting Lily’s attention any way I could.

In truth, Maddie was only ten months older than me, and Lily only six. But they never let me forget that I was younger, just a little kid they were too cool to be bothered to hang out with. I thought as we got older maybe that would change, but when Maddie was sixteen she’d run away from home. We only recently found out what had happened to her when her true mate, Liam, who happened to be Lily’s twin brother, had found her and brought her home. Apparently, she had kids now, too. Mom had talked about nothing else since the day Liam Westin had called my parents to tell them the news.

Madelyn and I had been close growing up. Whenever Lily wasn’t around, she was cool. Being so close in age helped, too. I had five other sisters who constantly doted on me, the only boy in a house of six girls, and I was the baby of the family, which meant I had gotten away with pretty much everything, until Maddie disappeared.

Mom had smothered me, terrified something bad would happen to me, too. No one could truly understand what that was like. Ruby had come home to help out, but the others had all moved out and there was no one left to buffer my mother’s fears.

They always somehow knew Maddie was alive. Mom had prayed for her and held on to that hope until the day of Liam’s fateful call. I hadn’t understood how it could be possible. If Madelyn was alive, why hadn’t she just called or come home?

They said she’d been through something pretty traumatic, but I couldn’t understand how anything could be so traumatic that you couldn’t call or come home for eight years. I get she went through some deep stuff, but that’s what family’s supposed to be for, to pick you up at your lowest and carry you through the tough times. Maddie had chosen to reject us during that time in her life, and I was struggling to forgive her.

Shelby had made it to her wedding and said she was doing great. She was happy, in love, and had the cutest little family. The picture she painted only made me angrier. I was only fifteen when she’d disappeared. The little bit of life and freedom I was just beginning to experience had been ripped from me. For the first year Mom had even insisted on homeschooling me, afraid to let me out of her sight for even a second. Naturally I rebelled, and Dad had eventually convinced her to let me return to school. I’d had to hold to a strict curfew though, so while my friends were out partying and enjoying high school, I was still tightly guarded.

The second I graduated, I took off and considered never returning. I knew my responsibility to the Pack, though. As the only son to the Alpha, I was the sole heir to the throne, so to speak, and they never let me forget it. I’d been groomed my entire life to take over as Alpha someday. It was a heavy burden, but it was mine alone to bear.

Every year on the anniversary of Maddie’s disappearance, the Pack would hold this big vigil. I knew Lily always came—every year, except this most recent one. Turned out that was because she was busy reconciling with a ghost.

When we realized Maddie was gone, a full search was put into place. The best trackers around had been called in during the weeks following, but it was too late. She had been at a concert and heavily drinking from what the friend that had been with her told us about that night. The alcohol had made it difficult to catch her scent and only faint signs of her had ever come up, but it was enough to give them all hope. I couldn’t deal with it.

As soon as I was old enough, I refused to come home during that week, or purposely planned whatever trip possible to ensure I was out of the country. I started to get a playboy reputation amongst the packs, which to my surprise made me quite desirable to the ladies. I had never struggled to find companionship, but it had always been empty, lonely. I longed for the connection of a mate, and suddenly, here she was, and from the look of disgust on her face, she had zero interest in me, but I was ready to do what I had done my entire life—chase Lily Westin. What did I have to lose?

A cocky grin spread across my face as I said goodbye to my friends and set off on the hunt for my mate. This was going to be fun, at the very least.

As I turned the corner, heading down the main strip of town towards my parents’ house, there was a crowd forming in the middle of the street.

Maddie, I thought.

I knew it was an asshole move not to be there when she arrived. I was happy my sister was alive, I was just still angry with her over the whole situation. It was a weight that had been pressing down on me my entire adult life and I didn’t know how to let it go.

If it weren’t for Lily I probably would have turned away and avoided the reunion, but my wolf and I were in predator mode with our eyes set on one thing.

“Thomas,” my mother said, motioning for me to come over. She looked surprised to see me and it hurt. I didn’t want to disappoint her, and yet I had for so long, and always where Madelyn was concerned. “Thomas, it’s Maddie,” Mom said, hugging my sister with tears streaming down her face.

When Mom finally let go of the woman, Maddie turned towards me. She had always been pretty, and it was clear that hadn’t changed, but there was a grownup quality to her I couldn’t overlook.

“Hi, baby brother,” she told me with a hesitant smile.

Shit.I realized people must have warned her about me. I wasn’t ready to forgive her, but I didn’t want to upset Mom even further, so I pushed down my personal feelings and stepped forward to hug her. My wolf growled in my head and I struggled to maintain some semblance of control. She was my sister; my wolf shouldn’t be reacting so strongly.

Mate. The word kept playing over and over in my head. My wolf was very distraught over Lily’s earlier reaction.

“Welcome home,” I told Maddie in a strained voice. The looks shot my way told me I sounded like an ass. I truly didn’t mean to, I was just trying to get a grip on my wolf.

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