Meg was holding Kai's hand, and the delicious sparks danced through Kai's system, making it difficult to think about anything other than the raging hard-on in his shorts.
Kai focused mightily on what he needed to talk about, and he asked, "Tell me about your family."
Meg was surprised by this question. "My family?" When Kai nodded, she thought for a moment before responding, "I have a mother, a father, and a younger brother. They are all at the Lightclaw pack."
"Are you close to them?"
"Yes. We are a tight unit.", Meg responded, and a smile sneaked at the corner of her lips as she thought about her parents and brother.
Meg's mother is a strong woman with a Beta bloodline who moved to the Lightclaw pack after she found her mate (aka Meg's father).
Meg grew up under her mother's constant reminders that she shouldn't stand out too much and she shouldn't be better than the boys because that could backfire in a patriarchal pack like the Lightclaw pack.
"If you show that you are stronger or faster, that will hurt their egos and they might decide to teach you a lesson.", Meg still remembers her mother's lessons. "No matter how many of them you can win against in a one-on-one fight, can you win against five opponents if they attack you at the same time?"
Thinking back about her childhood, Meg was dejected. She was obviously much better than many of her peers, why should she hold back? Most of the time she would keep a low profile, but once in a while she would lose her cool and beat up a boy, or win in a sports competition at school.
Most of the time, others thought that Meg's performance was a fluke. And on a few occasions when someone challenged her to a showdown, her mother would appear and drag Meg out of it.
More than once, Meg asked her mother why they don't move somewhere else, and Meg's mom explained how there are places worse than the Lightclaw pack, and that the most important thing was that their family was safe.
Meg's father is a warrior and he trained Meg and her brother while encouraging them to improve because regardless of where they end up, their skills will be theirs to keep.
Now Meg reached the point in her life where she found out who her mate is and her future will be tied to the Midnight Guardians pack. Unfortunately, she didn't know anything about that pack other than they are mysterious because that pack is… well… mysterious.
"I assume there is a reason why you want to know about my family.", Meg said.
"You should know that I'm from the Midnight Guardians pack. We don't mingle with outsiders."
Meg's brows came together in confusion as worry bubbled inside her. "What do you mean?"
"As my mate, you will come with me. Your family can't come."
Meg stared at Kai for a few endless seconds while processing his words. "But I can go and visit them. Right?"
Instead of giving a simple answer, Kai asked, "How often do you see members of the Midnight Guardians pack?"
Meg remembered that the Midnight Guardians pack is labeled as mysterious because no one knows exactly where it is or how many members they have.
"Are you saying that I won't be able to see my family?", Meg asked.
Kai shook his head. "It's not never, but it will be challenging." Seeing that Meg's frown was deepening, Kai added, "There is a reason why we keep to ourselves, and once you join my pack, you will understand."
The only thing Meg understood was that she won't be able to see her family as often as she wanted. She didn't like the idea of her freedom being restricted.
Meg thought about Kai's words. It sounded bad, but in the society of werewolves, it was normal for mates to stick together, and a girl to accept her mate's pack as hers. Unless the girl's status is much higher than the guy's, she will need to adapt to whatever he is doing.
Another round of worry bubbled within Meg. Was Kai being nice by giving her heads-up, or was there something else behind his words? Was he reminding her how the Midnight Guardians pack is special, and she doesn't qualify?
"Are you telling me that I should be submissive? Or are you hoping to scare me into rejecting you?"
Kai sucked in a sharp breath. "No, no. I mean…" He pinched the roof of his nose. He thought that he said what Elders instructed him. How did she interpret that wrongly?
For Kai and other members of his pack, finding a mate is more than just the end of their single life. They are saving themselves for their mate because that's the only way to unlock their dormant potential, and since Kai was a Beta, that was important.
Kai looked at Meg with a complex expression while wondering how her mind is working. What made her think about submission and rejection? Of course, Kai didn't know that Meg immediately assumed the worst because in the Lightclaw pack females are not part of the decision-making process and they do as they were told.
But he couldn't tell her how much it means to him to find his mate, not until she officially becomes a member of the Midnight Guardians pack. And there was also the point that once he marks her and injects her with his venom, Meg might awaken some ability as well.
"Coming to the Midnight Guardians pack will be a huge change for you. My father is the current Beta, and I am going to take over that role once he retires. Other than training and handling some tasks within the pack, I am accompanying Axel when he travels. We don't practice staying away from our mates, and that means you will need to come with me."
Kai cupped Meg's cheek with his palm and continued, "You have no idea how happy I am that I found you." And horny also. "I didn't want us to seal our bond with marking without you understanding what's coming. That's all."
The knots in Meg's stomach loosened as Kai's words dispelled her insecurities. She leaned into his palm and smiled. "Thank you for telling me."
Kai licked his lips nervously. "So… are you OK with that?" There was much more, but he couldn't tell her. Not yet.
"Honestly…", Meg paused and rubbed her cheek against his palm. His scent, his touch, his warmth, the sparks… everything was rewiring her brain and she was confident that he can smell her arousal. "Even if you tell me that your pack requires regular blood sacrifice, I will agree to it."
It was crazy as they just met, but every fiber of her being was telling her that her future was with Kai.
A deep chuckle formed in his chest. "Does that mean you are OK with accepting the Midnight Guardians pack and our rules of isolation?"
"On one condition."
Kai was alerted. "What is it?"
"I want us to meet my family so that I can explain the situation, introduce you, and… say goodbye."
Kai felt a big burden falling off his chest. "We can do that."
Kai heard stories of mates not willing to leave their pack in exchange for living in seclusion, and he was relieved that Meg was so easy to get along with.
Their eyes met, and the carefree atmosphere changed in an instant.
They were in Kai's room, and as newly-found mates, both of them knew why they came here. Their bond was solidifying by the second and urging them to get closer… much closer than they were.
Meg's heart was beating in her ears, and she was confident that Kai can hear it.
"Kai…", Meg called breathily.
"Yes?"
"I think this is the part where we kiss."
Kai's pupils dilated and his ears turned red. It's happening!
They were sitting on the same sofa, holding hands, and Meg was staring at him, so of course, she noticed.
"Kai?"
He swallowed hard. "Yes?" His voice came out a bit squeaky.
"Did you ever kiss a girl?"
Kai's whole face exploded in a blush and Meg's eyes widened in realization. He didn't!
