LAST MINUTE PREPARATIONS

The next Monday, Jonah burst into our kitchen while we were having breakfast, "Happy Birthday!"

"What?" Dad was completely nonplused.

Mum smiled.

"It's not my birthday, you doofus." I didn't look up from my novel and cereal.

"I thought I'll be the first one to say it." Jonah answered, in his usual stupid way.

"It's a nice thought." Mum smiled.

Mum was always so gracious to the other kids. Not so gracious to Ben and me though. She said it was because of her mothering responsibility towards us.

"Want a ride to school?" Jonah asked.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" I asked back.

Jonah shook his head, "Not really."

He picked up and apple from the fruit bowl and ate it.

I sighed and folded my page in the novel. Then I drank all the cereal and milk directly from the bowl.

"Lizzy!" Mum was scandalized by my rudeness in front of company.

"Mum, it's just Jonah." I tried to reason with her.

"It's okay, that's how I drink my cereal too." Jonah said.

"You would." I said. I picked up my things, "Okay, let's go."

I noticed his outfit belatedly, "Why are you in training gear?"

"It's football season, we have morning trainings." Jonah told me.

"Then why are you here and not in school?" I asked.

"Uh... I forgot." Jonah lied.

Jonah was very bad at lying. But I decided not to pursue it. I had more important things on my mind, like how to accessorize my party outfit.

"Three days away." Jonah said squeezing the steering wheel with his large hands, "I can't believe your birthday's finally here!"

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Uh... because then it's Ben's birthday too." Jonah said, "And uh, we'll all be 18."

I sighed, "I don't really want to be 18 yet."

"Ah, why not?" Jonah gave me a worried side glance.

"Well, you know..." Actually, why was I even telling him? "You've turned 18, you should know."

"I was really nervous." Jonah admitted, "Actually I was so scared that day, I could've shat in my pants - but I didn't! I got through okay."

I rolled my eyes, "Jonah, that's bs! Why should you be worried? Didn't you say your mate was this beautiful girl?"

Immediately, at the mention of his mating dream, Jonah perked up with a wolfish grin, "Yeah, beautiful and naked."

I hit him on the shoulder for that, "TMI, Jonah."

"But I really... She was perfect." He told me.

I glanced up at his profile. He was frowning at the road.

"Then why haven't you mated her? You couldn't find her?" I asked.

"I uh... I chickened out at the last minute." Jonah said.

Now it was my turn to frown, "Why would you be scared? Aren't you the guy?"

Jonah pulled into the school parking lot, "Lizzy, would you say I make a good guy? Uh... like, if you were my mate, I mean, a girl, you know, would you be happy if I turned out to be your mate?"

Oh. I laughed, "Jonah, I don't know any girl who wouldn't be happy to have you as her mate. Captain of the football team, Gamma of Night Leaf, tall, dark, handsome, elusive Jonah..."

"Yeah, but those girls don't know me." Jonah sulked.

I unbuckled my seat belt, he looked so pathetic I felt a bit bad for him. I mean, until today, I had not really thought about how Jonah might have felt about turning 18 or meeting his mate.

"Then if she does know you, she'll know you are honest and true and loyal and a really nice guy too." I promised him, "If she doesn't, I'll tell her myself."

Jonah's eyes lit up at that.

I got out of his truck and headed towards the school. It was really early.

"Lizzy! Wait!" Jonah ran up to me.

"The football field is that way." I told him pointedly. He's probably late for his morning training as it was.

"Can you write that down for me?" Jonah asked.

"Write what?" I asked.

"What you said about me just now? Can you write like a...uh... Letter... to tell her what a great catch I am?" Jonah looked very pleased at himself.

I sighed, an idiot would always be an idiot, "You want me to write a recommendation letter to your mate about you?"

Jonah nodded.

"Why don't you get the whole school to sign a petition? Or why not get the letter from Alpha Kingsley and my dad and Sam while you're at it?" I was being sarcastic but Jonah didn't seem to get it. He nodded enthusiastically, "Good idea, Lizzy. I'll do that too."

I sighed, "Okay."

"I need it tomorrow." Jonah decided, "Uh, write something nice, okay?"

I shook my head, "Jonah..."

"Please Lizzy? Write for me? I'll write you something too, I promise."

What the heck? Why would I need him to write anything for me?

"No thanks." I crossed my arms, "But if you promise to show up on time for your training instead of picking me up in the mornings, I'll write you something."

"Okay. I won't send you to school for the rest of the week. It's a deal. Bye!" Jonah quickly agreed and left before I could change my mind.

You know, he's really an idiot. I'm not sure what wavelength connected him to my genius IQ brother.

By the end of the day, everyone was talking about my birthday. I'm not sure why.

"I'm so happy for you!" Angela squealed when we met at lunchtime.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because your birthday is coming and maybe you might find your mate and we can go on dates together." Savy explained in contrasted calmness.

"Ohhhh... Wait for me!" Angela said. Angela was whole a year younger than us though.

"You can triple date with Delilah and Carlie." I told her.

Savy smiled, "Quintuple dates next year."

"IF I ever find my mate." I decided to be the sensible one. I didn't want to raise their hopes up, or mine. Unlike Savy who already dating her mate, I didn't even know who my mate might be. He might not even be in our packlands.

Angela was obviously worrying the same thing for herself, "Ooooo I'm going to be so disappointed if I don't meet my mate. Or worse, what if he rejects me?"

"Have you looked in the mirror, Angela? Any guy who rejects you must be blind." I told her.

Savy smiled angelically, "And dead, because your brother will kill him."

"Yeah." I nodded. Now that she mentioned it, Savy had a point. Even though Tim could be a big jerk, for his own little sister, Tim could be a nice big jerk sometimes too, "Tim will make him pay for your tears with his blood."

Angela scoffed, "As if my mate could be beaten up by my loser of a brother."

But I just laughed, "Tim isn't that weak."

Deep inside though, I could understand Angela's fears. Despite our dumb brothers, our façade of confidence, our queen titles, I get it. I'm scared too.

What if my mate didn't want a bookworm? What if my mate expected me to actually cook something edible? What if my mate didn't like my sass?

I had planned my outfit for my birthday. Savy had helped me pick something out a month ago, but now I think maybe a hot pink halter and white torn jeans wasn't the best idea. Mum hadn't liked it.

Maybe a nice dress like Mum suggested. Or at least a skirt.

Something cute, but not too cute. Classy, but not too formal. Unique, but not too weird, casual but not torn. Something safer, in case I did meet my mate, and he didn't know me. At least I wouldn't be rejected on my birthday.

Because, you know, that would be a really horrible way to start the rest of my life with someone.

And I was sure Ben was a hundred times worse than Tim when it came to vengeance. Ben wasn't like the most nurturing brother, it's just not in his nature, but he was still my brother. And terrifying other wolves, keeping score, and being a mean bossy beta was his forte.

I ransacked my wardrobe the moment I got home. Nothing felt right - "right" being defined as me but not too me.

I was this close to mindlinking Savy an SOS, when I saw an emerald green satin wrap dress. I bought it at a sale on a whim a few years back and had never worn it. Savy and I just felt I really needed it because it was the exact shade of my eyes.

Later on, I regretted it because it didn't quite fit, the top was too loose. But now that I tried it on, it did fit, really, really, nicely. I guess I've grown.

I didn't usually wear really sexy clothes normally, I mean, I was bookworm Lizzy all my life. The only times I've dressed up was for school dances. And even then, nothing like this dress. It was silky, spaghetti strapped, the front dipped in a 'v' just right to be suggestive without being revealing, and then the rest of it wrapped around to clinched the material around my waist before floating around my legs in a tulip shaped skirt. The wrap didn't overlap either, so there was a slit up the side.

It was the sexiest, most flattering dress I had ever worn.

Wow, I had not idea I could look like this.

My bedroom door opened, "Woah, Lizzy. What the heck."

I turned to see Ben at my door.

My emerald eyes met his emerald eyes, "Oh hi, Ben. You're home."

"Are you going out?" Ben asked.

"It's for tomorrow night." I answered calmly. I looked for a pair of matching earrings, I had something green somewhere, I felt sure of it.

"You look f***ing hot." Ben said.

I smiled. Yep. This would be the dress.

"Anyway, Jonah brought dinner. Come downstairs when you're ready to eat." Ben turned around, and then he grinned at me, his apparent shock now worn off, "I knew I would be sexy if I were a woman."

"Don't flatter yourself!" I shouted over the sound of the bedroom door slamming shut. My brother was such an idiot!

And then I smiled again at my reflection. After a reaction like that, how could I not wear this on our birthday?