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Ariels POV

I smile gratefully seeing June already at the pool. She's keeping to herself, a floppy black hat on her head and sunglasses on. Though she dressed in lots of black like her mother, she had the complete opposite personality. Sometimes Darcy and mom all if they accidentally switched children since I act more like Darcy and June more like mom.

"Hey June-Bug!" I call, heading over.

"Mermaid." She nods in return. Mom, Dad and June are the only people I allow to call me 'mermaid.'

"Come for a swim with me." I smile, pushing myself up right in front of her face.

"I don't know if I want to swim... Look at all the alpha girls in there. They're tryna pick up." June gestures to the many different ages of girls in the pool, alpha children. And of course, the men are standing outside the pool, talking in their friend groups or hiding behind sunglasses.

"I can't wait for you to find your mate here!" I smile. "Maybe it's... Him!" I point to a scrawny boy, maybe fourteen, with shaggy brown hair and silly looking sunglasses.

"Ariel!" June whines. "Be nice to everyone, you never know when they're gonna get hot."

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna be nice to you." I smile innocently.

June gives me a look and I laugh in return before playing with her black curls. She had the most gorgeous hair.

"Ariel stop you're going to run them." June says finally, pushing my hand away.

"But June-Bug..." I whine, falling across her legs in her beach chair.

"You're gonna make a scene Ariel!" June whines. "Then everyone's gonna look at us."

"Then I'll tell them to fuck off. Simple." I reply, looking up at her. Then her body stiffens. "June-Bug?"

"Ariel can't you smell that?" June moans.

"Plug your nose and run!" I exclaim to June.

"What-Why?" June asks in confusion.

"That's your mate. The shaggy haired kid is your mate. Run!" I exclaim seriously and June's expression fades into one of annoyance.

"I'm serious though Ariel! It smells amazing!" She's looking around for the source of the smell.

"I know what'll help you find him," I smile. Inside, I just desperately don't want her to find her mate. I want her to have fun with me and do stupid shit.

"What?" June asks slowly.

I help her up and pull her along, starting to go around the pool. When we get to the deep end side, I give her a little shove and she goes splashing into the water.

I burst into laughter and watch as she resurfaces, her hat floating away and her sunglasses probably along with them. Her big blue eyes look up at me with an innocent smile as they catch something behind me.

"What...?" I say slowly.

"Boo." Aubrey says behind me quietly and then I'm shoved into the pool rather harshly. I resurface and I could care less that there's kids around.

"Aubrey you son of a mother fucking bitch I'm gonna kill you." I growl.

"We have the same mother." Aubrey deadpans. "Dad doesn't take it kindly when others insult mom..." He sing songs.

"I'm going to get you back for this one." I reply as he walks away smugly.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted a swim!" June exclaims, retrieving her hat and sunglasses before climbing out of the pool. She goes back to the chair and sits down, laying her hair and sunglasses out to dry on the side table.

I sigh and I go join her on the chair beside her, hanging my coverup on the back of my chair.

"Still smell your shaggy haired friend?" I ask playfully.

"No-" she sniffs the air. "Yes. He's closer this time."

I panic a little. "Just... Relax. It's probably nothing." I say quickly, putting her hat over her face. "To keep you from getting burnt!" I exclaim.

"But Ariel, I don't burn." June laughs, removing the hat as a man walks into the pool area. His gaze is focused on June.

"I am so not letting him get close to you." I growl, June looks confused before her eyes turn to the scent.

"Oh... My... Gosh..." She breathes.

The closer he gets the more I feel the need to protect one of my best friends.

I encircle my arms around her upper body and hiss at him. "This is my June-Bug, you don't get to touch her."

He is admittedly very attractive. Blonde hair and blue eyes and a nice body. He's wearing swimsuit bottoms and a white tshirt which is pretty see-through to me.

"June-Bug?" He asks, his voice quite questioning.

I growl. "You do not get to call her that! That's my name for her!"

"Ariel, it's okay silly. He's my mate, I can feel it." She says, her eyes not leaving his.

"But June-Bug..." I whimper.

"I'll help you find your mate tomorrow okay?" She says, maneuvering out of my grasp.

"I don't want my mate." I retort. "And I'm saying that you don't want him yet either so he can leave." I give him a death stare, he seems to be getting angrier with me by the second.

"Ariel," June sighs. "Please leave us alone for a little while? You're making a scene." Her cheeks are flushed in embarrassment and I realize I had drawn more attention to her after our little incident before. She hates the attention.

I stand up and glower at everyone staring. "You people can mind your own fucking business." I growl and storm off.

I can't believe she met her mate! Already! That's not fair! June-Bug is one of my partners in crime, she can't just leave like that. Now he's gonna take her far away from me and I won't get to see her ever again.

I go to my room and slam the door. I change into dry clothes and walk out onto the balcony which oversees the big pool.

June looks anxious, her mate sitting in the chair I was in. They're already in a conversation though... I wonder if I spit if I could get it to hit him... I giggle at the thought before walking back to my bed and sitting down.

Gosh, I really hope my mate isn't here.

It's later that Aubrey brings me up some dinner which I had purposefully missed to avoid seeing June. Not that I was mad at her, I was mad at her mate. The reason was simply that he's her mate.

"It shoulda been our shaggy haired friend..." I mumble to myself as I finish quite the delicious dinner.

I can hear loud music somewhere in the hotel so I assume there's a party. I smirk to myself, parties are the best. I slip on my ripped jeans, a white crop top and some heels before heading to the source.

And I was right, there's a party. From what I can tell, it's younger alphas and Luna's and kids. I don't see many of the younger ten year old ones though.

Mm, I hate people sometimes but parties are great. Someone pulls on my arm and I look over to see June.

"Hey... You aren't mad at me are you?" She asks nervously, playing with a curl.

"Of course not June-Bug." I snort. "I'm mad at your mate."

"His names Calvin." She sighs. "He's actually a friend of my brother somehow."

"Do you like him so far?" I ask slowly.

"Yeah..." She sighs happily.

"Well, I just want you to be happy June-Bug. And if that means with Calv..."

"Calvin."

"With Calvin, then that's great."

"Are you going to remember his name for me?"

"Maybe. Depends how I like him." A new song comes on and I pull her with me onto the makeshift dance floor. I love this song!

"I think you'll find your mate tomorrow." June says and I sing along to the music overtop of her voice purposefully.

I catch Aubrey dancing with a girl and I roll my eyes. He's such a flirt.

Cal... Calver? Comes over to us and June jumps a little in surprise.

"Hey," she smiles up at him.

"There are a lot of men looking at you and your friend." He says in a bit of a whine.

"Because we're fucking gorgeous." I snort, flicking a piece of my black hair behind my shoulder.

"Are you sure she's not your sister?" Calver asks June slowly.

"Yes. We may look alike but we're not sisters." June sighs.

"Oh please June-Bug, we're sisters... Just with different parents." I say the last bit awkwardly.

Calver sighs. "I don't like them all looking at you."

"Calver-"

"Calvin." June interrupts.

"I tried June!" I whine. "Calvin, get used to people looking. Cause that's what people do when they have eyes."

June pinches the bridge of her nose. "Oh Ariel." She groans.

"What?" I reply innocently. "Now, Calver-in! Calvin! We're dancing here."

"Then I'll join you, Ariel." He replies smoothly.

I narrow my eyes as he starts dancing with June. I don't like him.

"I think I'm done here." I mumble, walking away. I can hear them talking as I leave.

"Calvin, she's my best friend. I know she's really rude to people at first but just give her time." June sighs. "She's an amazing girl, she just has trust issues."

Damn right I do. I head back up to my room and pull off my clothes.

I slide into bed and fall asleep.

"ARIEL YOU AREN'T SLEEPING BEAUTY!" Aubrey yells in my face.

"Ah! I'm awake! I'm awake!" I scramble to sit up.

"Good, you missed breakfast so I brought some up for you." Aubrey hands me the tray.

"Thanks," I smile. "So, who was that girl last night that you were dancing with?"

"Just a friend." Aubrey shrugs as I start to eat.

"Just a friend... With benefits?"

"Ariel," he gives me a look. "No."

I giggle as I eat the pieces of clementine. I took after mum, she and I loved fruit. And Aubrey made sure to get lots for me.

"Actually... I wanted to tell you... I met my mate." He mumbles the end.

"Give me a second." I say slowly, putting the tray down on the beside table. I turn and bury my face into one of the pillows and scream in frustration.

WHY IS EVERYONE MEETING THEIR MATES?

"You good...?" Aubrey asks hesitantly.

"June-Bug met her mate yesterday too." I groan.

"Oh... Well, my mate she's gorgeous... And... And I want to ask her to come home with me." Aubrey explains. "I talked to mom and dad, they're moving into grandmas and grandpas house and grandma and grandpa are moving into the pack house."

"What about me?" I frown.

"Well, I was hoping you'd move with mom and dad." Aubrey rubs the back of his neck. "I mean, you can stay with Selene and I if you want!"

I smile softly. He's nervous about it.

"I want you and... Selene, to be happy. I'll move with mom and dad." I kiss Aubreys forehead and he wraps his arms around me in a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you so much little sis!"

I giggle. "No problem, now get your bear paws off me. And get out of my room."

I watch as he leaves and I sigh. June's gone, Aubrey's gone, I bet Aunt Violet's son met his mate too.

Well, the alphas got one thing right. This is just a 'children meet your mate' fest. Since most alpha borns get mated to another alpha born, or alpha rank, it just makes sense. Well, a ten year old isn't gonna meet there mate, but whatever.

I pull on jean shorts and my favourite white crop top. Now makeup...

After getting myself all done up, I slip my run down sneakers on and head out.

All the children have to attend one of the meetings, it's at two thirty today... Yuck. Waste of an afternoon.

I wonder where June-Bug and Calv... Calvin! Aha, I remembered it. I wonder where they are anyway. Or where Aubrey and his new mate disappeared to, I wanna meet her.

I look down at the carpeted hall and giggle a little at the pattern. I step on only certain parts of the pattern as I go down the hall, making it a little dance. If you can't make fun out of the little things, you're a pretty boring person.

I smack into someone's chest during my little dance on the patterns, bumping my nose rather hard.

"Ow..." I whine, holding my nose. I look at the chest which assaulted my nose before looking up at the face of which this rock of a chest belongs to.

Brown eyes pierce mine as I look up at him. They're an earthy brown with lighter flecks in them. They looked so deep and held everything that his stone facial expression didn't show. A mop of messily styled brown hair on his head. His jawline set, seemingly angry, but his eyes say otherwise.

I realize I'm staring and I shake myself out of it, a blush covering my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I was just admiring the pattern on the floor."

His scent makes my nose tingle a little and my wolf stirs. She never came out. Mom said her wolf is quite like mine, she just kind of stays back and let's us do everything.

"I should um... I should go." I run away from him and downstairs.

I never stumble over my words! What the hell did that guy do? I think he screwed my nose up or something. He didn't even say anything!

Sometimes people are just so annoying. Gah.

"Ariel!" I look up to see Ivin. I run over and hug him tightly.

"Hey, is it just me or is everyone finding their mates around here?" Ivin chuckles.

"I know right!" I exclaim. "June-Bug, Aubrey- don't tell me you did too! Or I'll... I'll get Aunt Violet to do something!"

"Mom isn't going to do anything but faint of happiness." Ivin snorts. "I didn't find a mate yet."

"You know who I think your mate is? Lilian's daughter."

"I've only seen her once! A really long time ago!"

"Exactly!" I giggle. "That's why it'll be her!"

"Oh please." Ivin snorts. "I don't even remember her name!"

"Ouch, she's one of my best friends you know."

"Hey, you haven't met your mate yet have you?" Ivin asks curiously.

"Nah, I'm mateless." I smile, though my mind trails to that guy I ran into. I shake the thought off, why's he in my head? I mean, he's eye candy. Real good eye candy, but I've never looked at someone and thought of them again even if they were that hot.

"Hey, let's go find Aubrey and June and do something fun before we get locked up in the stupid meeting." Ivin smiles.

"Sounds good to me." I smile back and we run off to find them.