KILLIAN

I turned off the car engine and stepped out of the car. My assistant, Colby, stood beside the car with his hands clutched in front of him. I was dealing with a hangover and tossed him the car keys.

"Tell them to postpone any meetings I have at the office. I need to rest today," I said to him while walking towards the front door.

I was hungover from all the glasses of drinks I had the previous night from our drinking spree at the opening of my new club. All I needed was a cold shower and a long, long sleep, and I was getting it for the whole of the day; work can wait. I removed my jacket and tossed it at him as well.

"Er... Alpha..." Colby called, following me.

"Colby, if it doesn't involve sexy women, don't tell me about it."

"It's actually..."

"No, no, I am not attending to anything today; my head needs to rest."

"This is about..."

"My signature on that document? I am sure it can wait until tomorrow." I put my hand on the doorknob and twisted it.

"Your mom is here," Colby blurted.

I froze, closed the door, and turned to face Colby. "What?" He nodded. "How did she get here?" I moved away from the door and started walking back to my car. "What did you tell her?"

"He told me that you went out there last night to have meaningless associations with things and people that won't benefit us in any way," my mother's voice stopped me right in my tracks.

I looked forward and saw my mother giving me such a disapproving look. Her expression was the definition of disappointment. Slim nose upturned, devil-red lips twitching. Her hair was tied in a tight bun on top of her head, giving her that stern look. I sighed, knowing what was coming next. Honestly, my banging head was not up for this discussion.

"You want to sneak away from your house because you heard I was here?"

"That is because you do not give me peace of mind, mom."

"There is no peace for the wicked, Killian."

"You are quoting the Bible now?" I shook my head. "I am not ready for this discussion, mom. Can you come back later?" I turned and started going back to the front door.

"You are almost thirty, Killian," she said following me. "Does it not bother you that you do not have a mate yet?"

"I am only twenty-five. There is no way that it is even close to thirty."

"What's the difference between five years and now? Look, it's time to stop playing around and sleeping with all these girls and stop making our family and pack look bad."

I stopped and turned to look at her. "I do not make our family and pack look bad."

"How can you say that when you cannot even start your own family? How will you run a pack if you cannot run a family?"

"I have Bella, and we are good."

"You and I know that Bella is still here because of the influence of her image." I walked into the living room, and my mother followed me, bent on making her point. Colby trailed quietly behind us. "You should find your mate and get a family started."

"Maybe I don't have a soulmate. Have you thought of that?"

"The moon goddess blesses everyone with a soulmate. Or have you rejected yours without letting us know?" She turned sharply to Colby. "Are you guys hiding anything from me? Where the heck is Angelo?"

Colby hiked his shoulders but remained mute. My mother sighed and turned back to me, who was going up the stairs now. She walked up following me to my room. We always have this discussion every time my mom visited, and I never give in to finding a mate, but my mother would never give up.

She knew I had a human girlfriend, Bella, whom I vibe well with. Her father was one of our biggest investors, but they were humans, and we cannot get too involved with them. I did not have issues raising a family with Bella. I had waited for my mate since the first time I shifted, but despite all my travels, I did not find her. It frustrated me at first, especially when my mates and even my younger cousins found their mates and I, the future Alpha, could not find one. But with time, I got tired of searching and just took it that the moon goddess did not bless me with a mate.

No one can have it all anyway. I was handsome, charming, and rich. I could get any woman I want by a snap of my finger, so maybe I was not destined to have a mate.

"Killian, answer me," my mother's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"I told you I do not have a mate yet."

Arguing with her was fruitless and my head was killing me. I got to my door and reached for my knob, but she came in front of me and put her hand on the knob, blocking me from going into my room.

"I won't let this continue. The pack members will start losing respect for you. Not only for you, but for Cabello as well. I need you at my place on Thursday. That might change your mind and might make you stop playing around."

"What do you mean change my mind? Mom, am I going to choose my own mate."

"Thursday, 5:30 pm, at my place," she said and left.

I stared at her in confusion as she descended the stairs. What the heck was she talking about? I looked at Colby, who was standing calmly in a corner. He offered no explanation. I waved him off and went into my room. Once I got inside, I stepped out of my clothes and went straight into the shower, letting the cool water from the shower calm my nerves.