The Modern Witch's Guide to Faking It With a Werewolf

I raise an eyebrow, both amused and curious. "And you think they'll believe it?" I ask, trying to mask the unease creeping into my voice.

Max leans against the headrest, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah," he says confidently, "my scent is all over you."

My eyes widen slightly at the realization. Werewolves are keenly attuned to scents, and it makes sense that his pack would pick up on our closeness, even if it's been purely platonic. But the thought of them assuming more than there is makes my stomach flip with nerves. "Great," I mutter, half-joking, "nothing like being labeled as someone's mate without even knowing it."

He chuckles, a soft, reassuring sound that somehow eases my tension. "It's just for the weekend," he reminds me. "And it's not like we have to do anything... too couple-y."

"Too couple-y?" I repeat with a skeptical look.

"You know what I mean," he says, a bit more earnestly. "Just... be yourself. Be with me. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, no pressure," I say, my tone teasing but my heart racing with the implications. Pretending to be Max's girlfriend means getting a closer look at his world and the people in it. It's a chance to understand a part of him I've never fully seen. But it also means navigating the tricky waters of pretending while keeping my own feelings in check.

The drive to the pack lands takes only about fifteen minutes, yet it feels like a world away from the familiar streets of Willowbrook. Max and his parents technically live within the town's boundaries, blending in with the mundane population, but most of his family resides here, in the heart of the pack territory.

Max glances over at me as he drives, his expression unreadable. "We'll be staying with Nana and Aunt Sarah," he says, his voice steady, but there's a hint of something in his tone—nervousness, perhaps, or maybe excitement.

I nod, trying to focus on the landscape passing by rather than the growing anticipation in my chest. The thought of spending the weekend surrounded by Max's family, pretending to be his girlfriend, is both thrilling and nerve-wracking. I've known Max for years, yet this feels like stepping into a new chapter of our friendship, one filled with unspoken possibilities.

As we pull up to a quaint, rustic house nestled among tall pines, I take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever comes next. Max parks the car and turns to me with a reassuring smile, but I can see the slight tension in his eyes.

"Ready?" he asks, his voice a mix of encouragement and uncertainty.

I manage a smile, though my heart is pounding. "As I'll ever be."

Inside, I'm greeted by an older woman with the same bright green eyes as Max. Her smile is warm and welcoming, and she studies me for a moment before speaking.

"Oh, this must be Dallas," she says, striding over to me and pulling me into a full embrace. The warmth of her hug catches me off guard, and I laugh awkwardly, glancing over at Max for reassurance.

His expression, however, is something I've never seen before—an odd mix of affection and something else I can't quite place.

"This is my mate," he says, his voice firm but slightly unsteady.

My mouth threatens to fall open. Did he really just say that? I see him blink, as if he too just realized the weight of his words, but it's too late to take them back.

Before I can react, a high-pitched squeal echoes from another room, and a woman bursts into the entryway, her face lit with excitement.

"I'm Aunt Sarah," she says, pulling me into another hug before turning to fuss at Max. "Max, why didn't you just tell us she was your mate all this time? For years we've been trying to set you up with shifters from our pack and the others nearby. If we had known, we would have left you alone."

My heart is pounding, and Max looks utterly horrified. The room seems to shrink around us as I try to process what's happening. Saying we were dating was one thing, but claiming I was his mate? That was a whole different level of commitment in the shifter world.

I glance at Max, my eyes narrowing. What on earth possessed him to say something so... irrevocable? I can't even begin to think of a way to untangle this mess without causing a scene.

Inwardly, I seethe. I'm going to kill Max McCaffery, best friend or not. How are we going to fix this?