Too busy

I watch as Silverstein heads to the football field right as I turned towards the road the woman speaks to me, "Mr. Nagasaki, the swimming coach has very high hopes for you. I trust training is going well?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm on my way there now," I smile wryly. This woman knows our names and sports plus she has a very intimidating presence. 'She's not someone I want to rub the wrong way,' I think to myself.

Inside the pool, I begin my sets for warming up. The water whizes by my head with each stroke. I keep thinking of Kira and her hazel eyes. They are a mix of blue and green with tiny flecks of gold, when she smiled at me I felt it and my inner beast wanted more. I had to confirm it so I used walking her to her dorm instead of getting her number in the off chance I was mistaken and ended up with a homeless snake female looking for a chance to get with the heir of the Naga clan.

One of the few surefire ways to become apart of a clan is by becoming a clan members mate. Our clan didn't have this problem as much as the lion, bear, and wolf clans. Very rarely do you find a homeless or clanless Snake Were-beast even though it does happen from time to time.

It's easier to infect someone with a scratch in Were-form when you have claws, snakes don't have claws. Unless you're a strong male or female there isn't any other form than just a very large snake. Our alphas or strong betas can get half human features almost as if we have scaly arms or legs with claws this form isn't used often unless we are making a show of power or fighting. Some strong alphas look like Komodo dragons or ancient dragons in their half-and-half forms. It takes a lot of control to be in half and half form so fortunately, we don't have many accidental infections due to first transitions or accidentally scratching someone. Ours are mainly due to irresponsible sex or blood contact. We try and limit our exposure to Non-Were relationships but as time has passed some of our younger members like to go to the clubs or bars. Children from these encounters end up with a parent who knows nothing about being a Were-snake or in orphanages. Even worse is if an infected clanless beast infect others and puts us all at risk.

My hand hits the wall and I pull my head up out of the water, shaking my hand, "Shit!"

"Nagasaki! Where's your head at!" yelled the coach.

I look at him, "sorry coach."

"Don't be sorry! Get back in there and swim two 500's!" He yells. I groan then start at the top of the clock. Coach was timing me and he likes to add time especially when we make stupid mistakes as an excuse to do more laps. I didn't mind the extra work; I just want to know my real times. I set my pace and then her face starts haunting me again this time the way she turns her head and her hair turns with her. The feeling I get when I touched her made my blood boil with desire. What was that blast though? I've never felt anything like it before. I know something is different about this girl. She is definitely not a normal Were-snake.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

After dinner I went to my room to clean up before going to my dad's study.

"Dad, do you have a minute?" I ask.

"I suppose. what's up?" He says looking at his watch again and stretching.

"I think I might have ran into possibly my mate or mates..." I shift uncomfortably. My mom was a Pan-Were from the Alpha Family by birth and my dad is Pan-Were. He doesn't talk much about anything related to our clan since my mom died. Being apart of the Alpha Family, my dad would go to Clan meetings on occasion but his involvement waned over the years since her death and he buried himself in his work.

"I...uh... don't know how I can help you kiddo," he says looking uncomfortable.

"What... did you and Mom do?" I say feebly, worried about bringing up my mom.

"Why would you ask that? It was just your mom and I," he starts to look a little annoyed.

"I heard... well... some of the others..."I start but my dad cuts me off. "it's important to commit yourself to your mate, especially as a female Pan-Were. If you're able to shift it will be especially dangerous for you. We will not discuss having more than one mate, is that understood?" my dad snaps.

I nod my head quickly, "Yes, Father."

I quickly leave his study and head to my room. I know that bringing my mom up was a sore subject but I didn't expect him to get so upset over me telling him about two potential mates. No one really told me how my mom died and I was too young to remember if she was sick or had an accident.

In my room I sigh, I had hoped my dad could give me some insight since my last mate rejected me. My Aunt is the Clan Spiritual Leader she offers a lot of insight and is also pretty eccentric by traditional standards. She believes in the Old Ways where Pan-Weres had multiple mates unlike most clans where the males or females only have one mate for life. There's a few other Were-beast clans that don't necessarily mate for life but have adopted marriage for the sake of raising their offspring since the need for insurance and other benefits has become the norm of society.

"I guess I'll just outline my books since I have nothing else to do," I say to my cat, Stiches, while pulling out my books. I send a text to my Aunt thanking her for taking Trey.

I wasn't getting any answers tonight and school was starting tomorrow. Thinking about two guys I barely know was not going to get me through school and my dad's parent-child scholarship only covers tuition, if I get a 2.0, and didn't cover any other expenses. Something inside me whines retracting into the dark.