What is a predestined mate? What is the meaning of having one?
Unlike temporary mates that other Lycan-kinds tend to look for on most lonely nights, a predestined mate comes only once in a Lycan-kind's lifetime. This mate is the sole person chosen by both the ability and instinct combined; the wolf. This physical manifestation of an ability knows enough who is the most compatible person to be with its host.
A Lycan may have a few temporary mates, or even go so far as to bear children, prior to finding the ever elusive predestined one. However, once they do meet the latter, few could ever separate themselves after.
Of course, there are also those that choose to fight their wolf and deny their mate, thus, leading to a very precarious state where the Lycan desynchronizes with their own wolf. This is a very dangerous state for a Lycan, as it almost severs the ability from the host.
Although a denied mate might get weaker due to the impact of being rebuffed, the rejector pays a heavier price and becomes the weakest of the two due to the disdain and rejection of their hereditary ability.
In the Lycan Kingdom, this was known as Mulier Morbus—the worst disease brought by a Lycan's predestined mate.
This was of course part of the curriculum that the young Laris had studied once upon a time, under the tutors that his Grandfather had assigned for him and Letitia. He was fully aware of the consequences and yet...
Laris groaned upon waking up. His waist was aching, his legs sore. The place that should not have been hurting was in pulsing in dull pain.
The thing about the wilderness was that there was no such thing here as an emollient.
Laris sighed as he slowly sat up. He shivered when the thick fur fell down and exposed his shoulders. A warm hand reached out from beneath the furry blankets, tugging Laris back into two warm arms.
Atlas had been celibate for more than a week since they met. For a Wendigo that had just met his mate, this held a lot of patience. However, when he found out that Laris' wounds had healed enough that he could walk without a cane, he thereafter, made Laris unable to leave the bed every day until late morning.
During their second time, when Laris had just healed, there was quite an amount of resistance Laris internally held—why was he being ravished like this?
Most of the time, he felt his rationality clash with his emotional instinct; a bit like how the head and the heart can't move towards the same direction. One moves forwards, yet the other moves backwards, leaving him stuck in the middle to be torn apart.
This constant tossing continued on for a week, until Laris learned to not blink even when his mate would make him sit on his lap every time after dinner to do indecent things.
It's amazing how humans could adapt to any circumstance given time.
"Laris", Atlas grumbled, tightening his hold on the person he was nearly smothering by hugging to his chest.
"Did I wake you?" Laris reached a hand to pat Atlas' waist slowly, as of patting an infant to sleep.
He heard a faint groan coming from Atlas's throat just above his forehead. The next thing he knew was that Atlas rolled them over. Atlas pressed Laris down on the nest and began kissing his neck and face, then shallowly, he bit Laris' cheek.
The gentleness of that bite was the opposite of the raging hardness that kept poking Laris' navel. Just a little higher and a little tighter with Atlas' embrace, and Laris thought that this little lively junior just might poke a hole through his belly button.
Atlas leaned back, giving Laris a good look of his face. The lust in his eyes was like a testimony of how much he wanted Laris.
Laris breathed out, his breath fogging up the space between them for a second. He hooked his fingers behind Atlas' neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Atlas received his affirmation and began fondling his mate. His hands slid lower and lower until they grabbed the soft mounds that leaked an ambiguous white liquid.
The following movements were enough to last for the whole morning. Their hot breaths slightly filled the small cave with heat.
When their 'ritual' had finished, Atlas left the bed quite satisfied, whereas Laris laid on his stomach, looking like the dead. Atlas gathered snow in a wooden bowl that Laris had carved in his spare time. He walked over the fire pit and added new wood to rekindle the dying embers.
Laris watched as his mate heated the snow carefully near the fire.
How could his mate not get cold walking around in his naked glory like that? Moreover, why is that thing still standing like a proud champion?
Slightly embarrassed, Laris hid his face over his arms and decidedly tried to fake taking a nap.
What Laris didn't know, was that the cold somewhat quelled the heat inside Atlas. Otherwise, he might not have stopped and kept at tossing Laris for the whole day. Atlas' libido was monstrous, but his affection for his mate was bigger than that. He wanted to cherish his fragile mate.
A handful of times, Laris had tried to escape the little lair, however, he couldn't really find an opportune time to do so. Wherever he went, Atlas would follow. If he was gone for a longer period than he used to, Atlas would chase after him, looking anxious and aggrieved once he found Laris.
Now, before he could even attempt to go far, Atlas would follow his scent. If this kept on, even if he did successfully flee, his mate would follow him to wherever he ran to.
Laris felt resigned. Up until now, he may have seemed like he had his life pieced together perfectly. He had his life planned out; everything was a step closer to his goals in life. But that was merely on the outside.
Behind his facade was the small man Laris raised, hidden in the depths of his heart.
A few times he wasn't sure what he was doing. Was he still doing it right? Most times he didn't know what to do next. He kept doubting and doubting his decisions in life, and the worst part was dragging others down
with him.
He envied people who didn't need to overthink every night. Those who can easily and bravely choose for themselves with no burdens.
There was always a creeping fear in Laris' heart.
Others didn't have to go through what he and his twin did. If they were born to a normal set of Lycan parents, life would certainly have been different. There wouldn't have been a need to be so ambitious. Nor would he be responsible for the lives of so many that look up to him.
Was his dream even his own? Did he really have such an ambition from the start? Wasn't it because of an impression his got from his father that he decided to take on such a heavy burden? What if this really wasn't what he wanted after all? What if he was simply influenced by his surroundings?
He was so certain about himself and his wants for many years, but he met one person, and everything went crumbling down because of doubt.
This earnest life he experienced with Atlas. He had a taste of it. Now he wished he hadn't.
Then the earth rumbled and shook.