ERIK
I left the front door dazed, Red's citrus and lavender scent still lingering strong around me. I clenched my jaw and fists, feeling a sting of pain for walking out like that. But if I hadn't, my wolf would have taken control. He wanted to possess her body and soul right there, to mark her as his, not giving a damn about anything else. It was too soon. She was incredibly beautiful, strong and courageous, but my head was filled with a fair amount of doubts. Even though it felt wrong to second guess my mate, I couldn't help it. The fighting skills I witnessed in that meadow impressed me but made it very clear that she was one of them or most probably a trainee. Now I was questioning my decision of letting her keep those silver daggers. What if she was a spy, being part of some bigger scheme of Cernunnos against our dynasty? It hurt to even think that she would betray me like this. After all, she was human and didn't feel the mating bond as powerful as I did, so why would she care about it, about me? We hardly knew each other. Although, I could see how she was responding to my touch. She was lost for words around me, just as I was around her. Still, I had to hear her version of the story first. I was a good judge of character and she seemed innocent to me. But maybe it was the bond between us that clouded my thoughts and choices about her?
I pinched the bridge of my nose in despair, all this uncertainty giving me a headache. Nearing the stone fence that surrounded the mansion, I gazed over the lands, as far as the eye could see. As much as I tried to think about my duties or anything else really, Red's pink lips and curved body popped into my head, sending me over the edge with desire. The voice of my father came to me, interrupting the dirty images my beast kept creating in my mind about my girl.
"Erik, where are you? We have to discuss. Fritz just informed me about what happened. I'm waiting for you in my study." My eyes went white in the back of my head, as I responded.
"On my way, father!". Shit, he sounded angry. Fritz probably didn't leave out any detail about Red that maybe I would have. My wolf growled furiously in my skull. Whoever she was, whatever she did, I would be on her side. She was ours to protect and love, forever. A wild dream of me and her running away played in my mind while I was heading to the Alpha's office. Would I be able to give up my seat as the leader for Red? As tempting as it sounded, my parents would have been too disappointed to even consider it. I wasn't ready to leave my home and duties yet.
I knocked and entered as soon as I was given permission. My dad was sitting in his chair, looking out the window, lost in thoughts. I took a sit too, in front of him and waited until he talked first.
" So? Is it true your mate is a hunter?" he asked, getting straight to the point like he always did. His words felt like a slap on the face. I grinded my teeth trying not to be insolent.
" I'm not sure yet, father. I have to talk to her first. I need to hear her side of the story too." I said, sounding a bit uneasy. Max narrowed his eyes, not at all convinced.
" From what Fritz told me she meets all the requirements - training, age, weapons. I know it's hard to accept, but you need to keep a clear head on the matter" he scolded me.
" How can I? She's mine! " I snapped at him, banging my hand on the table. My wolf stirred inside angry. He remained silent, glaring at me. I sighed and closed my eyes. " I'm sorry. This situation keeps me on edge" I apologized, trying to stay cool.
" I understand. But for the sake of our kingdom, we need to consider a second option" he pointed out, though his tone seemed careful.
" What second option? " I said through clenched teeth, my voice sounded distorted, because my wolf clearly knew what he was about to say and was surfacing again. I was squeezing the arms of the chair so tight, that they were about to break. My father rose from his seat and turned his back, standing in front of the window, arm crossed behind.
" It's not an easy decision to make, but you need to consider finding a more suitable Luna". I froze, then burst into a fit.
" What the fuck? How can you insinuate such a thing?" I growled furious, turning the armchair into splinters in the end. When he didn't respond, I continued shouting. " You haven't even met her!"
" Knowing what she is seems enough to understand that she's unfit " he spoke with hatred in his voice. The fact that the Lodge of Hunters killed his brother made my father ruthless in the fight against them. I knew he would never allow one to rule his lands.
"You know there are no second chances in this matter! She is the one I want! The one that the Moon Goddess chose for me!".
" You don't know what you want, Erik! You are still young and I won't let you ruin everything we built all these years for the sake of true love."
" So you don't give a shit about my happiness, is that it? All you care about is power!" I gritted my fangs, raising to my feet as well.
" Watch your tongue, boy! I'm the Alpha of this pack and you will show me respect!". His calm tone was cold as ice and threatening. It would have been better if he yelled. " There are plenty of other suitable, strong Lycan females in our pack. You can learn to love someone else, in time".
" What about mother, your soulmate? Would you have someone else, instead of her?" I tried playing all the cards I had at my disposal. He frowned, shaking his head.
" I was lucky that she was a good noblewoman, that's all. But if I had to choose between my feelings and the good of this dynasty, I know what my decision would be!" he spat at me, losing his cool. My eyes widened in shock at his words.
" I can't believe you just said that..you are lying !". Disappointment filled my chest and suddenly I had no desire to be there. He saw my intention to leave.
" I want to question her myself. It's clear that feelings cloud your judgment and I don't blame you. Then, I will decide if she's fit to rule by your side". I wanted to smack him in the face just because he talked about Red like she meant nothing, but I didn't wanna push it. There was a chance that everything was a misunderstanding and that he will accept my mate after all.
" Not today. She's tired and wounded. She needs rest " I said in a final tone, heading for the door.
" We are not done yet, Erik. Sit down!". I looked angry at the destroyed chair. I lost count of how many pieces of furniture I tore apart recently.
" I think I'll stand" I responded coldly, crossing my arms over my chest. A tense moment of silence settled between us. He sighed tiredly and sat at his desk again.
" The fact that Stefan Cernunnos trespassed on our lands is a more pressing matter than your mate at the moment. It's an act of war. We need to understand his actions. How he managed to find your female and what he tried to accomplish by it. It's a very dangerous move to come here in person. Which means they are planning something big."
" They were trying to get me. I was their target, not Red. She was a pawn in all of this. They probably thought that the kingdom will weaken if the future leader was killed?" I furrowed my brows, remembering the recent events in the woods. " They most likely used some kind of magic to find her. There is no other explanation."
" Talk to Nyx, get him to research on this. In the meantime, I've sent extra men to look for the hunters and make sure that our lands are safe. I've no doubt that son of a bitch Cernunnos is long gone by now" he frowned, frustrated by the thought.
" I will patrol the woods too. Maybe I'll find some clues on their whereabouts". My wolf also needed to burn off some steam.
" Beta Elias is already there. Meet him. I don't want you alone for now, there might still be trouble ahead ". My father regarded me, a bit of sorrow visible on his expression. But I knew better. He rarely apologized or admitted that his actions were rash. He never thought straight when hunters were involved. " You can go" he whispered and I didn't need to be told twice.
I stormed out of his study, feeling worse than before. I've never felt so angry with my Alpha before. We rarely fought, as we were always of one mind. But it seems that love turns everything upside down. To dismiss my mate like that, without even considering that she wasn't a bad person, made me wanna rip his head off. He even had the gut to suggest I should mate someone else. How was that even possible? Only the thought of rejecting Red seemed impossible and made my heart bleed.
Without caring for my clothes, I ran and jumped, transforming mid-air with a furious growl. My beast was unleashed and the only thing he wanted right now was to run free. I sprinted into the woods, following the scent Beta Elias left behind. I was the best tracker in our pack, distinguishing smells being easy for me. My thoughts were a blur, scrambled scenes rolling in my mind - Red's blood dripping on her grazed cheek, a dead rogue laying in the snow, my father's cold stare, Red's long and thick hair. She was now forever embedded in my memory and I didn't want it any other way.
Reaching fast the sight where I rescued Red, I saw Elias crouched over the dead hunters that my brave little female put down. He sensed me and rose when I neared him, still in my wolf form.
" Your mate did this? Well, she seems one piece of work. Good luck with that!" He laughed friendly, without any trace of criticism in his voice. It seems my father told him everything. I growled and moved on through the woods, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Not too far away I found traces of magic on the snow. Dark circle-shaped burns indicated signs of teleportation. So, the fucking " God of the hunt " had the help of a wizard. Not surprising at all. The Coven of Enlightened was always their lapdogs and he had to make a quick escape from enemy territory. Where was the fucking patrol? Why didn't anyone notice their presence? I'll have their fucking heads when I returned.
Another sight was found, a little camp a couple of miles away. It was empty, except for a beautiful black mare that was tied to the tree. I sensed Red's scent all over it, so I figured it was hers. The horse spooked when she noticed me, trying to escape her binds. I shapeshifted into human and raised my hands in the air.
" Calm down girl. I'm not gonna hurt you" I said, getting closer to her until I touched her muzzle gently. Another trait of being a Lycan was exerting control over lesser beings. She stopped struggling completely under my touch and allowed me to pat her mane.
" That's right, you're safe. I think I know who you belong to. Just let me have a look around and I'll take you with me, alright? " I whispered softly. Undoing the knot, I took the reins in my hand and guided the horse along. The fire camp was recently put out and there was not much to go on. Just a couple of left behind items. Beta Elias appeared too, looking around.
" That's cute! You've made a friend! Or you just wanna impress your girl with a gift?" he grinned at me, joking.
" Fuck off, Elias" I smirked, showing him the finger. " Here!" He said and threw a small bag of clothes at me. " Take this if you wanna ride it back. You don't want to be butt naked on a saddle, trust me! ".
" Thanks. What about you?" I said, pulling the clothes on.
" I'm just gonna run my beasty. We should return, there is nothing left here. The others are still searching for the hunters, but I doubt they'll find anything" he shook his head disappointed. I nodded, while he transformed and left.
Just as I was about to get on the horse, I noticed something. An old parchment lay under a torn piece of cloth, near the trees. I bent over and lifted it. On the yellowed paper was a drawing in black ink of a richly ornamented chalice. One of them must have dropped it by mistake. I narrowed my eyes, wondering if it meant anything. Deciding to be safe than sorry, I folded it and placed it in my pocket. Maybe Zayne will know something about it. With a last look around, I got on the saddle and rode the mare back to Wolfhagen.
" So, who was on duty yesterday?" I spat angrily at the warriors. Elias gathered all of them in the parlor of the mixed packhouse at my orders. He sat next to me with his arms crossed on his chest, as I paced around furious. They all looked worried until two younger men stepped forward. I regarded them with a snarl on my face.
" Where were you last night? Cause sure as hell you were not patrolling the grounds!"
" Matt was feeling sick, so I..." one of them started explaining, but I gave him a death stare, which silenced him on the spot.
" You think I give a fuck about your excuses? You had a tummy ache, so you abandoned your posts, is that it? Let me tell you what you missed! " I growled, almost butting heads with them. " A merry team of hunters, along with their supreme leader, walked freely on our lands, putting my mate and all of us in mortal danger! Do you have any idea how serious that is?" I started yelling at them, my Alpha voice making them shrink. As furry overcame me, I caught the one on the right by the neck and lifted him in the air. He choked, but no one had the balls to say anything.
When he was starting to lose consciousness, I let him go. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, gasping for dear life. I started pacing again, nostrils flaring. " Take them away! A few days in the dungeon with silver chains should sink in." As they were escorted out, I glared at the rest of the crowd.
" We have to be on high alert from now on! The Lodge in planning something and I won't allow this sloppiness again! If I ever catch any of you out of duty for no good reason, I will personally exile you!". They all bowed their heads in submission and I dismissed them with the wave of a hand.
I left the warrior's hall too with only one thought in my mind - seeing Red. My wolf craved her scent more than anything to calm down. Night came swiftly and my head still tried to wrap around everything that's happened, all in a single day. I wondered what would follow next. I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling tired. I quickly made it uphill to the family house and climbed the grand staircase to the second level. Finding her was easy, as I could clearly sense the trail of her lavender perfume. It led me to the end of the corridor, to one of the guest rooms. I walked to it hypnotized. The lights were out, so I imagined she was sleeping. I stood in front of the door and swallowed, suddenly extremely nervous. I raised my hand and unlocked the door slowly, careful not to make any sounds. I felt like a creepy stalker for entering uninvited in the middle of the night, but I could not resist. I had to see her.
The inside of the room was dark, only a couple of rays from the moon glistening through the window, directly on the bed. She laid face up, the lower half of her body covered by the blanket. After a proper bath, she looked even more stunning. Her lovely, golden hair was splayed all over the pillows and her chest rose up and down slowly, deep in sleep. Her nipples were hard and visible through the thin material of her nightshirt. My mouth dried and my beast purred in approval. She looked so peaceful, a little smile appearing in the corner of her plump lips. I would have given anything to taste them. Without a second thought, I got closer to her bed and studied her delicate features with hunger. I slowly traced the side of her white cheek with my knuckles and felt those incredible sparks on my skin. I sighed, wanting more of her. Maybe I could just lay near her for a little while? Then, I will leave without her knowing I was ever there.
I removed my sweaty shirt and threw it on the floor. I didn't want to dirty her in any way. Yet. My heart raced something mad, as I lifted the covers and slipped beside her. Goddess, this was wrong of me. But she is mine. I had no control over my feelings anymore. Her aroma overwhelmed me and I tried my best not to nuzzle in her soft locks. Just sitting like this was enough.
Then, she suddenly turned around and my breath hitched in my throat. Did I wake her? But she just mumbled and found a more comfortable sleeping position. Which was right on my warm chest. My eyes widened, as she smiled and placed a hand on my pecs, continuing to dream carelessly. I smirked pleased, having no intention of going anywhere now. I kissed the top of her head gently, feeling better than I ever did in my life. The tingles I felt all over my body were so right and relaxing. I watched her sleeping for a long time, fiddling with a strand of her hair. Until exhaustion caught up with me, making my eyes close and pushing me into the darkness.