Chapter 2
*Mate!*
Dimitri point of view
IT WAS JUST YESTERDAY THAT I got a whiff of her scent at tropical thunder. Yes, after all this time I finally felt her, my so-called mate. But for her own sake I really wish I hadn't.
'Mate!' Luca my wolf has practically been singing that exact word in my head ever since yesterday, it was agonizingly painful to bear. I guess he was jumping with joy at the thought of finally meeting his so-called mate but I wasn't, and honestly meeting someone chosen for me by the moon goddess wasn't exactly thrilling to me, it sounds too cliche if you asked me. There was still a lot of things needed to be done, and she smelt like a human what the hell could she possibly do to help me or the pack, I don't care what Celeste or her damn prophecies had said, but a human mate was useless to me and even more to the entire pack, if anything she would only stand in my way.
My name is Dimitri Axel Castellan and just to pique your curiosity I'm not your regular werewolf, I am a Lycan. Well the last that still roamed this already fucked up world as it is, our sworn enemies made sure of that.
To the mundane world I am the CEO of Castellan corp and Europe's youngest and most eligible billionaire playboy. But when I'm not out signing checks, making deals or breaking pretty girls' hearts, I'm the Alpha of the blood moon pack, the biggest and most formidable pack in the entire continents and the world. To the supernatural world I am the blood Alpha and everyone's worst nightmare.
My father, the former Alpha lycan king and my mother the luna queen died a few years after I was born. Four years to be more exact. A flashback of that cursed day crept into my mind, the day both my parents were killed, the day we were raided by the Volkari coven, it's been already two decades and three years ever since but the memory was fresh to me like it was just yesterday. I guess time could heal but this wound won't.
In case you were wondering, the Volkari's were a coven of very ancient and elite vampires. They were nothing but blood thirsty parasites if you asked me and are the mortal enemies of us werewolves. What made them so dangerous was that they had thousands of armies and they were presumably spread out to every corner of the world with one sole motive, to cause destruction wherever they went. Vampires in the Volkari pack were evil and every pack knew better than to draw their attention. I brushed those thoughts out of my mind as I slammed the door of my black Rolls Royce as I reached my intended destination. I had arrived at Coffee bay, the best café in Bournville.
I pushed open the door to the café where Lance and Gabe were already waiting for me. Lance is my childhood friend, one of the very few people I could fully trust and he is also my beta and second in command so our bond was strengthened. He is also one of the pack's best warriors if I do say so myself. While Gabe is my delta and he is also my annoying cousin that gets on my nerves from time to time. Sometimes I fucking hate that mutt.
The familiar and ever so appealing sweet scent of vanilla and fresh lilacs mixed together was all over the place. Oh good goddess! She must be very close. The scent only grew stronger. For fuck sake why was fate playing this cruel game with me. I could feel Luca growl in excitement just by catching a whiff of her scent, as he chanted the word 'mate' like a holy mantra, for the first time I really wished he could just keep quiet. I and Luca agreed on almost everything except on the matter of finding our mate, he wanted her but I didn't.
"Alpha!" Lance my beta said standing to his feet with a courteous bow and Gabe my delta did the same except that he had a cheesy smile on, I gave them back an acknowledging nod. And we all took our seats.
Lance presented me with some papers and contracts that desperately needed my signatures on them. I had been really preoccupied these days looking for some kind of loophole to escape our pack's curse but hitting a dead end at every turn. The blood moon was set to rise in the next ninety three days, we really were running out of time. Just then the door chimed open and I saw her walk in, with her footsteps echoing all around.
She had dirty blond hair that reached her back, which she immediately brushed back as soon as she walked in. And don't get me started on her eyes, she had a pair of electric blue eyes, the prettiest I had ever seen with a set of incredibly perfect lips.
"Mate!" I couldn't hold back Luca from uttering out the word, causing both Lance and Gabe to instantly freeze and stare at me in total surprise.
'What the fuck Luca?' I instantly regretted saying the word and immediately it departed from my lips.
"Alpha-" Lance turned back to look at my mate who was wearing a very revealing white crop top and blue jeans that owned up to every curve.
'Our mate is really hot' I heard Luca compliment while I just rolled my eyes at him. But I had to agree with him, she was indeed a beauty to the eyes, unlike many I had seen. A beauty like hers was natural.
"Is that Luna?" Lance asked, narrowing his gaze at me as if trying to read my thoughts.
"Judging by the bad scowl he has on his face it has got to be my sister in law" Gabe said laughing like a jackass.
"Shut up!" I grit out with a low key growl knocking that stupid smile off his face. Sister in law? What a joke.
"You should go and talk to her Alpha, Celeste claims that she is the pack's last hope" Lance suggests. They both knew how much I dreaded the idea of finally meeting my mate. I don't want her. I don't need her.
'But your pack does' Luca murmured ever so taunting me. Now I really wish there was like a little switch to shut that loud talker up. The fuck, he was slowly driving me up the edge of insanity.
'Shut the hell up' I retorted mentally, but he was right though. According to Celeste the pack's witch, 'she would be the pack's salvation from the curse that plauged us for centuries or she would be our destruction splattered with our own blood'. It was a real dicey prophecy, our salvation or our destruction, whichever it was I didn't want to take a chance to find out. The pack had just started to move on from the tragedy that had occurred previously, I can't put them through another one, it was my duty to them as their alpha to protect them.
'What are you going to do now' I heard Luca hiss. He was really enjoying seeing me tormented. Stupid wolf. I had a plan--
'more like a dumb temporary fix. Really alpha was that the best plan you could come up with' Luca interrupted sarcastically, getting on my last nerves. It was indeed a temporary fix but nevertheless it entailed avoiding my mate wherever she was but now that plan was sinking fast in the sand.
"I'll talk to her. Eventually. For now I just need some time to think" I watched her order just a cup of coffee to go, for a second both our eyes met then she quickly looked away and so did I. I stood up going to my car, I needed time to think about what to do next.
'Sounds like you are just running away' Luca spoke disapprovingly.
'I'm not running from anyone or anything' I retorted back at him mentally while going to my car.
'Destiny is always going to bring our mate closer to us, it's inevitable' Luca said while I just ignored him.
On getting into my car I realized I had left my iPhone at the café. This mate thing was really starting to mess with my head. Guess I'm heading right back in.
Isabelle point of view
Oh god! I really did it this time.
I overslept and I was already late for class. Iris was probably waiting impatiently for me with an angry scowl or she got carried away with boys as per usual. I just had to get a cup of coffee from the only café in Bourneville that served a decent cup of coffee and then off to the university, my own personal torture room. But it did serve as a good cover from people that were after me.
Immediately I walked into the cafe, I felt some kind of tingle. I can't explain it but it was like I was struck by electricity and at the same time I wasn't because it didn't hurt, it felt like a good type of electricity if there was ever a good kind of electricity. What the hell am I even saying. Goddess knows how much I needed today's cup of coffee. I literally ran on caffeine.
Just at the table before me were three extremely handsome guys, they looked like perfect male models with amazing body build. And one of them was staring at me as though he knew me. He really did look familiar but with a face like his it was impossible to forget.
He was really that good looking, he could surely pass as one of those blazing hot male models you could only find in magazines covered with lesser clothing. He had pitch black hair and I could notice an ear ring stuck on his right ear although his hair tried to cover it up. He was wearing a black V-neck shirt that really brought out his muscles and black tight jeans. He looked very familiar though. He had full dark eyebrows and his eyes were incredulously brown, but it was a faded brown, almost ice brown. The kind of brown that reminded me of winter trees at twilight and chocolates, mostly chocolates. I could feel my heartbeat go faster and faster.
The two guys seated with him suddenly turned around to look at me which was kind of creepy. Why were they all now staring? Were they checking me out? Those damn perverts. Or could they also be monsters after me? Extremely stunning and hot monsters that's for sure.
Oh goddess!
I wasn't in the mood to get into another fight, I was exhausted as hell from all last night wendigo fighting but I was pretty confident that I could take three of them on, even though the numbers weren't in my favor and neither was the size. They looked twice my size, what kind of physical enhancing drugs were these guys on.
The extremely handsome one got up with a cold serious look, then went out of the café with a grumpy frown.
Just get your damn coffee and get the hell out of here, I said to myself mentally. After I got my order I practically ran out of the café just then I smacked into something that felt as hard as a wall or was it someone?. Fuck, I spilled my coffee, luckily nothing got on my white top but the coffee was all over the other person.
"Sorry about that," I said, dropping the white Styrofoam cup to the floor, trying to dab off the stain from his black shirt, unwillingly feeling his rock hard abs.
"Don't fucking touch me human" the person in front of me spits out venomously with a thick English accent as he moved away. But human? What the Fuck is up with that?
"You have eyes so why don't you use them and watch where you go" He sighs, having a dead serious look on his face.
Oh it was the same handsome guy from just inside of the café. But who in hell did he think he was to talk to me like that? A spoiled brat that's what he was.
"You also have eyes too right? So do me a favor and try being more careful. And quit acting like such a brat I said sorry already" I rolled my eyes. I felt uncomfortable with his gaze on me. I wasn't short, I was about 5'7 but compared to him I was nothing but a stick in the mud. He looked about 6'4 or more. Damn he was tall, with a very chiseled jaw and those biceps of his made Chris Evans biceps from civil war look shameful.
"Brat?" I heard him growl "how dare you call me a brat, do you know who you're talking to?" He grabbed onto my arm roughly pulling me into him till I could feel his hot breathing on my face. Ugh, I really don't know why I was having those stupid tingles again. It was like my body secretly craved for his touch and wanted to stay this way forever.
"Honestly, I don't know who you are and I really couldn't care less who you were" I removed his hand from my wrist as he just stared at me in shock, glancing at my watch "I don't have time for this I'm really already late for class, I hope not to run in to you ever again" I left him standing there looking shocked and angry as hell.
I quickly drove to college and got into the ongoing lecture. It was Literature. I could see Iris sitting in the third row in front and there was Landon sitting besides her. During the class we read through the classic Wuthering heights and discussed Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw tragic love story, and as usual Landon was being an annoying know-it -all, inputting his dumb opinions whenever he could. Like we ever needed them.
When the class was over I walked over to Iris and Landon who was literally glued to her side.
"Hey Belle" Iris screamed, enclosing me in a hug which I reciprocated looking at Landon who was just standing there looking at us all stupid.
"Hey Isabelle, you were late today, as always." he finally said with his usual annoying smirk as though I didn't know that I came late. This annoying little piece of shit.
"Hey Landon" I said, just trying to be nice and taking the higher road.
"Whoa, you look really tired, you should go get some rest" he spoke as if he cared but could he just shut the hell up and go get a life, I just ignored his presence while I told Iris about the strange guy I bumped into today. And all she really cared about was if he was hot and if he had a hot friend, the short answer to both questions was yes but the long answer was hell yeah, of course they were blazing hot.
A blond guy approached us with a cute smile.
"Hey Isaac" Landon said as the two of them went for a handshake and hug thing. He had piercing blue eyes, with sandy blonde hair and his body was made out of pure muscles but honestly I have seen better today. Did he also go to our college? I haven't seen him before. Maybe he is new.
"Hey Isaac" Iris blushed beside me and he smiled back at her. Who was this Isaac that apparently everyone else but me knew.
"Oh Isaac met my friend Isabelle, she's a bit quiet but trust me you're gonna love her when you get to know her" Iris said winking at him. I pinched her arm giving her the 'what the hell' look. She always tried to play little match maker with me like I was interested in a relationship.
"Well hello Isabelle" he smiled in a way only an angel could. "My name is Isaac" he picked up my hand from where I kept it beside me and before I knew it they were at his lips. And I must admit it did have a nice feel to it.
I withdrew my hand, my face turning a little bit red.
"I'm having a party at my mansion tonight and of course you guys are invited. Most especially you Isabelle." He looked at me smiling in a cute way. But there was something in the way that he said my name.
"Of course we'll come, especially Isabelle," Iris said, nudging me with her shoulder. Then Landon and Isaac walked away.
"He clearly likes you" she giggled as soon as they were gone.
"Well too bad cause I don't. Plus I'm not even going to his party anyways" I walked away to where me and Iris's car was parked.
"Why not? He is obviously into you" she sang in a sing-song manner.
"He is? Anyway I'm not. I'm exhausted and I have to catch up with school work and stuff" we arrived at the pink Prius, Iris's color choice not mine. Frankly I hated the color pink, it just looked a bit ugly to me.
"Please! Just come just this one time. You can't possibly let me go all alone." She grumbled like a kid all through the ride to our apartment but I remained adamant on my decision. I couldn't get out of my head thoughts about the stranger I had met at the cafe earlier today. There was something in the way that handsome stranger held on to my wrist, the way his touch felt familiar to my skin that kept on lingering in my head.