Selene arrived at the café on Fifth Street at precisely eight o'clock, her nerves frayed from the day's events. The place was quiet, soft jazz music played in the background barely audible over the low murmur of conversation. She spotted Lykos immediately, seated at a corner table, his golden eyes practically glowing in the dim light.
He looked completely at ease, as though they were simply two old friends catching up over coffee. But Selene's stomach churned with unease as she approached him.
"Right on time," Lykos said, standing as she reached the table. He pulled out a chair for her with an almost courtly gesture. "I like that."
Selene sat stiffly, glaring at him. "Let's get this over with. What do you want?"
He leaned back in his chair, regarding her with a lazy smirk. "Straight to the point. I admire that about you, Selene." He paused and his expression shifted to something more serious. "We have to get married."
Selene blinked, certain she'd misheard him. "I'm sorry—what?"
Lykos's golden eyes locked onto hers. "Married. And we need to seal the mating bond before the fourth blood moon."
She stared at him, her mind scrambling to process his words. "The… mating bond?" she repeated slowly, as though the phrase itself was gibberish.
He gave her a pointed look, "Can't you feel it? The pull between us? The way you've been drawn to me since the moment you found me?"
Selene opened her mouth to retort, but the words died in her throat. She had felt something… a strange, unexplainable connection that had unsettled her from the start. But she wasn't about to admit that.
"You're delusional," she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't feel anything."
Lykos chuckled, the sound lsending an involuntary shiver down her spine. "You can deny it all you want, Selene, but it won't change the truth."
"And what truth is that?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"My name is Lykos," he said, "Do you know what that name means? It's the origin of the word lycan."
Selene froze, the blood draining from her face. "You're saying… you're a werewolf?"
"Not just any werewolf," he said, leaning forward. "I am the Lykos. The first. And now, thanks to that lovely little prophecy, you're my betrothed."
She stared at him in stunned silence, her brain struggling to reconcile the man sitting across from her with the ancient myths she'd studied as an archaeologist. "This… this is insane. Werewolves aren't real. They're just legends—stories people made up centuries ago."
Lykos's smile widened, and for a fleeting moment and she saw a hint of his sharp tooth. "And yet here I am."
Selene shook her head, her voice rising. "Even if I believed you, why on earth would I marry you? I don't even know you!"
"You don't have a choice," he said simply, "The mating bond has already begun to form. If we don't complete it by the fourth blood moon—"
"And when is that?" she interrupted, her voice filled with sarcasm.
"Two months from now," he said without hesitation.
Selene gaped at him. "Two months? You expect me to process all of this and marry you in two months?"
"I know it's a lot to take in, Selene. But the bond isn't something you can run from. It's already a part of you, whether you want it to be or not. And if we don't seal it by the blood moon…"
"What?" she demanded. "What happens if we don't?"
He hesitated, his jaw tightening. "If the bond isn't sealed, we'll both die."
Selene felt the air rush out of her lungs. "You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm not," he said, his voice low but firm. "This isn't just about us, Selene. If we fail, the consequences could be catastrophic."
She stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to call him crazy, to storm out of the café and never look back. But deep down she knew that he was telling the truth.
Finally, she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You're asking a lot for someone I just met."
Lykos tilted his head, a hint of amusement returning to his expression. "Think of it as destiny."
Selene rolled her eyes. "Destiny, my ass."
His grin widened which annoyed her more.
"You think this is funny?" she snapped. "You barge into my life, drop some ridiculous story about werewolves and mating bonds, and expect me to just accept it? You're out of your mind."
Lykos leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as his golden eyes bore into hers. "It's not funny, Selene. It's fate. Whether you believe it or not, you're bound to me now. I'm trying to make this easier for you."
"Easier?" she repeated incredulously, her voice rising. A few patrons glanced in their direction, but she didn't care. "Do you have any idea how insane this sounds? Werewolves, blood moons, dying if we don't get married—this isn't some fantasy novel, Lykos!"
He didn't flinch at her outburst. Instead, he regarded her with calm demeanor. "I know it's a lot to process," he said, "But the bond isn't something I can change. And neither can you."
Selene opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. A memory flashed through her mind…. how her heart had skipped a beat the first time she saw him, the strange pull she felt even now, sitting across from him. She hated to admit it, but part of her did feel something, something she couldn't explain.
"I don't even know you," she said quietly, her voice losing some of its edge.
"You will," he replied, his tone unyielding yet strangely comforting. "You have two months to get to know me before the blood moon. And after that, we'll have a lifetime."
"A lifetime?" she scoffed, though her voice wavered. "What if I say no? What if I walk out of here and pretend this never happened?"
Lykos's expression darkened slightly, and his golden eyes gleamed with something primal. "You won't," he said, his voice low and certain. "The bond won't let you. And you would die if you do."
Selene leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "You talk about this bond like it's some magical chain tying us together. But I don't feel anything, Lykos. I'm not a part of your world. I'm just… me."
"The bond wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't meant for this. You wouldn't have found me if you weren't for me."
Her breath hitched, but she quickly shook her head. "This is insane," she muttered, rubbing her temples.
"I'll give you time," Lykos said, "But not too much. The clock is ticking."
Selene glared at him. "You're awfully smug for someone trying to convince me to marry him."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "I've always been told persistence is a virtue."
"More like arrogance," she muttered under her breath.
Lykos chuckled, leaning back in his chair as though he'd already won. "Call it what you want. But you'll come around, Selene."
Before she could retort, he stood, smoothing the front of his jacket. "I'll see you soon."
"Wait, that's it?" she asked, startled by his sudden departure. "You're just leaving?"
"For now," he said, giving her a look that sent her pulse racing. "But don't worry. You'll see me again."
And just like that, he turned and walked out of the café, leaving Selene sitting there, her mind spinning with questions and doubts.