Chapter 27

OLIVE

A week has passed and there’s no sign of the impending doom that was promised. I can’t help but feel a sense of relief. Maybe it was just an empty threat.

Zeke and I decide to take a stroll in the forest behind the pack house.

“What’s your home like?” I ask Zeke, my curiosity piqued.

“It’s beautiful. The palace is huge… way too big for just Dinah, Jude, and me.” He grins at me.

“Hmm, well, we’ll just have to fill it up then,” I say, tapping my chin in mock thought.

“I hope you’re talking about our pups,” he replies, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

“Ha! Of course, our little pups.” I smile at him, imagining what our pups would look like.

“Jude has a mate, so maybe they’ll start filling up some of the rooms soon.”

“That would be nice, having pups running around,” I say, lost in my thoughts.

Suddenly, Zeke stiffens and stops walking.

I turn to look at him and see his eyes darting around the forest. His senses as king are sharper than anyone else’s.

“Zeke? What’s wrong?” I ask, scanning the forest for any signs of danger.

“Something’s watching us,” he says, his voice filled with unease. “I heard it move, but now it’s still. It’s too quiet.”

I freeze, holding my breath, hoping it will help Zeke locate the source of the disturbance.

After a few tense moments, we hear the rustling of leaves and both of us turn towards the sound.

A rabbit is hopping around in the distance.

“Just a rabbit.” He lets out a sigh of relief.

I rub his arm, trying to reassure him. Asmodeus’s warning has put us both on edge.

How did I not see that Zeke was just as worried as I was? He’s good at hiding his emotions when he needs to.

We continue our walk, the silence between us comfortable. Zeke remains alert, his eyes scanning the forest for any signs of danger.

“It’s okay, Zeke. We’re alone. There’s no—”

“ARRRRROOOOOOOO!”

Goosebumps spread across my skin, a chill running down my spine.

That’s not a normal werewolf call. No…this is something much older.

A lycan.

“Get behind me,” Zeke orders, pushing me behind him.

I quickly turn around to watch his blind spots for any potential attacks.

I feel Zeke’s back rumble before I hear his low growl. He’s warning the intruder.

Lycans are dangerous creatures if they choose to be. A single lycan could wipe out an average pack in minutes.

But I wonder how a lycan would fare against the Alpha King and a hybrid demon… I guess we’re about to find out.

I peek around Zeke’s arm.

A male lycan stands there. He’s already shifted and is moving towards us, ready for a fight. He’s standing on his hind legs. He’s ~massive~, easily towering over Ezekiel.

His pale-blue eyes and onyx fur are so dark it’s like staring into a void. His face is set in a fierce expression as he snaps his jaws in our direction, taunting us.

Ezekiel half shifts, growing in size. His claws and canines lengthen. It’s a smart move since lycans are more agile than us when we’re in our wolf forms.

“Turn around now and we can forget this ever happened,” Zeke growls.

The lycan speaks, his voice deep and rough, “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“And why not?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.

The lycan holds his ground, his gaze locked with ours until his eyes flicker to the ground and his expression changes…just for a moment.

But that brief moment is all I need to see. I see his pain in his pale-blue eyes, but why?

“So be it,” Zeke says coldly before launching himself at the lycan.

My heart pounds in my chest. I can hear the blood rushing in my ears. I can barely watch but I need to know that he’s okay.

Zeke charges at the lycan, crashing through two trees. Splinters fly everywhere as the trees creak and groan before falling to the ground with a loud thud.

I mind-link Max to get Dinah and the warriors to our location as fast as possible. Even though Zeke and I are mated, I’m not officially part of his pack yet, so I can’t link Dinah directly.

I hear growls and snaps as they slash and bite at each other. The lycan has fresh scratches and bites all over his body, blood seeping from each wound.

Zeke has a few scratches but he’s mostly unscathed.

~Our mate is strong,~ I think to Raven, who puffs out her chest proudly for our powerful mate.

The lycan grabs Zeke and throws him to the ground, repeatedly punching him in the face.

Zeke lets out a powerful howl, sending the lycan flying about thirty feet into the air. This gives Zeke enough time to get back on his feet, ready for the next round of attacks.

He stands shakily; the powerful punches seem to have disoriented him.

~I need to buy him some time to recover.~

The lycan slowly gets up, growling, clearly not happy about his flying lesson.

He starts to close the distance between them, only to skid to a stop when he’s hit by a fireball.

The lycan looks in my direction, his eyes widening in surprise at my flaming hands and eyes.

“That was a warning. The next one won’t be.”

He snorts, flaring his nostrils.

He starts to run towards me, but Blade pounces on him from behind, biting down on his neck and forcing him to the ground.

The lycan yelps in pain, thrashing around, trying to get Blade to let go.

I can hear Max, Dinah, and the warriors closing in.

~“We need to take him down,”~ Zeke sends a message through our mind-link.

~“What’s the plan?”~ I shoot back.

~“The only surefire way to kill a lycan is with silver or by ripping out their heart. We don’t want him dead, though. We need to figure out why he’s here.”~

I nod, understanding the boundaries. Anything but a kill shot.

The lycan seems to know he’s lost. His face is a mask of defeat and resignation.

I extend my claws, preparing to slice his throat. The blood loss should buy us enough time to haul him back to the pack house dungeons.

Suddenly, his head jerks up, his eyes scanning the forest before freezing on a particular spot.

“NOOOOOOO!” A raw scream echoes through the forest.

I whip around to see Dinah, her face a picture of sorrow and despair.

“Mate... I’m sorry,” the lycan whispers.

DINAH

I’m holed up in Ezekiel’s office, slogging through some paperwork that Jude sent over for a second opinion. Ezekiel’s taking the morning off to spend some quality time with the lovely Olive.

~I hope I get this much time off when my mate shows up,~ I muse.

Despite my tough exterior, I’m a hopeless romantic at heart. I dream of my mate sweeping me off my feet when I least expect it.

~Will I ever meet my mate?~

~Or will I have to give up on the dream and settle for a chosen mate?~

~I wonder who my mate will be. A rugged alpha? Or maybe a laid-back omega?~

I sigh, lost in my thoughts. The idea of my mate has been consuming me more and more as the years pass.

I’m twenty-four now... It’s been six years and still no sign of him.

Even my wolf is growing restless, pacing in my mind so much that I can barely focus on anything other than who my mate might be.

“Urgh!” I groan, dragging my hand down my face and sinking back into the chair.

A quick knock at the door interrupts my thoughts, causing my wolf to freeze.

“Come in.”

Max steps into the room, looking like he’s ready for battle.

“We need to move. Our king and queen are in danger,” he says, before spinning on his heel and dashing out the door.

I can hear him barking orders to his warriors, followed by the sound of at least two dozen feet rushing out of the pack house.

My wolf is itching to join them, her eagerness giving me a headache.

I pull myself up and follow them out the door. I have no idea what we’re up against. I just hope that Ezekiel and Olive are safe.

As we near the location Olive provided, I see her standing with her back to us, her hands ablaze. She hurls a fireball at something in the distance.

My gaze follows the fireball, everything seeming to move in slow motion. My wolf is yipping excitedly. That’s when I see him.

~Mate.~

Goosebumps break out all over my body. I can’t believe it’s him. It’s finally him! He hasn’t noticed me yet, but I’m certain it’s him. I feel the pull instantly. My mate is a lycan.

I’m torn. Why is my mate fighting Ezekiel and Olive? I don’t want my friends to get hurt, but I can’t stand the thought of my mate being hurt either.

Is my mate, the one I’ve been waiting for all this time, really a psychopath who needs to be killed on sight? That would be a cruel twist of fate.

I don’t know much about lycans, to be honest—just that they’re incredibly powerful and live longer than werewolves.

They’re a rare sight, so why is one here, attacking the king and queen of all people?

My heart drops when I see Blade tackle my mate to the ground before he can reach Olive.

I see the sadness in his eyes; my heart feels like it’s being torn in two. One half for my loyalty to my king and the other half for the mate I may never get to know.

I watch in horror as Olive raises her hand, her claws lengthening. She’s about to end him.

“NOOOOOOO!” I scream.

My mate’s pale-blue eyes lock onto mine. His eyes are shiny with unshed tears. I can see the recognition in them; he knows who I am to him.

“Mate…I’m sorry,” he whispers.

Olive is staring at me, stunned by my outburst.

I rush to my mate, skidding to a stop on my knees in front of him.

“Ezekiel, let him go, please!” I plead, tears streaming down my face.

~“Dinah, he just attacked your king and queen! What’s going on?”~ he asks.

~“He’s my mate…please,”~ I beg. ~“I’ll take responsibility for him.”~

I hear the pop and crack as Ezekiel shifts back.

~“Alright, Dinah, but I’m assigning some guards just in case he tries anything,”~ he says, looking at me with concern.

He calls over Eddie and another pack warrior to stand on either side of my mate.

His lycan leans forward, inhaling my scent. I can’t help but lean into his chest. I can hear his heart pounding as I run my hands through his black fur.

Pulling back, I look into his beautiful eyes. “Shift for me,” I say. He looks at me, uncertain. “Please, it will put the warriors at ease.”

He nods, closes his eyes, and his fur begins to retract. His face morphs from beast to man.

And what a man.

His hair is the same color as his lycan’s fur, dark as night. His pale-blue eyes look at me with sorrow. His eyebrows are thick and full, as are his eyelashes.

He’s perfect.

“Why are you here, lycan?” Ezekiel asks, his kingly authority radiating from him. Max, me, and all the warriors bow our heads in submission.

Olive and my mate are the only ones who seem unaffected by the situation.

My mate gives me a questioning look, as if he’s trying to figure out if he can trust these people.

I reach out and take his hand. “You can trust them,” I assure him. “They’re good people.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he confesses, his eyes welling up with tears. His lower lip trembles slightly. “Especially not you.”

“Then why did you attack us if you didn’t mean to harm us?” Ezekiel demands.

“I was sent…by Asmodeus,” he admits.

“To do what?” Ezekiel probes further.

“To distract you.” My mate lowers his gaze, shame evident in his posture.

“But why?”

“I’m sorry…I don’t know,” he stammers, his lip trembling again.

“Why are you doing Asmodeus’s dirty work?”

“Because he has someone I love,” he confesses, tears finally spilling down his sun-kissed cheeks.

My heart sinks, shattering into a million pieces. He’s already taken. I was too late in finding him.

“Fuck!” Max suddenly swears.

Everyone’s attention shifts to him, surprised by his uncharacteristic outburst.

“The hospital has been attacked by demons,” he reveals.

“Is anyone hurt?” Olive asks, her voice filled with worry.

“No one is hurt, thankfully.”

“Then what’s the problem?” she presses.

Max looks down at his feet, as if he’s trying to find the right words before he finally looks back at Olive.

“One of our pack doctors has been taken.”

“Who was it?” she asks, but I can see in her eyes that she already knows the answer. She just needs to hear it out loud.

“I’m so sorry, Olive. It was your mom,” Max says, his voice heavy with regret.

Olive slowly shakes her head, her knees giving out as she collapses to the ground, sobbing.

Ezekiel is by her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her and whispering comforting words into her ear.