Tamed By The Lycan Prince

LYCAN MATE

CHAPTER FIVE - 5

-DERMON-

Mina and I made our way downstairs. Seated in the living room, our mother, father, and Weldon anxiously awaited Mrs. Parella's arrival. Their gazes shifted to us as Mina and I descended the stairs. The worry lines on their faces disappeared upon seeing Mina's now confident demeanor.

Our mother stood, rushing towards us with outstretched arms. She took Mina into a warm embrace. "My brave girl," she whispered into her hair.

"I see you've managed to give her some courage," Weldon remarked.

"More like she found it herself," I responded.

Our father smiled, clapping a hand on my shoulder in silent thanks. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it." Weldon stood abruptly, crossing the room in long strides to answer the door. The door creaked open, revealing Mrs. Parella.

"Mrs. Parella, thank you so much for coming over." Weldon greeted her, stepping aside to let her in.

"There is no needs for thanks, Weldon," she waved off his thanks. "Your family is my family. I will do everything within my foresight abilities to help."

Mrs. Parella walked in, and her eyes landed on Mina. Her smiles curled into a smile. "Wilhelmina dear, you look stronger already," she said, bowing her head in greeting. "Shall we begin, then?"

"Yes," Mina replied resolutely.

The room, previously filled with tension, took on a heavy air of anticipation as Mrs. Parella sat at the table in the dining room. We followed, and everyone took their seats as well. Mrs. Parella gestured for Mina to take her hands, placing them on the table. "Grab hold of me," she instructed.

Mina hesitated momentarily, then reached out and firmly took hold of Mrs. Parella's. A moment of silence followed, the room filled with an underlying pulse of anxiety and hope. Then, Mrs. Parella spoke, "Close your eyes, dear," she commanded in a soothing tone. "Breathe deep, let your mind wander."

Mina did as instructed, her breaths becoming deeper and more even, while the rest of us watched in silence. Mrs. Parella's eyes remained open for a moment, her gaze focused intently on Mina, before her eyelids fluttered closed as well. An eerie silence settled over the room, and Mina's grip on Mrs. Parella's hands tightened ever so slightly.

For the longest time, nothing happened.

Then, without warning, Mrs. Parella's eyes flashed open. They were bright and piercing, a sharp blue that seemed to cut through the dimness of the room. Her grip on Mina's hands tightened, and she inhaled sharply.

"The Moon Goddess has blessed you, child," Mrs. Parella announced in a vocie that wasn't entirely her own, it carried an ethereal quality that made the hairs on the back of our necks stand on end. "Your fated mate is someone completely different from anyone you've ever encountered. They're not like us, or anyone in this room, or even in our pack - they come from a completely different pack."

Mrs. Parella paused then, her gaze unblinking as she continued to hold Mina's hands. The room was deathly quiet; the only sound that could be heard was the collective breaths held by everyone present. An air of anticipation hung heavy as we awaited Mrs. Parella's next words.

Mrs. Parella's eyes widened in surprise, "Your fated mate is a Lycan."

A collective gasp filled the room. Everyone exchanged glances, surprise etched on their faces. The name itself held power and fear - Lycans were known to be far stronger, larger, and more fearsome than the average werewolf.

Mrs. Parella continued, "Your mate has laid eyes on you once."

"He has?" Mina asked, her eyes wide in shock.

"But," her voice lowered, "he does not know your true identity yet. He has only seen you in your weakest form, child." She sighed, releasing Mina's hands. "It happened when you were poisoned with Wolf's Bane."

Wolf's Bane, I thought.

"Wolf's Bane?" Our father asked. "When were you poisoned?"

Mina blinked rapidly, processing the prediction. Weldon sighed heavily, rubbing his temple, "It happened during the Alpha Games. Boris poisoned her during the final match in order to claim the Alpha's Crown."

But I thought she had been poisoned by a random Wolfsbane Lotus in the Dark Woods. It was actually Boris who poisoned her, I thought. It wasn't entirely unexpected that Boris cheated. Mina, in her wolf form, possessed strength beyond that of the average wolf. I recall her easily defeating Boris in a sparring matches. It was surprising when she didn't come out victorious.

"But the Salutary said it was Wolfsbane Lotus." Our mother protested.

Weldon stood with his arms crossed over his chest, a look of disgust on his face. "I have a feeling that Luna Mother was involved in this," he said sharply. "Mrs. Gravemaw will stop at nothing to ensure Boris becomes the Alpha."

"That wench." Our mother growled angrily.

"Her machinations have endangered Mina's life," Our father added, clenching his fists. Mrs. Parella cleared her throat, drawing attention back to her. "Indeed, but let us not forget that Wilhelmina's fated mate is a Lycan. We must focus on finding this young man."

A wave of agreement washed over the room, the tense atmosphere shifting into a determined resolve.

Weldon posed the question, "But how could we even approach him? Lycans and werewolves have always had a tumultuous history; who's to say he'll be open to communicating with us?"

"From the vision I saw," Mrs. Parella began, her gaze shifted to Mina. "Your mate is different. He's not like other Lycans. He's kind-hearted and understanding, the kind of Lycan who would rather make peace than war."

Mrs. Parella's words made Mina's heart skip a beat. "But where is he?" she asked, barely able to speak above a whisper.

"Well, that's the part that requires some figuring out." Mrs. Parella returned her gaze to the room at large. "The vision becomes unclear, but know this - he is closer than you think."

"He must be close if he saw her during the Alpha Games." Weldon theorized, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That may narrow down our search."

I leaned back in my chair, pondering the situation. "He couldn't have gone too far from the Lycan territory. That would indicate he's living somewhere near the Dark Wood. That nearest Lycan territory to both the Dark Woods and our pack is the Lycan Empire."

"You're right," Weldon nodded. "That's where start our search."

"But venturing into Lycan territory is dangerous," our mother protested, her brows furrowing in worry. My father rubbed his chin as if lost in thought, then suddenly his face lit up with recognition as if he had unlocked a long-forgotten memory, "We may not need to go into Lycan territory."

"What do you mean, father?" Weldon inquired, eyes widening with curiosity. "How else would we find him?"

He stood up and began his story, "Before I became the Beta, there was an older man who discovered that his mate was in the most unlikely of places - the Dark Woods. And his mate was a Lycan."

A murmur of astonishment swept the room. He continued, "The man was an acquaintance of my uncle. Maximus was his name, if I'm not mistaken, and he had sustained injuries from a group of rogue Lycans. He stumbled into Lycan territory and by chance, was discovered by his fated mate. The Lycan took care of him until he recovered. Their bond was so powerful that the Lycan left her pack behind and joined our own to be with her true love."

Our mother gasped softly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You mean to say that a Lycan left her pack to join ours? That... that's unheard of."

Father nodded somberly.

"This Lycan woman," Mina ventured, "she was accepted by our pack?"

"No," our father frowned, "it was a different time. She was met with hostility and suspicion. But when they saw the love she and Maximus shared, the pack gradually began to accept her, realizing that not all Lycans were enemies."

"What was her name?" Mina asked.

"I don't remember. Everyone called her Lycan woman." our father replied.

"Could she be alive? Could she help us?" Weldon asked.

"I don't know," father murmured, his eyes far away in memories. "She may be. She was younger than Maximus by a number of years."

A silence fell over us as we each processed the information and its possible implications. "So," Weldon finally said, breaking the quiet, "You're suggesting we try to find this 'Lycan woman'? That she could be an ally? Help us find Mina's fated mate?"

Our father nodded, "Exactly," he responded, a glimmer of hope igniting in his tired eyes. "She knows both our world and the Lycan's. If anyone can help us navigate this perilous situation, it would be her."

"I will look into it." Weldon said.

"Good," our father nodded, "but tread carefully, Weldon. Boris nor Trisha can find out you are looking into Maximus and his Lycan mate. They will undoubtably begin to ask questions."

"Understood," Weldon said while nodding, his face set in a determined grimace.

Mina, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, suddenly stood from her chair. "I will go with him," she declared, surprising us all. Her eyes were resolute, her voice unyielding. "I can't sit idly by while you search for my mate."

Father looked at her in surprise and then concern etched its way onto his face. "Mina..." he began, but she interrupted him with a wave of her hand, her expression stubborn.

"No, Papa. I won't let others decide my fate anymore."

Our father didn't protest, but instead smiled and nodded. "Very well," he agreed, a mixture of pride and trepidation flashing in his eyes. "But you must promise to be cautious, Mina."

"I will, Papa," she responded firmly, her stance solidifying her resolve.