Fated To Mate

The forest was a blur as Damien darted through it, his sleek black form moving like a bullet between the trees. His packmates, the Blackwell wolves, were trailing behind, struggling to keep up with the nimble leader. Aiden's teasing voice echoed in the atmosphere. But Damien was undeterred, and with a burst of energy, he propelled himself even faster. The Blackwell pack was renowned as the "royal pack" among wolves worldwide, especially in the district of the Nightshades. Districts were created where they could reside comfortably. But not all supernatural creatures chose to live away from humans. Damien Ashworths, a daring werewolf, decided to live among humans. He had a unique ability to change the color of his wolf eyes to match his human form. However, his wolf color would shine through in moments of intense emotion, exposing his true identity. Damien dashed through the dense thicket of trees, his eyes trained on the cabin looming ahead. The cabin stood right on the border between the Nightshades and California, marking the perfect spot for the werewolf prince's lair. With his supernatural abilities, Damien was no ordinary wolf; he was a force to be reckoned with, feared by all who dared cross him. In fact, no pack in their right mind would pick a fight with a pack that boasted royal blood like Damien's. He was the prince of werewolves in this new era, destined to rule with power and authority. Damien spotted the cabin in the distance and leapt forward with ease, landing gracefully on the porch to await the arrival of the rest of his pack. Despite the storm clouds overhead, the rain had yet to fall, leaving the night shrouded in an ominous gray. "Come on, Damien, don't be too upset," Logan spoke directly to Damien's mind as he trotted up to the cabin as a brown and white wolf. "The elders have been nagging you about finding your mate for ages." The towering black wolf scoffed in response, his piercing green eyes flashing like lightning amidst the deafening thunder. "They're just trying to ensure the bloodline stays strong with an heir," Kael, the alpha, spoke wisely, shifting back into human form as the others followed suit. The pack members stood together, clad only in sweatpants and collars. Damien snorted derisively, his face contorting with irritation as the clouds above mirrored his mood. "Have you seen the way these wolves act around their mates? It's pathetic. The elders can't take away my title, and I'll still have royal blood and powers, so their deadline means nothing," he sneered. Logan, with his arm around the younger boy, spoke up. "Oh, and can you stop with the thunder? You're scaring Zev," he said, motioning towards the young werewolf. Rolling his eyes, Damien took a deep breath to focus. Slowly, the clouds began to part, revealing a deep blue sky. The thunder subsided, and the moon cast a soft glow over the group. This was Damien's greatest ability: he could control the weather with ease. Lucian was clearly not amused by the prank they had pulled. Damien was in control of everything, but his emotions were closely tied to his powers. If he didn't concentrate, the weather would reflect his mood. After the storm passed, he opened his eyes and looked over at his pack. "I'd rather be caught by a hunter than be whipped by a mate," he said nonchalantly, searching for a shirt. Ethan responded with a smile, "Yeah, but that's because they're in love. Love changes people." Damien's unimpressed expression lingered as he snorted, "Don't even joke about that." Aiden threw him a shirt as everyone congregated in the living room, properly dressed. Logan descended the stairs carrying Zev on his back and let out a sigh. "You'll mate eventually, Damien. If you don't find her, she'll find you. It's destiny, there's no escaping it." Lucian sank into the couch and propped up his feet on the table with a grin. "Relax, buddy. Once you meet your mate, just hand her over to me. I'll take care of her like she deserves." Zev squirmed on Logan's back and pointed at Lucian. "I'm gonna tell your future mate that you were eyeing Damien's girl!" Lucian scowled and hurled a pillow at the cheeky youngster. "Get lost, squirt! You're not even the youngest in the pack, and you look ridiculous." Zev rolled his eyes and pretended not to hear. Aiden chimed in, patting Damien on the shoulder. "You can't deny the pull forever, man. Even if you don't believe in mates, you'll feel it when you meet her." Damien scoffed. "Yeah, right. I'll probably hate her when the pull starts. In fact, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near her. Whoever falls for me is in for a rough ride." Kael shook his head in disbelief. "Falls for you? Mating is a two-way street, buddy. You'll have feelings for her too." "I don't buy it," Damien asserted. "The prophecy doesn't specify that wolves have to be in love with their mates. They're just bound to them by fate." Lucian rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "So you're telling me that all the love stories of werewolves for the past thousand years were just coincidences?" Damien shrugged, "Yeah, basically. When you're stuck with someone for eternity, you're bound to develop feelings for them, but they're not genuine. It's all just biology, nothing more." Ethan was taken aback by Damien's callous words. "What are you talking about? These wolves would give their lives for their mates. How could that not be love?" With a nonchalant shrug, Damien sauntered into the kitchen to grab an apple. "Our mates dying is the same as us dying. It's just pure selfishness that drives us to protect them. It's not love. And let's face it, if wolves could choose their mates, they probably wouldn't pick the ones they have now." "That's not true!" Ethan's outburst interrupted Damien's speech, and he stormed off up the stairs. Aiden raised an eyebrow at his alpha, who looked disappointed in Damien's words. Despite being the youngest, Ethan was the most mature and respectful of the pack. He had a soft spot that made him seem like an innocent little pup, which was understandable given his background as an abandoned stray.