The Lady By the Moon

The Mate

It was only a few days after my shifting ceremony. My father of course had to throw the grandest party for me, just to show off. He hired the best performers and best chefs. There was a feast that even all of the guests could not finish. None of this excited me though. Once I shifted and my father saw I was carrying on the tradition, it seemed as if he was finally proud of me The memory plays before my eyes…

My bones ached and burned, but the moonlight eased the pain some. It was as if it was a medicine. Before long, I stood before my pack. My fur was crimson red, and my eyes were an emerald green, lightly glowing in the dark. The Red wolves were the rarest of the remaining. My father and I are the only ones that I am aware have a red wolf. There are black, and brown, blonde, and even some with a blue-ish tint (these were next in line after my father and I). My father announced to everyone that night “My son Kaine” the pack applauded, but once he cleared his throat to speak again everyone silenced immediately. “I am proud to present an heir who is carrying my coat, I believe he will be the next greatest king” he announced adding “besides myself” in there.

My father saying these words meant a lot to me, even after the years of abuse he has put me through. It was almost as if he was just being hard on me so I would be great… or maybe that’s just what I tell myself. It was a regular day, nothing extraordinary was happening until my father called me into his office. “We have a claim made against the RavenStone pack that I would like you to investigate.” He looked at me with his dark, forest green eyes. I wanted to ask ‘why me?’ but I knew better. Now that I was 18, he expected me to prove myself. “Okay father, do you have files for me to look over?” I reply. I know all of the packs… father made sure of it. Anytime I would forget one, he would twist one of my fingers until it felt like it was breaking. “Yes, I will have them prepared for you along with your ride and guards within an hour. You will only be visiting for the day to make yourself acquainted.” He paused for a moment, shuffling through a few papers he had laid out on his desk. “Use your instinct and wits and find out who you need to investigate. Give me a report within 3 days of your return.” He stopped running his giant hands through the paper that looked tiny in comparison. His eyes once again met mine. I always felt as if he was studying me… analyzing every little reaction I had. “Go get ready” he says motioning towards the door. “Yes father.”

The trip to RavenStone took 8 hours by car. My eyes scanned all of the papers my father had left me thousands of times. I couldn’t help but get a weird feeling about this case. I finally hear the driver pressing the breaks on the car, slowly rolling to a stop. Putting the files in my red leather suitcase, I step out of the vehicle. This pack seemed very well-off. They had an entire metropolis within the woods. There was an old castle, modern looking houses, older cabins, gardens, farms and live stock. Those things are just scratching the surface. I begin walk through the stone pathway leading to the castle.

This path is winding and long, but it travels through the gardens. Giving me some scenery to enjoy on my walk. Although I was the son of the Ultimate Alpha, I had always found joy in nature and things my father would consider useless and a waste of time. While walking through the garden, I smell many different flowers, but suddenly I begin smelling something unfamiliar. It makes my mouth begin to water. I sit for a moment trying to figure out what it is exactly. It smells of caramel and honeysuckles. I brush of the urge to find where this wonderful aroma is coming from, trying to remain focused on what I am doing. Suddenly, I feel someone bump into me.

My head turns around to see a beautiful girl standing in front of me. She has long, white curls that reach the bottom of her back. They seem to have a mind of their own, a few here and there are brushing against the outlines of her face. Her skin was glowing, as if the sun charged it for her every day. I couldn't believe what I was saying when she first looked up, however she was staring back at me with golden eyes. They looked like trophies, just waiting to be won. Not long after our eyes met, the worst thing possible happened. “Mate” I heard the voice in my head say. She looked up at me with confusion, and instantly I knew I had to do everything possible to push her away.

My father believes mates, and partners in general, make you weak. He met my mother not long after he became our 3rd Ultimate Alpha. My mother was said to be an ordinary woman. She had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She was a pack nurse before meeting my father. As soon as he knew she was his mate he had his guards take her, they brought her back to the UAP and he locked her in a dungeon. He treated her as some kind of breeder and only visited her until she became pregnant with me.

I have been told she had a terrible pregnancy, she threw up almost everything she ate and was losing weight drastically until the last 2 months she was pregnant. Once she gave birth to me, my father came in the room and verified I was a boy. After learning that I indeed was, and I had green eyes and red hair….he looked my mother in the eyes and said “you have served your purpose”. He then stabbed her multiple times. He held no funeral for her, had no pictures of her, and never tried to keep what he did a secret. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps, as he followed in his father’s.

Looking at her face, I could tell she did not deserve the things that came with me. “Look, I am not doing this okay? So, just tell me your name and let’s get this over with.” She stares back at me for a moment, it seems as if my words really bothered her. “I’m glad you realize I would not have wanted you. My name is Azzie.” she says this with a cocky grin, but she is not making eye contact. It seems like she is scared of authority for some reason. ‘She is a little feisty’ I cannot help but think this to myself. Before I have a chance to reply the incompetent headmaster Jacob walks out of the door in front of us. She stops talking as well, letting me know that she does not want Jacob knowing I am her mate.

I watch her as she disappears along the path and I feel my stomach sinking as the realization that I probably won’t have a chance to reject her before I leave sinks in. The arrogant but not very bright headmaster talked the entire time. This gave me the impression he might know a lot more than he is leading on. I tried to focus on what he was saying, but my brain kept wandering back to the golden-eyed, button nosed girl that was my mate.

The little voice in the back of my brain told me I had to reject her no matter what. However, I kept having a feeling that something was special about her. I couldn’t sense that she had a wolf, yet I know she does because I picked up on her scent. Not to mention her eyes. I have visited every pack in the country, and I have never come across another golden-eyed wolf. “Where did the girl come from? The one with the white hair?” I say allowing my aura to ooze out of my pores just a little. “Her story is long, and frankly uninteresting. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather hear about something else Future Ultimate Alpha?” he bared his neck slightly as he said this. ‘Future Ultimate Alpha, I like the sound of that’. “A lowly Gamma such as yourself dates to question me?” I clench my jaws allowing them to harden my features so he understands loud and clear. “Yes sir.” He says cowering in front of me “She was brought here to us by our guards. They were out exploring the woods one day for any enemy packs. We were not at war, but there were a few roamers that had banded together, and we’re trying to cause us issues. They were just scanning and patrolling the area like usual, and out of nowhere one of them heard a baby crying. They were all on high guard thinking it was a trap, or that she was the daughter of a roamer. We brought her to the hospital and they ran some tests. They determined she was a wolf, and she was likely between the ages of 1-2.5 years old. We don’t know her birthday, we don’t know where she came from, or who her parents are.” He pauses for a moment, expecting me to stop him uninterested with the story. However, this was all very intriguing to me. She was a mystery. “When they found her, they asked her name and she replied “Azzie”. It’s the only thing she knew how to say at the time.” This finished his story, and I sat in silence for a moment taking all of this information in. I look over at him and give him a nod “That’s very intriguing.” I respond. “Now, I need a list of everyone that is the most trusted and respected within the pack… besides the Luna and alpha.” He looks around nervous but eventually gathers up the strength to say “What for?” my mind wanders back to the files I read in the car earlier that had the bold letters written on it, the ones that let me know my father wanted me to take this seriously. “prophecy”