THE ALPHA’S FATED MATE

UNRAVELING TRUTHS

Alia opened her eyes wide and sat up abruptly, feeling light headed and her heart racing.

For a second she felt quite confused; the flickering of the shadows in the cave confused her.

Then memories of the day before – attack, betrayal, the revelation of the secret, and Lukan’s statement – came to mind.

He and she were fated to be together but she was an Alpha.

The whispers ensnared her and she turned to see Lukan hunched down close to the thinking of the fire a broad-shouldered and heavily built man with brown skin.

What about this? He appeared to feel her eyes on him, his head shifting slightly in her general direction.

“You’re awake,” he stated and his tone could be described as a growling and deeply as if he had just woken up.

She grudgingly came up to sitting, gripping her head as the room spinning stopped long enough for her to sit up fully and make herself more presentable.

“How many hours did I sleep:”

“A few hours. ” Lukan got up gracefully and then looked directly into her eyes; his face was a blank slate. "We need to talk. "

Alia swallowed hard, nodding. “Oh, regarding what you said, meaning me being your mate. ”

Lukan stiffened, and ran a hand through, unruly, dark hair. “It’s not something that I can joke about… Our fated mate is our soul’s partner and is superior to all other relations. ”

“But how can you be sure?” Alia asked frowning her face. “I think at this point, how do you know it is not… an accident?”

A low growl build in Lukan’s chest and with his fists clenched hard he stepped closer, getting into her personal space.

Getting down on one knee before her, he looked her deep into the eyes, a feeling of coldness in his stare.

"Look at me, Alia," he commanded, his voice low and gravelly. "Look into my eyes and tell me you don't feel the pull, the connection between us."

Alia's breath caught in her throat as she met his piercing gaze. There was an intensity there, a smoldering heat that seemed to reach into her very soul.

Lukan's brows furrowed the moments he heard footsteps. His senses were confirmed as Kiren walked in.

"I apologize for my interruption Alpha. But we seem to have company." Kiren's gaze flickered.

In a fluid motion, he rose to his feet, placing himself between Alia and the perceived threat.

He growled, his tone laced with menace. "Show them." The rumbling of his thick voice sent shivers down Alia's spine and she couldn't even ignore the tingling feelings she felt...below.

She had only known the Alpha for a day and he already had this level of effect on her.

As Kiren stepped aside, two figures waoked into the cave, man and woman wrapped in cloaks with the unmistakable scent of werewolf.

"Stragglers from the attack." Kiren explained. "They claim to have information."

Lukan narrowed his gaze, his jaw clenched and gist tight. The white in his knuckles was literally noticeable as his body was poised for battle.

"Speak. And pray your words are worth hearing."

The man stepped forward, slightly fidgeting as he stood before the Alpha. Aila's eyes studied the man's nervous movements even to his eyes darting between her and Lukan.

"We saw the sorcerer's attack and heard his demands." He finally spoke up.

"It appears he seeks the prophesied child." The woman chimed in with trembling voice. Then she turned to Aila. "He has been in search ever since she was a child."

Aila could remember.

That night...he had killed her father and mother while she remained hidden in the confines of a large container holding back her tears.

Her parents had used some sort of sorcery to over up her scent and gave up their lives just to save her.

It was her duty to seek vengeance for them both.

Her heart stuttered in her chest as she realized that even the prophecy she had spent her entire life running away from was now a tangible reality.

With clenched jaw, Lukan's gaze flickered briefly to his mate before returning back to the man and woman.

"What else do you know?" He questioned.

The man swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "There are whispers, Alpha. Whispers of another, one who seeks to claim the child for himself."

A chill ran down Alia's spine, and she instinctively inched closer to Lukan's protective embrace.

"Another Lycan?" Lukan growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Both the man and woman nodded. "His name is Valen, Alpha of the Northern Pack. He too searches for the child. He gave us this letter, threatening to come for us if he does not have her within two days."

Lukan c****d a brow before chuckling. Valen may be feared by many, but he was nothing compared to Lukan.

Kiren stepped forward to receive the letter.

"He's planning to start a war with us." Kiren stated.

A muscle ticked in Lukan's jaw, and a low, rumbling growl emanated from deep within his chest.

Alia could feel the fury radiating off him in waves, a palpable force that sent a shiver down her spine.

"He can't covet what is mine. That arrogant bastard." He chuckled darkly, as though he was amused by the audacity of this man.

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, and Alia found herself instinctively pressing closer to his side.

The notion of belonging to this alpha, of being claimed by him in such a primal way, should have terrified her.

And yet, there was a part of her that thrilled at the idea, a part she didn't fully understand.

Lukan seemed to sense her proximity, his body relaxing ever so slightly as he turned his piercing gaze upon her.

His expression softened, just a fraction, and he lifted a calloused hand to cup her cheek.

"I'll never let anyone take you from me. You're mine and mine, only." He said, with an intense undertone.

"Valen can only be looked for the prophesied child, for one thing that he's known for." Kiren stated.

"Power." Lukan completed, but is voice was calm, subtle, yet dangerous.

His amber eyes remained on the dangerously gorgeous woman before him as he caressed her cheeks with his fingers.

Aila leaned into his touch, as a sense of security washed over her just by being in his presence.

The darkness in those amber eyes, and the heat of his hands to his masculine and earthly scent, captured her soul so tightly.

Her life would never be the same again, and she knew it.

The bond, the prophecy, even with the dark forces that threatened to claim her, they were all a tapestry of the fate that had befallen her.

As her hazel eyes met Lukan's, she noticed how they darkened just by staring at her, there was something deeper, something more primal and so possessive that sent thrills through every core of her being.

In that moment, she knew without a doubt that she belonged to him, body and soul.