A mate for The Amarok

2 - King Tika

"Hey wake up! We have places to be today." My best friend and Beta, Locklan says as he rips open the curtains to my hotel suite.

"Get out before I knock you out again." I chide playfully. Swinging my legs off the bed and raising to a stand. Locklan is shorter than me, but by no means short. "You really are the bravest soul I know, Lock, coming in here barking orders first thing in the morning."

He chuckles, "Somebody has to. Your dad isn't here, so that lands on me." He throws clothes on the bed, as I walk to the shower.

The water is warm and relaxing, making me wish I didn't have to leave its comfort for a damn graduation party/Royal visit. I much prefer my own lands and home to the travel now required of me as the newly crowned King of the weres. "A duty bestowed on us." My wolf says stately. "As serious as always, Levi."  I sigh at his first appearance this morning.

I step out, dry off, and dress quickly. "Think we can shave some time off this visit, and head home early?" I ask Lock. He laughs. Which doesn't make me hopeful. Levi growls, "Always in such a hurry."

"Maybe, if every girl there doesn't throw themselves at you." He says, with a snicker, as I throw my towel at him forcefully. He laughs deeply, making me more irritated. "Come on Tika, let's get on the move. The faster we get going, the faster we can get done and head home."

Agreeing with his assessment, I walk out the door with him and head to the elevator. The hotel is nicely done, rich colors and not over the top. We step quickly through the lobby, which is laid with marble of light colors, and crisp lines. Opened by two very large doors to the outside. If I had more time,, I'd love to study the beauty held here in this land. My car.. Oh how I love this car. A gift from my father for my coronation. A Rolls-Royse Ghost. 563 horsepower version of the twin turbo v12 engine. Beautiful specimen of automation. Even Levi is wagging his tail.

"We should be there no more than 8 hours, boss. The itinerary has meet and greet at 3, but we might be able to shave off that time you wanted, on the tail end to relax a bit before the big dinner."

This is the first of these Pack visits, I have had to do since being crowned. My grandfather had started them as a way to keep all were creatures feeling like part of a larger pack. Of course that was 2000 years ago. My father had continued, for his 1000 year reign, to visit these smaller packs. Now it's my turn. I don't know how my father or grandfather had felt on their first visits, but the longer we drive, the more I felt as if I was being pulled toward something.

"Boss, are you with me?" Locklan calls from the front seat, looking in the rear view at me.

"Of course Lock, just wondering how father felt on his first visit."

He sucks on his teeth, and in true Lock fashion, says "Well, I can tell you it wasn't as much fun as this will be, cause I wasn't there."

I chuckle, knowing he's probably right. And now his time to shine has come, as we make it to the pack border and all the scents explode. The Blue Moon Pack, is the only pack of its kind. They are not just Wolves, or just Panthers, Coyotes, or even just shifters. They boast all kinds of creatures from my kingdom. Some kinds that don't even live at the palace, live here.

A scent I have only smelled once or twice in my life creeps in the cracked windows. They have a great showing, I'll give 'em that.

"Tika, is that a pheonix I smell?" Lock asks amused.

"Yes, brother. Yes it is." I wonder what the other smell is, I keep getting whiffs of. It's something I have never smelled. And it truly is magnificent. Even my wolf, Leviathan, is intrigued by its rich full scent.

We slow to a stop in front of a mansion of sorts. The floors of old stonework, Ironworks, stained glass. With modern additions like cameras. Large and inviting.

There's that smell again. What is that? Like tilled earth, sweet peas and freedom. Levi starts to paw and whine and even growl. "Mate!" He says forcefully. "What?" I know he has lost his mind now because The Amarok's have never gotten moon mates. The goddess given other part of your soul. The quiet in chaos. My grandfather always said that for generations, the goddess never bestowed a moon mate on one of the Amarok. He said he assumed that it was being that our line was first.

The smell gets stronger as we ascend the stairs to the landing. My wolf is anxious but not alarmed, as I am. "A first happens somewhere, always."  He really is crazy. I'm crazy. "Mate." He states firmly, with a growl for emphasis.

He nearly rips from my body when we see her. Standing near the top next to Alpha Walsh. Her fire colored hair, the bored look on her face, the way she is unconsciously chewing on her lip. "Mine." He growls.

I am nearly knocked down by the need to make her all mine, right here, in this place, surrounded by a cacophony of  creatures. I reign him in, "Calm, Levi, we have work to do right now. She is safe in this place."  I remind him. "Mine." He is watching her through my eyes now, but he calms some. Giving me the chance to breathe again.

As I walk to Alpha Walsh, her smell is mingled with his. Her father, I think. Don't look at her. I tell myself and my wolf. If we are gonna make it through this meet and greet, DO NOT LOOK AT HER! Or we will never make it without marking her, right here, right now.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. Welcome to our home. We are very honored and humbled by your visit. This is my son, Bryon, the future Alpha. My daughter Brigh, and their aunt Quinn." the Alpha says, but I can barely hear him over my wolf's angry growls at having to be patient. Warren is a tall man, with dark hair, and decently fit for a man of 150. Bryon, My mates twin. I can smell it. He has the same intermingling of her scent Warren has. He to, has dark hair, a warriors build and nice height.

DONT LOOK AT HER!

"Alpha Walsh, It's very nice to meet you. Your reputation proceeds you. The work you do with this pack is incr-" Out of the corner of my eye I see her, Brigh he had said her name was, sway and start to fall. I reach my arms out to catch her before she gets hurt. As commotion erupts, knowing I won't be able to control Leviathan with all these people descending, I look at Locklan who knows every nook and cranny of this place.

"Where can we take her?"

Even with the look of surprise that flashes momentarily across his eyes, he never misses a beat. Pushing me forward through a large double doorway, he takes us to a room with a couch. He shuts the door behind us, and knowing we only have seconds before people will burst through the door, he only says "Boss?"

As her family catches up to us, with her laying on the couch in what looks to be her father's office, I mind link. "She's my mate Lock."