Lycan's unexpected mate

Evening meeting with Evans

Alpha John Witek

I'm currently waiting with my Beta Evans in a room of Atalanta's choice. During dinner, she asked me to meet her in the study room so I hope we are in the right place. Evans is unnaturally nervous due to the meeting so I'm glad Adrianna went to their room to rest. She can feel that Evans is much tenser than usually so she doesn't want to give him more things to worry about. And what's more, we are going to talk about the time they spent as rogues. She doesn't need to remember those years, either.

Evans is rubbing his hands together when I hear the door creak. A faint smell of ripe strawberries hits my nose and I know that it's Atalanta. I smile gently and wait for her to enter. I'm closer to the door than Evans is so he doesn't even look that way although he must have heard. The door opens and Atalanta walks in confidently. She closes the door and looks at me with a wide grin.

And here I thought she has matured!

I shake my head and move my legs further apart to support the additional weight that is currently running at me. Atalanta jumps into my arms laughing gleefully when I stagger under her weight. I manage to balance our bodies and swirl her around a few times. Then I set her down with her back facing Evans, and pull her into my embrace.

"I'm elated to see you, too," I tell her with a huge smile on my lips. She hugs me even stronger and I realise how strong she really is because it starts to hurt a little. I swallow a hiss and say playfully: "But you've got heavier than last time."

She smacks my arm in a good-natured manner. "It's not me who's heavier. It's you who has grown weaker. It must be all the sedentary lifestyle Alphas have," she finishes with a laugh.

I keep holding her so it's easy for me to move my hands to her hips and tickle her. She shrieks but keeps laughing.

"Uh-huh, and these aren't love handles, are they?" I answer cheekily touching her hips while still tickling her.

She frowns a little and I stop tickling her. Then she bursts out laughing merrily and I follow suit. I can feel the shocked stare we are receiving from Evans but I push it back so that we can have a good time until she realises that we aren't alone. We both try to catch our breath from all the laughing when she sighs with a pout on her lips: "I missed you during the last big Alpha meeting."

I lower my head and rub the back of my left hand. "I'm incredibly sorry I didn't make it."

She touches my arm and I lift my eyes at her. "It's okay. You weren't the only one who didn't attend. With how many people we have here, it's a miracle that 90 % always arrive." She chuckles and wonders: "What was your reason anyway?"

I move my shoulders in circles and admit: "It was Elizabeth's examination period and she had a . . . She had an issue with one professor. He's a real bloodsucker, you know." I add the last part matter-of-factly because he really belongs to that species but I don't say it directly.

Atalanta's face shows great compassion. "Yeah, I can relate, I have also had some terrible teachers."

I shake my head, realising that she has misinterpreted the detail. "Oh, well, I mean, her teacher is a vampire. I went with her as moral support so I found out," I explain with another shrug of my shoulders. I have no problems with other species unless they invade my territory and provoke my people, or if they are near my Mate.

"I . . . see . . .?" comes Atalanta's hesitant answer. "But how . . .?"

I know I should calm the situation down a little so I continue: "He's working with a witch who gives him permanent shadow so he can walk in the daylight." I make a face and elicit another frown from Evans. I block him when he tries to mindlink me, putting all my focus on Atalanta. "Anyway, he is so detail-oriented that people have a hard time passing the exam and usually only finish it on their third try. It was Elizabeth's second one but there were no more places on other exam dates."

Atalanta bites her lower lip corner. "Well, being a vampire, he has to know an awful lot about medicine. He's probably been in the field for years."

"Probably," I agree. "But he's still an ass." Atalanta chuckles freely as I add: "Surprisingly, he let Lizzie pass because he noticed me. I mean, smuggling parts of fresh human corpses from hospitals to sorcerers shouldn't be such a crime. He exchanges them for his own protection so . . ."

"Wait, what?" Atalanta questions that immediately. I knew she would.

I try to keep a straight face but fail miserably when the corners of my mouth begin twitching under her stare. She notices it and hits my shoulder. Hard. I wince and rub the sore place.

"Don't tempt me, young boy," she tells me in a motherly warning. It brings me back to the past when she was looking after me while my father was in a meeting with Alpha King. It's still hardly comprehensible to me that she looks the same all the time I've known her. She has disclosed that she won't age for a few years until she finds her mate and then she will start ageing slowly with him. It's a gift from the Moon Goddess, I assume. But I know that members of the Royal Pack live for centuries. So maybe she can live up to 300 years!

Then I realise that Evans is with us and Atalanta is getting on thin ice here, talking about things my Beta shouldn't know. "Gosh," I say nonchalantly with a partly strained laugh, "you have the voice and facial expressions of your mother."

She furrows her brows deeply. "Excuse me?"

I rub the back of my head sheepishly. "Anyway, with all the pleasantries linked to meeting you again after such a long time, I completely forgot to introduce you to my Beta Evans."

Atalanta gives me the look of a deer caught in the headlights and waits for me to continue.

I take a deep breath and announce with my hand extended behind Atalanta: "Tali, meet my right hand and best friend, my Beta Evans Weir." She slowly turns on her heels, her face and ears burning bright red. Evans isn't doing well, either, likely from what he has witnessed. His hands are shaking as he nods at her. I go on with the introduction: "Evans, meet the future Luna of Silent Heights Pack, so far addressed as Alpha Atalanta Summons."

"Alpha," Evans addresses Atalanta formally and offers his hand for a handshake. His hand shakes even more now that it's extended.

She turns her head and prepares to shake their hands but pulls him into a hug in the end. Evans is too stunned to react so he stands there as a pillar of salt while she snakes her arms around him.

"Nice to meet you, personally, Evans," she says in a friendly manner. She pulls away but Evans stays in the place with his pupils dilated and he doesn't respond.

Atalanta looks at me with an uncertain glance. "I figured we may as well get on first-name terms after what he has seen," she says guiltily. "I didn't mean to scare him like this."

I lift my index finger and mindlink Evans: 'Evans, what's up?'

'What's up? Man . . . I don't know . . . where to start,' he answers with a shaky voice. Then he asks: 'What . . . ? How . . . ?'

'Come on, get a hold of yourself, okay?' I partly order him. 'I need you to remember that Tali is a normal werewolf, just like us, and she needs your help.'

Evans nods faintly in dejection that his questions won't be answered. 'Okay.'

'Good, now, let's give her everything she needs. And then I'll explain the rest in private,' I tell him and close the mindlink.

I blink and focus on Atalanta. She's looking between me and Evans, probably trying to judge what is going on. I look at Evans who also blinks and sighs. As soon as Atalanta notices, she goes to the chairs and pulls two more to the table closest to us.

"Come sit," she says kindly and I obey straight away. Evans takes a minute to process it all but sits down, too, although slightly reluctantly.

"Just that you know, Evans," she begins, "I have known John here for years. We first met when he was eight and we have kept in contact since."

Evans looks at me in surprise. "How is that possible? Why have you never told me?"

I wet my lips and sigh. "Well, it wasn't . . . important." I don't know how to explain it so that I don't suffer from disobeying Alpha King's orders. "We grew up together," I say carefully.

Atalanta can sense my discomfort because she immediately says: "John's like a big brother to me. I have never seen him differently although my father thought something else."

I don't know if I should be elated or hurt by her statement. However, it seems to make things easier for Evans who is nodding slowly in acceptance. Finally, he says jokingly: "I see why you didn't tell me. You could have been mates." Atalanta sticks her tongue at Evans with her face contorted in a grimace of 'not ever'. Evans suddenly furrows his brows in confusion. "Goddess, you two must have met soon after she was born!"

Damn, it's difficult to keep track of the years when Tali doesn't grow older and still behaves like a teenager although she's well twice my age.

"That would be about right," I say. "And she was the most spoilt child I have ever met."

Atalanta looks at me horrified. "You can't be serious!" she argues back. "I wasn't spoilt at all."

"Your father did everything he saw in your eyes. I recall it clearly," I say with a huge smile as Evans starts to relax gradually in our company. I think he finally accepts that we are bickering as friends do without caring for our status.

Atalanta huffs and turns her back at me. "So, Evans," she addresses him and he looks up at her face. "Let's speak about something different now. You've learnt an awful lot about me, some things that aren't even for public ears," she makes a pause and glares at me pointedly. I lift my arms in surrender but my grin damages the meaning of this gesture. Atalanta looks around and asks: "Where have you left Adrianna?"

"She's resting in our room," Evans replies immediately to which Atalanta nods. But he doesn't add any details.

I swallow thickly because I feel that this conversation is finally about to reach the serious part. Therefore, I ask: "So, Tali, care to tell me how come you have started asking about Evans's past so suddenly?" She blinks at me and I shrug. "It never mattered to anyone before and I believed it's long forgotten."

She gives me a strained smile and looks back at Evans. "What can I say," she begins, "I've met someone close to them and I've learnt a lot about them."

Evans inhales and asks carefully: "Where is Carson?"

"Well, we had a phone call before dinner so I guess he's back with his people," she answers easily. "It must have been a long journey when he took two days to reach them."

Evans rubs his chin. "Probably, yes," he breathes out. "I have sent him some things so it won't happen again that he would . . . bother you personally."

"Bother Tali?" I can't help but interrupt in surprise. "Who is he?" I add, feeling protective of Atalanta.

She chuckles and Evans pales a bit. "John, you know Carson," he tells me calmly. "He's the one who's selling us medical potions and herbs."

I nod as realisation dawns on me. "Well, if he wanted to trade, we should have let him. Tali, your pack could also use his potions."

She purses her lips and tells us: "Yeah, maybe." She taps her lips with her index finger. "Actually, he has one that really caught my interest." Evans blinks at her as I lift my eyebrow. She continues: "This potion is really special, you know? It is able to cover a werewolf's scent completely and the others would consider the person human."

Evans's jaw drops and I believe my face conveys similar emotions. She looks between the two of us unfazed and waits for us to recover from the shock. I have never heard about such a potion and Atalanta's question makes this meeting more serious than I originally believed.

"So?" she prompts.

Evans cracks his knuckles and sits more upright. "I know what potion it is. And I guess you met him after he had taken it, right?" At Atalanta's nod, he explains: "This potion is really difficult to create. Daniel always takes two days for one batch which usually lasts for a month, give or take. It's for twenty doses."

"Daniel?" Atalanta asks.

"He's from Carson's pack," I explain because this is a detail I know. "They have accepted a few sorcerers without asking for permission from Alpha King. Daniel is a sorcerer and he brews many of the potions we trade for."

Atalanta pulls a paper and a pen from her pocket and writes it down. "And he's Daniel who?" she wonders.

I look at Evans because I don't know. He looks uncertain whether to say it or not so I give him a push: "Evans, you told me his full name but I forgot."

He blinks at me and reluctantly discloses: "Neil. His name is Daniel Neil."

"Double 'e'?" Atalanta asks as she jots this information down.

"No, it's n-e-i-l," Evans spells the surname.

Atalanta's hand freezes mid-air. She blinks a few times with her eyes unfocused before she turns her head repeatedly and concentrates back on us. "How old is he?" she wonders.

Evans studies her for a moment before he admits: "He's roughly twenty-two, I think. He's about two years older than Carson."

"Yeah, and Carson's twenty. Got it," Atalanta says calmly as she writes down her notes. She murmurs: "Must be a coincidence."

Evans watches her closely with interest. Meanwhile, I am trying to find her motives. I have never heard about the possibility of creating such potions. Usually, the potions are for healing, hurting or searching, not hiding.

"Will you inform Alpha King?" I demand Atalanta because it seems like her duty as our Princess. And she's never hidden anything from her father.

She looks me in the eyes and shakes her head no. "Of course not, John," she tells me. "Carson's pack is unique and I don't want to destroy it by letting my father . . . or the Alpha King know."

The thought slips past her lips too soon but she camouflages it flawlessly. I smile at her while Evans says gratefully: "Thank you, Alpha Summons."

"Please, it's Atalanta," Tali corrects him with a wink. "So, tell me, how does the potion work?"

I trade a look with Evans and bob my head infinitesimally. He sighs and relents his guard. "Alpha . . ." he begins and restarts the sentence as soon as Tali coughs meaningfully, "Atalanta, I have taken the potion only once so I can't tell you much."

She shrugs. "Well, something is always better than nothing. I'm not too demanding so I take whatever you give me," she finishes kindly.

Evans wets his lips as he tries to remember. "It starts working in about fifteen minutes after you take it," he says the first piece of information. Atalanta listens intently. "Well, one dose lasts for four hours maximum but it can be shortened by many factors, which I don't know at all. Oh, and the werewolf who takes the potion gets impaired, too." At both my and Atalanta's questioning looks, he quickly explains: "I mean, sure everyone perceives you as human but you also can't smell others unless you are very close to them. Which may cause problems if you are looking for someone."

Atalanta purses her lips, then proceeds to bite on her lower lip and graze it with her teeth. She always does this subconsciously when she's deep in thought. I guess it helps her stimulate her own thoughts.

"Can you take more doses?" she asks all of a sudden.

"Well, probably," Evans answers, scratching the nape of his neck. "Carson sometimes took more but only after the first one stopped working. But Daniel would tell you better."

"Riiight," Tali says unhappily. "I guess there would be side effects if taken wrongly."

"That's quite likely," I chime in although I have no idea what the potion does. Evans lifts an eyebrow at me and I shrug gently.

"Anyway," Tali says with a short cough. "Evans, I'd like to know what it was like, living with Carson's group."

Evans looks at me uncertainly, then he glances in Tali's direction before looking at his lap, studying the fabric of his trousers. I get the hint (at least I think it was a hint for me) and get up.

"John?" Tali questions in surprise.

I smile at her and caress her cheek. "Sshh, listen to Evans and I'll guard the door from the outside. If there is anything, I'll mindlink you." With that, I leave them to discuss it between four eyes.

Evans is extremely apprehensive when he has to describe that time. He has told me a few things, usually while remembering something nice or seeing something similar. But when I asked about it face to face, he just blacked out. Atalanta is the Werewolf Princess so she can use her voice to lure Evans out of his stupor. Maybe she can finally learn the whole story and not just bits here and there.

As soon as I close the door, I realise that the study is soundproof so I won't hear their conversation. Well, my bad. I pull my phone out of my pocket and open the last book I was reading. It's titled Angels & Demons. I've just started it but it looks rather intriguing. Lizzie claims that the author will become very famous. She's read his first book Digital Fortress which was published like two years ago. And I couldn't say no to her pleading with me to read this one. I'm going to spoil her all the action scenes and I won't be forced to ever read anything else for her. Yup, that's a great idea. And once Atalanta and Evans finish, I'll take all three of us for a drink so that we can relax.