Lycan's unexpected mate

White caramel

Atalanta

My watch ended half an hour ago and I still can't fall asleep. Johann is securely tucked in and Thaumas is rocking him as he has his watch now. The nights are longer now and the sun takes longer to rise and set. We have agreed to sleep for roughly seven hours which means that I took the first three-and-a-half-hours long watch and Thaumas took the second. And I am tossing and turning under my blanket because something is keeping me awake.

I am one hundred per cent sure that Thaumas knows that I'm not asleep but he doesn't bother me for which I am grateful. Just now, I have decided that I can't lie anymore and I carefully get up and tiptoe away from the campsite. I have my clothes on so I easily sneak away without feeling cold and offending anyone with my nudity.

I carefully choose where to step and I walk in the direction of the packhouse. The pack is asleep as well and the hospital is eerily quiet. I am positive this place will haunt many of my nightmares. Then I stroll away to the forest which is still visibly devastated by the fight. Blood still lingers on the ground.

'It would need to rain to wash it away, dear,' Diana tells me.

'I know,' I complain. 'It just makes me feel so sad.'

Diana thinks of something and asks: 'Do you remember what your mother told you the first time you saw someone die?'

'What are you hinting at?' I frown in confusion.

'First question first. Now, do you?' Diana questions me.

I think of it deeply and the words come to me. 'Along with the death, there comes the miracle of the birth of something new. And perhaps even better if given the chance.'

'Very good, darling,' Diana praises me. 'Maybe all this bloodshed will be the birth of something better once we get to the bottom of the rogue attacks.'

'If only, Diana, if only.'

I walk around the woods, realising that all the rogues' bodies must have already been cleared away and put on the pile in front of me. There are about a hundred bodies and many of the people look unkempt. However, upon closer inspection in the moonlight, there are a few who look as if they didn't belong to the rogues. They are too groomed to be rogues. I push the thought in the back of my mind to detangle later and Diana only agrees with me.

I walk some more and, despite the foul metallic smell, I start to calm down and my heart begins beating at a slower rhythm. Diana enjoys the moonlight and lays in our mind, looking content.

We come across a clearing in the forest that doesn't look too damaged. I lie down in the middle and watch the stars, remembering the names of the constellations that are visible. I find and trace the lines of Cassiopeia, Pegasus, Aquarius, Pisces or Phoenix. I used to go stargazing with my parents but we haven't had much time lately. I miss the time when I was just a pup and my father taught me about the world, about the sky and about all the myths about what is beyond. I wish I could teach my own pups about all these mysteries. But, for that, I would need a mate and with that comes the responsibility of a Luna and also the end of going out on missions. And I would be bound in the palace. Yikes.

'We should return,' Diana suggests. 'Thaumas has to be worried because we're taking so long.'

I nod my head and get up. I decide to return along the same path I got here while brushing dirt and leaves off my clothes and hair.

I reach the treeline when a nagging feeling assaults me. I look around the area suspiciously because I can't find what seems off to me. Diana can feel that something isn't right as well. To me, it feels as if someone was watching my every move. But there can't be anyone here, right? Anyone alive I mean. Everyone is asleep in the village.

I blink in the night, trying to see any strange shape. I even try sniffing the air for any odd smell but there is nothing in it except for the copper. Suddenly my head starts pounding and I am feeling paralysed. I don't know what to do so I lean over a tree. This isn't like me at all. I have never suffered from migraines or headaches at all.

Diana is agitated and restless and I am in no shape to ask what is wrong or what we should do. I feel terrible and I can't let her out to get me to safety because we aren't at home, therefore I am not allowed to change unless it is utterly indispensable. This means that both of us are suffering. I try to ease the tension by rubbing my temples when Diana takes charge of my body and turns my head in the direction of the clearing.

A silent gasp escapes my lips. There, standing in plain sight, is a werewolf. And judging by his posture, both Diana and I confirm that it's a male werewolf. And he doesn't belong to Merdok White's pack.

God damn it! Why me?

I know that I should be prepared for everything. He's muscular and huge. His paws are enormous and his tail is really bushy. And then his fur . . . It looks as if his fur was reflecting the Moon. I mean, he's white, blinding white even. However, when I stare at him a little longer, his fur somehow reflects the light and gleams under the moonlight. I have always imagined this reflection to be a part of gemstones like diamonds. How I wish I could watch him longer and get closer to him to touch that fur! I have never seen such a werewolf before.

Nevertheless, Diana prevents me from moving from my hiding place despite my longing. I whine in my head but she's adamant and I submit to her. It's such a strong urge to go to him, pet him and play with him in my Lycan form. Wait, what? Where are these thoughts coming from?

I watch as the werewolf sniffs the air and then turns in my direction. All my rational thoughts escape my mind when I see his eyes. Brown. They are that rich honey-caramel brown colour that I love. I feel myself get lost in them and that's when I notice what has been bothering both Diana and me. There is no scent coming off him. It's as if he wasn't even there. Thankfully, I am standing along the way of the wind so he can't sense me, but he may not even be real. So why do I have the desire to bring him along with me to the palace?!

I don't know how much time has passed with my eyes locked in his and I subconsciously know that his eyes get clouded over and he's speaking with his human. Then I hear him howl in the night in sadness and rush away faster than I could have predicted, leaving me alone. I slide down the tree with my headache gone as suddenly as it appeared.

I hide my face in my hands and speak to Diana: 'What was that?'

'I don't know, dear. Something lured me to that werewolf, too, but we don't even know if he were one. He could have been a warlock for all we know. No smell and that.'

'But it doesn't make sense. Sorcerers don't venture to the centre of packs. We aren't anywhere near the borders.'

We both stay in thought for a moment, thinking of our next move. The wolf could be dangerous, we know that. But we should also find where he was heading. And what he was, if he wasn't a werewolf.

Finally, I ask Diana: 'Do you think we could investigate him on our own? It's not like anyone would believe us anyway, right?'

She sighs and lowers her tail between her hind legs. 'Fine. I still can't shake how drawn I have been to him. Thank Moon Goddess that he couldn't compel us completely.'

'Thank you, Diana, for protecting us. We'll start once we return to the palace. At least my headache is gone.'

Diana nods and, with that, I push my body to a standing position and wobbly return to the village. The encounter has a huge impact on me and my thoughts wander back to when the Moon Goddess claimed that I should prepare for a painful future and if this wolf or whoever it was belongs to it.

I reach the packhouse and check the area out of principle. What surprises me is a shadow near the clinic. I stride to the door and I can see a young man wearing hospital-tailored trousers standing in the darker corner. His chest is bare but from seeing his back, I can say that he's muscular. I carefully walk over to him not to startle him.

I notice that he stiffens when he hears my steps. He turns in my direction and I lower my gaze. He isn't wearing any shoes, his legs are clad in the white trousers, and when I move my gaze upwards, I can clearly see his six-pack. I gulp nervously and slowly move my eyes higher over his perfect muscles to his face. He has short ebony hair and I guess brown eyes. Damn darkness. His face is straight but gradually he gives me a huge smile. And he looks . . . relieved?

"Hello," he says calmly.

"Hi," I greet him uncertainly. "Shouldn't you be resting in the hospital? Brenda wouldn't be happy to have her patients wandering around at night."

"I know. But I'm not a patient," he admits, walking closer to me, to the light.

I blink in shock. I recognise those eyes and I can't smell him at all. 'He's the wolf from the clearing!' Diana shouts in my mind. But I realise it myself when my headache returns, even though it's fainter.

"Who are you?" I ask the man while backing away from him. The distance helps me keep my focus.

He looks hurt but doesn't follow me. He sighs sadly and tells me: "You can't know just yet. But I am someone you will never get rid of."

"Wow, cheesy," I snicker in bravado. This man is scaring me despite me being the stronger between the two of us. "A name would be just fine, mister."

"No, not yet, angel," he grins cheekily and walks up to me. I try backing but my back hits a wall. He moves over to me and cages me with his hands propped beside my head. I gulp, my breathing getting erratic. And let's not add that I feel attracted to the man.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, strawberry. I would never hurt you."

He sniffs my hair and my neck and my knees wobble. Get a hold of yourself, girl. We need more information about him!

"Really?" I manage to say breathlessly. Wait, what?!

The man smiles and his lips linger just above my right ear. "I am sorry, love, that you had to go through this ordeal. But don't worry, I will always be watching over you until the Moon Goddess reunites us. You can forget me, but I will never ever forget you."

"Uh . . ." My mind seems frozen. He has used three pet names for me already! What is going on with him? With me?

"Will I see you again?" I ask finally.

"Yes," he says while slowly moving backwards away from me.

"How will I recognise you?" I call at him in an attempt to stall him.

"Ask for Zeus, girl," he says and turns into the white wolf.

"It's Tali," I whisper to the night as he dashes away. But with him being a werewolf, he must have heard me.

I place my hand over my heart to stop its gallop, thinking of how the man made me feel. And not just any man. His name or nickname is probably Zeus. A name from mythology, just like it works for all Lycans although he isn't one of us. I return to the camp without a proper understanding of what happened and I lay down, saying nothing to Thaumas at all. I know that we are leaving in a few hours anyway and I should rest for Johann. Unfortunately, sleep doesn't return to me tonight.