Lycan's unexpected mate

Little Diliara

Atalanta

I'm waiting patiently at the coordinates Carson sent me this morning. It has taken me two hours and fifteen minutes to get here because I had to choose a different route than I had initially planned. I check my luggage again. I have a small backpack with my necessities for the weekend - a phone, a charger, my papers, some money, clothes, some snacks, and another set of shoes. Next, there is a pendant around my neck that Artemissi has enchanted to be able to track me down in case of emergency, which means that it will work only once. Nonetheless, it's great that she can do this much for me even though she isn't a born Sorcerer. Ha, Tyche would be seething if I lost it. My final bag is under an invisibility spell. I know Carson told me that he didn't want anything, but I have looked at the weather forecast, and I have discussed it with my sorcerer friend who claimed that this year will be really bad. What surprised me the most was the fact that she asked whether I had seen snow this year. As if it were a real person. I denied that and she seemed both somewhat relieved and fearful.

Anyway, it's already past noon and nobody's coming to pick me up. I don't want to call Carson just yet so that he doesn't think I'm impatient, but I still check the text message with the time and place once more. And then it hits me that I'm in a different time zone. One hour less from where I am to from where I have set off. I shake my head and sigh. This is my mistake but at least I'm on time and I have everything on me. I decide to sit down so I spread my spare jacket on the ground and plop down. The autumn sun is shining so I bask in the remaining warmth.

Suddenly, I hear a male voice behind me that I can't recognise: "You're early."

I pretend not to understand what he means. I project a small smile, but I keep my face in the sunshine with my eyes closed: "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think you have the right person. I've just found this marvellous spot for late fall sunbathing."

The man gets closer to my left side. I can sense that he's alone and he isn't a werewolf. I feint unhappiness about his interruption as I turn my face to him. He's tall and well-built but not overweight. He has short blond hair and green eyes. He looks handsome but something tells me he's older than he looks. He watches me, too, trying to find out who I am.

"Mind if I sit down next to you?" he wonders suddenly.

I shrug and pat the ground beside me. He conjures up a bag that I didn't notice on him earlier and sits down on it.

"Won't your things get squished?" I ask in a conversational tone.

"Nah, I didn't bring much," he admits and looks around. "I'm sorry for the bother, Miss. I'm just picking up a friend's friend."

I attempt to hide my interest because it seems that he really is looking for me. "Oh, why didn't your friend come here on his own?" He lifts his eyebrow at me, and I gulp. "I'm just curious. You don't have to answer that."

He smiles as he seems to be choosing the right words for the answer. He probably doesn't want to disclose much, either. "He . . . He had an emergency in the hospital."

I start wondering if maybe this man coming here is only a coincidence after all. Carson doesn't work in the hospital. But Carson could have been hurt. He's a rogue so other packs would consider him a threat. Oh God, oh God, oh God. I draw in shuddering short breaths and the man immediately touches my shoulder.

"Miss, are you all right? You look pale," he tells me worriedly.

Together with him, Diana attempts to calm me down: 'You would have felt it if he was hurt. He's doing fine.'

I take a deep breath and try to assess the situation with a clear head. "Yes, yes, I'm fine," I say as I force myself to relax. It's working. "I just . . . The word 'hospital' brings back some unpleasant memories," I lie through my teeth.

The man sighs knowingly and lets go of my shoulder. "I know what you mean," he admits silently. "And I mean it from both sides - patients and the doctors." Now it's my turn to frown at him but he brushes it off as if nothing was said. "I'm Daniel, by the way," he introduces himself and offers his hand.

I grasp it and shake it firmly. "Nice to meet you. I'm At . . . eh . . Artemissi."

"Your parents got creative with your name," he teases.

I take the bait and reply cheekily: "Says someone with a normal name, huh."

We both smile politely but I realise that we are both wary of each other. However, no-one else is coming here for me and the time is almost up. Could it be that Daniel belongs to Carson? I must find it out. If he's not, I should walk some distance away so that Carson and his people can approach me.

"Daniel," I begin carefully, "I keep thinking." He looks at my face as I continue. "Is your friend's name Carson?" He keeps quiet but furrows his brows. "I mean, is his full name Carson Gillion?"

Daniel swallows carefully and admits: "Yes, that would be him." He scans my body posture and I realise that I'm not giving off werewolf vibes. But just a thought is enough to make me feel like one. Daniel nods to himself and says: "Ah, I see. I've known you people from Silent Heights can hide your scent, but it didn't occur to me how efficiently."

The way he says 'Silent Heights' is downright strange. As if he knew that it was fake. However, this would be complete nonsense because I don't know him and he isn't a ranked Sorcerer. However, now that I check him out more, his aura seems overly powerful for a normal witch and I can also feel his attempts to suppress it. I shrug and start playing with my hair.

"So, um, why is Carson in the hospital, Daniel?" I ask calmly. I'm sure Daniel doesn't know about our bond . . . Sugar Honey Iced Tea! He may be Daniel who has spoken to Sarah, the one we've been searching for in the archives. Thankfully, my late realisation doesn't prevent me from missing his response.

"Well, he's welcoming a newborn baby."

I gape at him. What?! He has a baby?! But he never mentioned a girlfriend! I know he doesn't have a Mate but . . . How?!

Daniel smiles kindly and somewhat understandingly. "You know what position he holds, right?" he asks, treading lightly around the subject. I bob my head and wait for his explanation. "Well, do you know Amanda?"

"The witch who owns the restaurant where Carson works from time to time?" I guess.

"Exactly," he agrees but seems surprised that I know about her. "How do you . . .?"

"I met Carson in Amanda's restaurant," I admit but leave out the other details. "I was there with a friend of mine and . . ."

"And he wore the scent-covering potion I guess," Daniel finishes for me.

"How do you know?" I squeal in surprise.

Daniel chuckles and says: "I know about your bond with Carson, Alpha Summons."

"What?!"

"Well, I forced it out of him when he fainted on us. Apparently, your emotions were a little too much for him," Daniel explains.

"He what again?" I ask, unable to form a coherent sentence at first. "And how come you know so much?" I fire at him.

Daniel lifts his hands up in a placating manner. "I'm Carson's Governor, Alpha Summons. And also his Caretaker."

Now I'm flabbergasted. Daniel is Carson's second-in-command and also his personal doctor and potion-maker. This also means that he accepts Carson as his Master and Carson knows about the titles and granted them to him. But Caretakers are rare even in normal covens - as far as I know, there is roughly five percent of covens where there is such a position. It's because being a Caretaker means that you must have great powers and the ability to control your thoughts, feelings and emotions. Plus, you must be trusted by the Master family with their lives, which is something not many Masters want to accept nowadays. In any case, it makes complete sense why Carson told him about the amia bond.

"Alpha Summons?" comes Daniel's uncertain voice.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just . . . Never mind." I shake my head and attempt a smile. "And please, call me Atalanta. I think we are going to see each other more often in the future." He frowns at me and my cheeks start burning. "I'm sorry I lied about my name. I don't disclose my identity readily."

Daniel shrugs and looks around. "Carson didn't come with me so I could have been anybody. And what with this area, I could have been a rogue, a criminal," he finishes with a rueful chuckle.

This reminds me that some people really think that these two words always come together. We remain quiet for a moment, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Then I check my phone to see the time and ask: "Uh, Daniel, I don't have anything for Amanda's child but it's a tradition in my pack to bring a small gift for the newborn. Do you think we can drop by a*****e on the way to your group? Or are they residing somewhere in these woods?"

Daniel seems thoughtful and finally admits: "We would have to teleport in any case so we can have a stop on the road."

I bark out a laugh at his phrasing. He's getting to me in a good way. So I get up and pack my jacket. I also fish my little purse out before shouldering the backpack. Then, I get a hold of the big bag and announce: "I'm ready."

Daniel looks me over and comes to my vicinity. "Close your eyes," he commands, and I obey without asking any questions. I can sense his surprise - probably that I don't feel threatened or that I believe him, I can't tell. He touches both my shoulders gently and murmurs: "It will sting a little." He inhales and adds: "Tránsportat nós in locó cógitátó."

As I inhale, I can feel the freezing coldness of having been transported to a different location. Thank Moon Goddess that I have already experienced several teleportations with my other sorcerer friends. Suddenly, I feel warmth spread through my body which is a welcomed change.

"There, you should feel better now," Daniel's voice informs me. "And you can open your eyes."

I do so and his eyes widen. He coughs and looks away fast. Then I remember that Diana's eyes are visible after every teleportation and that he must have seen them. I turn around, blink a few times, and manage to get my blue eyes back. I turn back to Daniel and open my mouth to say something, but he beats me to it. "I never knew your L . . . eh, werewolf's eyes were so intense. My mother was right," he says in awe.

Who are you, Daniel?! How come you know so much? But more importantly, what family do you belong to that your mother could tell you? My shocked stare breaks his admiration and he coughs to cover his real facial expression. "So, uh, we're close to a*****e. You can go shopping but don't take long," he tells me with a hint of worry.

I nod and set off straight ahead, thoughts running wild. We are in a big city and right in front of me, there is a big shopping centre. 'What should we get for the baby?' I ask Diana uncertainly.

'You didn't even ask about the gender,' she replies reprimandingly.

'But maybe the baby isn't born, yet,' I argue back. 'So Daniel wouldn't know.'

Diana huffs and licks my mental image. I touch my chest absentmindedly and catch my finger in the pendant I have received. An idea comes to my mind and Diana nods at me. So, I walk into the shopping centre and find a jewellery shop. The assistant is really helpful and together we choose a nice golden necklace with adjustable length. I pay for it, put it into a box and hide it in my backpack. Then I return to Daniel. He's on the phone with someone, talking in a hushed voice.

"Yes, Master. Alright. . . . That's a great idea. . . . Yes, I will," Daniel finishes and disconnects the call. After that, he finally notices me and wonders: "Have you been waiting here for a long time?"

I plaster on a kind smile. "I've just arrived. Is everything OK? I saw you on the phone."

He nods but doesn't speak about the call. The only thing I know is that he spoke to Carson, calling him Master.

"Do you have the gift?" Daniel asks easily and rubs his hands together.

I bob my head enthusiastically and walk over to him. "We can come to your place now," I suggest. Then I look around, searching for my bag, spot it, and grasp the handles. Thankfully, it doesn't look awkward at all - it looks as if I was just clenching a fist.

Daniel comes to me and says: "Drink this first, please." I turn my head to the side and examine the small vial in his hand. "It's just a precaution," he adds and I realise that this is the famed scent-covering potion.

I purse my lips and take it into my free hand. "Is it necessary?" I stall.

Daniel nods his head and I uncap the vial with one hand. I frown unhappily and muster the will to swallow this thing. I hoped Carson had forgotten. Fat chance of that happening. I pour the content into my mouth, and it burns its way down to my stomach. However, I feel like vomiting just afterwards. I fist my hand with the vial and place it in front of my mouth, fighting back nausea. And Carson is taking this regularly? Poor him.

I return the vial after a minute or so but my stomach is still uneasy. I close my eyes and Daniel uses this moment to touch my shoulders. Then he murmurs his spell and, before I can say anything, my body is freezing cold. I know that the colder it gets, the longer the teleportation was. And this one was enormously long. I start shaking and the temperature in the surrounding area doesn't help at all. It's roughly zero degree Celsius (32F) and there is no way Diana can warm me up fast enough without me changing into my Lycan form. Plus the queasy feeling doesn't help at all. What's more, Daniel is here touching me, so I can't just run away to look for a place where to transform and warm up, and very likely also to throw up.

I meet Daniel's gaze and, surprisingly, I can see his own lips turning blue as I begin to feel better. I stop him as soon as my tremors cease because I don't want him to suffer from his action - he's warning me up with his own body heat. He looks at me worriedly and I shake my head firmly. "That's enough, Daniel, thank you. I don't want you to feel cold, either," I tell him kindly.

"It's not a bother at all. I should have split the journey into two, but I was rushing. It's my fault that you feel so cold," he pours ashes on his head. "As Caretaker, I should have . . ."

"Warned me to get dressed better first, yes," I interrupt him calmly. "But don't you dare apologise for the teleportation." I cough as bile rises up my throat. "Now, where are we?" I ask with a small fake smile.

Daniel rubs his arms as he responds with a simple: "Turn around."

I do so and gasp. There is a huge settlement right behind me with many people going one way or another. Children are playing there and I can see a few transformed werewolves on patrol.

"Oh, wow," I breathe out, very impressed.

"Welcome to our group," Daniel says right behind me. "The potion should be already working so let's go inside. And remember, you're a human who knows about us and wants to help, okay?"

I give him thumbs up and start pulling the sack towards the few buildings and tents. Carson didn't lie when he told me about the scarce resources that have. I rub my eyes, hoping to have my blue colour back before meeting others. I trail after Daniel, taking it all in. I remember that my Mum told me to enjoy myself and to take photos, but it would spoil this moment. Daniel leads us to the centre of the area where there are two concrete buildings - possibly a version of a pack house and a hospital.

People greet Daniel warmly no matter their race, which seems rather difficult to distinguish. It must be an effect of the potion I took. However, they give me surprised stares because most of them are werewolves and they can't catch my scent. I try to lose my usual confidence and pretend that this isn't my normal routine. Hard as I try, I know that I'm not jittery enough.

Diana approaches me with: 'Finally, I know how to stop the potion. And I know how it should be working so I can let our body behave accordingly without taking it. Oh, and Daniel's ancestors were from the Royal Sorcerer Coven.'

I know that my eyes had to cloud over but nobody noticed because I keep my eyes downcast. At least I know how come Daniel is so in the loop.

He walks us to the building on the right and opens the door. I look around and decide to drop the bag next to the entrance so people wouldn't trip over it. Then I walk in a prepare to be pushed. Daniel doesn't notice and walks in after me, going upstairs. We mount two floors and walk to the fifth door on the left. Daniel knocks on the door and we wait. There is some shuffling and Carson opens the door. I inhale deeply and wonder how to greet him. I can't smell his scent or emotions due to the potion but his face shows happiness at seeing me here. I open my mouth but he puts his index finger on his lips and beckons us to enter. I look at Daniel who makes shooing motions at me so I shrug and walk in.

There I can see a woman on a bed with a tiny baby in her arms. She looks up at me and whispers: "I'm sorry I kept Carson here. I know he was supposed to pick you up."

I smile at her as I walk closer. "Don't worry about it. Daniel took me here just fine." I keep my voice down too as I take off my backpack and pull out the small jewellery box. "Actually, Daniel told me what was happening so I brought you a small something," I tell the woman who can't be anyone else but Amanda. From the corner of my eye, I can see Carson's surprised expression. I walk closer to Amanda's head and explain: "In my pack, the tradition states that every baby is to be honoured at birth with a present. Every family," I stop as I realise that in normal packs children are born more regularly than in ours. Therefore, I modify the statement: "Every closely related family and the ranked families offer their gifts so that the child knew where they belonged."

Amanda's eyes widen and I hear a sharp intake of breath somewhere behind me.

"That's . . . that's . . ." Amanda doesn't know how to respond. I wave the box in front of her and she lifts her eyes to my face.

"Amanda, on behalf of the Alpha family from Silent Heights, I would like to wish your child all the best in their life. May Moon Goddess and Sun Goddess bless them." With that, I open the jewellery box and show her the necklace.

There are tears in Amanda's eyes as she accepts the present and says: "Thank you, Luna. It means a lot both for me and my daughter Diliara."