Rising: The Priestess of Infinata and The Alphine

Chapter Two - Fated Mate

Iris's POV

My mate? Here? Amidst humans? Could he be a werewolf living in secret, or was he actually human?

I'll have to see this through to the end. I handed Lina my backpack and told her I'd be back home soon. "I'm coming with you," she insisted, but I declined. "This is something I need to do on my own, Lina. I'll meet you back home as soon as I'm done."

I followed him, unnoticed, for what felt like an eternity. My mind reeled with the possibility that my fated mate could actually be human. Or was he concealing his true identity? But of all the people in the world, why did my fated mate have to be someone like Adrian? A guy with a personality I despise - arrogant and completely infuriating. It just seems so unfair. He is just too arrogant, and I hated myself now for being so attracted to the person that almost got us killed yesterday.

The landscape around me was dotted with tiny snowflakes as I trailed behind him. We walked through a narrow alley flanked by the woods on both sides. The snowflakes danced around us, casting a serene silence over the scene. But my thoughts were far from peaceful. As the minutes ticked by, I grew impatient. Why was I belittling myself by trailing him like a coward? I didn't have all day to waste. It was time to take a more direct approach.

I took a deep breath, my eyes fixed on his back. I was going to approach him, and I was going to get some answers.

I finally worked up the courage to approach him. I walked behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to me, our mismatched heights creating an acute contrast, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in my appearance.

"I see it's come down to stalking me now," he said, a hint of amusement dancing in his voice.

His eyes were all over me. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. All that echoed in my mind was a single, overwhelming thought:

"I, Iris, I'm your fated mate."

"Fated mate?" He smiled, his eyes gleaming with amusement, and said in a seductive tone, "Ooh-kay! That's cool." As he spoke, he bit one side of his lower lip, and I felt my knees go weak when he moved closer to me, and I tried to step back, but my body hit the tree trunk behind me, stopping me in my tracks, and he kept striding towards me.

"Why don't we see about that?" he said, his voice low and husky, as he gazed into my eyes. His words sent shivers down my spine, and I felt goosebumps break out all over my skin. My heart was racing, and I couldn't believe I was reacting this way to him, this was the first time I felt this way towards a boy; maybe it was because of my hatred towards him for being an asshole. But now...now I couldn't help but stare at his enticing red lips. How could he have such perfect lips?

How did I end up fated to such a kind of mate? I had promised myself I would never let any boy kiss me, no one deserved to have my first kiss, except for my fated mate. But my fated mate was supposed to be someone I respected and admired, not someone who made my blood boil with his haughty attitude.

And yet...and yet, here I was, unable to tear my eyes away from him.

Still, before I could think of anything, Adrian claimed his prize by capturing my mouth.

He leaned in, his lips brushing against mine. I was too shocked to push him away, and before I knew it, he deepened the kiss. I was horrified when I realized I was kissing him back. It felt...it felt so good. His lips were soft and urgent, devouring mine with a passion that left me breathless. It was too late when I realized my mistake – my fated mate had stolen my first kiss.

******

As he broke apart from the kiss, the sudden absence of his warm lips left me feeling dazed and breathless. He smiled nonchalantly and said, "Okay, hope we're good now?"He turned to leave, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. I was still reeling from the kiss, my mind a jumbled mess of emotions.

"Wait!" I called out, trying to process my thoughts. "Didn't you hear what I said? I said we're fated mates."

He turned back to me, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I thought you came up with a word because you were just looking for a little action, so I gave one," he replied, his tone dripping with amusement.

I felt my anger rising. "So you kissed me without really knowing what I meant?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He shrugged, his grin still plastered on his face. "Uh!! Yeah!"

My anger boiled over. "How dare you steal my first kiss from me?" I demanded, my voice trembling with rage.

He chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "And why do you ever feel so stressed about it when I can feel you enjoyed that kiss so much? It was just a kiss, Iris. Besides, you don't even know how to kiss." He smirked, his expression making me feel even angrier. "If you want, I can give you a kissing tutorial for free." He paused, his expression turning serious. "But if it's anything concerned with this fated mate thing you're talking about, count me out. I'm not interested."

He added, and left me without taking a second glance. His last words detonated like a bomb within me, leaving me reeling with shock and anger.

"Did we just get rejected by our mate?" Eva's words resonated within me, echoing my own thoughts. "No... No..." I whispered, unable to process the rejection.

Before I knew it, my legs were moving, and I was running as hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I didn't know where I was going, the only thing I knew was to get far away from the place where we had just been rejected.

I just needed somewhere to cool off and process what had just happened. But why was the Moon goddess being so cruel to me?

I had always dreamed of the kind of life I would live with my fated mate. We would be inseparable, our bond growing stronger with each passing day. But now, just a rejection was all it took to shatter those dreams, a rejection from someone who could be just a mere human.

The thought sent a pang of sadness through my heart, and I ran faster, the trees blurring together as I dashed through the woods. Suddenly, I felt a sense of uneasiness, a prickling sensation at the back of my neck. "Be at alert, we're being watched," Eva's voice whispered in my mind. I had already run deep into the woods before I realized what was going on.

Suddenly, a rustling in the underbrush caught my attention. I turned to see a beast emerging from the shadows. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and its razor-sharp claws gleamed in the fading light.

I froze, my heart racing with fear. As I observed the beast, I realized it was an Heivile - a monstrous creature known for its ferocity and strength. But why was it attacking me? I couldn't understand why an Heivile would be after me. Unless... unless my identity as a werewolf had been revealed to enemy packs.

I remembered the stories of the first Alpha King, who had used Heiviles to win the battle of the first werewolves. But that was centuries ago. Why was an Heivile here, now, attacking me?

The Heivile lunged at me, its jaws wide open. I barely had time to react, dodging to the side just in time. But I knew I couldn't keep evading its attacks for long. I wasn't able to shift into my werewolf form yet, which meant I was at a severe disadvantage. The best I could do was try to evade its attacks, but for how long can I evade its attack? That was the question.

Just as the Heivile was about to attack again, a group of werewolves arrived at the scene, fighting off the monstrous creature.

I seized the opportunity to flee, just as the men arrived on the scene, putting as much distance as possible between myself and their keen wolf senses. I didn't know if they were friends or foes, and I wasn't about to take any chances.

As I ran, I heard the sounds of a fierce battle behind me. The wolves had engaged the Heivile, and I could tell they were fighting to protect me. But I didn't dare to look back or slow down, fearing that they might catch up to me and discover my true identity.

Finally, I reached a safe distance and slowed down, listening intently to the sounds behind me. The battle had ended, and I heard the men's voices, low and serious.

One of them spoke up, "It must have been sent to assassinate her. Seeing it run away, it will probably try to track her down again."

Assassinate me? But who? How was I discovered? My mind was racing with questions.

One of them nodded, his expression grim. "We'll have to find it and eliminate it before it's dark."

The men dispersed, going after the Heivile. I watched them disappear into the woods, still trying to process everything that had just happened. It happened so fast and It all felt like a blur - a rejection from Adrian, an attempted assassination by the Heivile, and then being saved by a group of strange men.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered inside me. Everything was just so fast, so overwhelming. I needed to get out of there, to find some semblance of safety and normalcy.

I just had to go home. I turned and made my way back through the woods, my senses on high alert for any signs of danger. When I finally reached my house, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath.

Then, I went straight to our room and found Lina sitting on the bed, reading a book.

Hey! Are you alright, Iris?"Lina asked the moment I walked through the door, her voice filled with concern. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down before recounting all that had happened. "Lina, you won't believe what just happened..." I began, and then told her everything - the rejection from Adrian, the attack by the Heivile, and the rescue by the mysterious werewolves.