Chapter Three:The Mate I Never Expected-Kai
1828 Words
The office was unusually quiet.
It was already evening, and the last rays of sunlight were disappearing behind the mountains surrounding Shadow Wolf territory.
I sat behind my desk, staring at a report I had been reading for the last twenty minutes.
I hadn’t absorbed a single word.
My mind was somewhere else.
As usual.
My mate.
Where was she?
Or he?
I had stopped caring about what everyone expected.
I just wanted my mate.
I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my forehead.
A knock sounded.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Aiden walked in.
He didn’t bother with the formal greeting.
“Kai.”
I looked up.
Only Aiden could walk into my office, call me by my name, and get away with it.
Not because he didn’t respect me.
He did.
More than almost anyone.
But Aiden had known me since childhood.
Our fathers had been best friends.
His father had served my father as Beta, just as generations of his family had served mine.
Aiden and I had grown up together.
We had trained together.
Fought together.
Gotten into trouble together.
And stood beside each other through things neither of us talked about.
He was my best friend.
And my Beta.
He was also one of the few people who could tell when something was bothering me before I said anything.
“What is it?” I asked.
He walked toward the desk.
“The priests from the main town are coming tomorrow.”
I frowned.
“The priests?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“They’re doing charity work.”
I stared at him.
Aiden continued.
“The human town wants to strengthen the relationship with the pack. They’ve offered to help at the local schools. Some of them will teach, some will help with supplies, and others will assist with community projects.”
I nodded slowly.
“When are they coming?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“You approved this?”
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
“You’ve already approved it.”
“I did?”
“Your council signed off on it. You said there was no reason to reject charitable assistance.”
I remembered.
I had approved it weeks ago.
The human town was only a few kilometers from our territory. We had always maintained peaceful relations with them.
The pack bought supplies from their businesses.
Our companies operated there.
My main business headquarters were located in the town.
There was no reason to create unnecessary tension.
“We should maintain good relations with them,” I said.
“Exactly.”
“Fine.”
Aiden smiled.
“I knew you’d agree.”
“They can come.”
“Tomorrow at ten.”
I nodded.
“I’ll greet them.”
Aiden turned toward the door.
“Good night, Alpha.”
“Aiden.”
He stopped.
“Yes?”
“Don’t call me Alpha when we’re alone.”
He smiled.
“Good night, Kai.”
“Good night.”
The door closed.
I returned to my work.
But something felt wrong.
I couldn’t explain it.
My wolf had been restless all evening.
He paced inside me, agitated.
I didn’t understand why.
Nothing was wrong.
The borders were secure.
The pack was safe.
There were no threats.
No emergencies.
And yet my wolf wouldn’t settle.
I eventually went to bed.
But sleep didn’t come easily.
At four in the morning, I opened my eyes.
My wolf was practically screaming.
Something is coming.
I sat up.
“What?”
Something is coming.
I frowned.
I couldn’t understand him.
I got out of bed, changed, and went for a run.
The cold morning air hit my face as I crossed the pack territory.
I ran harder.
Faster.
Trying to exhaust myself.
But even after several miles, my wolf remained restless.
Something was coming.
I just didn’t know what.
By morning, I was exhausted.
At ten, I stood outside the pack house.
The visiting group was arriving.
I could already hear the vehicles approaching.
Then something happened.
My heart started racing.
I froze.
My wolf surged forward.
Mate.
I almost stopped breathing.
“What?”
Mate.
The vehicles entered the territory.
My heart pounded harder.
I had spent eleven years waiting for this moment.
Eleven years.
I had imagined it countless times.
I had imagined meeting a woman.
Maybe someone gentle.
Maybe someone strong.
Maybe someone who would challenge me.
Maybe someone who would make me forget I was an Alpha.
But I had never imagined what actually happened.
The vehicles stopped.
The doors opened.
Several priests stepped out.
They were dressed appropriately for their religious duties, carrying rosaries and wearing clerical clothing.
I watched them approach.
An older priest stepped forward first.
“Alpha Kai.”
I nodded.
“Welcome to Shadow Wolf.”
He smiled.
“I’m Father Archie. Thank you for welcoming us.”
“It is our pleasure.”
Another man stepped forward.
“This is Father Sam.”
I shook his hand.
Then another person stepped out.
And the world stopped.
Everything stopped.
My heartbeat.
My breathing.
My thoughts.
My wolf.
Everything.
He stood there quietly.
Young.
Beautiful.
And completely unexpected.
His eyes lifted.
Blue.
Beautiful blue eyes.
They met mine.
And something inside me shattered.
Mate.
The word exploded inside my head.
My wolf howled.
My entire body reacted.
There was no doubt.
No confusion.
No question.
This was him.
My mate.
My mate.
After eleven years of searching.
After eleven years of waiting.
After eleven years of wondering whether the Moon Goddess had forgotten me.
She hadn’t.
She had been preparing him.
I stared at him.
He was beautiful.
Not in the way I had imagined.
Not in the way I had expected.
He was soft-looking.
Calm.
Almost delicate.
His expression was shy.
His blue eyes were mesmerizing.
And then I noticed what he was wearing.
A priest’s attire.
My mind went blank.
He’s a priest.
I stared at him.
A priest?
No.
That couldn’t be right.
My mate was a priest?
The young man lowered his eyes.
He looked uncomfortable.
My wolf wanted to cross the distance between us.
He wanted to touch him.
Hold him.
Claim him.
Protect him.
But I couldn’t move.
Because he wasn’t just anyone.
He was a priest.
“Father Archie,” the older man said, “this is Sebastian.”
Sebastian.
The name settled into my mind.
Sebastian.
My mate’s name was Sebastian.
“Hello,” Sebastian said softly.
His voice was gentle.
Soft.
Almost painfully beautiful.
I swallowed.
“Hello.”
That was all I managed.
An Alpha who had commanded thousands of wolves.
An Alpha whose name terrified rogues.
An Alpha who had stared down enemy leaders without blinking.
Reduced to one word.
Hello.
Because my mate was standing in front of me.
And he was a priest.
Father Archie began explaining the arrangements.
“Sebastian will assist with the schools. He’s already worked with several community programs.”
I nodded.
I wasn’t listening.
“Sam will assist with the water project.”
I nodded again.
“There will be other priests joining us later, along with several volunteers.”
Another nod.
My eyes remained on Sebastian.
He wouldn’t look at me.
That bothered me.
I understood why.
He was human.
He didn’t know what was happening.
But he was my mate.
Didn’t he feel something?
Didn’t his heart race?
Didn’t he feel the bond?
I wanted to ask.
I wanted to walk up to him.
I wanted to take his hand.
But I couldn’t.
Not here.
Not in front of everyone.
Especially not when I had no idea what being his mate meant to him.
The group eventually left to begin their work.
Sebastian followed them.
I watched him disappear.
My chest felt strangely empty.
I had found my mate.
And somehow, I felt more confused than I had ever felt in my life.
⸻
By evening, the priests had left the territory.
I returned to my office.
I sat behind my desk.
And stared at nothing.
The door opened.
Aiden walked in.
He immediately stopped.
“What happened to you?”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“You look distracted.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been saying that since you were eighteen.”
I said nothing.
Aiden walked closer.
“Something happened today.”
I stared at him.
He folded his arms.
“Kai.”
I sighed.
“I found my mate.”
Silence.
Then Aiden’s face completely changed.
“You what?”
“I found my mate.”
His eyes widened.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
Aiden immediately grinned.
“Kai!”
He walked toward me.
“Where is she?”
I didn’t answer.
“When did you find her?”
Still nothing.
“Where is she from?”
I looked down.
Aiden’s excitement grew.
“Who is she?”
I finally looked at him.
“He’s not a she.”
Aiden paused.
For half a second, I watched surprise cross his face.
Then his expression softened.
“Okay.”
He shrugged.
“That’s not a bad thing.”
I blinked.
He smiled.
“Your mate is your mate.”
Something in my chest loosened.
Aiden continued.
“Where is he?”
I hesitated.
“He was one of the priests.”
Aiden froze.
“What?”
“One of the priests.”
He stared at me.
I could practically see his brain trying to process the information.
“Wait.”
He pointed toward me.
“Your mate…”
I nodded.
“…is a priest?”
I nodded again.
Aiden slowly lowered his hand.
“Oh.”
“Yes.”
He looked at me.
Then toward the door.
Then back at me.
“Kai…”
“I know.”
“That’s…”
“I know.”
Aiden sat down.
For the first time in our entire friendship, he looked genuinely speechless.
After several seconds, he finally asked,
“Does he know?”
“No.”
“Does he feel the bond?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Yes.”
“How did he react?”
“He was shy.”
Aiden stared at me.
“And you’re sure?”
I looked directly at him.
“I’ve waited eleven years, Aiden.”
My voice dropped.
“I know my mate.”
Aiden nodded slowly.
Then he sighed.
“This is going to be complicated.”
I leaned back in my chair.
My eyes closed.
“I know.”
For the first time in eleven years, I had found the person I had spent my entire life searching for.
And somehow…
The Moon Goddess had given me the one person I could not simply claim.
My mate was a man.
A human.
And a priest.
I didn’t know what the future held.
But one thing was certain.
I was never going to stop loving him.
Not after waiting eleven years to find him.
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