The Lycan King’s Mate

Rein’s POV I hate lines. I despise lines. Especially the ones at airports where everyone acts like we’re about to get free gold instead of a cramped flight with dry pretzels and crying toddlers. “Mom,” I whined, dragging my overloaded carry-on bag like it personally offended me. “Why didn’t we just teleport?” My mom shot me the look. You know, the one that says ‘don’t try me right now, child.’ “Because we’re not witches, Rein.” “Well, speak for yourself,” I muttered, flipping my curls. “I’ve seen enough witch shows to summon something. Might not be a broom, but at this point, a flying raccoon would work.” My dad chuckled. “Behave, sunshine. We’re almost there.” I huffed, glaring at the glacier-speed moving line. We were relocating to the southern part of America, which I was mostly excited about. New places, new people… new food. But waiting in this endless line? Not exactly my dream way to start a new chapter of life. Then my phone buzzed. Finally! Distraction. I got lost in a video of a cat slapping a cucumber when I realized something—my family was gone. Like, disappeared-gone. Vanished-into-the-void gone. I blinked. “Did… did they get on the plane without me?” No. They couldn’t have. Right? I looked around. Still no sign of Mom’s purple suitcase that could double as a house, or Dad’s fedora he swore made him look “mysterious.” Did I panic? No. Because I’m a professional. A professional hot mess, but still. I started walking, hoping to spot them, when nature called. Not gently either. I had downed an iced coffee the size of a small toddler. “Restroom first,” I mumbled. “Find family later. Priorities.” But as I headed toward the restroom, I noticed something… off. A guy. A creepy guy. He was leaning against the wall, staring at me like I was the last slice of pizza at a party. I gave a polite-but-firm smile and sped up. He followed. “Hey pretty girl,” he called. “You headed into the restroom? I could… come with.” EXCUSE ME? “Nope,” I said, spinning around. “I’m good. Thanks. You should probably… vanish.” But he kept coming, grinning like he didn’t just say the creepiest thing ever. I turned around and ran, feet flying across the terminal floor. And then—BAM! I crashed into a wall. Except it wasn’t a wall. It was a man. Tall, hard chest, arms like carved marble. My face smacked against his black shirt and his arms wrapped around me instantly, steadying me before I could fall. “Oh my god, are you a wall?” I asked breathlessly, blinking up. He didn’t answer. He just… stared. I mean, stared-stared. Like, “I just found the moon” kind of stared. It was weird. Hot. But also weird. “Uh, hello?” I waved a hand in front of his face. “Earth to Sexy Statue.” He blinked, finally seeming to snap out of whatever trance he was in. “There’s this creep,” I whispered. “He’s following me. I need to hide.” He glanced over my shoulder and nodded slowly. “He’ll find you here.” I squinted at him. “Okay, Mr. Obvious. Do something!” The creep rounded the corner, eyes zeroing in on me. “There you are,” he smirked. “You done with her yet? I need a turn.” My jaw hit the floor. The guy holding me stiffened, his jaw clenching. “She’s not going with you,” he said coldly. The creep laughed. “C’mon man. I just want a head. Then I’ll toss her out.” “I said no,” the man replied, voice like steel. The creep snarled and lunged. I screamed. One punch. One single punch—and the creep flew backward and hit the floor with a sickening thud. “WOOHOO!” I yelled, jumping in the air. “That was the most epic thing I’ve ever seen in my life!” I ran over and kicked the creep in the leg for good measure. Then I turned to the man. “Okay, you need a medal. Or a trophy. Or like… a kingdom.” He raised a brow. “A kingdom?” I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. And a new shirt, because you just did superhero stuff.” I turned to leave but paused. “At least tell me your name, Wall Man.” He smirked. “Hunter. Hunter Cavelli.” “Ooo. Mysterious. Dangerous. Broody. I like it.” I grinned. “I’m Rein Mendes. Eighteen. Probably too loud. Definitely too clumsy. But I have excellent instincts.” He stared at me again, that same intense gaze returning. Like he was memorizing me. “Well, thanks for saving me, Hunter Cavelli.” I gave a little wave and skipped off. As soon as I left the hallway, I saw my family running toward me. My mom looked ready to cry. “Rein!” she yelled. “Where the hell did you go?” “Long story,” I said, hugging her. “Involving a creep, a wall man, and a punch that could cure global warming.” We hugged, apologized, and walked off together. ⸻ Hunter’s POV She smelled like warm vanilla and peaches. I wasn’t ready. Not for the way her scent hit me like lightning. Not for the way her laugh burrowed into my chest. Not for the fire she ignited in me… just by colliding with my body. My mate. The Moon Goddess has a cruel sense of humor. A human? Really? I watched her leave, still reeling from the way my heart had leapt when she said her name. Rein. I repeated it in my head. Over and over. She’s ours, Luca, the vampire inside me, hissed. You should’ve marked her. Claimed her. Now. “No,” I growled under my breath. Fool, he snarled. She belongs to us. Let me out. I’ll make her submit. “I said no.” Luca fell silent, growling low in my mind. She’s innocent, I told myself. Too soft. Too pure for monsters like us. Kayden, the wolf part of me, said nothing. He only watched through my eyes, quiet… but tense. He knew. He knew the danger we were. The curse of being both wolf and vampire. The beast I carried inside me could rip the world apart. And now… I had a mate. A bubbly, hilarious, breathtaking girl who kicked creeps in the leg and waved at strangers like a storm hadn’t just passed through her life. She’s sunshine, Kayden whispered finally. And we’re the storm. I clenched my fists. Moon Goddess… what kind of cruel fate is this? I stared out the jet window, arms crossed, eyes unfocused. The roar of the engines couldn’t drown out the sound of her voice still ringing in my head. “Thank you, Hunter Cavelli.” Damn it. “Okay,” Zach said, breaking the silence, “are you going to tell me why you’ve been looking like you just watched someone skin your wolf alive, or should I start guessing?” I didn’t move. Didn’t look at him. I just watched the clouds blur by outside as we ascended. Zach let out a low whistle. “Wow. So, it’s like that. What happened at the airport?” I exhaled slowly. “Nothing.” “You almost missed the flight. You disappeared for twenty minutes. I thought maybe you got ambushed by rogues or kidnapped by a hot werewolf MILF, but… no scent. So, try again.” My jaw flexed. I wasn’t in the mood for Zach’s usual sarcasm, but that was the problem with Betas—they didn’t care if you were a king. They cared about the man beneath it. “I said it’s nothing,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead. “And I meant it.” “Bullshit,” Zach replied, folding his arms. “You smelled like… like trouble. And something else. Something sweet. Not werewolf. Not vampire. Human.” I winced. That damn scent was still burned into my senses—sunshine and strawberries and innocence. It was dangerous. She was dangerous. “She was just…” I sighed, then turned to him. “She was in trouble. A creep was bothering her. I stepped in. That’s all.” Zach raised an eyebrow. “You stepped in? You don’t step in, Hunter. You obliterate. Was she pretty?” That was the understatement of the century. Her long black hair, bouncing around her shoulders as she twirled like a child celebrating a victory. Those wide brown eyes that sparkled even as she kicked an unconscious man. Her laugh. That laugh— “Yeah,” I said softly, “she was.” Zach’s smirk faded. “Shit.” “Yeah.” There was a pause. I leaned back against the leather seat, loosening my tie. My wolf, Kayden, stirred in my mind, still unusually silent. That alone unsettled me. Luca, however, wasn’t staying quiet. “She’s ours,” Luca snarled. “You let her walk away. Why?” Because she’s human, I snapped back. Because she doesn’t deserve the hell that follows us everywhere. You’d eat her alive. “I’d worship her,” Luca growled. “The way she deserves. Soft skin… delicate pulse… She’s perfect.” “Hunter,” Zach said, drawing my attention again. “You’re not saying what I think you’re saying, right? I mean… she’s not—” “My mate,” I finished for him. The word tasted foreign on my tongue. Zach stared at me, eyes wide. “You’re joking.” “I wish I was.” He dragged a hand over his face. “The moon goddess gave you a human mate? The King of Lycans? That’s… that’s—” “I know.” We both fell into silence. Zach leaned forward after a moment. “Are you okay?” “No.” That was the truth. I wasn’t okay. I hadn’t been okay from the moment I caught her scent and saw her eyes. The way she looked up at me. The way she said my name like she actually liked it. I’d saved dozens of humans before—never gave any of them a second thought. But Rein Mendes? She wasn’t just anyone. She felt like a part of me I didn’t know I was missing. She felt like home. And that terrified the hell out of me. Zach didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The truth was there in the silence. Her name was still fresh in my mind. Rein. It echoed like a promise and a curse.