His Crimson Mate

Trial and First Mission

(Janessa's POV)

~Age 18~

It was finally the day of my trial. I had been training for two long years for this moment. My wolf had finally matured five months ago on my eighteenth birthday, and guess who got a mate? Not me! It frustrated me to no end, especially since my twin brother found his mate two months after our birthday at the mating ball. It was a beautiful moment, but once again, I was left alone.

It's okay, though; I have more important things to worry about. "Mate will come," my wolf Hera told me through our mindlink. "I know, now let's get this trial over with," I said as I began to walk toward the small group standing in a large field. Sempai stood there with five other warriors awaiting trial. It appeared I was the youngest here. Everyone seemed to be in their early twenties or maybe even older.

"I expect big things from you six today. The rules are simple; you have one hour to complete your task and meet at the finish line. There will be a ten-minute warning, and if you don't make it to the finish line by the end of the hour, you will be removed, and your memories of your time with us will be erased. Now everyone line up!" explained Sempai as we all stood in a horizontal line about ten feet apart from one another.

I was confused. Was this a race? Where was the finish line? These instructions were extremely vague. I was about to speak up when Sempai interrupted my thoughts. "Your specific trial will be unique to you, and it will be a mental battle just as much as a physical one. Oh, one more thing, it will all be done using dark magic!" Sempai stated before large hedges shot up from the dirt and incased us each individually. I was now standing in what looked like a tall maze of shrubbery, and I couldn't see the other contestants any longer. "Good luck!" Sempai shouted before a loud horn blared into the morning sky.

I could hear the feet of the other contenders take off running, and I did the same. I ran through the maze towards the middle when suddenly a dark fog fell before me, revealing a tall, dark and spooky building. Were we still in the same field? I heard screams from other competitors in the distance and knew I had to keep it moving.

I walked up the steps of the building and noticed a small note on the door. The note read, find the young woman in red and bring her to safety. What the hell does that even mean? I opened the door, and my eyes immediately adjusted from the outside light to the inside darkness. "Hellooo, lady in red?" I shouted as I walked through what appeared to be a large, abandoned reception area.

Suddenly, I saw a shadow run by from the corner of my eye. I quickly turned around but saw no one. I gripped the dagger that was strapped around the inner thigh of my black, spandex body suit.

Off to the left side of the building was a massive set of steps that I began to take up to the second floor. I searched all the rooms, using my senses to guide me. I cleared the second floor and made my way back over to the stairs to check the third floor. After reaching the third floor, I checked and cleared the first few rooms.

Suddenly, I heard a shuffling behind me. I quickly turned around with my knife drawn, but I saw no one. I sniffed around a bit, and I couldn't smell anyone either, yet I could sense something lurking in the shadows. As I slowly crept up the hall, another gust of wind blew past me, but this time, I was ready for it.

I swung my dagger to the right, sinking it into something firm. I looked up and saw the shocked face of a... vampire? I roughly pulled my knife from his chest, and while he was still in shock, I swiftly slit his throat. Blood gushed from his wound onto the floor, and I took a small step back before he fell lifeless to the ground.

I continued to move forward cautiously. I wasn't sure how much time I had left, but I would say at least thirty minutes had passed and I still hadn't found who I was looking for. I must hurry if I want to complete this mission on time. As I checked and cleared each room, I realized this appeared to be some old abandoned insane asylum.

After searching every floor, I let out a scream of frustration. Where was this stupid lady in red? I quickly ran down four flights of steps, taking them two at a time. I reached the rundown reception area of the creepy hospital and looked around. I need to concentrate.

I closed my eyes and took in my surroundings through my other senses. I was trained better than this and I was not going to fail now. I could hear a faint heartbeat coming from down the hospital hall. I cautiously walked towards the sound and I ended up in front of a set of steps that led me down into a basement.

Suddenly, a loud alarm blared in the distance and I felt my throat drop into my stomach. s**t! I only have ten minutes left! There is no way I can finish on time! I quickly ran down the steps carelessly. All the training went out of my head at that moment as desperation kicked in.

There was no way I would lose all my memories of the past two years of training with Sempai! Sniffing around, all I could smell was the faint scent of gasoline. Was someone about to burn this place down? I finally made it to the last room in the hall where a small couch and desk decorated what appeared to be a small office.

Before I could close the door, someone grabbed me from behind and shoved me into the room. I leaned forward and threw my head back, slamming it into my captor's face. The moment their grip loosened, I grabbed my dagger and spun around, quickly slitting his throat. Another vampire dropped dead at my feet.

I stepped over my fresh kill and made my way out of the room. I'm sure I only have a few minutes left and I know I have failed. All my confidence I had coming into this completely vanished at the realization that I would not be becoming a King's Assassin. Walking out of the room defeated, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

There standing in the hallway was another vampire holding a beautiful woman close to his chest with his arm around her neck and a gun to her head. Looking at the lady in a long figure-fitting red dress let me know she was exactly who I was looking for. "Hand her over," I shouted to the vampire. "One move and she's dead!" The bloodsucker yelled back. Damnit, I don't have time for this! I gripped my dagger tightly in my hands, adjusting it until it felt comfortable. I only had one shot and I had to do it right.

"Let her go and we can talk," I said to the disgusting vampire. I zeroed in on my target. I just needed a slight movement and I had to anticipate which way he would move. "I said don't -" the vampire was cut off by my knife flying directly into his eye. My target released the woman and fell straight onto his back.

I knew a dagger to the eye wasn't enough to kill a vamp, so I quickly ran over, grabbed my other dagger from my back, and drove it into the vampire's heart before he could react. I didn't even bother to retrieve my daggers from the deceased vampire as I grabbed the woman in red and threw her over my shoulder.

I was an Alpha female and she didn't weigh much nor did she protest me picking her up and taking off running. I knew time was almost up, but I could also still feel the dark magic in the atmosphere and knew I still had some time left. I made it to the top of the stairs and ran toward the front of the hospital.

Once I made it outside, I looked around frantically at which direction I should take. My instincts and my wolf were telling me to head east, so that is what I did. I ran with the woman flopping over my shoulders. I ran through tall hedges trying to find my escape.

Suddenly, behind me, the bushes started closing in on each other. s**t, time is up! I took off running at full speed in the opposite direction of the bushes collapsing on themselves. If I didn't move fast enough they would close in on me also. To my left, I heard a loud and muffled yell and I began to panic more. The shrubs ahead of me began closing in and my claustrophobia began to kick in. The bushes forced me to turn right as I kept looking for my escape.

Finally, I could see the literal light at the end of the tunnel. I sprinted towards it as the hedges closed in on me and branches began to whip at my legs and arms. In times like these, I wished I could control nature like my mother. I could see the light and exit a few feet away but now the bushes in front of me began closing me in.

With my last bit of willpower, I gripped the lady in red tightly and dove through the hole of shrubbery that was quickly shutting. I hit the ground hard when suddenly the lady in red exploded all over me into a massive bag of flour. "What the hell!" I shouted as I rubbed my back and surveyed my clothes and body covered in a thick white powder.

Unexpectedly, I heard someone laughing hysterically. I looked up into the eyes of a handsome male pointing at me laughing. "You should see yourself," he choked out between laughs. I didn't know him but I wanted to take my last dagger and drive it into his skull!

Suddenly, I heard clapping coming from behind us. Sempai walked over slowly to us, eyeing us with pride. We quickly remembered our surroundings and tightened up before respectfully bowing to our Sempai. "I see you almost didn't make it out, Janessa," Sempai scolded me. I bowed even lower, trying to hide my bright red, embarrassed face.

"You two will be moving into your nesting period, which will require you to train with your new team. You two will be put on a team with three other experienced assassins and once you two are acclimated, you will go on your first mission. Any questions?" Sempai stated, and we both knew to keep our mouths shut. I looked up at the male standing next to me who was staring at me with a smug smile on his face. Ugh, I was not looking forward to being on the team with this asshole. He was handsome but he also looked full of himself.

"Milo and Janessa, you two should be proud of yourselves. Go get some rest because you will be meeting your new team members tomorrow," Sempai stated before he slipped away discreetly. "I look forward to working with you. Maybe next time though, hold the flour," the male whose name I just learned stated as he walked away. I swear I was going to stab him before this was all over!

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Three weeks had passed and the day for our first mission finally arrived. To say I was nervous was an understatement. The butterflies in my stomach were working full time and I was pretty sure I was going to throw up. "Don't be so nervous, you are going to do great," stated Milo as he brushed past me to meet our group.

These last few weeks after the trial have brought Milo and me closer. He is still an utter asshole, but he has been pulling feelings out of me that I've never experienced. I've never really been into guys, but I also knew I wasn't into girls either. I've always been dedicated to my training, even as a pup.

Lately, though, Milo and I have become touchy-feely. Nothing too serious yet because I was waiting for my mate but he had awakened something inside my body I didn't know existed. Even though I knew I didn't have romantic feelings for Milo, my body had other ideas. Hopefully, my mate will show up soon so I can get some of these pent-up feelings out.

Milo and I made our way to the rest of our team. The Dark Dagger was our leader. He was an older wolf in his late forties who had been doing this for so long he could hit a target at a long distance using his dagger, with his eyes closed, literally. I thought I was good with a knife, but I had nothing on him. He keeps the team tight and together.

Avalanche is the swiftest one on the team. She can slip in and out of anywhere unnoticed and if you notice her coming it's already too late. Hawkeye was our tech guy. He was our eyes and ears and could access and hack into just about anything. Milo and I have to go on a few missions before we get honored with a code name. It is not a name you choose, but it is the name given by your peers due to your abilities. I honestly can't wait for my code name! I'm thinking Badass b***h has a nice ring to it!

Dagger signaled for us to slow down and be quiet as we approached the location of our target. I pulled myself from my reverie and began to focus and pay attention. I closed my eyes to focus and let my other senses take over. I could hear people speaking quietly in the abandoned home up ahead.

Apparently, there has been someone kidnapping little pups and human children and selling them on the black market to traffickers. It's disgusting and I can't wait to take these sick bastards down. Dagger nods at me and Avalanche as we quickly made our way toward the house. We used our discrete skills and agility to climb the house to the roof.

We found a cracked window on the second floor and we both slid inside. Now it was time to find these poor pups and children. We stealthily snuck out of the bedroom we were in and into the hallway. My job for this mission was to locate the children, while Avalanche would become a distraction if I needed one.

I slowly walked to the other two rooms and the bathroom on the second floor and cleared them. They were not keeping them upstairs, which meant we had to go downstairs where we were sure the kidnappers were. I made my way down the steps and into a small living area.

We could hear voices on the other side of the wall and Avalanche silently let me know she would be a distraction so I could get through. She ran to the front door and quickly opened it while slamming it shut. Everything went quiet in the house before everyone from the other room ran out to check the noise.

I pressed myself against the wall in hopes the scent neutralizer I used worked and no one could sense me there. I discreetly turned the corner, checking my surroundings, and noticed no one was there. I saw a small, messy kitchen with plates and food everywhere. I once again followed my instincts toward the back of the kitchen. I found a small door that had a padlock on it.

I began to hear fighting outside and knew it was now or never. Goddess, please let these pups be here and this wasn't all for nothing. I threw my body into the old rusty door a few times before it shattered off its hinges. I ran down the steps, taking two at a time, until I reached the empty basement. s**t, I didn't see anyone!

"Hello," I called, looking around the dark, damp basement, but got no response. My heart dropped when I realized our intel was incorrect and I knew I needed to get out of there. "Wait! Do you smell that?" my wolf Hera shouted in my mind as I made my way back toward the steps.

I sniffed the air and that's when I smelled it. Muddled in with the smells of many wolves was the smell of humans. I followed it to a large bookshelf on the back wall. I quickly pushed it to the side to reveal a small door near the floor. What the hell was this?

I used force to pull the small door open. While on my hands and knees, I slowly poked my head through the opening. I searched the dark room from the doorway and saw the dirty and terrified faces of little pups and human children. Before I could speak, someone grabbed my ankle and pulled me back. I face-planted on the ground before I spun around and kicked my assailant in the stomach.

I stood up and saw about four rouges staring at me hungrily. I grabbed two of my daggers from their hiding spots and swiftly threw one straight into the forehead of a nearby rogue. Two rogues jumped to attack me and my instincts and training quickly took over. I swung my knife a few times, quickly and accurately slicing both wolves' necks.

The fourth and final rogue quickly shifted into its mangy wolf before jumping on me and scratching my shoulder. I jumped on his back, wrapped my legs around his body, and began to drive my already bloody dagger into his side repeatedly. The rogue let out a few yelps of pain before it dropped lifeless beneath me. Well, that was anticlimactic. I thought for sure they would have put up more of a fight.

_______________________

I made it back home that night fairly late. It was after 10 pm when I tried to slip back into the pack house and into my bedroom. I had already quickly showered at headquarters but I needed a deep clean to make sure I removed all traces of blood off myself. I knew my parents would be able to smell it and I didn't want them to ask any questions.

Unfortunately, killing four rogues and saving about twenty pups and children in one night not only wore me out but made me extremely horny. Avalanche said it was completely normal and I needed to learn how to release it. Since I didn't have a mate, she gave me some pointers on how to take care of it myself. I quickly hopped in the shower and let the steaming hot water run over my body.

After washing my body and my hair, I couldn't continue to ignore the throbbing between my legs. Will it be like this every time I go on a mission? Shouldn't I be more disgusted with myself instead of being turned on? I sighed in frustration as I remembered Avelache's words.

I began to let my hands roam my body slowly. I felt awkward yet liberated at the same time. I trailed my hands over my erect n*****s and down to my core. I rubbed a few circles on my throbbing nub and jumped a little at how good it felt. I leaned back against the cool wall of the shower and propped my leg up on the small seat near the back.

I didn't know what to think about, so I just let my mind go blank as I continued to rub slow circles over my dripping core. I considered inserting a finger or two but opted against it and continued with the circles. A pressure I'd never felt before began to build below as I began to speed up my motions.

Soft moans began to escape my lips, but I was so lost in my own moment I didn't even care. Suddenly, an overwhelming fire began to ignite in my lower stomach but I couldn't stop my own assault. "Ahh," I screamed out as I felt my own juices gush onto my hand and run down my leg. I took a few breaths to steady myself. Wow!

After getting out of the shower and putting on some pajamas, I left my family's chambers and decided to make my way to the kitchen in hopes there were some leftovers from dinner. I found a plate with my name on it in the fridge. Goddess, I loved our Head Kitchen Omega, Franny. She always takes good care of us.

I could hear hushed voices coming from up the hall towards my dad's office. What was he doing in a meeting at this time of night? I slowly crept up the hall just as I did when I was a pup and stood outside the cracked door to listen. "We can't just sit around and do nothing! They must be planning an uprising. We must act quickly!" I heard my father bellow.

"We can't just attack, Qua. The Elders are looking into it and for now, I will not act," I heard my Uncle Jamie, the King of Werewolves, respond. When did he get here? "You fool! We have two blessed wolves living on my pack lands and one of our power-hungry enemy packs is going around slaughtering packs and then absorbing them into their own pack to create some army and you will not act?!" My father shouted as I heard him slam his fist on what I assume is his desk.

"Watch your tone! Brother-in-law or not, I am still your King!" my uncle shouted back. "I can't tell!" My father responded. "Enough!" I finally heard the irritated voice of my mother shouting at her mate and older brother.

I heard my mother clear her throat before she began speaking again. "Big brother, I have been keeping an eye on the Death Shadow Pack for years now. Trying to look over an old friend's pup. Unfortunately, the old Alpha has raised his son to be just as vicious and calculating as himself. He is still young, just barely twenty-one, and has recently taken over the pack within the last six months and he has already absorbed two small packs. He has murdered all their ranked leaders and leaves a blood bath in his wake. They say his wolf is massive and they have named him Hades the Demon Wolf. I know their goal for many generations has been to capture a blessed wolf and I am positive that the motive has not changed with the new Alpha. We just ask you to take this threat more seriously and keep a closer eye on the pack. For your niece's sake. She might be eighteen now but she's still just a pup and in no way ready for war," my mother explained calmly to my uncle. In no way ready for war? She clearly doesn't know the extent of my training and even though I will never tell her, I needed to make myself known to see if I could help with some solutions.

Before my uncle could respond, I barged into my father's office without knocking. Everyone but my Aunt Dahmali looked surprised to see me. "Nessa, what are you doing here? You should be in bed," my mother scolded me as she stood up to come to my side. I rolled my eyes at her over-protectiveness. She still treats me like a pup. I looked over and noticed my father's Beta and Gamma as well as my twin brother's. Oh, he gets to be a part of the meeting but I should be in bed?

I scoffed and said, "I am an adult mother. I want to help you find a solution to this Demon Wolf problem you have." "Really, what did you have in mind?" asked my Aunt Dahmali as she gave me an encouraging smile. "I think-" I was cut off by my father. "Honestly, princess, this doesn't concern you and I think we should reconvene tomorrow after breakfast anyway. It's getting late," my father stated as he and everyone else stood up.

"But-" I tried to protest. "No buts, now off to bed," my father said as he kissed my forehead and brushed past me. I growled lowly in irritation. If they didn't want to let me in on it, I would figure it out for myself. I will talk to Sempai and the rest of my team about it tomorrow. Everyone left my father's office, and with a plan in my head to find out more about this Demon Wolf of the Death Shadow Pack, I reluctantly followed everyone to bed.