Alpha's Prophesied Mate

APM3

BRENT’S POV

“I just had the weirdest encounter in a while, and I am not quite sure what to make of it,” Dave said while strolling into my office. Casually walking to my drinks cabinet, he fixed himself a shot of the millennia-old scotch I had sitting right on top before taking a seat on the three-man sofa that graced the wall opposite my table.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the i***t I called my friend and a warrior in my pack. When I was to become Alpha of the Greenleaf Pack, shortly after I lost both parents in an unfortunate series of events, he was one of the few people who stood by me and made me feel the pain of not knowing how to cope without my parents as a young pup while still struggling with how to carry out my role.

We became even closer than brothers after he showed his unwavering support when, after just three decades of ruling, I was selected to be the Alpha King in a grueling match that left me knocked out of commission for days. The stupid i***t delivered one of the most heartfelt speeches to the council members when they were torn about whether to give me the position or not, despite my being deserving of it, simply because I was an unmarried male Alpha in his prime.

Guess who, however, turned down my request to be Beta and decided he was fine being an ordinary pack warrior even though he was one of the best damn warriors I had ever met? This stupid i***t is sitting on my couch and sipping my expensive drink.

“Sure, why don’t you make yourself comfortable?” I said sarcastically, while he just gave me a cheeky grin and settled even further into the couch.

“I am serious though; I met this lady at the bar.”

“Of course, the playboy strikes again. Why am I not surprised?” I interrupted his line of thought about his latest pick from LUNA, the latest club currently making its way through the ranks and, interestingly enough, the first Shifter-Human club, where he was a silent co-owner and just spent his leisure time bartending.

“I sometimes wonder if being a silent owner of LUNA is not just a bid to get you exposed to more women so you can ruin their lives with your stupid face,” I said. He gave me a cheeky smile, but suddenly became serious.

“Look, man, I am trying to have a serious conversation here. There was something about her that drew me in.” I gave a dramatic sigh of exasperation and stopped when I noticed he didn’t seem to be making jokes.

“I am sorry; continue,” I said with a slight wave of my hand. “You have my full attention.”

“Thank you,” he said while knocking back his drink. “Damn, that’s some good stuff.”

“Well—?”

“I mean it, though. Although she was pretty, I am not sure if that was it. It felt more like I knew her. It was as though I had met her somewhere before or that she was closely affiliated with me in a way I wasn’t too sure about. But before I could do much, she had disappeared into thin air. I tried to follow her scent after a while, but it suddenly changed, and I couldn’t pick it up anymore. It started to smell funny, like a mix between shifter and human, but I could swear she is human.”

“Hmmm, are you sure you were not mistaken?” He shot me a look that seemed to ask if I thought he was stupid.

“Fine,” I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “I agree you were not, but what do you think is the reason you were drawn to her?”

We both sat in pensive silence for the briefest moment before a thought flashed through my mind.

“Could she be your mate?” He gave me a look before he burst into laughter. He cackled into a deep laugh that had him falling off the couch. I rolled my eyes at his childish antics.

“Have you forgotten Bailey? The curse? You think the moon goddess has forgotten so soon?” He got to his feet and walked toward the window that overlooked the pack forest. He looked forlorn, lost in thought.

Bailey was a witch who loved him very much and was willing to give anything to have him. However, Dave was ready to wait for his true mate. When, by an unfortunate stroke of events, Dave found his mate, Bailey laid a curse on him, which made him unable to love his mate, and the feelings he had for her were diverted to Bailey instead. By the time we figured it out, it was too late. Dave had rejected his mate, and Rosa, Dave's true mate, had already fallen in love with a human. Our Oracle then informed him that the moon goddess was angry with him and had laid a curse on him; he had to endure the same hurt he caused his original mate by going with another woman.

Ever since that incident, Dave held a huge hatred for witches and often made jokes about his situation, calling himself ‘the cursed one’. This also explains why he continuously slept with women he was sure could not be his mate: humans.

“Well, second chances have been recorded at various times in history. Who knows?”

“I know.” In the same breath, “Besides, it didn’t feel like a mate, more like a sister-ish feeling.”

I understood that the mate's comment must have hit him harder than he let on. It’s the one aspect of his life that he managed to keep me out of, despite my persistence and suggestions about revisiting the Oracle.

“Hmm, I guess if fate wants it, you two would meet yet again,” I said, walking up to him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

I perceived a scent on him that had my wolf standing upright in my mind. I got closer and sniffed downward toward his hands.

“Whoa, bro, what's going on?”

“Hold still; I am not sure.”

I lifted his hand toward my nose. By this time, my wolf was prancing around. Getting him to settle down proved to be a hassle, and I let out a growl.

“Mate! Mate!” I realized all too quickly what he was on about.

“Dave? Why do you smell like my mate?” He took his hand sharply out of mine. A louder growl ripped through my chest as my wolf protested him taking her scent away.

“Alpha.” He bared his neck in subservience toward me. My eyes flashed between yellow and brown, and I found myself taking a few steps back in a bid to calm myself. Running a hand down my face, I walked toward the drink cabinet. My hands were shaky as I attempted to grab a glass of water, and I found myself dropping it sharply; it made a clatter against the glass tabletop. I was surprised it didn’t break with the tension coursing through my body.

What were the chances of my friend being in this country? Over the last century, I have found myself searching all the packs I have ever visited in a bid to find her, even if she is still a pup. I had one of the best witches in our pack help with a spell to attempt to locate which pack my mate would be found in, all to no avail.

As the Alpha King, many of the other Alphas had respectfully suggested their daughters and even held balls in my honor, hoping I would find one of them worthy of taking as my queen, even if she wasn’t my mate. I just could never stomach the thought of one day finding my mate and explaining why I couldn’t have been patient enough to wait for her.

“Alpha? Brent? Bro? Are you good now?” Taking a calming breath, I turned to him before answering.

“Yeah, I would be a lot better, though, if you explained why you had your hands all over my mate. It had better be a very valid reason.” my eyes keep flashing between yellow and brown.

“I understand your wolf might be under the surface, but you have to calm down. I didn’t touch any women today. Except for those I served drinks to and one or two that I shook—” he trailed off in his thoughts before exclaiming, “Oh sh*t!" I could see a metaphorical bulb light up in his head.

“What is it, Dave? You better not have touched my mate inappropriately, I swear to Goddess- ” he interrupts me quickly when he perceives I am close to loosing control.

“You think it was the girl? The one I was talking about just now? Was that why she seemed familiar? I shook hands with her at some point when trying to figure out what it was about her that drew me in. Maybe it was because she is my Luna!”

“Where is she now?” I was already walking through my door to find her, and Dave found himself running after me.

“Alpha! Brent! Wait up! It’s daytime, the club is closed—"I stopped sharply in my tracks, and he almost crashed into my back before catching himself."—and besides, I told you her scent got cut off at some point. I lost her.” I turned back into my office when the maids passing by cast weird glances at Dave and me. I didn’t want to have this conversation within earshot of just anyone.

“How can we find her? Is she a regular? You are one of the finest warriors in my pack and one of my best trackers. What do we do?”

“No, she is not. In fact, that was my first time seeing her, and it didn’t even seem like Luna was her kind of crowd. She looked quite out of place.”

“Dave, I want no excuses.” I was no longer able to control my wolf as he growled, “FIND HER NOW!”

He bowed before turning around to leave my office. I eventually settled into my chair and ran a hand over my face in a nervous gesture.

What if I missed her? What if I don’t find her? Those were thoughts running through my mind. I squashed them because I knew that I would leave no stone in this city to find her. My Mate.