Be Damned

The Damned Prince Tamien

King! A great honor of nobility usually passed from the male heir, generation to generation. 

Something our kind hasn't had since the days of Artemis. The first Were and his direct descendants.

I watched out as the tide hit the shoreline, it would go out a couple of yards and then race back towards me. It was washing me with a sense of peace, as I was tirelessly trying to drown out the noise of the party-goers in the lake house behind me. 

"A celebration in my honor" 

I'd have been happier back at home resting up and planning for whatever disastrously prophecy was supposed to unfold. Which was the reason for the first time in 800 years that the counsel decided a king should be chosen to go to war with the parasites. Instead, I was forced to watch on as my pack and a few others got drunk and caused a ruckus loud enough to wake the dead. 

"Oh no. You're not allowed to look this glum for someone who was just unanimously voted by every pack-leader as King."  I turned around to see Rory approach me with two beers in hand."  Tonight you should be getting drunk and laying with every single woman in there." He held out a bottle for me to take and so I did.

"Has that ever been my style?"

"Until 5:06 this evening, yes it was." He sat down beside me on the ground and pulled off the cap to his bottle with his teeth. " Quit playing high and mighty all of a sudden. Especially since just last night you had Kyra in your bed howling like it was a full moon." 

"I had to find someway to get her to stop talking. She kept asking about being Luna and what would her new title be if I was King." 

"You and her? I didn't realize you were considering making her yours?"

"I wasn't, but since I'm King now the counsel has made it clear they expect me to mark and mate as soon as I undergo the trials to take on the task that will be set before me."  I took a sip of the beer. " From what I hear Marcelle and I are meant to be an item, it's already been established with the Fenir clan."

"Oooh, damn, that's not a bad pick, Tam. She's pure blood. Smart, beautiful. You could definitely do worse."

" All very true."

"But are you okay with that? Forced into a partnership rather than waiting for your mate to find you or you them?"

"I've never believed in it. Most of us never get lucky enough to find our other half. Mines could be up the street or half way across the world. "

"Yeah,  it's not impossible though. Look at your parents."

"They're a luck of the draw. My dad was a soldier in the army who got injured and my mom just happened to be a nurse. " I took another sip of the refreshing beverage and let the drink cascade down my throat. Remembering the story my father often reminded me of the moment he knew she was is. 

"He said the pull was indescribable, he limped around the entire camp. Leg busted to s**t. Eye bandaged and his arm splinted. He couldn't understand where his wolf was dragging him to at first but, he knew the moment he got to her tent what was happening."

Rory picked up a rock and skipped it along the lake. 

"He said when he entered, Mom stood there before him in all her natural beauty."

"No, sorry I recall him saying in all her naked glory." Rory chuckled

I gave him a glare so deathly he could only raise his hands in response.

"My bad. I'll let you tell it."

I sighed peering onto the water where the moons luminous light bounced off of.

"It doesn't matter.  Like I said their story was one in a thousand. Most bonds are tethered now through magic and lust. "

"Except for the pure bloods since you know. " Rory leans over and whispers " They keep it in the family or at least they use to until someone became king." He patted my back. " Now all of a sudden they want to branch off and seek an alliance with us common flea bitten mongrels as they've so eloquently called us. " 

"How pissed do you think they were when their heir Joshua wasn't chosen?" 

"Oh you mean his self proclaimed majesty? Royally. I bet he's still stumping around his castle screaming I wAnT mY cRoWn"  Rory childishly kicked his feet in the sand.

I couldn't help but bellow a hearty laugh.

"Tamien!" 

I heard my voice being called off into the distance. 

Turning behind me only to see Kyra racing towards us on the beach. 

"Oh s**t" I said through gritted teeth as I turned away.

"She's more hound than wolf sometimes ." Rory watched as she takes her last few steps towards us and stops.

"I've been looking for you." Kyra reaches out to me . Her hands caressing my chest through my shirt and nibbling along my neck. She reeked of beer and whiskey and the heat escaping her body was enough to give a normal person second degree burns. 

Our bodies naturally ran hot, but a female in heat could melt the skin off a man and the pheromones her body was emitting sent a shock to nerves, that jolted my wolf awake. 

She want's to be ours .I heard him say. TAKE HER!

I let out a low growl. It wasn't something I could contain. He was excited. More so than usual after being announced king and he wanted to play. I could feel the hairs on the nape of my neck stand up. My hands clutching and digging behind her back as I pulled her in closer to me. My nose started to trail along her neck, ears and cheek. She whimpered, a sign of submission and he wanted nothing more than to take every inch of her right now in the sand.

"Let's go to bed" She whispered in my ear. Her scent kissing my senses and lipstick smudged on my lobe.

She wanted us and I was ready to oblige.

"No, sorry Kyra, Tamien and I already made plans to go for run. " He starred me in my face and lowered his brow. " Isn't that right Tam?" 

I knew the look he was giving me. It was to remind me I was already promised to another and if I laid with Kyra while she was in heat. I would likely sire pups and that in itself would lie a world of new problems.

"Y-yeah. We were just about to take our wolves for a run in the woods."

"How? Neither of you are full-blood. You can't change at will. "

Rory began to strip away layers of his clothes, starting with his shoes.

 "Doesn't mean we still can't enjoy a good run." He unbuckled his stone washed jeans and threw them off with his tie dyed shirt next. " Plus it's good exercise." Last he removed his boxers until he stood there as naked as the day he was born. " So what you waiting for?" He gave me a friendly push.

I quickly followed suit. By the time I had gotten down to my pants he had already taken off into the woods. I quickened my pace behind him, leaving my clothes like bread crumbs. 

"Wait for me" I could hear Kyra shouting behind us.

By then I had already hoofed it. 

At first Rory and I were practically neck and neck. You could hear the sounds of the branches cracking below our feet, my heel at his.

Rory was shouting and laughing the entire run. 

Something I use to resent him for. Being so playful. I was peeved at the fact he was chosen as my Beta.

I always wanted someone strong and focused like myself, but now I'm grateful for his free-loving side. It helps me to stay grounded and reminds me now and again to enjoy life.

He was still running when I heard it.

My ears perked up and I slowed down. 

A faint voice calling out.

"Help, somebody please help me."

A young woman?

What was she doing out here? This was wolf country. No one came out here that wasn't meant to. It wasn't safe.

I followed the hurt yet angelic voice to a near by stream. The closer I gotten the more enchanted I unknowingly became and the greater the pull.

As I closed in towards her my natural instinct begin to shift. I lowered my body to the ground and started to crawl. Covered by the weeds as I watched her hobble over to the stream and drop. 

She removed from over her right shoulder then her left and sat it down beside her. Until only a bra covered her top half.

Her face looked exhausted, almost depleted of energy. Like she had been running from something for quite sometime and finally needed a rest. 

Something about her was indescribable, almost mystical.

The very site of her drove my wolf insane. Not like how he felt for Kyra moment ago. 

Nothing compared at all.

Do you feel that?

"I do." answering him back as I looked on to her. 

It's her. 

Her natural brown curls stuck to beads of sweat on her sweet face. 

She ours.

"But how? I sensed nothing in her,  no trace of wolf." She scooped water into her hands to wash the smudge of dirt caked under her neck and shoulder. Where I could see she had suffered an injury of some kind. Her blood smelled amazing almost like honey.

She's Ours!

"I don't understand." I could feel it, she was definitely something but no words I could muster would describe how I felt at this moment.

"Ours!" 

With a growl that could shake the very soil beneath our feet he had managed to make her aware of our presence. 

Her head worriedly poked up and so did her body. Once it did I could clearly see her beautiful almond shaped eyes. Gold with a hint of blue. Gorgeous and rare.

"Is someone out there?" she asked nervously.

Gaining some composure she grabbed her hoodie and began to take off from our sight.

No, Don't let her get away!

I attempted to get up and run but he held me in place. 

"What are you doing?"

You're not faster than me.

Suddenly I could feel my body lose control. It started to twist and contort. My hind legs extending. My back arching and my jaws and eyes begin to reshape. Before I could fully comprehend what happened. My Wolf had taken form and he was on the prowl.

It was the first time I had changed without a full moon. I had heard of it happening before, but never thought I'd experience it myself. Since it's only possible when a wolf finds their mate. 

This ability allows two wolves that have found their other half to mate and mark their union on sight.

Only problem was. She wasn't changing. She was running, freighted from us.

"Wait. Stop chasing her something isn't right."

No. She's ours. I feel it. I won't let her get away.

The poor girl was running in a panic. My wolf fresh on her heels nipping at them. I could sense how scared she was but his only goal was clear. He had to have her, to mark what he believed was meant to be his.

 Before I knew it he had her pinned down with his teeth sunk into her flesh. Her wails of anguish tormented my very soul and I wished only to stop her pain.

But when it was over and she went silent it dawned on me quickly.

I had marked my mate.

And unleashed all hell when I did.