Their Warrior Queen

Chapter Four

‎~Lycan King Tristan

‎I sat on a large rock near the ocean, throwing pebbles into the water one after another. The sound of the waves was calming, and the sight of the sun setting over the horizon should have been enough to clear my mind, but I was still troubled.

‎I turned to Angelina, who was sitting beside me. She had her gaze lowered as she gently moved her feet and hummed under her breath. She had been my best friend since childhood, and after I was crowned the Lycan King, I made her my personal adviser because I trusted her more than anyone else.

‎She stole a glance at me, but I looked away and picked up another pebble before throwing it into the ocean. It hit the water with a soft splash.

‎"I think I'm cursed with no mate," I said quietly.

‎"You aren't," she replied.

‎"Then why would you say that?" she asked.

‎"Because it's obvious." I turned to her with a sigh. "I've spent years searching for my mate, and I still haven't found her. I haven't even sensed her scent."

‎"That's strange," she admitted.

‎"I feel like I'm cursed."

‎Angelina sighed and shook her head.

‎I truly felt cursed. I had spent years searching for my fated mate, even before I became king, but there had never been a sign of her. I had never caught her scent or felt her presence, and after so many years, the loneliness had started to weigh on me. I wanted someone who would stay by my side, someone I could share my life with, but the Moon Goddess had never led me to her.

‎Sometimes, I even wondered if I had been given a mate at all.

‎"Don't say that," Angelina said softly.

‎"But I need someone by my side," I admitted.

‎"Then you have Ruby."

‎I looked at her.

‎"We've talked about this before," she continued. "You said that if you couldn't find your fated mate, you would take Ruby as your chosen mate, claim her, and mark her."

‎I chuckled.

‎"But I don't really love Ruby."

‎"Love can come later."

‎"Besides, there is nothing compared to the mate bond." I shook my head. "It's strong, and once a wolf feels it, the pull can be almost impossible to resist."

‎"You haven't felt it before, have you?" she asked.

‎"I have."

‎Her expression changed immediately.

‎"What do you mean?"

‎"There is a girl I see in my dreams," I explained. "I'm certain she's my mate because whenever I see her, I can feel the bond. My wolf goes completely wild for her and keeps demanding that I find her and claim her."

‎I lowered my gaze.

‎"But I only see her in my dreams."

‎Angelina smiled.

‎"That's a sign that you have a mate, and you'll find her someday."

‎I laughed softly.

‎"But when? I've never seen her anywhere except in my dreams."

‎I shrugged.

‎"Maybe she's just a fantasy my mind created."

‎Angelina was about to respond when she suddenly changed the subject.

‎"What about the rogue attack at the pack hall? How are you handling the situation?"

‎I sighed.

‎"I've demanded fifty warriors from every pack. They have to bring them here to the palace."

‎"We'll train them and prepare them for war."

‎She nodded. "That's a good decision."

‎"I was also planning to visit the high school today and select some high-ranked wolves to join the warriors. I want them trained as soon as possible."

‎"That would be a good idea," she agreed.

‎I stood up and brushed the dust from my clothes.

‎"I'll be taking my leave."

‎Angelina stood as well and followed behind me.

‎★★★

‎I walked through the hallway of the high school, whistling softly as I made my way through the crowded corridors.

‎I had already ordered General Alphaeous, who was in charge of the war sector for the entire region, to select the strongest high-ranked wolves from the school so they could be added to the warriors.

‎I was still walking through the corridor when something suddenly caught my attention.

‎A scent.

‎I stopped.

‎It was faint, almost impossible to notice, but there was something about it that immediately caught my wolf's attention.

‎I took a slow breath and inhaled again.

‎The scent reminded me of hot, sweet chocolate. It was warm, intoxicating, and strangely familiar.

‎I tried to ignore it, thinking perhaps some of the catering students were experimenting with a new chocolate recipe, but my wolf refused to let it go.

‎The more I breathed in the scent, the more restless my wolf became.

‎I stopped walking and closed my eyes as I inhaled deeply.

‎Then my wolf suddenly screamed inside my head.

‎"Mate!"

‎My eyes flew open.

‎"Mate! Mate!"

‎I froze.

‎My wolf had never sounded so excited before.

‎"Mate is around here."

‎"Find Mate."

‎"Mate is in danger!"

‎My wolf howled repeatedly inside my head.

‎My mate was here.

‎And she was in danger.

‎I didn't waste another second.

‎I ran through the hallway, following the scent as it became stronger with every step. I rushed up the stairs and continued toward the third floor, where the scent was now so strong that my wolf was almost impossible to control.

‎Then I saw her.

‎My mate.

‎She was light-skinned with long, curly hair, soft pink lips, and beautiful ocean-blue eyes. The moment I saw her face, I recognized her.

‎She was the girl from my dreams.

‎The girl I had spent years searching for.

‎The girl my wolf had been desperate to find.

‎But something was wrong.

‎She was on the floor, crying weakly, while another girl sat on top of her and repeatedly beat her.

‎"Help Mate!"

‎"Defend Mate!"

‎My wolf growled furiously.

‎Before I could even think, I rushed toward them and grabbed the girl who was attacking my mate.

‎My claws dug into her flesh, and blood immediately trickled down her arm.

‎"How dare you lay your hands on her?" I growled.

‎The girl trembled when she realized who I was.

‎"I'm sorry, my King. Please, let me go," she begged.

‎But I wasn't listening.

‎My wolf was furious, and so was I.

‎I threw her heavily to the ground, and she cried out in pain.

‎"Never in your life should you lay a finger on her again," I warned.

‎"Now, run!"

‎She quickly scrambled to her feet and ran away.

‎I stood there for a moment, clenching my fists as I tried to calm myself.

‎Finally, I turned around.

‎I had waited years for this moment.

‎I wanted to look into my mate's eyes and tell her how long I had searched for her. I wanted to touch her, hold her, and finally feel the mate bond I had only ever dreamed about.

‎My wolf was going wild inside me.

‎It was hungry for her.

‎It wanted to be close to her.

‎I slowly turned around, expecting to see my beautiful mate standing there.

‎But the moment I turned...

‎She was gone.

‎