Two

CHASE POV

I was given two months to find a mate, or I'd die a slow, painful death. So, I thought of capturing the first woman that came into view and locking her up in my room, beating her up until she agreed to mate with me, or declaring I was looking for a mate in my pack and watching a lot of women wait in line.

But I wasn't a beater. I had never hit a woman before despite how annoying they were, and many of the women in my pack were only good as fuck buddies.

Kicking at the carcass of the fox I had finished feasting on, I stared at the night sky as several howls resounded from afar.

Standing up, I stretched my aching limbs and sniffled as a new scent wafted into the air.

The hair on my body prickled, and my ears perked up.

I dashed towards an opening and halted.

"Mate!" Ajax growled.

I stared into my mate's eyes and doubted she knew who I was.

Five hundred years of being hopeless, roaming the world, and searching for the cursed mate that was talked about in the prophecy.

'The cursed mates shall meet, and only then would the true Alpha Lycan king reveal his true form.'

For 500 years, I had been without my true powers.

I was born a lycan but lived my whole life as a werewolf. I had tried my best to blend in with the werewolves and was glad it worked.

The Lycans had things in common with the Werewolves, but at the same time, there was a vast difference between us.

For instance, Lycans were stronger, more intelligent, and more agile. And the significant difference between them was the transformation.

Although skilled werewolves and Lycan could transform at will, Lycan walked on two legs rather than on all fours since we were more human than them.

Still, we were the same vicious beast.

My Lycan gene was locked away, so I was stuck in my werewolf form during the transformation. I had gotten the werewolf gene from my mother.

I was an outcast in my original pack(the MoonShine Pack)for having a Werewolf gene, and I was told I couldn't take the Lycan king's throne as only true and pure blood lycan could rule over other Lycans.

My father, King Nathanial, was the last Lycan king and Alpha of the MoonShine Pack, and he had gotten the title by merit. He was the son of the MoonShine Pack Alpha and Luna, and both were pure-blood lycan.

I was born differently since my father decided to fall in love with a Werewolf, which was forbidden. He never abides by the rules laid down, and no one questions his authority. It was as though they all awaited his death to take back what was rightfully theirs because the elders had practically chased me out of my pack and home as soon as my parents died, which I believed was a planned coup.

I was merely a child of ten when it happened, and since then, I roamed about hopelessly.

Of course, I was now an Alpha werewolf. I had gotten the title by helping some nameless group of werewolves gets rid of scavengers and rogues. They had called me their saviour and made me their Alpha.

But that wasn't my true identity. Heck, no one knew who I was, not even my mate, that was currently staring at me.

"She's our mate!" Ajax said.

How didn't I know who she was until now? I should be able to tell the woman standing before me was mine before now.

Fúck, I had known her for a few weeks, but nothing had pointed to her that we were mated. Had the moon goddess purposely stopped that from happening for some reason?

I didn't know why, but I doubt it was good enough to have made me suffer for this long!

I glanced at the sky to see if I was being pranked because, according to the prophecy, my mate was also supposed to be cursed.

When we both met each other, something spectacular would happen.

Here I was, staring at her, and nothing significant had happened.

The moon goddess Selene was having a good laugh at me. She was enjoying how terrible I was becoming, seeing as I had limited time to live.

Shit, she was our guardian and should not be glad I was helpless, but I guess she was excited after all.

Only two months left, and that was when the prophecy would expire. I was glad, though. At least all the nightmares I often had would stop when I died eventually, even though I wasn't looking forward to it.

Also, my current grudge against the moon goddess for making me suffer this long would vanish.

I took a deep breath and regretted it as her intoxicating scent wafted into my nostril.

Ajax clawed at my heart, squeezing hard, and threatened to dart out of me, but with all my willpower, I suppressed its desire.

I grimaced. 'fucking chill!'

Ajax whimpered. 'We need to mark her. We need to make her ours. She's our redemption!'

'Nothing is happening!' I growled.

I believed my growl was that loud as my mate, Allison, stumbled. But she didn't fall.

Her toffee-brown eyes glowered at me, and she sneered. "Who the hell are you?!"

"She doesn't know us?" Ajax whimpered. I could hear the hurt in my wolf's voice, and I rolled my eyes mentally.

Of course, she didn't. Allison hadn't seen me in my form until now. And I didn't think she could have seen me because I only shifted at nighttime whenever I went hunting, and we've only known each other for weeks.

We were still very much strangers, but not in the bedroom.

And there was only one person that had seen me in my werewolf form, Sinclair Stone. We were once best friends until we drifted apart, but that was a story for another time.

Also, Artemisia. But I doubted she'd reveal that to anyone.

Moreover, I needed to have the utmost concentration on my mate and as well try to figure out how the hell I got mated to her when she wasn't even cursed.

I didn't know how long Allison and I stared at each other, but she spoke up first.

"You should know I am a skilled Delta and can take you down in a few seconds!"

I scoffed and stepped towards her slowly, but she backed away. So much for being able to take me down in a few seconds.

Yet, I knew she wasn't kidding. Allison was not just a talker; she was feisty. She was a girly girl but more than just the pretty face appearance she often exhibited.

I had seen her fight off some bullies and knew she could handle even the most minor things.

But somehow, she seemed scared. I could see how her large brown eyes flitted around as she staggered backward.

"I said do not get closer!" Her voice was shrill, and I halted.

'Stop scaring her.' Ajax cautioned.

I ignored my wolf's voice as I continued to stare at her. My intention wasn't to frighten her; I wanted to know if I'd feel the same thing up close.

And maybe I shouldn't have tried coming up close because it was even worse.

My heart palpitated as though I had run several miles. My throat was dried and closed up involuntarily. I knew it wasn't because I had just finished feasting on the fox I had hunted a few minutes ago before her scent clouded my sense.

It was the mate bond. The attraction between us from the onset was an obvious giveaway, but I had ignored it all.

Was she born on the night of the cursed moon? Was she cursed like me?

I wished to know all that.

"Alisson!"

My heart pounded as I heard her name called. I needed to leave else it would be a problem for me. I was in her territory, and by rule, it was prohibited for a Werewolf not of the same pack to infiltrate another territory without being friends or without any written agreement of whom I was visiting.

Yet, I couldn't seem to move. It seemed as though my feet were stuck to the ground.