Chapter Three

She found herself obeying, her eyes heavy with exhaustion she drifted into a deep healing sleep and when she woke he had gone but she had healed. He kept an eye on her, she sensed him watching but rarely came to the cottage he protected her from afar. When it was time for her to become a fully mature Wolf he stayed in the shadows as she howled at the full blood moon her body taking the final step into adulthood. Only a month later when the Lycan came, Alexandra was sleeping when she heard the Wolves howling in the woods nearby, she crept to her window to watch. She knew the Alpha had required help with Hunters in the area, she had almost been caught by them twice, and it was only the Alpha's intervention, he killed the Hunters chasing her, that kept her free. He had called in the Lycans because they were so much more powerful than ordinary Werewolves and he had kept his side of the bargain wiping them out leaving the valley they lived in to return to its peaceful slumber. Alexandra knew the legends of the Lycans and she knew this one had been looking for his mate for many years, time was running out for him and his Pack. In Lycan law, if they did not mate by their fifth decade they would never mate and their Pack would die out, this Lycan was coming close and his Pack had not seen a cub birthed for so long everyone believed they would soon die out. The sound of the Wolves drew her outside and she stood in the garden silent and still the moon came from behind a cloud and touched her turning her pale blonde hair to silver and making her look ethereal as the great Lycan approached. Her scent was driving him wild and his Beta could only watch as he strode out into the clearing where she was waiting,

'Alexandra.'

She turned to look at the stunningly beautiful man who approached, he was six feet eight, his body toned and muscled, a fighting machine, his hair was deep gold and his eyes matched glittering orbs that held such intensity they held her frozen.

'You are even more beautiful than I could wish for.'

He said coming to a stop in front of her and bending his head he brushed his lips across hers, the spark of electricity that shot through her body lit up every nerve and he clearly felt it too as he deepened the kiss pulling her into his arms.

'Mate'

He hissed and when he lifted her she wrapped her legs around him and let him carry her back into the cottage,

'Mate'

She sighed as he placed her on the bed and lay on top of her kissing every part of her as he undressed her, she writhed beneath him her whole body on fire as his touch set every cell on fire. He knew what he was doing, using his mouth, his fingers and his body he stroked, nipped and tugged spreading her legs wide and licking her until she screamed his name. The first time he entered her he was gentle, not wanting to hurt her he was huge but she had been created for him and the pain was brief before pleasure took over. They mated again and again, and as the first pale grey streaks of morning lit up the sky he knotted inside her impregnating her with his seed, their howls of pleasure sending his Pack into a frenzy of Heat. By the time they emerged from her cottage every female in his Pack was pregnant and their future was assured. As her pregnancy progressed the Pack prospered and settled but they all knew the Prophecy and the air was heavy with despair as they waited for their Luna to discover her fate. The Lycan found her at the lookout point gazing across the valley at their Packlands as he came to stand behind her he wrapped his arms around her growing bump,

'I love you, Alexandra.'

He said kissing her neck and she turned to look up into his handsome face,

'I know.'

Was all she said and his heart sank,

'There is nothing I could do to change it, I have tried everything, consulted every Witch and Warlock in the Immortal Realms, even the Great Warlock could not undo what was written by those Prophets from before his time. I waited so long to find you, I even debated with myself if it was fair to contact you at all but the attraction would not be denied, once I caught your scent I could not prevent the inevitable. I am so sorry little one, my weakness has condemned you, can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I have hated this damn prophecy for all of my adult life.'

He kissed her softly and she held him to her,

'It's okay my love, I don't blame you, this is not your fault, we are all just pawns in this great tapestry of life and the fates will decide for each of us. I understand this prophecy, I have read all of it and there was nothing you could do.'

She kissed him then and her gentle acquiescence to her fate broke him, this huge powerful man clung to his slender, fragile wife with tears streaming down his face holding on to the woman he loved with every beat of his heart.

'I'm so sorry.'

He said and she looked up into his eyes and kissed his cheek, everyone knew there was nothing to be done the prophecy would play out just as it was written. It stated in the ancient parchments that the great Lycan would meet his mate just before his last decade would end, they would love deeply and she would birth him the heir he so badly needed. It went on to say that their sacrifice would ensure their child carried all the power of the Ancients in its soul and would one day lead the greatest Wolf Pack of all. It was time for the final act, the prophecy was very clear. Alexandra would give birth to their child during the full Luna eclipse and once the healthy baby had fed from its mother she would die within the next six hours and there was no way out of it for any of them.                                                                                                                          What the Ancients foretold so it came to pass.

As the moon reached its zenith that fateful night and the eclipse began Alexandra went into labour then as foretold when the eclipse was completed and the earth plunged into darkness her little girl came into the world screaming her anger at being expelled from her warm cocoon. The Lycan watched in wonder at the sight of his beautiful mate cradling their child with such a look of purest love in her eyes,

'I name you Katya, little Princess.'

Alexandra whispered kissing the newborn's silky hair and looking into her mate's eyes slowly she raised the little one to her full breasts tears running down her beautiful face as the baby innocently latched on and took her first meal. The Lycan's eyes never left his Mates as the baby suckled greedily not knowing the pain she caused her parents. When she had finished feeding a maid took her from her Mother and bowed to the couple as she left her eyes filled with tears, like all the Pack she knew the Prophecy. The maid carried the little Princess to her pretty pink room and laid her in the hand-carved wooden crib handed down to each new heir of the Lycan Pack, swaddled in her white and pink blanket the newborn slept peacefully watched over by the silently crying maid innocently unaware of the tragedy happening in her parents rooms. The Great Lycan stood and undressed then slipped into the bed pulling his mate into his arms and and holding her tightly to his strong body, his muscular arms gentle as they stroked down her back and whispered against her ear,

'I will love you always my little mate, this cannot part us or diminish our love, wait for me on the other side and I will come to you soon.'

He said as she cried softly against his chest both of them aware of the clock ticking relentlessly in the corner of their room, slowly her tears dried and she snuggled into his warm strength,

'Death will not stop our love Mate, it is just a veil that can be ripped away when you find me once more. I will wait my dearest love, this Prophecy is ending and when it is done we will find a way to be together again.'