Chapter 3 - Darren

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to really be in battle. Sure I train every day when I’m not helping my dad at the garage. But training is always different from an actual battle. The way that flash of blue lightning zoomed around the battlefield almost made our arrival unnecessary.

“Because our mate is outstanding.’ Cardinal commented in awe as we watched our mate take down another Mandonie wolf. I’ve never seen a wolf with such a gift. A wolf that moves with more agility and speed than even Luna Aurelia it’s breathtaking to witness.

Soon the last of the Mandonie was taken down, and our mate came to a stop. Ebony fur with streaks of blue on her flanks. I’m not sure what that means, but it’s certainly unique. ‘Our mate is a hybrid. Like the girl we were sent to protect.’ Cardinal informed me.

Well, that certainly cleared that up. My mate is a hybrid. That will make things interesting. I can’t wait to meet her. Would it be rude to ask what kind of hybrid she is? ‘Yeah. It would be rude to ask them. Let them start that conversation.’ Cardinal rolled his eyes at me.

I rolled my eyes, focusing on the fight. There weren’t many left for us to handle. And honestly, I have to say if this is the fighting force of the Mandonie pack, I’m confused on why we were sent other than to extract Isis Adio. And if the extraction of Isis was the only goal, they didn’t need to send more than me. 

‘You’re not wrong. Though finding our mate obviously changed some things.’ Cardinal agreed.

He knows that while my family’s skills are now being used to guard without being invasive, our skills are better suited and had been used for espionage and assassinations under our old Alpha. I could have gotten into this territory and gotten Isis out without detection.

I blinked as my mate sauntered across the battlefield with the last of the Mandonie taken down. Every step was intentional and flawless.

She knows I’m watching her. As she got closer, I noticed her wolf was more prominent than even some males. More on par with Luna Aurelia’s wolf. Is our mate of Alpha blood?

I didn’t ponder much on any of this. That sea salt and orchid scent were overpowering my senses. All rational thoughts went out the window as my mate flicked her tail across my snout before taking off in a run.

‘Follow our mate.’ Cardinal insisted, propelling us forward at full speed, trying to keep up. 

Maybe if I’d been thinking rationally, if the scent of my mate hadn’t turned my brain to mush, what happened next wouldn’t have gone so very wrong. My mate had come to a stop at the tree line near the city.

I watched, eager to glimpse my mate in the flesh. My heart was beating so quickly, and it wasn’t from how fast I’d been running. The anticipation of seeing my mate was killing me.

When she shifted, I did as well. As I raised my head to look, I was floored. That… that’s not a woman standing in front of me. That’s a man. Objectively he’s a handsome man.

Flawless almond skin, rich curly black hair kept short on the sides, an electric blue mohawk, and a rectangular face with deep sapphire blue eyes. 

His sapphire eyes looked at me like he was starving, and I was his next meal. ‘Yes, please! Sign me up!’ Cardinal cheered as this man looked at my naked body in a way even my former lovers haven’t. I couldn’t even articulate to my wolf why what he just said was only adding to my state of confusion.

How can my mate be a man? I’m straight. I’m attracted to women. I’ve dated women. I’ve kissed women. I’ve had sex with women.

I have not ever been attracted to a man. People like to joke about the Navy because the lowest ranks are Seaman. But I’ve never felt any inclination towards men. 

The Goddess got this wrong. Was she drunk? There’s no way that this makes sense. I have nothing against anyone who is LGBTQ+.

Love who you want to love. I support the right for everyone to live and love as they see fit. But I’ve always known that I was not part of the community while I am an ally. 

‘What did you do!?’ Cardinal screamed in my head. I blinked, not sure what his problem was. ‘He’s leaving! You offended him! Goddess, damn you, Darren. You just gave him the impression we don’t want him!’ Cardinal was pacing as he growled at me.

‘But I don’t. I’m not gay. I’m straight. I don’t want a mate who’s a man.’ I countered. ‘You don’t get a choice.’ Cardinal snarled at me. ‘And have you considered that I do? That I want him? He’s my mate too damn it!’ Cardinal growled.

‘Are you honestly telling me you like males?’ I questioned. I didn’t believe that. It wouldn’t make sense that my wolf would have a completely different sexuality than me. Either way, I don’t want a man for a mate.

‘I don’t know. But I know I want that one, and you are screwing this up. I don’t care what your sexuality is or isn’t. All I know is the Goddess doesn’t make mistakes. And like I said, you don’t get a choice. He’s our mate. End of story now we need to follow him.’ Cardinal snorted.

“Darren, you good?” Kurt asked, shoving shorts into my chest. “Yeah. Sorry. Jet lag.” I shook my head as I got dressed. “Okay. Well, come on. We should head to the town hall. It’s where we are all staying. And then I’ll introduce you to the Alpha heir and Beta.” Kurt waved for me to follow him.

‘We will discuss this later. And who says I don’t get a choice in who I’m with?’ I frowned as I followed Kurt. “I also need to meet Isis.” I stated. Kurt frowned and looked at me.

“Why are you eager to meet my mate?” His eyes narrowed at me with the insecurity a male is prone to have when they haven’t mated and marked their mate.

‘Alpha Logan says. Or did you forget the Bloodmoon laws about mates and the precise reasons for rejecting one?’ Cardinal smirked, knowing he had me now. I cursed in my head. He’s right. 

My old pack didn’t have such laws about rejection. But if there is one thing Bloodmoon takes seriously, it is the mate bond and will of the Goddess. By law, the only way I could reject this male would be if I had proof he would be an abusive mate. And right now, I don’t have any evidence of that.

‘No, the only ‘abuse’ I was picking up was how hard he would suck our dick and fuck our ass. And I don’t think that counts as abuse. I’m all for that kind of abuse.’ Cardinal smiled. He unhelpfully put the image of how the male looked at my cock in my mind, followed by a fantasy of his full lips wrapped around my cock.

‘Knock it off.’ I growled at Cardinal. ‘Why? Because it turns you on, and that unsettles your false sense of sexuality?’ Cardinal scoffed. ‘It did not.’ I protested. ‘Right cause your dick didn’t twitch at the fantasy.’ Cardinal laughed.

“Darren? You really are jet-lagged. You’re spacing out. What business do you have with my mate?” Kurt snapped his fingers in my face, getting me out of my own head. 

“Sorry. You have nothing to worry about. I have no interest in your mate. I was sent by Alpha Logan, and more so Beta John to be her bodyguard.” I reassured Kurt. The younger male relaxed that my interest was only because it was an order. 

“Oh, okay. Well, you’ll have to wait till André brings her from the Alpha’s villa. Any time there is an attack, she is taken there to be kept safe with the Alpha’s human hybrid daughter and the Luna’s unshifted sisters.” Kurt explained. 

I nodded. That made sense. “Who’s André, and why can’t we just get her?” I wondered why we needed the middle man. “And why would I be meeting the Alpha heir rather than the Alpha. Did something happen to their Alpha?” I questioned. 

“The Luna is in heat.” Kurt answered as he pushed open the doors to what I assume is their town hall. I guess this is their version of a packhouse. Oddly, the Alpha doesn’t live in the packhouse. But I guess it allows the Alpha family privacy. 

“Oh well, that does make sense. So why is André allowed at the villa?” I asked, following Kurt to where the rest of our pack were staying on the first floor. It was a good setup. I nodded to a number of our pack who were already here.

“Oh simple, he’s the Alpha’s son. You saw him back at the battle and a few minutes ago. He’s the one that took down almost all the Mandonie on his own.” Kurt explained. I blinked. I don’t know why I’m surprised. That kind of power, the size of his wolf, all screamed Alpha blood.

‘So did the size of his dick. Our mate is an Alpha.’ Cardinal beamed with pride. I was more worried that I’d just pissed off not just my mate but the Incubi Alpha heir.

I know how protective Alpha Logan is of his daughter Hana and she’s not even biologically his. I can only imagine how the Incubi Alpha would take someone, let alone his son’s mate upsetting him.

Cardinal was laughing. ‘You fucked up. Better fix it. Quickly. Because it’s not just the Incubi Alpha, you need to worry about. If your actions make our mate reject us, I hope you can survive and enjoy a life being wolfless.’ Cardinal snorted.

“Well, that at least makes sense.” I nodded. “Here’s your room. I’ll let you know when André gets here with Isis and Beta Damon.” Kurt pointed into a room. I nodded, going into the room and slumping onto the bed.

‘What do you mean?’ I questioned. This is the first time since I shifted that Cardinal and I weren’t on the same page. We’ve always agreed on things. I really don’t need all this drama, especially with my wolf. 

‘I mean that if André rejects us, which I don’t know the laws here, but he might be allowed to, I’m going to go curl up in the corner and die. It might not be instant, but I’m going to just lay there till I do. I don’t want a life without my mate.’ Cardinal was firm in his stance on this.

I groaned and ran my hands over my face. Fuck. What the hell am I supposed to do? I’m straight. I can’t just magically become gay. That’s not how sexuality works. It’s not a choice, or at least I never thought of it as one.

‘Maybe not, but it’s also something that’s discovered with time.’ Cardinal left me with those words before going silent on me.