Chapter 2: Ferrin

 

I had followed her for miles. I knew she was a werewolf the moment I caught a whiff of her. I trailed it

until I saw a glimpse of her wolf in my forest. I stalked her here. I told myself that it was because I needed to know who this wolf was on my land, but there was something about her scent that had me

following her in a way I didn’t think I was controlling.

She tried to lose us near the end, but lycans are far better trackers than that. When she finally stopped and shifted into her human form, I had to approach her. Shifting out of my lycan form myself, I moved toward her. When I was a few steps away, her scent engulfed my senses, sending an irrepressible need through me. As soon as she turned around, I knew why.

“Mate.”

The word sprang from my lips. It was overwhelming. In the light of the moon, I saw her eyes widen in shock. Then fear flashed across them before they narrowed in determination. She took a defensive

stance, and I pulled myself out of whatever trance I was in. That’s when I realized.

She was an alpha.

Her aura was blazing around her.

This was her.

The one we have been searching for all these years.

Her claws extended, and she let out a low growl. I couldn’t help the snarl that escaped in response. A war of emotions flooded through me as I took her in. She made no move to attack, her only intention being to defend herself if need be. But that didn’t mean much at this moment. If she knew who I was, would that still be the case? But that still didn’t mean I could actually attack her. Not now.

I was still rushing through my thoughts when there was a flash of movement from my right. A blur of fur

crashed into her, sending her flying through the air and landing hard on the forest floor. Damen, my

beta, was standing over her in a second, his claws raised.

“Stop,” I called as panic rushed through me. He stood back, shifting into his human form as I

approached. I knelt down beside her. She was knocked unconscious but otherwise seemed unhurt.

“Ferrin,” Damen said behind me. “She’s an alpha. A female alpha.”

“I am aware,” I snapped.

“It can’t be a coincidence that we found her on our lands,” Damen insisted.

I stood and pushed my fingers through my hair. “I know.”

“What are we going to do? We can’t just leave her.”

Of course I couldn’t leave her. She was my mate.

But she was also my enemy. She had to be. She was the only female alpha we had discovered over the past ten years of searching. I knelt back down beside her, brushing the hair out of her face as she lay still on the leaves.

She was beautiful.

I pushed the burning in my chest away and replaced it with anger. Anger that she would be the one the goddess fated me to. Anger that she had the nerve to enter my territory. Anger that she wanted my

destruction. Then I saw the dark pool forming beneath her and smelled the blood in the air. I tilted her

head, feeling my way along the back of her skull. My fingers came away wet and sticky.

I couldn’t fight the panic that coursed through me. I cursed under my breath, pressing against the wound to stop the bleeding.

“Ferrin,” Damen’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Ferrin, what’s wrong with you?”

I steadied my breathing before responding.

“She’s my mate.”

“What?” he responded loudly.

I stooped down and slid my arms under her, scooping her up into my chest. Electricity shot through me,

and tingles broke out wherever her body touched mine. She stirred in my arms. I looked down as her eyes opened. The moonlight catching them reflected a bright hazel with so many colors shining through.

They held confusion as they gazed into mine. Then they fluttered closed, and she was limp in my arms once again.

“We need to move,” I told Damen over my shoulder. “Come on.”

I shifted into my lycan form as we rushed through the trees. So many thoughts ran through my mind. I

had to make a decision. And I needed to make it before we reached the castle walls.

If I brought her in, it would only be a matter of time before everyone would discover she was an alpha

werewolf. Her aura was suppressed while she was unconscious, but as soon as she woke, in a strange

place, sensing potential danger, it would flare for everyone to see. And it was strong. I could feel that

even for the brief moment I had sensed it.

But that only made me feel more confident that she was the one.

The council would demand her death. I don’t even know if they would allow any questioning.

I almost stumbled at the thought.

We were almost to the outer walls of the castle when I stopped, shifting back. Damen slid to a halt next to me. I mind-linked my head of security, Austin, telling him to meet us at the game entrance at the back

and to clear all the halls on his way. No one, not even a servant, was to be present. Damen looked at me expectantly.

“What are you going to do?” he asked, glancing down at the prone form I still carried.

My eyes followed his. “I’ll put her in the tower.” I looked up to meet his worried expression. “No one can know about this. I need to get answers before anyone can find out she is here.”

He gave a sharp nod in agreement. We continued on, shifting into our human form as we approached the small door at the back of the stone walls. We only waited a moment before it swung open. Austin stood in the doorway, a concerned look crossing his face as he looked between the two of us before his

gaze fell on the woman in my arms. His eyes widened.

“Is that…?”

I pushed past him into the safety of the castle, making sure he bolted the door behind us. Austin turned to us and handed us some sweatpants to put on. Damen grabbed them and slipped them up over his

hips before turning to me and reaching for my mate.

A growl escaped my lips and I stepped back.

“Ferrin,” Damen said warningly.

I shook my head, pushing away the sudden possessiveness that took hold. “I know.”

I hesitated for another moment before depositing her into his arms. I grabbed the pants from Austin’s

grip and pulled them on quickly. I didn’t want his hands on her any longer than they had to be. I

retrieved my mate from Damen as Austin began to speak.

“Is anyone going to tell me what is going on?” he asked.

“You cleared the passages?” I asked.

“All through the lower three levels on this side,” he said.

I nodded and began making my way toward the tower stairs, Damen and Austin keeping step behind me.

“So, neither of you is going to tell me what the hell all this is about?” Austin whispered.

“Yes, she’s the alpha,” Damen responded quietly.

“Holy shit,” Austin said. I heard his feet skip a step for a moment. “Are you sure?”

“She’s an alpha, at least,” Damen replied, his voice strained.

“What’s with all the secrecy? I understand not wanting to draw too much attention, but this seems a bit

much.”

I stopped as we reached the base of the stairs. Listening to make sure there wasn’t anyone using them. I nodded to Damen to go ahead of me. I knew Austin had questions, but I just wanted to get her out of sight. I’d deal with our next move then.

Damen went ahead of us a short distance to make sure no one was in or entered the passageway. I carried her all the way to the top floor. There was a single suite there. It was regularly empty as it was reserved to accommodate extra guests when other rooms were full. I placed her down on the bed and

quickly checked her head wound. I was relieved to see that it was healing already. I wouldn’t need to call a physician. That was one less person to worry about.

I was about to caress her face but resisted the urge. A new wave of anger and hurt washed through me at the situation I had found myself in. If she was who I thought she was, she was far more dangerous

than she appeared. I couldn’t afford to let myself be fooled by whatever the bond was doing to me.

I returned to Damen and Austin, who were waiting by the door. I took the handcuffs that hung from

Austin’s belt and returned to the unconscious werewolf. I picked up one of her wrists and secured it to

the headboard with the cuffs. I had to get answers.

I returned to my companions and ushered them out the door, shutting it securely behind us.

“Austin, I need a list of your most trustworthy guards. I need two on duty outside this room at all times.

But keep it limited to as few as possible.”

“Ferrin,” Austin replied, “what the hell?”

I ran my hands across my face and through my hair, turning my face to the rafters above my head. I

wanted to tell him. I was going to tell him. He was one of my best friends, and I couldn’t keep this from him. But I was still trying to work through everything myself.

“She’s his mate,” Damen voiced quietly.

Austin cursed. “Seriously? What are you going to do?”

“Get answers,” I said, leaning against the door. “In the meantime, we have to keep this secret. If the council finds out, or anyone, for that matter, I don’t know what the outcome would be. With either piece of information. Half the council is just as likely to demand her execution as the other half is to use her against me.”

“I wouldn’t be too surprised if it was more than half with the latter,” Damen grumbled next to me. “But we can’t have either happen.”

I gave him a grateful look, but I was still a little surprised. I knew they would back me up regardless of what they thought of the situation. But seeing as Damen was about to rip her throat out in the woods earlier tonight, I wasn’t expecting him to agree with me.

As if he knew what I was thinking, he shrugged and said, “Regardless of what she may have planned to do, she still hasn’t technically done anything wrong. Taking a run in our lands sure isn’t something to kill her over.”

“You want us to stand guard for now until you can send someone up?” Austin asked.

I shook my head. “I’m going to stay with her until she wakes up. The sooner she talks, the better.”

They both nodded and headed down the stairs. Once they were out of sight, I entered the room that held my unconscious mate and enemy.