Mated to the cruel Lycan

Jane

I sat quietly in the car as we drove for another hour while I tried to muffle my sobs. My aching body had blisters that were as a result of the extra beating I received from Sullivan last night after he found out that I had tried to escape.

The driver never even glanced my way and it made it easier for me to keep a straight face and hide the tears that welled up in my eyes.

We had been driving for hours and once we drove past the large sign-board that informed us that we were in Soul pack territory.

The driver killed the engine and came out of the car, opening the boot to carry out my bags. I gently climbed out of the car, ignoring the pain that shot up my legs.

A large cream coloured building stood with a wolf-head statue spouting water from its ears, into a large bowl. Trimmed rose bushes surrounding the fountain, five paths spreading from the fountain, that mood in the middle of the car surrounded field that served as an entrance.

It was beautiful but I was too engrossed in the panic that bubbled within me, making me sick to my stomach. I was now in the last place I wanted to be in and I had no means of crying. 

The driver grabbed me by hand, dragging me up the wide array of stairs that led to the castle that filled me with dread.

Guards stood by the entrance, blocking it off when they saw us stand before them. One of the guards turned to the man that had me trapped in a death grip and asked, "what's your business with this pack, foreigner?"

"I have a package for the Lycan king?" He lightly tilted his head at me, making the guards scrutinize the both of us before giving way for us.

Before we even got the chance to knock, the door opened and an elderly looking lady stood before us with her brown hair neatly resting on her neck. She was dressed in a long black gown and flashed me a curt smile when her eyes took me in before she turned to nail the bulky man beside me with a brow quirked up in question.

"Jane Miller." The man briefly said and the woman nodded in understanding.

"Indeed, she may come in." The woman said, raising her hands to collect my bag from my shoulder but I gripped onto it tighter.

She had clearly told him that he wasn't welcome to follow me inside and I gulped in fear.

The man nodded at her before turning to take his leave, leaving me all alone.

"This way." She beckoned on me.

I followed behind her, afraid to get into trouble with the king on my first day here. If the rumors I heard about him were true, then he wouldn't mind slaying me the instant he caught a whiff of my disobedience. He might probably strangle me.

We strolled down a regal looking hallway, our footsteps echoing as we walked. I glanced around, blinking at the expensive looking paintings on the wall and the majority of them were of men and women.

We stopped walking when we arrived in front of a big black door and the woman opened it. I nodded at her when she urged me to go in.

I walked in, blinking twice at the spacious and lovely painted room with a few paintings hanging around. A large bed stood in the middle and beside it was a table and chair. I was amazed by how simple yet classy the room looked.

"My name is Gail and I'm the head maid. If you need anything, call out to me. The Lycan king is currently in the middle of something urgent, when he's done, I'll come to let you know. But for now, I suggest you unpack and have a shower then await him." Her voice was brusque.

I hummed in response and she gently excused herself, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, my tears broke free. I couldn't believe that I was going to be living under the same roof, breathing the same air of that horrible beast.

No rumor that I have ever heard about him, said anything good about him. They were always tales of terror, that always stirred the fear that slept in the depths of one's soul.

I remembered how she had asked me to take a shower and sighed. I smelled like sweat. I couldn't afford to meet the king like this.

***

I was startled by a sudden knock, pausing the act of massaging my skin with ointment, quickly stuffing it under my pillow and cleared my throat, urging whoever it was to come in. The door squeaked open and Gail stood before me, flashing me another small smile.

"The king would love to see you now." She briefly said, making me grow cold enough to chill my bones.

Hunter wanted to see me? Oh my goodness, my panic had surfaced, making me hyperventilate. I had my semi-damp hair in a little braid. I looked at the little black gown that I had put on and bit my lips, wondering if I looked okay.

"Miss, are you ready?" Gail asked again, arching a brow at my hesitation.

"D-do I look o-okay enough?" I dared to mutter, when I turned again to look at her.

I was a shaking mess, my nerves were all over the place. I could barely concentrate because my heart kept thudding as I imagined how my first encounter with Hunter would be.

"N-nevermind I shouldn't have asked." I said with a slight wave of my hand, damning to hell my appearance.

I quietly followed Gail down the hallway, trying to think up what to say, should he ask me a sudden question .

We paused in front of a big black door and Gail stretched forth her hand to knock, the guards eyeing me down in distrust as I stood behind Gail.

"Come in." A husky voice came.

I mentally braced myself to meet him when Gail stepped aside for me, gesturing at the door. My shaking hands reached out to open the door, doing everything I could to keep my panic under control.

A figure stood by the window peering outside. He had his hands folded behind his back and his aura was strong enough to suffocate someone. It was dark, dominating, intimidating, commanding respect without him even having to say or do anything yet.

It was said that the man before me was cursed by the moon-goddess. The curse, I heard, was placed on his wolf. He'd never be able to sense his mate. It was a punishment for him trying to go against her.

His aura was beginning to prove those rumors true and I had instinctively taken a step back, already cowering in fear, despite the confusion swimming inside me; nonetheless I tried not to let the tears brimming in my eyes fall.

The sweet scent of sandalwood, lavender and masculinity hovered in the air and I could feel my quiet wolf acting up. She was pacing restlessly in my head while my body felt compelled to seek out the source of the utterly delicious scent.

Tingles spread in my body as the smell hit my nose again and my confusion grew. I could recognise this feeling, this yearning that my body was suddenly gripped with and it was the same as when I had met Kian on the night of the mating ceremony.

"Mate." Nala spoke up.

What?

"Mate… he's mate." She said again, obviously confused.

Shocked, I stumbled back a little, nearly missing my footing in the process, having to stabilize myself with my injured foot and that pain that I experienced in the instant was the most excruciating of all. This monster was my mate? Why was life so full of endless dismay? 

I winced yet again as my legs stung while my head kept spinning from the discovery. I didn't know how to feel to be honest. I was as dumbfounded as I had ever been but one thing was for sure, I was never going to tell him about it. It was for my own safety and sanity.

The last time I discovered I had a mate, it ended in an ugly rejection and he was just a mere Alpha warrior. Now if I was to tell a man driven by bloodlust, what was the worst that could happen? Death. He could kill me and I wasn't exactly ready to die.

"Careful, now." The utterly sexy voice came and I sincerely forgot how to breathe when he turned.

He was beyond handsome. With the sun rays casting a dull glow on him, I could see his gray eyes that brought clouds to the mind. His jawline was perfectly defined, a pointed nose leading to pale red lips that were a little bit fattened. His brown curls framed his face, resting on his shoulder and his olive skin seemed to glow a little.

He was extremely tall with muscles that made his black t-shirt cling to them, boldly outlining them for my eyes to see. I glanced down to see his lower region clad in black jeans that gave him a loose fitting.

I was mind-blown and I suddenly couldn't look away. He chuckled, giving me a sight of his pearly whites and perfect dentition. He could be mistaken as a god.

I watched him wave his hands dismissively and the guards that stood by the entrance quietly left, closing the door behind them. My heart raced as I wondered what he had on his mind. His eyes didn't give any hint of hostility but I couldn't trust those entrancing orbs of his.

He tilted his head at me, leaving me at the mercy of his scrutiny. "What is your name?"

He suddenly asked and I honestly nearly forgot my own name as a result of the panic that was going on within me. I took deep breaths, hating that I'd sound like a scared little mouse. That would probably feed his ego right?

"Jane Miller." I managed to croak.

He hummed, repeating my name to himself and I couldn't help getting addicted to how lovely it sounded from his lips.

"Do I scare you Jane ?" He suddenly asked after watching me like an eagle stalks his prey.

I couldn't dare look him in the eye. I could only lower my gaze and fiddle with my fingers.

He hummed again, a sound so pleasing to my ears, "tell me what you've heard about me."

I immediately looked up, blinking at me, thrown off balance to see the amusement in his eyes. Was he being serious right now?

"Cat got your tongue, little one?" He tilted a brow at me and I found myself blushing under the intensity of his gaze.

"You're a monster." I squeaked, waiting for him to grow enraged and send me to the land of the dead.

He laughed, making me confused even more. It didn't sound like a maniacal laughter but an actually sincere one.

"And do you believe that?" He asked.

I quietly nodded and he shook his head, "tell me, do you know my name?"

This beautiful man was playing with my reasoning and I didn't know if it was his way of making me drop my guard so he'd take me unaware. "Yes. It's Hunter Tiberius Williams."

He chuckled, "wrong. That's what the outsiders think. I think somewhere along the lines of spreading stories about my supposed 'cruelty', someone got my name wrong." He almost sounded very friendly as he dropped his hands.

I looked at him, narrowing my eyes at him, "then what's your name?"

"It's actually Sinclair. Sinclair Kai Monero." He shrugged at me and my jaw dropped. He noticed it and wiggled his brows at me, "very different from the name you mentioned, correct?"

I nodded because it truly was. "Why didn't you bother correcting the wrong notion of your name because you seemed to be aware that it's being mis-said?"

He shrugged again, "I like the shock it brings to the few people opportuned to know my real name. I actually do love to play along as Hunter, fitting the description to all that deserve it."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I didn't even bother hiding my shock. This man was something else entirely.

Silence descended upon us and after a moment of painful silence, Sinclair spoke up, "I'll love to continue this conversation but I only merely took a brief break from my meeting so if you'll be kind enough to wait for me in my room, I'll be honoured."

His politeness struck me as odd and I stumbled back a little, looking away from him to calm my racing heart.

"I'll take your silence as approval. I'd link Gail and ask her to take you to your room." He nodded at me before going silent, while I stood there rendered dumb. The smell was doing things to me that I couldn't wrap my head around.

The door soon opened and Gail walked in. She bowed in front of the king and he gestured her up, moving his hands to point at me. She nodded and turned to me, gesturing at the door.

I quietly followed behind her, eager to leave his space immediately. He was confusing me and though I felt bad about not telling him I wasn't his mate, I couldn't afford to drop my guard around him.

She led up the stairs, and I walked behind her, sucked into my thoughts to even glance around. She led me to a huge mahogany brown door and halted, "master said you should wait in his room, you may enter."

I looked at her for a long while before glancing at the big door, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. Once I gripped the door handles, Gail turned and excused herself. I watched her back till she had disappeared down the stairs and turned to face the door.

With a deep exhale, I summoned enough courage to open the door and my jaw dropped at the sight that befell me because nothing in this world could have prepared for what I saw.