She wasn't supposed to be born yet

Damien's POV

“Are you listening, King Damien?” Alpha Rylan's voice pierced through my wandering thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

Since I had left the room, my mind had been oddly preoccupied with the human girl the pet hunter had brought for me. There was something about her that struck me as odd; I had to admit she was pretty. Her name, the way it had rolled off her tongue when she said it, had been enticing. And her feistiness, it seemed to appeal to my wolf.

I blinked, refocusing my attention on the elderly alpha seated across from me. “Apologies. Could you repeat that?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow in mild curiosity.

“Why are you not paying attention, Alpha Damien?” Alpha Killian, a young alpha, questioned, his tone laced with a hint of audacity that caught me off guard. The room buzzed with murmurs of surprise at his boldness, and I couldn't help but find it amusing.

Leaning back in my chair, a smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. “You must be new here,” I remarked, rising from my seat and circling the table to stand before Alpha Killian, my gaze locking on him.

Fear flickered in his eyes, swiftly masked by false confidence. Intriguing. “Have you ever heard of the Lycan King?” I inquired, my tone low and measured. “And what's your name?”

“They don't exist; it's folklore. I'm Alpha Killian,” he retorted, meeting my gaze head-on.

With a deliberate movement, I removed my shades, allowing my eyes to bore into his. His facade wavered, replaced by a mask of agony as blisters erupted across his skin. Breaking eye contact, I settled back into my seat, observing as Alpha Killian struggled to comprehend what had just transpired.

“You… You're a monster. How can you all be comfortable around him?” Alpha Killian wobbled to his feet, his voice trembling with fear and disbelief as he staggered away from the gathering.

“Why am I not healing? What did you do to me?” Alpha Killian's enraged voice echoed in the room, his accusatory tone directed at me.

“Nothing much, just a little lesson to teach you how to respect your elders,” I replied with a smug grin, meeting his furious gaze head-on. “Apologize, and the blisters will vanish. Refuse, and it'll take a week.”

Alpha Killian's expression twisted in frustration, torn between his pride and the pain he now endured. With a dismissive wave, I turned my attention back to the other alphas. They had a look of pity and concern etched on their faces as they watched the young alpha.

Before I could resume our conversation, a yelp from outside interrupted us. With a resigned sigh, I excused myself and made my way out, only to spot the human girl fleeing into the bushes.

“Of course,” I muttered under my breath, exasperated. Quickening my pace. I couldn't afford to let her escape. There was something about her that interested me.

As I closed in on her, she spun around in surprise, her eyes widening at the sight of me. Reacting swiftly, I maneuvered to catch her, ensuring she landed safely in my arms.

“Handsome man,” her thought echoed in my mind, and I couldn't help but furrow my brow. Why did she keep calling me that in her thoughts? And how come I could hear her thoughts? That was something that had never happened before. Why her? And why now?

Her soft moan caught me off guard as I instinctively tightened my hold around her waist.

Inside, my wolf stirred, a primal instinct rising within me as I traced the contours of her thighs. She let out another moan, her lips trembling. I could feel my member harden as her hips ground against mine.

“Touch me,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. But something seemed off. We'd just met, yet the urgency in her plea felt unsettling. It was like something had taken over her. Something that badly wanted me.

As she tried to push my hand to her chest, I pulled away, my hands stiffening her grinding hips.

“Make love to me, please. I'm burning,” she pleaded, her eyes void of their usual white. A low growl escaped my lips. My wolf pleased with her words and the sight of her dark, empty gaze.

“Mine,” I growled, my teeth grazing her collar with a burning urge to mark her as my own. The desire to claim her surged through me like a flame, her breath brushing against my face as my teeth neared her skin. A louder moan slipped her lips as my teeth made contact with her neck.

But just as I was about to sink my teeth in, the sudden limpness of her body halted me in my tracks. The urge vanished, replaced by confusion and uncertainty, and I pushed her away.

What had just happened? Did I almost mark a human?

I rose from the floor, my eyes fixed on the unconscious girl lying before me. As I lifted her into my arms, a sense of déjà vu washed over me. The way she rested her head on my shoulder triggered memories of a time long past, stirring emotions I thought long buried.

It was the same feeling, the same stirring of a part of my wolf that had lain dormant for over a century. This girl, unconscious in my arms, had awakened something within me I couldn't comprehend.

Only one person had ever made me feel this way—my mate.

As I carried her back, her unconscious form mirroring that of my mate so many years ago, I couldn't shake the feeling that fate was playing a cruel game with my heart once again.

As I returned to the palace grounds, my thoughts were interrupted by one of my guards, bowing before me. “The seer is here, Alpha,” the guard announced, causing my brow to furrow, confused. I couldn't recall sending for the seer, and the timing of their arrival seemed suspiciously coincidental.

A sense of unease washed over me, tendrils of apprehension creeping up my spine. The déjà vu was too strong to push away, like a lingering shadow refusing to be dispelled.

The position of the moon was the same, casting an eerie glow upon the courtyard. The way she lay in my arms was the same, her fragile form a stark contrast against my own. And now the arrival of the seer was the same. It was like history was replaying itself.

“She's here?” the seer recoiled when she sighted the human girl in my arms, her eyes widening with a mixture of shock and fear. My confusion deepened.

“Who?” I demanded, my voice betraying a hint of urgency.

“The one,” the seer whispered, her voice barely audible above the rustle of the evening breeze. “She wasn't supposed to be born yet.” Fear flickered across her features, a raw emotion that sent a chill down my spine. What was there about a fragile human girl to evoke such dread from the seer, bearer of prophecies and keeper of secrets?