The Unmarked Mate

Chapter 15

Lucius

Alfred was driving the SUV toward the pack, what was the name? Ah yes! the Yew Tree Pack. Weak ass name for a pack of werewolves. At least, the old Warwick had left us a pack with a more... striking name. I sat there silently while my Beta was driving, good thing about Alfred he knew when to shut up. I was thinking of how to connect with the leaders. They were told to be a rather strong pack, not a huge one but with good fighters, although I had learned they had women warriors, like official ones. What kind of strong Alpha would give security posts, important ones, to a bunch of silly girls? I couldn't have cared less about the ceremony and the sociality of the events. I wanted to begin an alliance with strong men, strong werewolves.

After some time, I started to feel uneasy. Not again. The pain was back. I said nothing to Alfred. I was in the back, closing my eyes, he thought I was sleeping, but I was trying to get through the excruciating feeling crushing the inside of my chest. As we were arriving east of the village, we parked the car, and continued on foot. Very soon we were met by patrol who escorted us to the village. The Alpha and Beta joined us.

"Hello, Alpha Lucius, it's a pleasure to welcome you to Yew Tree Pack. I am Alpha Matthew Blackwood". He shook my hand firmly.

"This my Beta, Oliver Donnelly" he added.

"Congratulations to you Beta Oliver. This is Alfred Cobweb, my Beta." Alfred shook the hand of both Alpha and Beta. After the customary courtesies, we saw another group arriving with the Alpha and Luna to some other pack, both maybe twenty years older than me, I can't remember the name. He seemed useless, old, weak, smitten by the woman beside him. The Luna asked me something, but I didn't get what she had said.

"I apologize, I didn't hear what you said Luna." I told with a small bow; they needed to like me after all.

"I asked you if you had found your mate and if Crimson Moon pack had a Luna."

"I had a mate, yes, but the Moon Goddess has decided to take her away from me. I know I should find someone else to bond with, in some way, but I must admit I have not found it in my heart to tell her goodbye. I miss her dearly, and so cannot commit to anyone else just yet. But my Beta here is still a yearning heart ready to mate and give our pack a good Beta woman". I lied. I was sure she would like that. Alfred had had a mate, but she rejected him, and knowing him he enjoyed the latitude to torment the Neville girl too much to commit to some she-wolf who might think she would actually share the Beta title with him. I preferred it that way. He was not attached, he was stronger, he was trustworthy because his allegiance belonged to me only.

"I am very sorry to hear that Alpha Lucius. But I truly hope there is a way for you, maybe a second chance mate, who knows what the Moon Goddess has in store for you". She laid gently her hand on my arm. And I bowed, gallantly. That had made the trick. The whole "my mate is dead" had worked his charms for me for years now. I wondered... would I prefer her to be really dead? She might be for all I knew, but the idea of having my way with her again still got me awake at night. As I was thinking, Alpha Matthew and Beta Oliver was conversing with the uninteresting couple, he apparently knew them pretty well. Then we saw some tall black guy approaching in a hurry. I saw him and disliked him right away. What was that smell?

"Ah Damian, good to see you at last!" said Alpha Matthew. "This is Damian Jones, my Gamma. Damian, Alpha Simon and Luna Rita you already know. Let me present you Alpha Lucius and his Beta Alfred, from the Crimson Moon Pack." I wasn't really listening; I was sniffing the air. When the Gamma held out his hand for me to shake, I smelled it. That was El's smell. All of his body reeked of her, but his hand had the smell... of her wet little twat. That was mine! She was here. She was being fucked by this Gamma I was shaking the hand of. Little slut, she had let me wanting for years while she was being screwed by that guy. I didn't let go of his hand. I wanted to crush it, I wanted to rip it off and keep the smell for myself. That was my property he had been fingering. I guessed he was late because he was fucking her. She'll be sorry for that. I'll make her regret giving away what's mine.

"Lucius, let go of his hand!" Alfred mindlinked me.

"Sorry, you are the spitting image of someone I knew, it troubled me. Let me give you your hand back". I was smiling widely. They laughed. But I was searching, I could smell her. She was here. Maybe I wanted her dead, but that was my decision to make. I had just told them my mate died so I couldn't really run off to find her.

We walked back to the packhouse. I mingled, I spoke to people, I charmed them the best I could, but I was always looking around, obsessed with finding her. Then a new whiff of her came in my nostrils, I turned back and saw on old couple around their sixties walking in. What the fuck was going on? They smelled like her, they smelled like her fear, that was my favourite smell on her. I was the only one who could make her odour turn like that. Ah! She knew I was there! She was hiding! This was gonna be so much fun! I was almost getting hard!

The commitment ceremony and following celebrations went on but she never came out of her hole. I was picturing her, underground, crouching in fear, hiding from me. Oh, but I would find you little mate. I had made my part, I had made contact, talked to the members of the packs. I had pretended I remembered Olivia, the Beta's mate, and wished her all the best in her new life. In the morning, we were escorted back to our car, they bid us safe travels.

"You look cheery!" told me Alfred when we were in the car and there was no one to hear us.

"Oh yes! You see, this lovely little nowhere pack has been harbouring our dear, thought to be dead, Luna."

"What? I didn't see her!"

"Of course you didn't, she was too scared to come out. But I could smell her fear all over. I have an idea and I am sure you're gonna love it my friend."

Damian

"Most of them are gone!" I sighed in relief.

"And the Crimson Moon Pack's Alpha?" asked me Matthew.

"Gone too!"

"Good! I don't think I like that man! He seems very quick to make up a good story when he is cornered, he was smiling and charming everyone but man when you arrived..."

"He wanted me dead. I don't know why. But when he squeezed my hand, it felt like a challenge, like he was claiming back something. That was freaky." I still felt uneasy about it.

"Well, he and his Beta are gone now! Good riddance! We should go, Gamma Arthur is back, and he wants to see me and Ori this morning. You should come too."

"Let's go Alpha". We went back to the packhouse, Luna Orithya and Gamma Arthur were already there. I wanted to go and check on Dahlia whom I didn't see yesterday. I hoped she was okay.