Our Other mate

Chapter 9

Merricks POV

The revelation hit me like a bolt of lightning, shattering everything I had believed about the sacred bond of mates. Phillip's words echoed in my mind: "Ella and I are your mates." The very idea was preposterous, an affront to the natural order. My father's stern voice, a constant presence in my mind, resounded with disapproval: "It's not natural for two males to be together, Merrick. How can our species survive like that?"

Panic surged through me, my heart pounding erratically. The room seemed to close in around me, the air thick with the weight of expectations and tradition. I bolted from the study, my footsteps echoing down the cold, stone corridors of The Manor. The walls, adorned with portraits of my ancestors, seemed to watch with stern, judgmental eyes. I could almost hear them whispering, questioning my worthiness to carry the family name.

As I reached my room, I slammed the door shut, the noise reverberating through the silence. I locked it with trembling hands and turned towards the small altar dedicated to the Moon Goddess. A bloodstone candle flickered weakly, casting a dim glow on the stone effigy. I lit the candle and knelt before it, my thoughts a chaotic whirlpool of confusion and despair.

"Why are you doing this to me, Goddess?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I have been loyal. I have made sacrifices in your name. And for what? To be given two mates, neither of whom I love?"

My words felt like blasphemy, but I couldn't stop them. The emotions that had been bottled up inside me were now spilling out, raw and unfiltered. I stood up, moving towards the small bar in the corner of the room, and grabbed a bottle of Dalmore. The rich amber liquid promised an escape, a way to numb the bond that was now painfully evident between us.

As the alcohol burned its way down my throat, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. It was Phillip's anguish, his fear of my rejection. I could also sense Ella's simmering anger, a righteous fury that burned through our newly formed bond. The emotions were overwhelming, a torrent that threatened to drown me. I took another swig from the bottle, desperate for some relief.

The pounding on the door startled me. Ella's voice, fierce and unyielding, demanded that I open up. I tried to ignore it, but my Lycan, seeing her as our mate, forced my hand. I unlocked the door, and she burst in, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Merrick, why did you leave?" she demanded, her voice echoing in the dimly lit room. "Phillip is scared. He nearly died, and now he's been told that we are all mates by the Moon Goddess herself. Can't you feel it? I can feel your emotions, his emotions."

I barely registered her words, my mind clouded by the alcohol and the overwhelming emotions coursing through me. "Leave me alone, Ella," I muttered, turning away from her. "I need to think."

Ella's frustration boiled over. She grabbed the bottle from my hand and stormed out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The silence that followed was suffocating, pressing down on me with a weight I could hardly bear.

I stumbled back to the bar, grabbing bottle after bottle, desperate to drown out the tumultuous emotions that threatened to tear me apart. When I could no longer stand, I collapsed onto the bed, the light from the bloodstone candle casting eerie shadows on the walls.

I must have fallen into a deep, alcohol-induced sleep, for when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a different world. I was lying in a shallow stream, the cool water gently lapping against my skin. The air was filled with the sweet scent of lavender and vanilla, a fragrance so intoxicating it made my head spin. I stood up, water dripping from my clothes, and looked around.

The forest was dense, the trees towering above me, their branches reaching towards the sky like ancient sentinels. The scent of lavender and vanilla was stronger now, almost as if Ella was standing right beside me. I followed the scent, pushing through the underbrush until I emerged into a clearing.