Tamed by the Lycan Prince

38- COMPLICATED

CHAPTER FIVE

-WELDON-

I gestured for Mina to approach us, and she walked over from where she was standing by the car. I could feel Maria's hand squeeze mine a little tighter as she watched Mina. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was apprehensive about Mina, as if she suspected we were romantically involved.

"This," I said, looking at Maria and then her grandparents, "is my younger sister, Wilhelmina Growler." She sauntered over, her red eyes glinting in the soft evening glow, her snow white curls bouncing with each step.

Maria and her grandparents were taken aback and filled with shock and surprise, exclaiming in unison, "Luna." Without hesitation, they all lowered their heads in a gesture of respect. The woman, on the porch of the farmhouse, mirrored their actions after a brief moment of hesitation.

Mina flinched as they bowed their heads and quickly averted her gaze. "Please don't bow," she said, "I am not Luna yet."

"She's right," I added. "My sister has yet to marry the Alpha and is still in training, learning the ways of our kind fully before she can take on that mantle."

"Your modesty is admirable, young one," Maximus said, raising his head slowly from the bow with a calm but pleased expression on his face. "But heritage can't be denied."

Mina blushed under the intensity of Maximus' gaze and bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you, Mr. Arnet. You are too kind."

"Kindness and respect are what we owe to each other," Maximus replied, giving a weak but honest smile. "It's the very foundation of our community, isn't it?"

Elina stepped forward, pulling her shawl tighter around, "If I may ask, why has the soon-to-be Luna and newly appointed Beta come to our home? This wouldn't happen to be about my annual check-up."

"I assure you, Mrs. Arnet, this is not about your check-up," I started, letting go of Maria's hand and taking a step forward. "We have something of importance to discuss with you."

Elina's eyes narrowed slightly at my statement, her grip on the edge of her shawl tightening. "And what may that be about?"

I looked at Mina, who gave me a small nod of reassurance before she stepped forward, her eyes meeting Elina's. "It is about the mate bond between a werewolf and Lycan."

A sudden hush fell over the room. Maria and her grandparents stared at us, their expressions a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "Our mate bond?" Elina asked, exchanging a quick glance with Maximus.

"Yes," Mina responded promptly, "the mate bond between a werewolf and a Lycan is not common. We want to discuss it as there isn't much information out there."

"But why us?" Maximus interrupted, confusion clouding his features.

The woman on the porch approached us with graceful strides, joining in on our conversation. "I am curious as well," she added, her voice filled with genuine interest.

"I understand your curiosity," Mina began, her gaze steady. "The reason why we approached you is... complicated."

She hesitated, drawing a deep breath before continuing. "I am being forced into an engagement with the Alpha of the Gravemaw Hounds," Mina admitted, her words falling into the silence like a stone sinking in a calm lake.

The woman raised an eyebrow in surprise, but remained composed. "I am failing to see where your forced marriage has anything to do with the bond between Elina and Maximus."

"It's because of my true mate," Mina paused, her voice dropping to a whisper as if she was reluctant to admit the truth. "Though I'm to be wed to the Alpha, I've found my destined mate in a Lycan."

Elina's hands flew to her mouth, gasping in surprise. But as she processed what Mina had said, her shock turned into pure delight and excitement. "By the Moon, I thought Maxie and I were the only ones. How did you meet your true mate? Was it a magical moment?"

"I haven't met him." Mina replied.

"Have you not met him?" The elegant woman inquired, curious. "If you have yet to meet your mate, how do you know he's a Lycan?"

Mina hesitated for a moment but the firm look from me told her she was safe. "My brother found an Oracle to look into my future."

"And what did this Oracle say?" the woman asked.

Mina looked at her, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and despair. "The Oracle told me that my mate was a Lycan and had seen me once, but did not approach me for some reason."

"And you didn't sense him? Did you feel anything?" the woman asked.

Mina shook her head, her gaze far away as she processed her response. "I had been poisoned with Wolf's Bane, and I couldn't feel much of anything."

"The Wolf's Bane, you say?" The woman frowned. "That can be fatal. How are you still standing here?"

"Weldon saved me and brought me to the pack's Salutaris. If not for him, I likely wouldn't be standing here." Mina offered me a weak smile, though her gaze seemed clouded.

The woman sighed deeply, her stern eyes softening with concern as she reached out to hold Mina's hands. "It seems fate has dealt you a harsh hand, my dear. But remember, even in darkness, the moon still shines."

Her words seemed to ease Mina's tension slightly. "But what if he doesn't want me?" Mina's voice wavered as she asked, her insecurity seeping through her usually strong demeanor.

The woman smiled, a gentle and compassionate one, softened by years of wisdom. "My dear, the heart of a true mate longs for his other half, even when he does not know why. When he realizes that you are his destined one, he will feel an irresistible pull towards you. Just as you will feel for him."

"But the Oracle said he saw me and didn't approach," Mina protested, her eyes welling with pain.

The woman nodded, "Your mate is a Lycan, he may have been confused when he realized that his destined mate was a werewolf. But remember this, my dear, love is not always simple and straightforward. It is complex and filled with challenges that test our strength and resolve. Fate will bring you two together, he just needs time to understand and accept his destiny."

"So should I wait for him? If he doesn't come before the full moon I will have been wed by, and what if he doesn't want to be with me because I am marked by another?" Mina pleaded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

The wise woman tightened her grip on Mina's clammy hands, her eyes brimming with a mixture of empathy and determination. "Do not worry, my dear. I live in the Lycan Empire, and I have many connections. I will find your mate and make sure to bring him before your wedding."

"You would do that for me?" Mina asked.

"Of course, my dear," the woman replied, her voice filled with a certainty that made Mina's heart flutter with hope. "You are more precious than you realize. Besides, who am I to stand in the way of true love? We must trust in fate."

With those comforting words hanging in the air, a feeling of reassurance began to seep into Mina's heart. She nodded slowly at the woman's words, her grip on the woman's hands still firm. "Thank you," she managed to whisper, her voice thick with emotion.

The woman paused, studying Mina's face with a thoughtful expression. "Oh dear, I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Refia. Refia Lothion of the Lycan Empire."