Chapter 5

Vaerith’ POV

[THE EVENING BEFORE]

I was hanging on by a thread of patience, trying my hardest not to flip the entire table and give the elders even more reasons to grumble. As soon as the pack meeting wrapped up, I pushed away from the table and headed straight for my room.

The meeting had been thrown together the moment I got back. I’d literally just come from the party. I needed to burn off some of this frustration, but as I walked past the elders, their annoying voices drifted after me.

“Tsk! He’s young and capable. He should find someone, or at least let us arrange a proper match for him!”

“I know, elder. But it’s still his choice to find a mate”

“He gave up on finding a mate a long time ago. It’s been a full year since his wolf awakened, and he’s only twenty-one! I’d rather push him toward a strategic match than wait for some fated mate. He needs to produce strong pups with a suitable omega, or even an unpaired beta. Alpha females are rare and usually nothing but trouble.”

This was exactly what I hated about them.

Our Lycan pack’s elders were wise and loyal, but they worried so much about the future of the pack that they barely thought about their actual leader. About me.

Yes, I had given up on finding my mate for a lot of reasons.

One of the biggest was the loss of my family.

I, Vaerith Wildhart, the so-called decorated Lycan Alpha, had always been looked down on by my own blood. My parents provided everything material I could need, but that was about it. My older brother had been charming, sure, but he’d stayed unpaired even past twenty-three.

Then last year, tragedy ripped through the Lycan pack. The world lost its respected rulers.

My parents and my elder brother were gone, leaving everything on my shoulders when I was only twenty. Those days were ones I never wanted to relive.

Every time the elders brought up the topic of a partner or a match, irritation flared up because they never seemed to see how much I’d pushed aside just to keep the pack stable.

And as a man, I’d had no one to lean on. No one to call when things got heavy. No one knew about the tears, the pressure, or the trauma that had shaped me into who I was now. No one could even guess how much weight I carried in my chest.

So I’d shut every door to my heart. Closed it off to everyone.

As a human, I didn’t care if I ever found a mate. I would reject her without hesitation love was nothing but a disease and a distraction. My life was dedicated to the pack and holding this alliance together. One or two rejections wouldn’t break anyone’s heart. Especially not mine.

But I wasn’t the only one living inside this body.

My Lycan half my lifelong soul companion named Tharok was actually pretty good company. He was my best friend, even if I pretended to disagree with him just to keep the elders from knowing how close we really were.

Speaking of the devil…

‘Oi, oi, oi… you’re overthinking again.’

I sighed at the sound of his deep voice echoing in my head. I dropped into the chair at my desk, locking myself in the office for what felt like the hundredth time that week, and answered him.

‘You should stop worrying about me, Tharok. I don’t deserve your concern. I’m fine.’

‘You’re “fine” with way too many things, Vaerith Wildhart. But I’m not. I’m the animal inside you, and I have instincts! Find me a mate… or I’ll never let you rest.’ 

I clicked my tongue and brushed him off, turning my attention back to the paperwork stacked on the desk.

‘You angered me, Vaerith.’ 

I didn’t bother replying.

‘…Fine then. I’ll just assume you’re being a coward, trying to prove your worth to the world. Your past really messed you up, didn’t it?’

He was trying to get under my skin, but I stayed silent.

‘Oi… is it still because of that girl who rejected you at the bar two years ago? Don’t tell me…’

The amusement in his tone made my eyes widen.

I slammed the pen down on the desk and shot back inside my head.

‘No fucking way! What do you take me for?! A creep?! That girl was way too young for me. Besides, she was someone’s daughter an important alliance, actually. I was just offering her company! I’m in a much more powerful and busier position now. You and I both know I’d choose work over any little bit of joy in life.’

‘But I need a mate! I need that joy in life, you idiot!’

I didn’t answer that either.

It was well past midnight when a knock sounded on my office door. I raised an eyebrow at the sight of my Beta looking slightly rattled. I set the pen down immediately.

“What is it?”

“I’ve got some bad news, your majesty.”

“Vaelor Virellion, Alpha of Darkforest pack, and his Luna were in a fatal accident. The birthday party you attended earlier today it was their daughter’s.”

I knew the Darkforest pack well. They were one of our strongest allies. That was why I’d shown up at their daughter’s birthday celebration.

‘Poor girl…’ Tharok murmured softly inside me. I felt the same pang of sympathy. She was only eighteen.

“Arrange transport for me in the morning. I’m sure they’ll have the funeral arranged soon.”

“As you command, your majesty.” My Beta bowed and left.

I couldn’t shake the strange feeling that something big was about to happen.

The next morning, when I arrived at the funeral, I recognized her immediately.

My eyes widened, but I kept my expression steady.

Inside my head, Tharok started chanting over and over: ‘Mate… Mate… Mate…’

Her sweet scent was everywhere. Her back was turned to me at first, but something was clearly wrong. As I moved around to get a better look, the pain in her expression hit both me and Tharok hard.

Those big, bold eyes were brimming with tears. Her lower lip trembled with sorrow. All I wanted in that moment was to pull her into my arms, hold her tight, and take every bit of that pain away.

Then, as I watched the whole ugly drama unfold around my mate, the words slipped out before I could stop them:

“You will not marry her, Alpha Zephyros Virellion.”