"You are my mate"

Sabrina was growing impatient to meet Elijah. The second-in-command had already left with some of his men to ensure her path was safe. She learned that he had been appointed as her protector by the royals until she reached the capital which was six days away. 

Sabrina hopped on her horse to start her journey. Her family and the servants bid her farewell in teary eyes. It was a big day in the history of werewolves. Sabrina, the blessing of the moon goddess had embarked on her journey of saving the world. 

The sun shone brightly up in the sky as her journey began. Soon, she was left only with royal soldiers. The third-in-command was riding on her left side and the royal advisor was shielding her right side. 

"How long would it take for us to reach the capital?" Sabrina asked, even though she knew the answer. She was just trying to kickstart a conversation so that she could veer it to Elijah and his whereabouts. 

"Six nights, my lady," the advisor who appeared to be in his late fifties answered. 

Sabrina nodded while looking ahead. The giant leaves of lofty trees protected them from the scorching sun as they rode into the denser part of the forest.  

"Is this path save?" Sabrina queried while scanning their surrounding. These forests were riddled with vampires. They kept visiting the woods to hunt for food. 

"Nothing to worry about. Elijah will not let any harm come to you..," her heart stirred by the old man's word but disappointment shadowed her a moment later when he said the next line. 

" The Alpha King has entrusted him with your responsibility and he is one of those who can give their life to fulfill their duty," the third in command joined in their conversation. 

She couldn't hold in her tongue any longer as curiosity clawed her spine. 

"Who is he?" Sabrina turned her head towards the old man who was looking forward without any expression on his wrinkly face. 

"He is the son of late Alpha King Torin Stonewall,"

Sabrina's eyes grew wide in response. She had read about him. The alpha king, who battled vampires to death. The body of his and his mate was found in the middle of the woods. It is believed that they were attacked by the vampires while traveling back to the capital. And about their child, the only thing she had been taught was that they were survived by their only son. No one ever mentioned his name. 

Sabrina was dumbfounded by the piece of knowledge she had just accrued. Her mate is Elijah Stonewall, the never-talked son of King Torin Stonewall. 

But shouldn't he be the Alpha King then? 

Confusion overrode the shock. The curiosity forced the question out of her mouth. 

"Shouldn't the son of King Torin be the Alpha King?" confusion had creased her perfectly sculpted brows. The old man spared her a glance and then looks over her shoulder towards their third-in-command and then looks back at her.

"Elijah doesn't have a wolf," air left her lungs and her heart gave a loud thud as soon as his words hit her ear. Doesn't have a wolf? Is he not a werewolf? What does it even mean? 

She wet her lower lip with her tongue. Something she did whenever she was nervous.  

"So, he is not a werewolf?" her voice shook at the end. She wondered if they noticed that. 

"His wolf hasn't woken up yet. Nobody knows why? Some believe that his wolf is still in trauma because of what he underwent when he was just a child and some say that he is cursed," The third in command chimed in.

Now she understood why he couldn't recognize her scent. A wolf's senses heighten after getting united with their wolves. It's their wolf that tells them about their mate. How would he know about his mate when he doesn't have his wolf to guide him. 

Sabrina's heart ached as her wolf whimpered in agony. In their world, a werewolf without a wolf was called a cripple.

The thought caused another doubt to pop into her head.  

"How is he the second-in-command then?" Sabrina blurted out

"He may not have his wolf but he possesses qualities that no one on this land owns. He can easily rip hundreds of werewolves into pieces with his bare hand. He is ruthless, unbending, and deadly on the battlefield. And a strategist in the courtroom. He doesn't need a wolf because he himself is a beast," Sabrina's chest inflated with a sense of pride. Her wolf basking in the praises of her mate. 

She nodded in response and bit her lip to hide the proud smile that came over her lips.

Inch by inch, darkness started to sprawl its wings as they continued trailing the footsteps of Elijah and his men's horse. 

Sabrina wondered how were they going to spend the night? And if Elijah will be with them or not?

All her questions were answered when her eyes caught the sight of a few horses that were yolked to trees. 

Her heart started to throb with excitement when her eyes found the person they had been craving to see the whole day. He was sitting on his toes, nailing the tent into the ground. 

Sabrina climbed off her horse along with others. Her eyes refused to see anything other than him. Desire fluttered in her stomach when she noticed how his biceps flexed deliciously with every strike. His muscular giant body was indeed a sight for sore eyes.

"My lady, this way," the chief advisor snatched her attention and escorted her to a pile of woods to sit upon while they fix their temporary resting place. 

Sabrina's eyes latched back onto the man who was making her feel things she had never felt before. 

He was talking to the advisor while fixing the tent. She was out of earshot, so she couldn't make out what were they talking about. All she could figure was that Elijah was asking him questions and the advisor was answering him. 

It is then, without a warning, his face turned towards her. Her heart stopped functioning for a moment when his amber orbs collided with hers. They bore a resemblance to the sun. They glittered like a gem. And they were drawing her like a moth to fire.

An ocean made of light she wouldn't mind drowning in. 

Elijah couldn't take his eyes off her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Something in her called out to him. He clearly remembered how his heart had skipped a beat when he saw her for the first time. Looking like a goddess in her blue gown. She made his heart stir in ways no one ever could. 

Her eyes. They were his undoing.

He wondered how her soft raven curls would feel between his fingers. Her milky white skin fascinated him to no end as he couldn't help but imagine his love bites tainting them inch by inch. Call him a pervert but he had nearly lost it when his eyes took note of the soft swells of her breasts. They looked so squishy. Only he knew, how he managed to restrain himself last night from taking her and claiming her in all possible ways.   

He knew it was wrong. Very wrong. The woman belonged to his little brother. She was chosen to be his bride. He shouldn't think about her in this way. An acrid burn tore through him at the thought of her belonging to someone else. A bitter taste coated his mouth, so he blinked away. 

He blinked away from the only woman who had managed to hold his interest. She was not his. 

And only to avoid any more encounters with her, he had decided to leave earlier this morning. 

Sabrina felt dejected when he looked away from her. She was being greedy. She wanted to spend an eternity looking into his flaming orbs.

She was given the most luxurious camp of all. The ones next to her belonged to Elijah.

The sun had fallen and the moon was adorning the sky. Sabrina changed into something comfortable as one of the maids brought her dinner. She wolfed it down and waited in her camp for everyone to retire into their chamber so that she could sneak into his. 

She could smell his scent that the air brought with itself sometimes, telling her that he was somewhere around.

Her mind was totally occupied with him. His smile, his eyes, his lips, his voice, everything about him. How can she give herself to someone else when she knew she belonged to Elijah. 

She stopped herself from dwelling more into the future.

A few hours later, all the noises and chattering reduced to the chirping of crickets. She took it as her cue to step out of her chamber.

She slipped out of her chamber to scan the surrounding. Fortunately, no one was at the sight, except for a couple of men who were standing guard and were nodding off by the entrance of her camp. The journey had exhausted everyone.

Sabrina tiptoed around him and dashed towards Elijah's chamber. The large blot of light tainting his chamber told Sabrina that he was still awake. 

His masculine scent grew stronger as she advanced towards his room causing her stomach to do backflips. She felt a knot lodged in her throat as she stood right before the entrance of his chamber. Her heart was palpitating. Excitement, anxiety, fear, hesitation, uncertainty, she could feel it all. 

She was two minds about lifting the curtain and stepping into his private chamber. Her wolf was urging her on with all her might but her timid self was telling her to take on her heels. What if he would reject her? The mere thought caused a cold shiver to run down her spine. 

She gulped back all those dreadful thoughts, clawing their way up her throat and lifted the curtain to throw herself in. 

The unexpected sight she met left her breathless. Elijah was standing with his back on her. His upper body was bare. She gulped her desires down while running her eyes over his bronze skin. Water pooled in her mouth when she spied on his muscular back. His broad back and powerful shoulder were a feast for eyes and worked as kerosine to her carnal desire, stoking it up in full force. Her eyes traced the ink that covered all of his back with great interest. What wouldn't she give to run her tongue over them? And caress them with her fingers. And press her lips on them. Oh, the things she would do. 

Her eyes did a full tour of his back as he seemed busy running his hand through his shoulder-length hair.

She noisily exhaled from her mouth when her eyes latched on his rippling biceps.   

He must have heard it as he turned around the next moment. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when he saw her in his chamber. 

Another wave of desire smashed into her when her eyes collided with his taut chest and torso. Her cheeks tinted red as she stared at him awestruck. He was a human form of a stallion. He was stronger than anyone she knew. Black dark ink was spread all across them. Lost in his masculinity, she completely forgot why she had come here.

Unaware of his perverted thoughts, Elijah disrupted her concentration by putting on a shirt. 

"You wanted something, my lady," he said while pulling his shirt down. Sabrina's gaze slid up to his eyes. 

She blushed in embarrassment. 

Sabrina absently nodded as she needed some time to break out of the haze he had put her in. Her wolf was literally drooling. 

"How can I help you?" he asked her in his deep voice

"I...me....I wanted to talk....talk to you about something," Sabrina stuttered as nervousness slowly started to replace lust. 

He nodded in response and gestured her towards the makeshift chair. 

"Please, sit down," he said before taking a seat across from hers. He spread his thick legs wide and sprawled his muscular arms on the armrest, exuding the potency of a king. Sabrina swooned over his dominance. 

She hesitantly walked towards the chair. 

Elijah watched her like a hawk. He wondered what had caused her to step into his camp at such an oddly hour and that too in this nightdress. 

This darn nightdress.

Even though covered in a nightdress, Elijah could clearly make out the outline of her soft curves. His eyes took note of her hard nipples that were poking the thin fabric of her dress. The girl was testing his patience. 

He felt his manhood twitching in excitement when she leaned forward to take the chair and her swells peaked from her flimsy nightdress. Fuck, the things he wanted to do with those creamy globes.

He cleared his throat to clear his mind and slid back further into the chair. 

He immediately darted his gaze up and almost sighed in relief, knowing that she hadn't caught him gawking at her breasts. Beautiful breasts that would fit perfectly in his palm.   

"So?" he urged her to speak. His amber eyes watched her with a tinge of curiosity and a hint of worry. 

She didn't speak for a good minute. He realized she was figuring out a way to form whatever she needed to say. Her eyes were on the ground. 

"I..ummm...Do you know about mates?" she lifted her gaze and connected her gaze with his. 

Elizah was completely taken aback by her question. He couldn't understand what she meant by it. Has she come to his chamber only to know if he knows about mate or not? Of course, he does. All werewolves are taught about this. 

"Yes.." he said, not really understanding where the conversation was going. 

She nodded but the strain on her feature didn't relax a bit. She once again flipped her gaze onto the foot of his chair.  

Her silence was starting to get him hot and bothered.

She coughed her throat clear, mustering all the courage she owned. And then she finally broke her silence.

"You are my mate," she said in one go and turned her eyes up to gauge his reaction.