The Mark

~ Adrain ~

I stood staring at the black-haired girl that lay on the bed.

“Human.” I cursed and ran my hands through my hair.

The Moon goddess shouldn’t have done this. It was obvious I would reject the bond.

I would clearly not take in a mere human as a mate. Humans are weak and inferior. This very mate of mine had only become unconscious just by my mere touch. 

Marking her or mating with her would obviously get her bedridden for god knows how long.

I gently shut the door of the room and moved to scan her face. I leaned closer, my breath cooling her still face.

I accessed every bit of her face, from her dark long hair that was scattered on the bed to her thick eyebrows and then her tiny lips that were pure pink. 

I swallowed hard; she was really beautiful. 

Humans were actually very beautiful here in Lycaonia. 

I backed off and dipped my hands into my pocket. I heaved terribly before heading to the chair at the far end of the room.

My gaze returned to the human girl lying on my bed, and the thought of throwing her out came crawling into my head. But for some reason, I knew I wouldn’t. I just had to assure myself I will.

I had earlier on bought her for reasons I couldn't even explain, and now she turns out to be my mate.

I grabbed the bottle of an abandoned whiskey on the desk and a glass and poured out its contents.

I sipped on the liquor while I waited for Austin.

My gaze was fixed intently on the human to know when she moves an inch.

I watched keenly as her limbs moved.

I sprang up from the chair and walked over to the bed. But she lay still, and only the pulsating sound of her chest could be heard. 

“Pathetic beings," I spat.

I hissed and was heading back to the chair when the room door flung open.

“Alpha,” Austin called and hurried over towards me. 

“The priestess has been called, and the council of elders advise she shouldn't be sent away," Austin said, his voice pleading.

I looked at his face and nodded. Austin was an honest beta, and he had really helped in finding my mate for the longest time.

I walked over to the desk and took hold of the glass and sipped on the liquor again. This time around, gulping it down once. Then poured more of its content onto the glass.

"Alpha," Austin called and held the glass, preventing me from taking the liquor.

He knew how I hated humans and was more draining as a mate. 

“I think you should stop taking more of it till the priestess arrives.” He dropped the liquor on the desk.

I nodded again and headed back to sit. 

“You can go on Alpha while I watch her.” Austin voiced, pointing at the girl.

I shook my head in disapproval. Something in me wouldn't let me leave her sight. 

“You can go, Austin, while I watch her.” I said slumping on the chair.

Austin walked back towards the door, he pulled out an old book from the shelf above the door.

As he lifted it out, dust scattered into the air, nearly choking the both of us.

“What's that Austin?” I struggled to speak, coughing out loudly.

Austin walked towards the desk with the book in his hands. “The mega-ancient book," he said and dropped it on the desk.

I stared at the long-aged book with thorn edges and thorn backs. I watched Austin as he opened the book, flipping through the pages that stuck together.

He tried to separate one page from another, each page revealing the ancient diagrams of the extinct wolves. 

“Why do you need them, Austin?. All wolves there are extinct and long gone.” I queried.

Austin didn’t respond but kept flipping through the pages of the book. He flipped forward and backward; his expression changed into a frown that showed disappointment. 

“Wrong book." He hissed and walked over the shelf and dropped it.

He looked over the books arranged on the shelf, and his gaze rested on one. His lips curled into a triumphant smile, and he pulled the book out and headed to my desk again.

"Adrain, what’s with you and the books?" I raised an eyebrow, confused and irritated by the unnecessary search of the book.

“Volume two of the mega-ancient book. He said, his eyes fixed on the book.

"Okayyyyyy," I dragged, confused at where the information was heading.

He started flipping through its pages again. 

I watched him for quite a while, sighed, and rested my head on the chair. 

I brought my eyes down to see Austin still flipping through endless pages of a book and pausing once in a while to glance at Emilia.

He flipped and got to the end of the page, then stared down hard at the image on it. 

He glanced at me then back at the image.

He carried the book in his palm and headed towards the human girl that lay lifelessly.

He glanced at her upper arm and then back at the book before signaling me to come.

I hesitated for a while before finally moving towards him.

“The mark Alpha, it's the same.” Austin said, his voice more like a whisper.

I stared at him before taking the book from him.

I stepped a little closer to her, and my gaze dropped to the mark in her upper arm and then the exact image and it was crystal clear.

I stood still and froze at the spot.

Looking into Austin's eyes inquiringly.