His Mate

ETHAN'S POV

She looks pretty enough to win a beauty contest despite the dirt and bruises on her face. I knew my mate would not be ordinary, but I didn't expect her to have the features of my childhood fantasy Princess, including a pair of big eyes that make her look like the most innocent soul on earth

She looks like a powerless angel that ended up in a messy situation. But I know that faces can be deceiving

I cannot know who she really is until she wakes up and tells me. I cannot just assume that her angelic looks are a perfect reflection of her character just because I feel spellbound

I wasn't ready to find her now. I am supposed to give up my life soon to lift the curse, having a mate that needs looking after complicates everything

I have the overwhelming urge to embrace her tightly and promise her the world while I breathe in her delightful scent. But I will not always be here to look after her. It's best if I restrain myself from showing her any affection at all so that she won't be broken when she finds out that I will not be around long enough to be her lifetime lover

I am also sure that my family will want me to sacrifice her life instead of mine to lift the curse. So this isn't the safest place for her anyway. But whatever she was running away from must have been worse

"Hum... huh... is she really your mate?" Tracy stutters the question after leaning on the door for a long time. She sounds tense, as if something has upset her

I had literally forgot that she was in the room. She has been quiet since I walked in with my mate in my arms and brought her . I know she isn't thrilled and I understand her feelings

She has always been my most loyal friend and I know how much she desires to be my Queen despite knowing that I will soon die to save the lives of the people of my kingdom

My parents love her because she has done her best to prove her loyalty to me and this Kingdom for years. I avoided the close relationship because I didn't want to leave behind a broken wife after I die to end the curse

Now that my mate is here I can see the hurt in her eyes even though she is struggling to hide it

I stand and walk closer to her

"She is my mate." I affirm and she bites her lip

"What's her name?

"I am yet to know who she is. She was already unconscious when I found her." I answer and she looks up at me with curiosity in her eyes

"She has the face of a fairly princess. Do you plan to make her your queen?" She asks in an emotional voice

"It takes more than a beautiful face to rule a Kingdom. We don't know who she is yet." I answer, doing my best to reason with my mind and not my heart. She sighs deeply

I am already head over heels with my unconscious mate despite not even knowing her name. That isn't fair to Tracy who has committed herself to proving her loyalty me for years. I think I can't help the attraction because of the mate bond. I must however learn more about who the girl is before allowing myself to fall deeper in love

"She doesn't seem strong." Tracy points out the obvious and carries on to explain. "The cuts and bruises on her skin would have healed already if she has a wolf. She has also been unconscious for over an hour. What do you think is wrong?

I mull over the issue for the tenth time since I rescued my beautiful mate. She clearly doesn't have a wolf or powers

"I don't think she is a werewolf. She may be something better." I answer, implying that she is like me

"She wouldn't have gotten hurt if she was like you." Tracy argues

"Perhaps she is yet to phase. I did not get my powers until I turned nineteen, remember?" I answer, smiling at the prospect of having a mate who is as powerful as me

The dream isn't that thrilling. Not when I know that one of us must die to lift the curse

"Why do you think she was being chased by three men?" Tracy asks, sounding a little suspicious

I know that her good heart harbours no bad intensions towards anyone that is not her enemy. She is only asking questions out of genuine concern

"There are too many reasons why a girl without any means of defense would get attacked and run. I choose not to assume anything until I find out the truth." I answer her question the best way I can and she nods in understanding

She stays silent for a couple of minutes and appears to be thinking deeply

"I am glad that you finally found your mate even though I had dreams of us being together. She is beautiful and I am happy for you." She says in a sweet tone and I smile at her sudden change of attitude. She always finds a way to prove her diligence no matter the situation

"You must be feeling tired and distressed by now. I think you should go rest." She urges, opening the door for me to leave

"I can help find all information about your mate since I am free of work for the next two days." She kindly offers and I shake my head

"I can't leave this room before she wakes up." I reply. "She will need someone to explain how she got here.

"I will watch her for a while before I head out. She is probably going to wake up soon and I will explain everything." Tracy smiles reassuringly

I nod and smile back gratefully. I know I can trust her with a million lives. She is a good person at heart. Envy would never make her seek to harm anyone

"I will get a servant to bring you something to drink. Thanks in advance for the help." I say

She nods and I watch her walk to the seat beside the bed before I step out of the room and shut the door. I do need a moment of rest to mull over everything that has happened. My mate is safe as long as Tracy is in there to

. . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . " . . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . ything that has happened. My mate is safe as long as Tracy is in there.