Mate for the Prince of Beasts

Alana's POV It was chaos all around us, my father had given the order for us to run away, and despite not wanting to do it, I knew I had no choice, he was in charge, and I had to trust him to know what was best, so we ran.  My mother and I were trying to get the women and the kids to safety and we almost did it, but then the beasts caught up to us.   My mother had been the first one out of the tunnel, she was helping people out, urging them to run to the forest, away from the fight, and then we heard the screams.  It was a moment of panic not knowing what was happening, until we saw the beasts getting out of the forest, their muzzles covered in blood.   I had heard the stories, just like everyone else, our new enemies used to be witches like us, but they had used all their magic to bond their bodies with animals spirits, enslaving them and losing their own souls in the process, now they were nothing but beasts that killed everything in their way, they had been attacking and killing everyone in their way to the capital.  No one knew exactly who they were or what they wanted, all we knew is that there was no way to stop them.  My father had thought we were safe, we weren't in their path, but it appeared as if they had gotten out of their previous way, just to destroy more people, and it happened that it was our people that had the misfortune of getting in their way.  We were all running as fast as we could, it was instinct to try and get away when a wolf or a cougar twice the size of a normal one ran in front of you, you did your best to run from them, not that it was easy.  I had thought my mother and I would be able to escape, but one of the women behind us fell, she was carrying a child in her arms and couldn't get up fast enough, so my mother, my brave mother turned around and went to help her.  She managed to lift the woman to her feet, but before she could get away, a huge wolf caught her and bit down on her neck.  He shook her like a rag doll, and then, to my unlimited horror, I saw her head fell off.   I was in shock, I had forgotten all about running or escaping, I was staring in horror at my mother's head that had fallen between me and the beast.  I took a step closer, still not comprehending what had just happened, not wanting to believe what I had just seen, and then, the wolf turned its attention on me.  It started to run my way, but I had no desire to run away, I couldn't.  Just as the wolf was about to run over me, another, bigger wolf got in the way.  I thought they were going to start fighting, but the wolf that had killed my mother immediately stopped and showed its neck in submission, the other wolf, the bigger one, turned to me and I was caught in its stare, it was so intense that I almost didn't notice as it started to shift into a handsome man, the most beautiful male I had ever seen.   "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. "I don't know," I answered truthfully.  I had been forced to flee from my home, I had no idea where my father was and I had just seen my mother being murdered in the most horrific way, but all I could think about at the moment was the man in front of me.  Without even noticing, my feet had moved me closer to him, I could just extend my arm and touch him.  The other wolf went back to his feet and approached us.  I knew that I should feel like running away from him, but I was confident it wouldn't attack me, not with the man in front of me protecting me, and then the beast shifted and I saw the human face of the man that had killed my mother.  "Boss?" the killer asked.  "What's going on?" he looked confused, just like I felt.  "This is my mate," the man said, "no one will touch her, understood?" "Are you sure boss?  She is a witch," the killer said.  "Of course I'm sure!" the man roared and then turned to me.  Again I was caught in his stare.  His eyes were a beautiful color, they were a deep blue like the lake in a summer night.   "What about the rest?" the killer asked, and the man broke our connection for a moment to face the killer.  "You know what to do with them, kill them all," he said, casually, as if he hadn't just ordered the death of dozen of people, and somehow the spell I had been under broke with those words and that harsh reality.   "What?  No!  You can't do that!" I said, looking around me and seeing the rest of the beasts still slaughtering the women and children.   "You have to stop this, you can't!" I said, grabbing his arm and pleading with him.  "They are innocent!  They don't deserve this"  "It's alright," the man said, putting his hands on my shoulders and moving me until I was facing him again.  "You will be safe." "But my people, my friends!"   "They are no longer your people, but I get it, you are too innocent, you shouldn't see this," he said.  "Take her to the camp, make sure she is treated like the queen she will be." "No!  You have to stop!" I yelled, just as the killer started to move my way.  I tried to move away from him, but the man was still holding me in place.  "No! No! No!" I started chanting, I couldn't let that man touch me, not that killer, not the one who had ended my sweet mother.  "Shh, it's okay," the man said.  "No, it's not, that man is a killer!" I said, my fear so strong that I wanted to get away even from him and his calming presence.  I knew I was getting hysterical, but it was all too much for me. I was hyperventilating, and I knew that, but I couldn't stop.  I felt like water rushing into my ears, and I was feeling faint, but there was nothing I could do about it, the world was getting black and soon I couldn't even feel anything.  Blaze's POV The woman in front of me collapsed, and I felt my animal side going crazy.  I was supposed to protect her, not hurt her, but I could see that my request had sent her over the edge.  I carefully lifted her into my arms and got ready to take her back to camp.   "Boss?" Talon asked.  I could tell he wasn't sure what was going on, but neither was I, all I knew was that from the moment I had set my eyes on her I knew she was my fated mate.  "Yes?"  "Do you still want me to take her to the camp?" "No, I will, you take care of this, I want everyone gone." "What about saving a few as slaves?" "No, we don't need more right now, the dungeon back at the castle is full, and until we sell or assign the few we have, there is no point in taking more." "Alright, it will be done as you wish." The weight of the woman felt so right in my arms.  I would have never in a million years imagine that a witch could be my fated mate, but there was no denying what I was feeling, it was like everything else stoped existing and all I could think of was her.  My animal side had gone crazy at the idea of her being hurt, I had been ready to tear my own friend apart just to keep her from harm.  It would be difficult for me to get used to the idea, but I was pretty confident that I could just forget her origins and focus on her.  I knew she felt the same way I did, it was clear in the way she had reacted to me, so that was a big plus, a confirmation that I was right and she was mine.  For the moment I had to take her to a safe place, and prepare everything for our return to the castle where I could claim her as my mate and seal our futures together.