The Mate's Prophecy

Chapter 1

(Hunter’s POV)

I ran as fast as I could on four paws after the car that was carrying my mate away from me, the echo of her rejection still burning in my veins. It didn’t matter, I needed her back. She is my mate, my goddess given soulmate. 

The car disappeared around the corner and by the time I had gotten there it had disappeared. Everything drained out of me and I collapsed to the floor whimpering. The despair took over as the hole in my heart widened to swallow me whole.

I lifted my snout and allowed my pain to sing out in my long mournful series of howls.

******

(Drew’s POV)

(One Month Later)

My alarm went off at 6am waking me up from the hour of sleep I could have maybe gotten. I wanted nothing more than to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep. But with the Alpha ceremony only days away someone had to sign everything off, and as soon to be Beta of the Black Stone pack I took my new duties seriously and picked up the brunt of the work. It wasn’t like the new Alpha was going to do anything. Not after last night anyway or was that this morning.

It was 3am before I had managed to coerce a very drunk Hunter into his bed, and another 2 hours of semi unconscious screaming before I had managed to carry him into the remains of Cassie’s bedroom, with the help of Jack Blane one of our lead warriors, and mate to Wren Slater, good friend and soon to be appointed Lead Warrior later this week. Hunter had finally settled down to a whimpering sleep around 5am ish. 

It had been like this for the last two weeks, crazy amounts of alcohol before the nightmares started. Dr Baxter, our pack psychiatrist, had said that it was normal after a rejection, although it was made worse by Hunter still refusing to accept the rejection. The doctor had said that the nightmares would get better, but if anything they seemed to be getting worse. I knew that we had two more full moons left before the bond would fade completely, we had already had one full moon just over two weeks ago. 

To be honest I didn’t think Hunter would last that long at the rate he was going. Even if the constant drinking, no sleep and no food wasn’t enough to send him and his wolf crazy, we had the impending curse and its deadline looming just three weeks away on Hunter's 30th birthday. And there was no way that Hunter would survive the death of his wolf, not in this state anyway.

I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower, blasting myself with cold water first and then throwing on the hot. Not that it helped. I had decided to move into one of the guest rooms in Obsidian House, the main pack house, because Hunter was liable to fly into another rage at any point and my calming aura gift was pretty much the only thing that could calm him down. Other than the obvious, but then she wasn’t here and was the reason that the majority of the upper ranked pack members were working round the clock for. 

I wanted to hate Cassie for what she did, I really did. My best friend is on the edge of oblivion because of her decision to not only reject him, but to leave and decide to mate and mark with Jackson Tainter, the Alpha of our rival pack, the Blood Stone pack. But the simple truth was, I didn’t hate her, quite the opposite. I knew that no matter how stupid she was being, she was under the impression that she was helping. Her agreement with Tainter was that she would be his Luna if he had the curse removed. At this point from what I had heard, the marking still hadn’t happened so the curse was still our biggest concern.

Hence the Alpha ceremony. With the state Hunter was in, handing him the reins of the current European royal pack seemed like a dumb move. But that was exactly what was going to happen. In three day’s time our current Alpha, and Hunter’s father, Alpha Stephen Black, was officially stepping down from his duties and passing them on to Hunter. From the outside it looked like your standard passing of the title, but those of us in the inner circle knew that there was a bigger reason at hand.

The curse that plagued Hunter, that would kill his wolf on his 30th birthday would then spread to every person who pledged loyalty to the Black Stone pack and all would lose their own wolf as a result. We had made a plan that if we were unsuccessful in breaking the curse, that we would release each member from their loyalty. But the act of renouncing a pack took its toll on the Alpha and the effect that fifteen hundred wolves removing their loyalty at once would be a lot, even for an Alpha of Stephen's capabilities to bear. As it was the sudden loss of not only over fifteen hundred wolves, due to a large number being spies for the Blood Stone pack and the rest scared off because of the mass betrayal, but also the renouncement by Cassie had already weakened him. Hunter had insisted on him taking the title and being the one to take the pain of the rest of the pack too.

I got out of the shower and quickly dried and brushed my teeth before heading back into the bedroom and pulling on a pair of dark grey jeans and a light grey t-shirt before heading out of my room. I went to Cassie’s room which was a disaster zone, everything had been smashed to pieces in several of Hunter's earlier rages. It smelt mostly like alcohol and drunk guy sweat, but there was still that smell underneath, the sweet smell that belonged just to Cassie. Even after a month. I knew that was why Hunter spent his nights here, it was the only way to calm the man and the wolf.

I looked at the pile in the middle of the room where Hunter had collapsed last night. He was still there fidgeting in his sleep while he had a death grip on a piece of material, probably one of Cassie’s tops or something. I remembered back to that first night, the one where she left. I still remember seeing them both crumbled in pain from her rejection, and watching helpless as that b*stard Jackson picked her up and put her in his car, and the smug smirk on Parker’s face as he slid into the back of the car. 

But hearing Hunter screaming for Cassie as he chased them down, and the harrowing howls as he mourned the loss of his mate in his wolf form. He howled for hours and nobody could get close without him snapping at them. I had eventually gotten within a foot or so and sat there against a tree waiting for him to shift back. I eventually fell asleep and when I woke up he was gone.

We found him a couple of days later, still in wolf form along the border of the Blood Stone territory. It looked like he was testing the boundaries for weaknesses. It had taken us another four days and a tranquilizer gun to finally catch him and get him home.  He was a wreck, covered in dirt and blood. Not that he’s much better now. 

I deliberated waking him up but decided to let him sleep some more and quietly let myself out of the room.  I headed to the top floor living and dining room which had become a command centre of sorts. Only authorised persons allowed on this floor. The walls were covered in blueprints and maps and notes from the many many meetings we had. There was only one person in the room when I got there. 

My dad. And he looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep either. 

“Dad” I said as I sat next to him and watched what he was doing. He was working on yet another plan. Mapping out manoeuvres. 

“Dad” I said a little more urgently

“What?” He was annoyed at the interruption. I think he felt guilty over Cassie, we all did. I know that I spent many an hour wondering if there was anything I could have done differently, that meant that she was still here. 

“Get some sleep” I said, putting a level of authority into my voice and my dad rolled his eyes at me and the corner of his mouth cracked a, blink and you miss it, smile. 

“You aren’t Beta yet, son” 

I grinned, “Three days, Elder” and he scoffed at me but put down his pen. He rubbed his eyes and frowned

“I dunno son,” he said sadly “I just feel so helpless”

“I know, but if you don’t get sleep, you will be helpless” I said sternly and he looked at me proudly

“Who would have thought it?” he grinned “This time last year you were my carefree playboy son, who was more interested in notches on the bedpost than leadership qualities” he stood and patted me on the back “and now look at you”

“Yeah a lot has changed, that's for sure, now about you going to bed” I wasn’t letting him get away with this.

“After the morning meeting” he assured me and I nodded.

People had started to file in, Garrett and Kieran were first, followed by Amelia, Wren and Jack and then Bianca and Lucy walked in together. Lydia, Jessica and the Luna were carrying breakfast food and the Alpha and Elder Darren were deep in conversation as they walked in.

Soon everyone settled at the dining table and I took the chair at the head, the one that should have been taken by Hunter, but that’s what a Beta did right? They acted for the Alpha when he couldn’t himself.

“Ok everyone” I said drawing the attention of the room “Lets go over the plan to rescue Cassie once more”