It's time, Blaze
Blaze
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“You want me to leave? Now? In the middle of trying to find a Warlock? Kai is still missing, Thane.”
“Enough people are looking for Kai. Theo and Tyler are working on finding the Warlock; everything here is covered. There is no excuse you can give. It’s time, Blaze.” Thane leans back in his overly large leather chair.
When Thane called me into his office ten minutes ago, I did not expect this. For the past month, we’ve worked hard to locate the Warlock who infiltrated our pack, not to mention the Dragon Kingdom.
We’ve found no trace of the Warlock, or Kai, the Wild Alpha, Starr’s mate, in a month. Kai was arrested for murder, though we all knew he was innocent. The Warlock had disguised himself, using a potion and spell that would change him into Kai to fool everyone. He did this to hide his crime of kidnapping the Dragon princess and hiding her in the Royal Packs orphanage. Not to mention altering people’s minds and memories and gagging the princess from telling anyone who she was or where she came from.
Thane had to make Kai’s incarceration look real. The King needed the Warlock to think we believed his trick. Killing the women who ran the orphanage was the only way to stop Starr from looking into their minds and possibly finding the truth. But Kai disappeared from his cell in a flash of light, leaving his mate in a world of hurt.
Keeping our eyes on everyone at all times is what we’ve been left with. Luke, our resident Demon, never rests when it comes to scanning anyone who comes close. Luke is able to rip away any disguise spell, revealing the actual person underneath.
We also have a traitor in our midst. Someone had to be leaking information to the Warlock and helping them gain access to the pack. No way the Warlock could have gained access without help. We haven’t found the traitor either, meaning they are probably away from the pack and being protected by the Warlock.
I have worked my as.s off this past month. I am the Royal Gamma and head Warrior; I lead from the front and always have. I am needed here!
“Why are you so desperate to get rid of me, Thane?”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Balze. We have hundreds of people working on this, and we’ll be fine without you for a while.”
“I’m Gamma, Thane. I’m also a head Warrior, and my place is here. Now isn’t the right time for me to be taking off.”
“You’re good at your job, Blaze; no one could deny that. But the world won’t stop turning just because you aren’t here. As rulers of Lycans and Werewolves, there will always be one thing or another causing drama for us. There will never be a right time to leave, Blaze. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”
I run my finger through my hair in frustration. “Why now, Thane? Why can’t it wait until we’ve dealt with the Warlock?”
“It’s been three years, Blaze. I see you struggling sometimes, even though you try to hide it.” I open my mouth to protest, but Thane shakes his head. “I’m not saying it’s affecting your work, Blaze, but it is affecting you personally.
“You need your mate, Blaze. We are Lycans, Princes of Lykos. We don’t do well without our mates. For you to have gone this long without her shows how strong you are. But, Blaze, enough is enough. Go find your mate, grovel at her damn feet, and bring her home.”
I sigh because I’m sick of hearing the same thing about going to my mate. I knew I shouldn’t have told Thane about her last year; he hasn’t shut up since.
“Thane...”
“No!” I sink back into my chair when he bellows. “I am not asking or suggesting; I am ordering you as your King to go fetch your mate and bring her here!”
Sh.it, using his Alpha King tone, means I must obey. I can’t fight a command like that; no one can. What a bas.tard!
I can’t deny that I think about my mate every day. I wonder what she’s doing and if she thinks about me. We had one night together after meeting in a bar. I was visiting Shadow Pack on Thane’s orders, making sure the Alpha was treating the pack right in accordance with the King’s law. I had no idea what a human girl would be doing living and working in a Wolf Pack, but I also didn’t care.
My Lycan was going crazy in my head, wanting me to claim our mate. But, of course, my mate didn’t feel the mate bond. Humans don’t, though they feel strongly connected to the one destined for them.
I approached the bar where she worked, her scent drawing me closer. She smiled, and something in her blue eyes told me she knew I was meant for her. But I didn’t bring it up because I felt it was wishful thinking.
We chatted while she worked, and I offered to walk her home when her shift was over. I came up with the excuse I wanted to make sure she was safe. She laughed and told me she’d lived in Shadow Pack for a long time but agreed to my proposition.
We ended up in my hotel room, where I ravaged her all night. I took her in every way imaginable, and nothing had ever felt so right nor settled the beast within as she did. I had to fight the urge to mark her, and my wolf almost took over more than once.
I left at first light. I knew I couldn’t take her home with me, Thane wouldn’t have understood, or so I thought. I whispered a pathetic sorry, kissed her head, and forced myself not to look back as I walked away from my sleep beauty.
It was raining that morning as I drove away from Shadow Pack. I smiled because it seemed like a sign that Rain, my mate, would always be mine. I promised myself I would return for Rain when the time was right. But that was three years ago; she might not even recognize me now.
“Blaine is going with you. He already packed your stuff and is in the car waiting for you.”
“What the hell?”
Taking my brother with me is the last thing I need. The man never shuts the fu.ck up! Oh, Goddess, Blaine is annoying as hell. I love him, but I barely tolerate him at the best of times.
Stuck in a car with him for hours with no way out?
Fu.ck no!
“Go, Blaze. I expect you back next week.”
What choice do I have?
I leave Thane’s office, silently fuming. I’m not ready for this!
‘You’ll never be ready.’
‘Not now, Ace.’
‘Don’t tell me ‘not now’! I’ve waited long enough for you to get your head out of your as.s and drop the excuses. I want my mate! Thane’s right; it’s been three years, Blaze. We have the King’s blessing to bring our human mate to Lykos. Do you know how special that is? Rain needs us, Blaze; I can feel it. Something isn’t right.’
I sigh because I can’t deny I feel it too.
‘What if she’s with someone else, Ace? She won’t feel the mate bond between us, so there would be nothing stopping Rain from moving on.’
‘You should have let me mark her.’
I shake my head. Ace knows that wouldn’t have been right. Sure, Rain knew about Werewolves; her step-uncle was one. She knew about Lycans because of the Wolves. But knowing about them and the mate bond is one thing. Telling the girl she was my mate would have scared her.
Besides, I was worried about what Thane would say. Bringing a human mate to Lykos without his permission would not have gone well.
I wasn’t ready for this. But the truth is, I’m terrified of rejection. I thought that if I stayed away, I wouldn’t have to hear the words, ‘I reject you.’
‘Isn’t staying away just as bad as rejection? Why are you such an idio.t, Blaze? Hiding from Rain and not having her with us is as bad as being rejected. It might take a little longer, but eventually, the pain will weaken you. Why did the Moon Goddess curse me with someone so stupid?’
‘f**k you, Ace!’
“So, big brother. Ready for our road trip?”
I roll my eyes at Blaine. This is going to be a long drive. I’ll never know why we couldn’t go in our Lycan form. We would have gotten to Shadow Pack that way in no time.
“I’m driving.” I snatch the keys from Blaine’s hand, and he sighs.
“This is gonna be fun.” Blaine laughs while buckling himself in.
“Blaine, there is nothing fun about traveling with you for hours.”
“Charming.” He mumbles as I pull away from the castle. “You didn’t even say goodbye to Mom and Dad.”
“They’re used to me leaving without saying anything, Blaine. Besides, I have no doubt you already told them.”
“I didn’t say where we were going. I just said that Thane asked me to join you on a mission.”
Mission. I roll my eyes because my parents would have to be stupid to have believed I’d take Blaine on any mission with me.
“Mom was all, ‘Oh, Blaine, that’s wonderful. I’ll have to pack you some sandwiches.’ I’m like, ‘Mom, for Goddess’s sake, I’m a grown man. I don’t need a packed lunch. Then Dad was like, ‘Grown man, my eye. And I’m like...”
“Blaine! For f**k’s sake, I get it.”
And yes, my parents are stupid.
“You are one moody bas.tard.” Blaine folds his arms over his chest and slumps back in his chair.
The four-hour drive drags, and my brother doesn’t shut up for more than five-minute intervals. I’m about ready to sever his tongue by the time we reach Shadow Pack.
The pack is quite large, and as we drive through the town, we see people laughing and readying themselves for some fair they’re having soon.
“This place is not bad, Blaze.”
“Mhm.”
We finally pull up outside the packhouse. It’s not as big as most I’ve seen, but it’s still three stories. A smiling Omega answers the door. It doesn’t surprise me that Alpha Greg Samuels is expecting me.
“Prince Blaze. Prince Blaine.” Greg greets us as we enter his office.
I tip my head, and Blaine shakes Greg’s hand. I don’t like to be touched at the best of times, and I have to initiate it. I don’t know this man well, so I won’t be shaking hands with him, no matter how rude it might seem.
“Please take a seat.” We do, in front of his desk. “What exactly can I help you with?”
“You have a pack member I’d like to speak with.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t know her surname.”
‘You don’t know your mate’s surname?’
I ignore Blaine.
“Her forename is Rain. She’d be in her twenties.”
“I know Rain. But what could you possibly want with her?”
For the first time in a long time, I admit to someone outside my family, “She’s my mate.”