Choosing Her Lycan Mate

Chapter 8

Lycan King Douglas of Scotland POV

“I can’t believe I have found my mate after all this time, but now I have to compete for her affections against 3 other Lycans,” I grumbled to my Royal Beta Robbie for possibly the hundredth time during our flight to Seattle.

“From what the Queen Luna of the Emerald Kingdom said, Princess Isabelle would be your second chance mate,” Robbie reminds me. “Have you any idea who your fated mate might have been, or what might have happened to her?”

“I don’t know,” I say at first. But I know if I think on the matter long enough, the answer might become very clear to me. One I don’t like to think on if I can help it. “Lilith, perhaps.”

When I had been a young lad hunting in the woods, my party had stumbled upon a small cottage in a glen, where lived a family of humans. I had taken an instant liking to the oldest daughter, Lilith, and she seemed to like me well enough. I convinced her to meet me after dark outside the cottage, and she did. We snuck into the barn and had a merry time together. Afterwards, I would meet her in secret once a week for several months, until one day I was disappointed when she said that she would not meet me anymore. She wanted marriage, and I said I didn’t.

Some time passed and I came across her father when I was out hunting early one morning. I asked about his family, and he told me his daughter was married now, and happy.

This happened a long time ago, before I had shifted. I can think of no one else who might have been my fated mate since then. Was my fated mate truly a human, though? I hadn’t felt any sort of instant connection like that since, not until the night Isabelle was dancing in my arms. I suppose Lilith must have been it, then. Unless I had never met my fated mate because she had taken a chosen mate. That happens quite often I’ve been told.

Isabelle was a bonny wee lass, and my Lycan Mac was anxious to take her from the dance floor immediately and mate with her, until she suddenly slipped away from us. I may have come on a bit too strong, desperate to claim her despite the fact that she was apparently too young to feel the mate bond. I realize now that perhaps I should have taken things slower. Let her get to know me better. Talk of mating had apparently frightened her into running away from me.

I know she had been amongst the group of she wolves who had been rescued from prostitution. That was the whole point of that international summit, to eradicate the s*x trafficking of she wolves. A very worthy cause, in my opinion. Especially if my mate had been one of the victims of that horrific trade!

Maybe because of her past experience, she was now afraid of mating? Or ashamed of her previous experience working as a prostitute? It couldna been pleasant for her, so that would make a lot of sense. It’s not an ideal past history for my future Queen Luna, I suppose. But I don’t intend to tell the wolves of my kingdom about her past at all, in that case. She is a Lycan princess. That will have to be enough.

I hope that Isabelle’s past hasn’t caused any issues with her fertility. I would hope that she has since been thoroughly tested for any sort of disease, and that she has a current clean bill of health. At 30 years old, I’m getting up there in age, and I need to begin producing heirs off of her as quickly as possible. It sounds like I might have to wait for four months or so first, unless I can get Isabelle’s consent to mark her sooner.

I’m not too worried about the other competitors for Isabelle’s hand, since the smarmy king of Montreal won’t be allowed to use charm on my mate. The Romanian Prince is only 4th in line to the throne of that kingdom, after his older brother and 2 nephews. So in my opinion the only real threat to me is the Greek, who is rich and powerful as well as the heir apparent to that throne after his grandfather and father. That could be a very long wait if Isabelle is in any sort of hurry to become Queen Luna!

I may not be as rich as the Greek, or as ‘debonair’ as the French Canadian, and I’m definitely not young and filled with angst like the Romanian. But I’m confident I’ve got everything the Princess could possibly want. She will not have to wait around for anyone to die to become Queen Luna. I’m strong enough to keep her and all our kingdom safe. I’ve got money enough to keep her happy. I will be a loving and devoted mate, and a doting father to our many pups. And once I get that princess into bed with me, I guarantee she will forget all about any previous lovers or clients she’s ever been with. I’m pretty positive Isabelle won’t ever want to leave our love nest.

I doze off for a couple hours on the flight, dreaming of Isabelle and our future love nest. Thank the goddess for the extra large reclining seats in first class!

Robbie and I are met at the airport by Isabelle’s guardian, Lycan King Leonard, who insists that I call him Leo. I was disappointed not to be met by the princess herself. Leo claims she has an appointment this morning that she can’t miss, but offers no other explanation.

I’m amazed at Seattle, it looks a lot like Scotland in terms of weather, large bodies of water, and vegetation, but with a large population in the middle of it all. It was like London had a baby with Scotland. What a horrible thought! And yet it seems to work, except for the traffic.

Eventually we reach Emerald pack in the north of Seattle and near both Lake Washington and a major university, the seat of the Emerald Kingdom. I ask Leo how they manage to keep the pack hidden from the humans, and he just laughs.

“Humans, for the most part, don’t believe we even exist,” Leo reminds me. “And while the Emerald Kingdom itself is large, covering most of the area of the states of Washington and Oregon, Emerald pack itself is pretty small. Only about 20 city blocks in total. So we just make it work.”

“I see,” I say, nodding my head. Then the car turns into an underground parking garage, with security at the entrance. We are waved through and then begin driving around in circles until the vehicle comes to a large reserved space for the Lycan Kings vehicles. I notice that it’s conveniently placed near the elevator, and there are a couple guard wolves on the prowl looking for suspicious characters.

“We take our security very seriously here,” Leo tells me seriously. “Ever since Queen Luna Tara was abducted from our medical clinic we have made many changes to our security measures here. We hope to goddess that no she wolf from our pack ever finds herself taken against her will like that ever again!”

I make a non committal noise in response. He made his meaning very clear. Neither I, nor any of the other wolves vying for the princess’s affections will be allowed to just abscond with the princess unless she allows it. Well, I’ll just have to make sure she comes with me as a willing participant then, shan’t I?

I wish to be taken to Isabelle immediately to begin wooing my mate, but instead I am given a small tour of the public areas of the palace, and then given a guest room. I am then left to ‘refresh’ myself for some time before I am finally allowed entry to the private Royal family apartment on the top floor.

And then there she is, Princess Isabelle Worthing. As pretty as a summer day, with her hair like spun honey done up in a lovely braided bun, and her shining green eyes. Surrounded by what looks like everyone in her entire HUGE family.

Awkward!