The Lycan King's Fated Mate

Chapter 3 - Mistaken Identity

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Lio

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“Huh?” I mutter, confused, as the guy asks me when I dyed my hair and I open my mouth to tell him I’m not Eli, but he raises his hand before the words leave my mouth, signaling me to hold it, taking out his phone that’s ringing.

Just then, arms wrap around my shoulder, and I lock eyes with a grinning Will, one of my colleagues. “I thought you would never get here. Come here; you have to see this,” he says, turning me around, and I glance back at the guy on the phone to find him looking the other way.

Well, I certainly won't stand there awkwardly, waiting for him to finish his conversation to explain to him that I am not whoever he thinks I am. I proceed to the check-in desk and quickly check in while Will repeats that there’s something I’ve got to see—an excited expression on his face.

I ask him what it is, and he says he can’t even explain it. He grabs my arm and practically drags me across the floor, and I notice we are not heading toward my room. So I ask him where he’s taking me, to which he again says I will see.

Just then, we spot four imposing men in black who look to be bodyguards or something, standing opposite these massive glass doors. I soon realize that it is a conference hall or something. It’s packed with people too, but we stand just a couple of steps away as the men’s expressions make it clear to not come any closer.

“Look at her; have you ever seen anything like that?" Will says and a knowing smirk makes its way onto my face. I should have known this was about a girl and I’m about to turn to him and say that when the girl looks my way and I freeze in place, seeing what Will is talking about. She’s a vision.

Her long, flowing brown hair cascades down her back and stops just at her waist, framing her regal presence like a veil of liquid sunlight. Every movement she makes sends ripples through the silky strands, as if the very air acknowledges her presence with a gentle caress. I realize Will next to me has stopped breathing.

She stands tall too—taller than the average girl's height. I guess Clio is not alone. My sister towers over the average girl's height, too. She’s almost as tall as me and I’m 6’1. We can’t hear what she’s saying through the glass, though, but I bet if we could, her voice would be just as mesmerizing.

However, I’m jet lagged, I want to freshen up and I have a girlfriend. I’m about to say that to Will when he whispers, again. “She's so beautiful, " his eyes still wide with awe.

A soft chuckle escapes my lips, saying he must ensure to get her number, as she could be the one to finally tame his wicked heart. “Look at those legs,” he nudges me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I’d give anything to see them up close.” He adds, making me shake my head at him, the horny bastard, and he smirks, unapologetic.

“What can I say? I’m a leg guy.” He continues, still gawking at the woman. I shake my head again, amusement dancing in my eyes as I tease him about being a hopeless case when a low growl rumbles through the air.

Our heads snap to the right, and there, towering behind us like an imposing guardian, is one of the bodyguard-like men and we didn’t even hear him coming. He glares at us with a no-nonsense expression, and I don’t miss the unmistakable feral edge to his features.

“Leave,” he snarls, his voice carrying a dangerous edge that sends a shiver down my spine, and Will and I share a puzzled glance.

Confusion clouds my expression as I look at the man again, trying to decipher if my ears deceive me. Did he really just growl at us? But then, suddenly, this heavy and cold energy cuts through the air like an unseen blade, making our legs move of their own accord as they take an instinctual step backward.

The man’s eyes bore into ours, and we continue walking backward, our eyes never leaving the imposing figure until we are clear of his presence. It’s only then that we exhale the breath we hadn’t realized we were holding.

“What the hell just happened?” I ask, turning to Will, who looks just as bewildered and out of breath as I feel.

“I don’t know,” he replies, shaking his head. “But that dude sounded like he growled. Did you hear that?”

I nod, still trying to wrap my head around the bizarre encounter. “He must have taken a lot of souls in his line of work; the guy is a freak,” Will adds, a mix of unease and humor in his voice. “I guess you have to be a freak to guard a girl like that, huh?” he continues and we share a nervous laugh, attempting to shake off the lingering unease that clings to us as we continue to our rooms—assuming the weird dude is the girl's bodyguard.

I want to hit the shower and maybe eat something because I’m hungry. After that, I’ll catch up with Will again and we’ll check this place out before we gather to hear our weekend program. After that, we are getting into our snow gear and hitting the slopes.

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Eli

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The crisp mountain air greets me as I step out of the car—a satisfying hint of pine and snow. The hotel towers before me, with the ski resort sprawling out next to it and an approving smirk curves my cheeks.

I was told to expect this, and skiing is one of my favorite pastimes, so the promise of fresh powder on the slopes already has me excited. I grab my duffel bag and head towards the hotel entrance.

Making my way to the check-in desk, I notice a young woman behind the counter, her attention absorbed in something off to the side. Clearing my throat, I make my presence known, and she turns around, her expression shifting from distraction to a polite smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. How can I help you?” she says, her tone apologetic, and I return the smile, dismissing the oversight.

“No worries. I’m here to check in.” As I utter the words, however, the woman’s brow furrows slightly, making me wonder if I’ve said something out of place. Her gaze shifts down to the ID I’ve placed in front of her, and a subtle frown creases her features. It’s a curious reaction, and I’m about to ask if there’s an issue when she beats me to it.

“Didn’t I check you in already?” She asks, with a hint of confusion in her voice and I shake my head, a bemused expression on my face.

“No, this is my first time here. You must be mistaking me for someone else.” Her gaze lingers on the ID, skepticism clear in her nod. “I must be. I’m sorry about that.”

I assure her it’s no problem, and she checks me in and hands me the key card before wishing me a pleasant stay at their hotel. “Thank you,” the woman nods with a smile and I proceed towards the elevator, seeing that my room is on the upper floors, but just as I reach for the button, a voice speaks from behind.

“You are here.” I pivot around, and there stands a man I’ve never seen before who looks to be my father’s age. “I almost doubted myself, and that is something I never do,” he admits, his voice calm but carrying a weight that pierces through my usual confidence, and my wolf, Orpheus, begins to snarl in my head.

I furrow my brow, taken aback, and ask if he’s talking to me, even though clearly he is because there’s no one next to me. However, he doesn’t respond to my question. Instead, he reaches into his pocket, taking out what seems to be a black card while the surrounding air suddenly thickens.

He stops in front of me and as our eyes finally lock, a chill courses down my spine at the intensity in his eyes—something dark that sends a silent warning echoing in my mind—and Orpheus's growls become louder, seeming to be just as affected.

“You have power in you,” he says, extending the card toward me. I don’t know why, but despite the unease, I accept it. “But you need training.” He adds, and that finally snaps me out of the trance.

"What are you talking about?” I ask, my voice betraying a hint of unease as the realization dawns on me—could he know who I am? As if in agreement, Orpheus loses his sh*t. But again, the man doesn’t reply to my question.

“You are running out of time.” He says, and without another glance, he turns on his heels and walks away, disappearing around the corner as if he were never there. What the hell? I stand there, my hand still extended with the mysterious black card, a bizarre mixture of confusion, fear, and curiosity swirling within me.

The encounter leaves me rattled, a feeling I’m unaccustomed to, and for the first time in my life, feeling a sense of vulnerability. Just then, the elevator door opens, and I step inside, my thoughts in disarray while hearing Orpheus whimpering.

What was that? I ask him, seeing as he doesn’t seem interested in discussing what just happened, even though we both felt it and he says he doesn’t know.

But you were just as freaked out.

I remind him and he says that’s why he was freaking out, because he didn’t know.

I reach my room and enter, and I drop the bag on the bed and head to the shower, deciding to dismiss the encounter. It must another case of mistaken identity and I'm starting to feel like I have a twin here or something.

I start to undress but there’s a knock on my door causing me to stop and walk back out. I invite the person inside, thinking it’s room service, but it’s not. It’s Darnel.

“Hey, man,” I greet him, but he cuts me off, asking where I’ve been. He says he tried to catch up with me after the phone call but lost me, causing me to frown confused while proceeding to take off my shirt and beanie. However before I can respond, he speaks again.

“Wait! Did you go dye your hair red again?”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, getting more confused, and he points at my hair, saying it was blond a minute ago in a duh tone as if I’m supposed to know what he’s talking about.

Orpheus rolls his eyes, annoyed, and crawls to the back of my mind, eliciting a knowing smile on my face. My wolf doesn’t like people who talk too much, and Darnell is one of those people, so he doesn’t like him, even though he and I have been friends for a long time. He says he never stops and mostly talks nonsense.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I mutter, turning away from him to take out what I’m going to wear and he scoffs, saying “Yeah right," before plopping on my bed, adding he wants to get some grub but was waiting on me. I’m hungry too so I tell him I’m going to take a shower first, then we can go before asking if he has his snow gear to which he says of course as I disappear inside the bathroom.

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Athena

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“You are not getting into your snow gear?” I ask Anastacia and she says “No thank you,” sitting on the bed, causing me to laugh, saying she must put it on. She says she’s not going to skate, plus she never gets cold and I know that. I smile at her, asking if I get cold. I'm a werewolf and don’t need skating gear but I wear it anyway because it would look weird for me to be out there in my thongs. There are humans around. We need to act normal.

She says I need to act human, reminding me that she is human and doesn’t need to act anything. “An abnormal human,” I retort, earning a glare from her that makes me rephrase my statement. “A human with a rare condition that ordinary humans may not know about. Just put on your gear, please. Goddess, it’s like being out here with my dad."

She cracks up at that, saying surely she’s not that bad. “You want to bet?” I tease, pulling her to her feet and she says fine, she’ll put on her gear. “Thank you,” I say, gesturing for her to turn around so I can help her with her zipper. We’ve just had dinner and our first day here was successful—boring but successful. However, it’s no fun without Valerio and I can’t wait to go home.

In the meantime, though, we are going to make use of our fleeting freedom. It’s not every day that nobody knows who we are and we are free to do as we please. Only wolves and those fortunate enough to know about our existence know who we are, as our world is hidden from humans.

Eldermyst Kingdom, where we come from, is the second largest city in Elderhaven. A hidden haven where the supernatural coexists with only the chosen humans. Our world remains concealed from the prying eyes of the ordinary world, concealed by an ancient magic that renders it invisible to those who cannot perceive the supernatural.

So out here, only a handful know of its existence, which means all the expectations that we carry as royals are left behind when we come here.

The few who are fortunate to know us know to keep our identity a secret, because despite humans not knowing about us, we still venture into their world.

We have business here, like this hotel. The owner is a werewolf. Plus, it’s entertaining being around humans at times, like when I was busy with my speech earlier and suddenly heard some thirsty soul fantasizing about my legs until Damien chased them away that is.

We have that effect on humans. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to fend off bitches when I’m with Valerio. Shameless things humans are.

When we are done getting ready, we exit our suite and head down the corridor. When we make it to the lobby, it’s full and our guards motion the way for us but just then, it hits me—a scent unfurls in the air, weaving its way into my senses and it’s not the scent of roses or the delicate fragrance of spring. It’s something more primal—pine forests after rain, mixed with the musky warmth of an approaching storm. The scent resonates with my very core—a magnetic pull that I desperately resist with every fiber of my being.

“No,” I whisper under my breath as my wolf stirs, my voice barely audible as I protest against the inevitable, feeling a shiver running down my spine.

“What is it?” Anastacia asks, her eyes following mine as I struggle to avert my gaze. “My Mate. He’s here.”