The Alpha Princes Duty

Chapter 4

Cormac

Seven days pass. Seven days of four am starts and training until after the sun goes down. I thought I was fit, I thought I knew how to fight. I have never been so exhausted in my life, or sore or covered in bruises. They might heal quickly but I still feel it. Aldous has been repeatedly putting me on my ass but it has only fired my drive to be better.

As I limp back, my very bones heavy from the training field, I pause to look at the house. Still it draws me to it. Aldous follows my gaze and stops in his tracks. “You deserve a rest day tomorrow. I’m allocating you to protection duty on the crones house”

I don’t argue, in fact I feel excited my curiosity will finally be satisfied. Back at the house I practically throw my dinner down my neck and then make my way outside. Stripping I jump into the ice plunge to help my aching muscles recover then head straight to my bed. Tomorrow can’t come quick enough.

I wake with an electricity running through my veins. Conri seems excited too, this day feels different like something special is going to happen. I don’t think I’ve ever showered and eaten breakfast so quickly as I bound out of the door towards the weird old house.

As I get nearer I feel the blood pumping hard through my veins. I stop at the path taking the house in and realise it was not built here, it must have been transported. The magic that would take blows my mind. The crone truly must have been unbelievably powerful.

My exuberance dilutes slightly as I walk up the path, a nervousness that I have never experienced before floods my body. I pause with my hand on the door knob. Something tells me if I go through nothing will ever be the same again.

I consider turning and walking away, being safe from the unknown. Suddenly the door is thrown open from the other side and a sweet old lady is standing there. “You must be Cormac you handsome young thing! Come on inside and let me make you coffee!”

She is little and looks about eighty, I can sense she is an old wolf so she might be even older. She had a warmth that I can not resist. “Thank you that’s very kind!”

She turns and starts to walk away “well come on in lad, I’m Alba” immediately I follow her inside and the moment I do Conri goes wild. I feel it too! Mate! My mate is close by somewhere.

I try to focus on the words that Alba says to me and accept the coffee she puts in my hand. “Let me show you around” I make out through the buzz in my brain.

I follow her around the house, the energy is everywhere, Conri is getting impatient and I try to hold us both together. We walk by a room with large double open doors, the ceilings are high with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the garden and the forest beyond. There in an old fashioned looking wheel chair is the crone.

Zac was not lying when he said she looked creepy. This tiny curled up frame just facing out to the view, long black lace dress, gloves covering her hands and a black veil over her head.

I stop to take her in, so much sacrifice, so much power and now just this shell remains. Conri is going mad as we stand here, echoing mate over and over again. Our mate must be out patrolling in the woods we are looking at. I need to contain him.

The old nurse gives me a knowing smile as she ushers me on from the doorway and back at the kitchen she takes my mug from my hand. “Would you like to go and patrol the woods? Check all is well out there?”

I have to stop myself from jumping up and down like an excited child. Without a word I am out the kitchen door and jumping off of the porch dashing towards the woods.

It feels like forever that I dash through the woods, feeling like I get closer and then further away. Conri going out of his mind trying to narrow down the connection to our mate.

As I approach a clearing around a lake a sense of calm and peace comes over me. The water is still and clear, a hidden oasis in the deep lush green forest. I stand behind a great oak tree trying to work out why this place has me feeling at peace suddenly.

Then I notice the ripple on the water. The surface is broken and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen emerges from the water. Long dark hair that keeps flowing as she emerges, soft delicate features, full lips, almond shaped deep forest green eyes.

As the water falls away she is naked, olive tanned skin, full breasts and a perfect peachy bum covered by her long hair. She gracefully emerges from the water and I feel guilty standing here spying on her but I am entranced. Neither Conri or I have the control to move, we are stunned into stillness by her beauty. Breathless.

I have never seen anything so perfect before, as she reaches the shore she pauses and then looks right at me. My heart skips a beat captured in her gaze. My mate.