Ashes and Scales: Remember Us, Mate

KEIR CHADDOCK My hand fumbled reflexively to turn off the alarm as it yanked me out of a deep sleep. Even though I had the weekend off, Monday morning felt like I had not slept in days. My birthday was two days ago, and in our little town, birthdays were big town gatherings rather than just family get-togethers. Now, on this Monday morning, I was finally feeling the effects of the enormous celebration the Alpha family had thrown for me over the weekend. With my muscles writhing with every step, I forced myself out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. Shaking off the last traces of sleep, I relieved myself, the cold tile beneath my feet sending a shiver up my spine. I did not turn on the hot water in the shower because I needed the cold to wake me up, and it did not disappoint. The moment the icy water hit my skin, it jolted me awake. After feeling like I had scrubbed the weekend remnants off of myself, I stepped out and grabbed a towel, quickly drying off as I made my way to the closet. I had quite a bit to do this morning, so I had to hit the ground running, but just as I reached for my closet door, something on the sofa caught my eye. My head snapped toward it, and there, neatly laid out and perfectly ironed, were my work clothes. A smile formed on the corners of my mouth as I realized my mother had taken care of them for me and I made a mental note to thank her before I left. I was in the middle of drying my hair when there was a soft knock on the door. I called out, thinking it would be my mother, but Maia entered instead, balancing a tray of covered dishes and grinning broadly. “Morning, birthday boy!” She greeted me with her usual cheery tone. “How’d you sleep?” “As well as I could, given the weekend. How about you? You’re up early.” I responded with a smile that matched hers, and she winked at me. "Perks of being a werewolf," she said, laughing and waving away my concern as she placed the tray on the bed. "You humans can not handle a few hours of partying." She patted the bed, motioning for me to get back in. “Now, get in here. Don’t ruin my breakfast-in-bed surprise. And don't make an excuse because you had already told me last night that you would have to prepare your work attire this morning and that you would need to set your alarm clock two hours early. So, I took care of the clothing situation for you, now you have two hours to spare. Come on, sit down." There was no way I could say no to that. So I walked back to the bed and sat down, allowing Maia to place the tray across my legs. She uncovered the dish, revealing a delicious breakfast that made my stomach growl. "Thank you," I said, genuinely grateful as she sat beside me, still beaming, and I complimented the breakfast, which brightened her smile even more. “You’re welcome,” she replied, her eyes sparkling with the same warmth that always made her a joy to be around. We began discussing the weekend's events and laughing over some of the more absurd ones as I started eating, starting with how Mrs. Hendrickson drank too much punch and began dancing with the band before little Timmy attempted to take on one of the werewolves in a game of strength and nearly fainted. Maia's laughter was contagious, and as usual, I could not take my gaze away from her when she laughed. Something about the way her eyes sparkled and her face lit up with pure joy drew me in each time. She and I grew up together. She was a year younger than me and was the Alpha's daughter, who also served as mayor of our small town. Her father played an important role in allowing the humans, who made up the majority of the population, to thrive undetected. Maia and her father were the rare wolves who made the world feel safe and hopeful, and to be honest, I liked her more than I should have. In fact, I was in love with her. But I couldn’t tell her that despite thinking that maybe she felt the same way as she’d asked me more than once what I would do if, by some crazy miracle, we turned out to be mates. She always brought it up casually, as if it were a simple conversation, but I did not believe it was as casual as she made it appear, but I could not be certain. Plus, no human had ever been mated with a wolf before. In her culture, soulmates were chosen by the gods, not us, and I could not bear the thought of complicating things between us or, worse, disgracing her, as it was also part of her culture to wait for her mate. "Keir!" Maia's voice jolted me out of my reverie, and I realized I had fallen into a trance, lost in my feelings for her. She laughed softly, her eyes full of amusement and concern. "Where did you go?" I tried to play it off with a laugh. “Nowhere. Sorry, what were you saying?” I asked, but I could never have predicted the words that followed. "I am going to reject them," she said calmly, but the significance of her words struck me like a ton of bricks. "Who?" I asked, though I already had a sinking feeling I knew the answer. "My mate," she replied, and the air in the room seemed to thicken as I stared at her, trying to comprehend what she was saying. “Why would you do that?” She sighed, setting her cup down and turning to face me fully. "I have been thinking a lot about what my father told me. According to him, sometimes you can sense who your mate is even before you can confirm it with your wolf. You would like that person, he said, and oftentimes, that person ends up being your mate." I was silent, my heart racing as she continued, her voice tinged with frustration and possibly fear, "But I have not taken a strong liking to any of the werewolf guys in the city." "Perhaps you have not met him yet," I blurted out, desperately trying to deflect the conversation from going in the wrong direction. However, Maia shook her head with a sad smile on her lips. "Keir, there are only fifteen werewolf families in town. I have met everyone." Her words hung in the air, and my chest tightened with sadness for her because I knew she didn't truly want to reject her mate but feared she would have to. Aside from my suspicions that she was in love with me, Maia had been living in fear, like all the other wolves in this town, that they would be mated outside of our small town, but whenever the subject was brought up, she never came out and said she would reject her mate. This was the first time. This fear was the other reason I could not confess my feelings for her—I was afraid that what I saw in her eyes was a result of her fear of being mated to some evil wolf rather than feelings for me. "Maia," I began, attempting to choose my words carefully. “Your father said it often happens, which means it’s not always the case. There may be no early signs, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be here." I continued, but she scoffed and rolled her eyes. “If my mate was here in our town, I’d know Keir. He's not here and that only leaves one thing...” I didn’t let her finish that thought. “Don’t think like that. There might be good werewolves out there." I said but even as I spoke, the words were hollow, and she could hear it too, as she refused to let me finish. “I’m not willing to take that chance. I can not risk everyone's lives here. You and I both know that." She said, and she was right; I knew that. In this small town of Timbercross, we found a balance where wolves and humans coexisted. However, it was not the same everywhere. Everywhere else, being human meant instant death, a reality that my mother and I had to confront. I was born in Luxor Heights, the city where I currently work. It was a sprawling metropolis that, at first glance, looked like a beacon of progress and prosperity. Towering skyscrapers of glass and steel pierced the sky, giving the impression of grandeur and modernity. The city was a hub of technological advancements, with digital billboards advertising the latest innovations. However, beneath this perfect veneer was a dark and brutal reality. Luxor Heights was home to the elite, who had risen to power through ruthless means and lived in opulent penthouses and gated communities. They engaged in constant power struggles, manipulating alliances and crushing rivals in their pursuit of dominance. The wealthy, all of whom were werewolves, had complete control over the city's resources, enjoying their luxuries while keeping a close eye on any signs of dissent. For the rest of the population, life in Luxor Heights was a constant struggle for survival. The streets were crowded with the downtrodden, those who were not born into privilege and worked tirelessly for scraps. Poverty was rampant in the city's lower levels, where dilapidated buildings and crumbling infrastructure contrasted sharply with the gleaming towers above. However, this was not the worst of it. Humans in Luxor Heights lived in constant fear, hiding in the shadows and using potions concocted with the help of a few good wolves, such as Maia's father, to disguise their scent. Our only line of defense against the ruthless werewolves ruling the world was these potions. The discovery of a human in Luxor Heights resulted in death; the werewolves, who saw themselves as purging the world of weakness, wasted no time in executing those they discovered. Power was everything, and those who lacked it were nothing more than prey—this was my and my mother's reality. My mother and I moved out here after my father was killed. At the age of two, a she-wolf recognized my father as a human, and her father ripped out his heart. My mother and I only survived because Maia's father was able to reach us first and get us out of there before the wolves could get to us. Nobody knew how he was discovered, and I learned from my mother that he was extremely cautious. So we suspected someone told the wolves about him. This was the first time my mother had heard of this place. Maia's father had learned about it through his human wife. She wasn’t his mate, as wolves didn’t get mated to humans, thankfully, but he lost his mate after they had just gotten married, and he fell in love with a human after that. My mother told me that when we moved out here, only about fifty families were living here, protected by a few wolves like Maia's father who coexisted with humans because they did not share their fellow wolves' vision of a stronger world. They mixed concoctions with their blood to make potions known as shots, which enhanced our scents to resemble wolf scents and allowed us to pass as fellow wolves. Maia's fear of mating outside our small town stemmed from this reality. She was terrified of her mate discovering her secrets, which were her family and this community. There was no telling whether he would be like her father or like the man who murdered my father and his daughter. However, in their culture, they believed that there was no stronger love than mate love, and as much as I loved her, I wanted that for her. She deserved the best, so if it was the strongest kind of love, that is what I wanted for her. I gave her a gentle peck on the cheek, promising her that everything would work out—more of a prayer, really. “The Moon Goddess loves you, and she’s going to send you someone with a heart as big as yours.” She smiled, but it did not quite reach her eyes. With a sigh, I stood up and began getting ready. Maia helped me gather my things and walked out with me to the main house, where my mother was already busy with her morning chores. I said good morning to my mother and wished them a good day. With my mind still reeling from everything we had discussed, I walked to my car and throughout my two-hour-long drive to Luxor Heights, Maia was on my mind. It was not until I was surrounded by tall buildings that I realized I had arrived. After parking, I reached into my glove compartment, took out my list, and put it in my pocket. During my lunch break, I needed to pick up some medication for elderly members of my community, thanks to a doctor friend who was always willing to help. It was difficult for humans to simply walk into a hospital in such a setting. The small clinic back home did not always have what we needed, so trips to Luxor Heights were sometimes required. I hurried inside the building, the lobby bustling with activity as usual. I made my way into my office, but as I reached my door and punched in the code, I heard a voice behind me. "Keir!" I turned to see Lukas, one of the Diakos managers, approaching me. “Hey, Lukas,” I greeted him. “What’s up?” “Have you seen Cian?” Lukas asked, glancing around as if he expected him to appear out of thin air, and I frowned. “Cian? You mean Diakos?” “Yeah, him. He’s back,” Lukas explained. "His father wants him to go downtown with us to distribute the food parcels today." Cian Diakos, the heir to this massive empire, had been studying abroad for years, and I had no idea he was back. “I haven’t seen him,” I admitted, but before I could say more, we both heard a voice from the elevator. “Someone mention my name?” Cian stepped out. But he wasn't what caught my attention. A woman I did not recognize walked beside him, and my breath caught in my chest. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her long, silky hair cascaded down her back in gold waves, catching the light with every movement, and her caramel skin shone with an unearthly radiance. Her eyes, a striking shade of icy blue, were large and expressive, framed by long, dark lashes that added to her captivating allure. But just then, our gazes met, and her reaction jolted me out of my trance as a strangled gasp escaped her lips, as if something had knocked the wind out of her. Her skin paled as if she were looking at a ghost, and my heart raced, sending an icy chill up my spine. I felt exposed and I replayed my routine this morning in mind, wondering if I forgot to drink the potion and she smelled me. “What’s wrong?” Cian asked, turning to her but his voice grew distant as horror washed over me at the sight of her eyes. The blue had vanished, replaced by a white, and just then, a low growl rumbled through her chest, causing my heart to stop as she grabbed my collar and lifted me off the ground before sending me crashing across the room. ............................................................. ⚠️ Before starting the story, please be aware of the following: • The werewolves and dragon in this book may not behave exactly like those in other books. Also be aware that the Dragon does not appear in the beginning of the book. • This is not a fluff romance, but a romantic suspense novel, and it will be DARK. It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, so be warned if your heart can not handle it. • The story is written in the same interwoven storyline style as my other books. So, if you do not like that type of thing, this story is not for you. ...............................................................