Viking Wolf King's Mate

1.2) an angel

Keely adored nature in all forms. Her garden was difficult to maintain in the frigid temperatures, but she always managed to at least keep her evergreens alive. However, floating in the hot springs was her favourite. She loved how the snow caped mountains glistened around her while she was engulfed in heat. She adored the feel of the water against her skin while her hair floated around her. But most of all she loved the scrape of the rock under her feet as she waded into the water. She also loved the little deer and woodland creatures that would sit and watch her bathe, just like they did when she gardened. Except this day, the day of her twenty first birthday, was different. This day there was a massive wolf, laying down with his head on his paws, just watching her.

~

Cardan had never wanted to be king. He was the youngest of two sons. His brother, Ivar, was supposed to take the crown. His diplomatic, patient, level-headed, kind brother. And Cardan was happy with that. He was content to step back and allow his brother the throne. ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’ was his fathers favourite saying. Cardan never understood it, nor cared to. He was happiest with a sword in his had and a fist to his jaw. He loved fighting in the dirt and blood and gore. Cardan was supposed to be general. He was supposed to be the warrior.

Until that day…

He will never forget that day one hundred years ago when he had received his brothers wolf head on a pike and his father’s half melted human one in a bag. The rage had consumed him. Rage that his family had gone in peace and The Dragons had returned the kind gesture with violence. Pure, seething, hot, white rage had consumed every fibre of his being. He walked the steps to his father’s throne, his brother’s rightful place, and finally understood just how heavy the head that wears the crown is.

~

Keely knew she should be scared. The only wolves were shifters. This was a man watching her, female wolves never grew so big. His soft white fur nestled in the snow would make anyone miss him. But she was used to looked for the eyes of animal. His were hooded but glowed a bight blue. An Alpha then. But she could not discern which one. She could rule out 4, including her own, who enjoyed flaunting their wolves. The last 3 were not widely known but also not a secret, unlike the King’s wolf. He kept the knowledge of his wolf under lock and key. But he never attended The Treaty. The Treaty was more for good faith than anything else. The King never forced The Regions or packs to like each other but he did not tolerate fighting of any kind, something Keely could respect. She had no idea who this wolf was. She slowly turned and submerged her body back into the water. She was not a prude but did not wish for a strange man to be watching her bathe. Keely then floated towards the edge of the spring. It blocked her body from his view but allowed her a better look at him and he a better look at her. Those eyes pierced her soul. Striking blue against the soft white. Her hands rested on the damp rock ledge as she rested her head on them to watch him as he watched her. Nothing was said, no sound could be heard, nothing around them shifted or dared to breath as they stared at each other. The wolf slowly rose, his head still low, body relaxed, eyes on her, as he floated towards her. She did not dare move as they kept eye contact. The closer he got, the larger she realised he was. The snow crunched hushed under his paws.

It was as if the closer he came to her, the more their souls reached for each other. She found her body leaning further into the rock. He came closer still. Piercing eyes locked on hers until his huge frame hovered close to her. He once again dropped to melt back into the soft snow.

His nose was a mere breath from hers. Her soul felt as if it was trying to leap from her skin into his. Then his soft wet nose touched hers and light exploded from their touch, a light so bright it was blinding. When she opened her eyes, the wolf was gone, and Keely could feel he had taken a piece of her soul with him.

~

Cardan shot out of his bed. He did not dream, but he had just witnessed an angel. She was in a spring in the snow-capped mountains. Her damp, brown hair falling around her soft face. As his wolf had approached, he saw soft freckles on her nose just above her plump, kissable lips that glistened with water droplets falling down her skin. But it was her eyes that he could not let go of. Her eyes that he could see when he closed his own. Deep and brown like the richest soil. He had felt something within himself reach for her as he had neared. Something that leapt from him as the light had flashed. And something from her that had tangled itself within him. At first, he had wondered if he was dying and had entered heavens gates. The realisation hit him the moment he woke. He was not dead, but had found his mate.

~

“Thank the gods,” Balder sighed, “you actually look like a woman and smell like one too.”

Keely barely heard her cousin as she braided her hair. Those blue eyes. Those bright blue eyes against the stark white snow. Was it simply a dream? No. It couldn’t have been a dream. She had cut her hand on the rock as the light flashed. Blue eyes. Blue eyes. Blu

“Keely,” her cousins concerned voice called as he leaned on her vanity next to her. “Keels? Whats wrong?”

“Nothing,” she shook the blue eyes from her head.

“Keely?” He pressed.

“Something very strange happened. I… I saw a wolf.”

Her cousin chuckled, “you live with werewolves, Keely. You are a werewolf. There’s nothing strange about seeing a wolf.”

“No, it wa…”

She was cut off as a young man burst into her cottage.

“Beta Balder?” The man asked.

“What?” He snapped. She often forgot that her cousin was actually a beta and not just her sweet, playful family.

“The King is here.” Keely stopped breathing at those words. “And he has requested his beta.”