XAVIER'S POV-

I stare up at my ceiling as I sigh in annoyance. I'm having a damn headache and the constant chatter from downstairs is not helping. The whole population of Wolfridge is here, chatting excitedly about the visit of the werewolf King. I should be getting prepared but I couldn't care less and I'm too lazy to actually get up.

My name is Xavier and my life is not very amazing right now. I'm 18 and I still haven't found my mate. Finding your mate before adulthood is really common place, so it's weird that I still haven't found one, even as a Dominant Alpha. Don't mind the big words, it just means that I descend from the line of royalty. Dominant Alphas is just a fancy name for "Alpha Royalty" and it is damn right literal. As a Dominant Alpha, I am stronger, faster and more powerful than other alphas. I am not a direct descendant of the King, but I'm his nephew and that accounts for something.

I groan as I hear footsteps getting closer to my door. I crack an eye open and see two silhouettes through the gap from the door to the floor. I almost snap at the pests when I get a mind link from my brother

You okay X?

No?

Can I come in?

N- Before I finish my reply the door slams open.

"You have to stop babying him Jayjay" The sound of her voice makes me want to jump through my window. But it's a pity the fall won't kill me.

"Ellie! You can't just barge into his room"

"Javier, please take your witch and leave"

I reply, half meaning it and half sarcastic. Meet my brother and his mate: Javier and Elysia, her name meaning 'blissful' or 'heavenly' even though she is anything but. I won't be surprised to find out she's been delivered from hell.

"Wrong species" she replies with a smirk

"Demon then?" 

"See? He still has a sharp mouth so he's fine" she says with concern underlying her sharp tone and it worries me. If even Elysia is concerned about me I don't even want to think of how worried my brother is.

"Never said I wasn't" I reply as I sit up on my bed. I look at my brother who is five years older than me. I look exactly like him except he has brown hair. His eyes are the exact same color as mine, clear ocean-blue. We look so alike that we were mistaken for twins often when we were kids. We even played some pranks on our parents by wearing wigs of different color, I wore brown and he wore black. We got scolded a lot but it was fun.

I turn to his mate, Elysia or Lysia for short. Only my brother calls her Ellie, she made sure of it. She is dark skinned, her long curly hair in natural braids that reach her back. She is thin, but not skinny, and has smooth skin. She is also tall and boasts an o-kay figure. Javier found her in Africa so it's safe to say she's beautiful and she sure as heck knows it, though I'd rather drop dead than tell her that.

"Xavier, I know you better than anyone in the world and you are definitely not fine" he narrows his eyes at me and I give in. He knows me too much and I'd rather not hide anything from him anyway.

Lysia glances between us and clears her throat "I'll go help mama in the kitchen then. Can't have her not prepare food for us 'adults' and excluding us from the banquet" I chuckle as she leaves and closes the door behind her. It's an inside joke. Mom tends to not prepare food for us, saying that we're now 'adults' and that we should learn how to take care of ourselves. She only ever cooks for dad now and because of that we all know how to cook in our household. And really well at that.

I turn to Javier and stare at him as he takes a seat at my study table, though it is never 'studied' at. He lets out a breath and says

"Is this about your mate?"

Now I understand why she left. My mate is a very sensitive topic, a topic I will much rather have with my brother, away from prying ears. She understood that and left, I'm grateful for that.

"I do not know the 'this' you're referring to" I reply. I seriously have no idea what Javier is seeing that's making him worried. Or what he isn't seeing.

"X. I know you're feeling pressured into finding your mate but you don't have to be. Kaden and Jace haven't found theirs yet"

"Yeah and that's fine for them. But not for me! I'm royalty and alphas of the royal bloodline find their mates way sooner than other werewolves. Jay, I am literally the only dominant alpha in history who still hasn't found their mate by eighteen! So yeah, no pressure" I huff in annoyance. "And the fact that uncle is visiting isn't very pleasant either since I know very well the subject he's bringing with him"

Javier sighs and smooths his ruffled hair with his hand. He looks around my room, collecting his thoughts and choosing his next words carefully, before speaking

"Yeah the throne" a burst of anger forms in the pit of my stomach. I feel like throwing up. "Look X, I know this isn't the first time I'm saying this but, why don't you reconsider? You have a ch--"

"--and I know this isn't the first time I'm saying this, but I don't give a damn about the throne. I am not meant to be king, you are." I've had this talk with everyone. My mum, dad, brother, uncle, Jace, Kaden, heck even Lysia! I'm sick of it.

"But you are more fitted for the throne than me. Uncle said so himself"

"And I'm saying I'm not"

He stands up and paces around my room. I watch him and wait for him to come up with another stupid reason why I should take that damn throne. He's the eldest of course he should take it! But I don't know what my weird uncle saw in me the day he was to choose his successor that made him choose me. I was ten then. 

"Xavier, you know I'm not hurt by the fact that you were chosen right?"

I bite my lip. I know he isn't and that pisses me off the most. How is he okay with me taking what's supposed to be his? He did everything! He learned noble etiquette, read dictionary-sized books in the tens, changed his hobbies, he got 'Alpha-King' hammered into him immediately our aunt died. He was only seven and I was two. He trained till he turned 15 then my uncle chose me who didn't pick up a drop of knowledge from watching him for eight years.

"I know. I'm not refusing it for you"-a lie- "I just don't want to, and I am definitely not moving to Flouden to learn that 'etiquette' crap"

He opens his mouth to try again when Lysia's head pops in "Not sorry to interrupt but mama says Uncle's almost here and that ya'll should get your asses downstairs" she looks at Javier up and down then turns to me "On a second thought, Xavier get you ass downstairs" she turns back to Javier "You get your fine ass in my room" she gives him a look that makes me gag and the need to do so increases when Javier whistles. What the fuck is happening in my room?

"Why don't you both get your disgusting perverted asses out of my room?" Lysia turns sharply to me and narrows her eyes

"Boy Imma spank your--" Javier nudges her outside "Jayjay he needs a spanking!"

"Thought you wanted to spank my ass?" I hear Javier whisper and I shiver. Curse my good hearing.

I close my eyes when I hear her annoying voice again "Xavier if you don't get your ass downstairs mama's gonna whoop it!" I sit up immediately. Mum is not to be messed with when you're having visitors over. She might really spank me if she's pissed enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sitting at the dinner table I look around. Uncle is at the head of the table, since he's the King. Dad at the right side of the table with mum at his right, and me after. Javier is sitting at the left side of the table with Lysia. I look down at my steak and groan inwardly. After this dinner I can go up to my room and sleep, so I want nothing more than to gobble up this piece of meat and lock myself in my room before I get cornered by uncle. This is one of the reason I hate etiquette. You can't eat until the 'highest person' at the table eats first. And that highest person is laughing with my dad at something that is not funny. I don't hate my uncle, I love him to be honest but we're not on good terms since he never stops talking about me and the throne. He'll do or say anything to put me on the throne, anything. It annoys the crap out of me the way he is doing now. I glare at him, willing him to look at me and see how much I do not want to be here. He must have felt my eyes because he turns to me then looks down at his steak. 

"Haha! I apologize Xavier. Seems like you're hungry. Let us eat then" he picks up one of the many forks arranged at his side and a knife then begins to cut the steak. I follow in the span of seconds and can feel my mother's eyes trying to burn holes into my face. I take a bite of steak and listen. There's music in the woods, where the actual party is. After this Uncle will go into the woods and stay at the party hosted for him. Now is just a little family time. 

The dinner has been quiet so far, with whispers of politics thrown around but I don't really care. My steak is almost done and I'm almost scot free, it's almost suspicious that uncle hasn't said anything ye--

"Xavier when are you coming to Flouden?" spoke too soon

"I told you Uncle, never." I reply and shove a forkful of steak in my mouth. 

"Nonsense. You are the heir to the throne, you should start acting like it" he swirls the wine in his glass and looks at me like I'm some kind of puzzle for him to solve. I swallow the piece of meat in my mouth before speaking

"And you should get hearing aides" mum pinches my thigh and I wince

"Hahaha! I see you still have that mouth of yours" he points his glass towards me and offers a smile "Same mouth that made me choose you"

"Not a good choice-maker are you" I pick up my own glass of wine and swirl its contents. Two can play that game. 

"Xavier, you will not speak to your uncle and King that way" mum says, her voice trembling with anger and fear. I get why though, no one in their right mind will dare speak to their King so brazenly. They might get executed or sold off as slaves to other creatures. I am probably the only one who has done so and is still breathing. I'm proud. 

"This is why I chose you. You are not afraid to say your mind and are not easily swayed. But you will sit on the throne as per my royal order, won't you?" He takes a sip from his wine, an eyebrow raised.

Damn. He got me. I have expressed my feelings of the throne in many ways but I have never blatantly said 'no' to uncle's face. He's the King and even I am not that stupid as to refuse a royal order to his face. If I say 'no' I will be punished as that goes well beyond 'uncle-nephew' banter, it's an affront to the royal family that will not be taken lightly. But if I say 'yes' I have sealed my fate, accepting the throne I have subtly rejected for years. And if I choose not to answer he will take it as a yes. I'm stuck. I open my mouth, hoping meaningful words will tumble out.

"U-uncle! Have you heard word from my parents in Africa?" Lysia cuts in and I feel like I could kiss her. A second later I cringe and gag inwardly. 

"Ah! The African noble. No I have not but I am expecting word soon" Uncle replies as he stares at Lysia. It makes me uncomfortable. "So you are Javier's mate huh?". Lysia nods and gives a wary smile. She can feel it too, the way this conversation is going is making me nervous. Uncle looks at Javier then back at Lysia and smiles. "Are you still the second or third?" 

Everywhere goes silent. I mean, it's not like it wasn't silent before but now I feel like even the crickets have gone silent. The tension in the air is so thick I'm sure I can cut through it with my steak knife. Lysia stills and bows her head, Javier stills. A wave of emotions on his face. Anger, sadness, loneliness, longing, embarrassment and love. They flash across his face one at a time, the last one flashes as he takes Lysia's hand underneath the table.

Anger erupts within me and my wolf, who has been silent for days, growls in anger within me. Lysia is not Javier's first mate and Javier is not Lysia's either. Javier found his first mate when he was 17 and left home to mark her but he didn't return for three years. After three years we found him on our doorstep looking like the walking dead. His eyes were sunken, his skin pale and his eyes empty. He said his mate died, that was the only thing he told us. He didn't tell us her name or what creature she was. If she was werewolf or vampire or fairy or dryad. He didn't even tell us where he was, we just knew that his mate died. We expected him to die and prepared ourselves for it. It's normal for a creature to die after loosing their mate, the other half of their soul. But the moon goddess blessed him with another mate, a small mercy. He travelled to Africa where he found Elysia. She had found her mate but got rejected by him after a year. She was ridiculed and was prepared to spend the rest of her life alone when she felt the pull and ran towards where it led. She found Javier and he marked her as his own. A fairytale romance but it's not all 'rainbows and sunshine'. Being rejected is equal to social suicide. News of it had already spread to all continents and she is shamed for not 'being good enough' for her significant other. She was disowned but recently accepted back because she's mated to a Dominant Alpha. My parents took her in and treat her like their daughter, Javier loves her but we all know some of his love is still directed towards his dead mystery mate. Lysia loves him but the topic of 'second-mates' is sour for her and yet uncle just rubbed salt on their wounds. I grind my teeth and turn to him

"How can you say that?! Don't act like you don't know what loosing a mate feels like!" I shout. He does know what it feels like. His wife, aunt Tina, died a couple of years ago but he wasn't granted another before he reached the un-mateable stage where you can no longer have a mate. He is the longest living werewolf, royal or not, who has survived this long without a mate. But he's getting weak, that's why he's pushing the throne on me.

At my words he winces and regret flashes across his face but in the span of a second he returns to his mask. His mask of a ruler. 

"I am not acting like it Xavier. I do know what it feels like, still feeling my strength seeping away. It won't be long now until I join my Tina with the moon goddess" he levels his gaze on me "That is why you must ascend the throne"

I chuckle bitterly. Of course it has to come back to that stupid throne. He hurt my brother and his mate because he wants to guilt trip me. He'll do or say anything. The thought I had moments ago comes back. What happened to my uncle? The throne changed him. If that is what it does to people then I hope I never sit on it. 

I stand up with such force that my chair tumbles backwards. "Well you better find another heir then because I will never sit on that throne. I will never be like you" That was disrespectful but I don't really care. I storm out of the dinning room, I want fresh air.

"Xavier!" I hear my mother's voice filled with worry. 

"I'm going on a run" I call back as I pull open the front door. I sprint down the stairs and into the woods on my right. I run and run until I shift. My clothes rip apart as my size increases, the crack of reforming bone echoes in the air, fur grow on my skin and I drop on all fours. I howl as my consciousness takes a back seat. My wolf is in control now and I am just watching from the background like he normally does when I'm in human form. Though I still have overall control, I let him take charge. 

We run through the trees, the using their shadows as our cover. I feel so frustrated. Why can't uncle just make Javier his heir? Or the child of another noble? Uncle is the first Alpha-King who has no children of his own and in high society where weakness is fatal, that is definitely a weakness. The throne isn't limited to my family. It can be anyone's who is strong enough or with enough reason to compete. My family didn't produce the first Alpha, Elane's did. Her forefather was the first King and his title got passed down for generations until my forefather decided to join in the fun. He usurped the throne through backstabbing and became King. His title got passed down and 'Dominant Alphas' appeared when one of his descendants got mated with a vampire. Because of that, our bloodline grew stronger and now with my uncle having no apparent heir, the nobles might think this is their chance to take the throne. I'm sure there have been scheming non-stop since I got chosen as heir and that is also why I am avoiding going to Fluoden, the Werewolf Kingdom. I'm sure if any noble family gets their child on the throne they wouldn't hesitate to kill all of us in my family. Uncle has enemies, since he won't let himself be their puppet and is seeking to make me who is even more headstrong the King. They must be seething. This is why I hate politics, I would rather get rid of all of them than say sugar-coated words. The problem will be solved if uncle just declared Javier his heir but he wouldn't, and that angers me more. My wolf growls in agreement.

We increase our speed, trying to burn out the anger we both feel but exhaustion seeps in. I don't know how long or how far we ran but I feel pain through my muscles and we slow down. We circle, taking a break and eager to run again when I feel something. A pull. It tugs at me and I stumble. My wolf perks up and he looks around and sniffs the air.

What's wrong boy?

He continues sniffing and I worry. Were we followed by rogues who managed to sneak in? But what was that pull? I look around in my head, trying to mark my surroundings. I feel the pull again but this time my wolf takes control and sprints off to the direction of the invisible rope.

What's wrong? Where are we going?

Mate! Mate!! I found our mate!

I go silent, stupefied. Our mate? We found our mate?

Yes!

My wolf replies impatiently. I laugh in joy but it only comes out as a howl but happy all the same. I let my wolf lead and after a few miles he slows.

Are we here?

What do you think genius?

I scoff. Someone's talkative today. I look ahead and find...a cabin? I sniff, there is the smell of vanilla. I inhale and instantly feel relaxed, she's really here. I look around and find a car parked in front of the cabin. The lights in the cabin are switched off but I hear the swirling of water. It's coming from the backyard. I turn back into the woods and make my way towards the back of the house. I hide myself in the bushes and look up. There is a clear lake, illuminated by the moon and giving off an ethereal beauty. I would sit and adore the lake all night but right now my priority is my mate. I look towards the cabin and my breath catches. The first thing I notice is her red hair, red hair I have seen around school. Damn, she's the human girl. She is sitting on the back porch, her legs crossed 'Indian-style' and bent over a book. Her eyes run over the pages and her mouth moves as she reads the words silently to herself. She is wearing bunny printed pajama and shorts. I see goosebumps on her skin and my wolf whines in my head. He wants to go over and give her warmth, he wants to cuddle her. She checks her phone and makes a shocked face, which is pretty cute. She groans as she stands up and stretches. I shouldn't be here, I should go back. I begin to back away ignoring the protests of my wolf. We have to leave. But my escape isn't as stealthy as I wish it to be. I rustle the bushes and she spins around and narrows her eyes. I hold my breath, hoping she won't come close. 

She takes two step forward and I start to curse in my head when she stops abruptly. She starts taking steps back until she gets to the cabin door. I almost sigh in relief at the thought of her leaving but she stays. She stands there and stares, trying to find me. She stays that way and I don't dare move. We wait, a minute. Two. Five. She relaxes and heat rises up her face. Her cheeks turn as red as a tomato and I feel the urge touch them. She walks towards her book and picks it up. Damn she's brave. Any other human girl would have ran the moment she heard something remotely suspicious but here she is, sacrificing her life for her book. She's my mate alright. Wait no! She's not, she can't be. 

Are you hearing yourself? That's our mate you buffoon! And she is right there. If you won't get her, I will.

Before I could stop him, he steps out and growls at her. She stills and her heartbeat increases as she turns around slowly with her book in arms. Her eyes widen as she takes us in. She must be afraid and I understand why. A Dominant Alpha is larger than a normal wolf so I'm almost her height, just short by an inch or two. Her eyes roam our body, taking in our fur and they rise to meet ours. She looks at my eyes and I see a flash of recognition. Does she know me in my wolf form? But it is replaced by confusion. Again, I understand why. When werewolves transform, there is a hint of red in our eyes. No normal wolf has a red tint in their eyes.

She takes a step back and my wolf whimpers. She stops and looks at us with concern which gives him a dose of courage, so he takes a step forward. That erased any sign of concern in her eyes but he takes another step. She stops and her heartbeat pounds furiously. She is terrified.

Terrified? Why is she scared? We're her mate, shouldn't our presence be calming for her?

She's a human boy. She's different.

Different... My wolf tilts his head then lies down wagging his tail. He wants to seem harmless but I know that wouldn't work. She takes a step back but he stays still. That must have given her courage as she shuffles backward towards the door. She twists the knob slowly and I hear the hinges of the door. She takes a step back and my wolf howls in sadness. This frightens her and she slams the door shut. I hear quick footsteps then the squeak of a bed. I take control and stand up and pace and think.

She can't be our mate, she's human. I can't have a human as a mate, she's too fragile. If I end up becoming king then will she be my Luna? My queen?! Can she even survive in Fluoden where the nobles are? And what about the nobles? When they find out that the chosen heir has a human as a mate they will surely come running. Her life might be threatened and so will the lives of my family. The nobles will surely target them. 

All that doesn't matter, she's our mate! I want her!

This isn't about what you want. I snap at my wolf and he growls in response. I don't have time for this. I need to think of the future and consequences. I have been rebelling but I know I will eventually sit on that throne. Uncle is as stubborn as I am, he doesn't go back on his word and that definitely involves making me King. If I am to become Alpha anyway then I cannot have a human as my Luna. In high society where weakness is fatal, she will definitely be my weakness. 

But on the other hand, I can't get her off my mind. Her flaming red hair that I want to run my fingers through and her bright red eyes, full of courage and intelligence. Her pale smooth legs, and her full lips.

Reject her then, since she's your weakness.

I want to, but I just can't. Who knows when I might find another mate if I did.

Ha! You are a coward Xavier. A coward.

I know.

I turn away from her cabin my decision to neither mark her nor reject her weighing on me. I just find her interesting, that's all. I'll play with her for a while then I can reject her. I tell myself that on my way back home.