My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 17: His Internal Turmoil

Kael

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, my hand still gripping the handle.

"Coward."

"Coward."

"You coward!"

My wolf’s snarl reverberated through my mind, sharp and accusing.

"Shut up," I muttered under my breath, stepping away from the door, and moving through the corridor.

"You are walking away from our mate at a very vulnerable moment! Go back and–"

"I said shut it!"

My fist rammed into the wall beside me, causing a thundering impact that made the wall tremble. I snarled, taking my arm off the wall. Dust and small stone particles crumbled onto the polished floor.

I swept my palm through my face and took in a deep breath, my jaw tight.

Why did she even come so close? And she dared to yell at me while doing so.

"You are pathetic. A very pathetic man afraid of something he cannot control."

"Of course, you wouldn’t shut up," I internally hissed at my wolf in return.

He never did when it came to pressing issues. And now she was a new one. An obsession.

I forced myself to move, striding down the corridor with measured steps. I could still feel the phantom warmth of her presence clinging to my skin.

That pull.

That damned pull that had nearly made me close the distance between us.

When she’d walked toward me without realizing it, drawn by the same magnetic force that was tearing me apart from the inside, I’d almost lost control.

Almost reached for her.

Almost said the disturbing word.

"Look at you. You’re so afraid to even say it. Go back. Mark her!" he snapped.

I chuckled.

"I would be a callous beast if I followed every one of your impulses," I retorted.

"She is right there for that taking. Claim her."

"Some distance will do us some good. Before you push me to do something stupid."

Panic crept into his tone. "What do you mean by that?"

I ignored him.

"Kael!"

He cursed and whined right after, but I kept ignoring the noise in my head until it became unbearable.

I sighed, crossing the dark threshold into my lodge and private quarters.

"Just be still, and give her time," I grumbled out loud. Then added, "She is confused, let her sort it out."

"Hmm... indeed. So she doesn’t affect you, you coward."

I clenched my jaw so hard it ached.

"Just go back to sleep," I hissed and he finally faded away, his grumbling fading.

That girl...

Her being here was going to cause a headache. Being my mate aside, this was a golden opportunity. A Lycan had just happened to fall into my lap.

But that wouldn’t matter to the pack. They would be better off not knowing her true nature, but even if her omega gene was fading. Her being an adult and unable to shift would be problematic.

I never allowed such a thing in my pack for that matter.

"Damn it."

I pushed through the door to my study hall. The space was sparse, functional. Exactly how I preferred it. A clear desk, bookshelves lining the walls, a wide sofa and a single armchair by the dead fireplace.

"You look like hell."

My first beta occupied the chair, basking in the glow of the moonlight filtering through the tall windows.

Her elbow rested against the arm rest, her palm cradling her cheek. Tow stared at me, her usual mischievous smile on her face. Silver strands streaked through her flaming red hair, and her brown eyes were as sharp as ever.

"Thank you for the astute observation." I eased myself onto the sofa, leaning back to stare at her.

"You sent for me. Ila said you brought someone back with you." Her smile faded. "A lone wolf. A rankless female who can’t shift."

"Your point?"

"My point is," Tow leaned forward, "that Ila believed she is your mate. I find that hard to believe. As a Supreme Alpha, you should be able to choose your mate. And you have spent the last few years refusing every potential mate presented to you. Why would you choose someone so powerless? This is not like you, Kael."

I frowned. I usually didn’t mind her speaking to me like this, but her words irked me. "Do you think I would just bring in someone like that, into my pack without reason?"

She sighed, straightening in her seat and touching her forehead. "That is what I want to know. You would not explain anything to Ila even though–"

"It was an inappropriate time to do so." I then paused. "You said she was rankless."

"Ila mentioned she could also be an Omega, but I sense no Omega on your grounds."

"She is a Lycan." I leaned forward, holding her gaze. "And no, I did not choose to have a mate bond. Especially not now of all times."

Tow stared at me for a long moment, her expression shifting from surprise to disbelief to shock.

"Uh?"

"Yes." I stood up and walked towards her, stopping right beside her to face the window. My hand came to rest upon the glass pane as I stared down at the darkened clearing below.

"How... That’s... That shouldn’t be possible. They’re extinct. The genocide–"

"I know what happened during the genocide. But I sensed it. With a disturbing clarity. She also wears a pendant... A sigil bearing the moon and the sun. Just like in their old texts." I then mumbled, "There is no mistaking what she is."

"A Lycan," Tow whispered, still apparently in shock. "She is likely a distant descendant."

"She doesn’t know what she is. Not fully. Currently, the bloodline seems to be overpowering her omega gene." I eyed Tow. "Her power is awake, and I want you to teach her to master it. She has no control over it."

She looked up at me, her brows furrowing. "Kael, a lunar instinct is different from what Lycans have. You would be better off..."

Her words trailed as she noticed the intensity of my stare. "You do realise I need to check up on the packs nearby. I will pick up where you have left off when I am back."

Her brows shot up, then her lips stretched into a smile I knew all too well.

I frowned.

"That isn’t until next month. You usually rest after scouting the border neutral zones. You are avoiding her. Is this why you were restless when you came in?"

My mood soured as my wolf’s mocking chuckle broke the silence.

"Even she sees it."

"Tow," I addressed her, the warning clear in my voice as a heated glow emanated from my eyes. "I do not want her in my sight at the moment. That is all."