His mate, my Doom

Corrigan's POV

Present day

I watch the maids file into the room with clothes and jewelry, gifts from Dante for the mating ceremony. I wonder how we can afford this when the pack is going into a financial crisis. 

Dante's rule had been anything but glorious, coupled with the fact that it had been followed up with so many crises. 

He doesn't know that I know about his bad management, but it's common knowledge. He had lost the members' trust and support, but he's the Alpha, so he forces their loyalty.

I look out the window and see the woods a few miles away. I haven't been there in a long time.

Three years.

I feel Crystal stirring, becoming agitated. I don't want to calm her down this time, as I have done so many times before in these three years. The yearning comes back again. Only stronger, this time. More compelling.

Go. I hear Crystal say. Go.

I stand abruptly from my seat in the vanity, shocking one of the maids. As I walk off the pack

house and into the woods, I remember being drawn to the woods, three years ago.

Three years ago

Corrigan's POV

"Who's that?"

I watched the male training session after I had finished with the female training session. Dante had asked me to come with him as he supervised the training with Dad. It wasn't something I could exactly turn down, though Anneliese would have enjoyed this much more than I.

I followed Dante's line of sight to the racetrack and my heart skipped a beat. He was there, running. He. Crystal became agitated and I closed my eyes, willing her to calm down.

"His name is Lucien. One of our best warriors." I heard Dad say, his tone is similar to that of a horse trainer talking of his prized horse. 

The training session was about to conclude and I watched Lucien pat his arms with a towel. He looked up, locking eyes with me. I bit my lip and looked away.

"He was ahead of all the others before he matured. He shows signs of becoming a master negotiator, too."

"Mated?" Dante asked.

"Not yet," Dad replied.

I looked again, hoping he had found something else to look at. He had. "Something" was a she-wolf named Lorna. I knew her because she was a few years older than I was. She has excelled

in every form of training. And she was pretty, too. She had black hair like Lucien's and blue eyes. She wasn't mated yet. Like Lucien.

I felt brief, violent jealousy seize me for a second followed by embarrassment.

 So he kissed me. Once. That didn't give me any right over him. I forced myself to watch them talk, their faces so close, convincing myself that I didn't care.

"Corrigan, excuse us." I heard Dante say coolly. I looked up at him.

"What?"

"Your company is appreciated, but no longer needed. I have to talk to your father in private."

Corrigan's POV

I walked through the woods again, disappointing myself with each step. Calling myself a fool with each step I took.

 I had already changed and gotten ready to go to bed. Next thing I knew I was back in the woods in a pair of jeans and a top, my boots laced roughly.

I wanted to stop but Crystal urged me on and on, scratching, howling...

I groaned, stomping my foot on the ground. I needed to calm down and think. To reason with Crystal. 

To tell her to calm down. Or will she calm down? I wanted to think up reasons why I shouldn't be here. Leaping through windows in the dead of night was not my style. Had never been my style.

So why are you here?

I groaned again, rubbing my hands through my hair.

"You should learn to be quiet." A voice in the tree above me drawled.

I gasped, stepping back. I looked up to see Lucien lounging on a branch in the tree above me, his head pillowed on his arms.

"Don't you have a home of some sort?" I called. "Do you always stay in the woods?"

"Yes to the first. A condo in the city. It's got an amazing view." He replied, swinging down from the tree with the grace of a panther. "However, I had a reason to believe we would meet again."

He straightened to his full height, towering over me.

 I looked at him nervously. "What were you doing here yesterday?

"Escaping fate. It's a bit exhausting to force myself into happiness." He leaned against the tree, studying me. "You?"

Because I felt pulled to you. Because it felt like the most natural thing.

"I always come here," I said defensively.

He shrugged. "Good for you." He said dryly and walked past me. I stared at him. "I'm going off to get a drink. Coming?"

I hesitated, feeling stupid. "I...I..."

He smirked like he knew I would turn it down. I lifted my chin.

"Yes, I'll come along."

I sat at the table in the bar, waiting. I didn't want to check my watch again and let everyone within a mile's vicinity know that I was nervous. Lucien had excused himself to get an order for us. I bit my lip and ran a hand through my hair

"Hey darlin'." I looked up, putting both my palms down on the table to hide my anxiety. The guy leaning his hip against the table was pleasant-looking enough. I couldn't see his features in the dark lighting but I knew he was leaning towards me, dressed in what I supposed was a cowboy get-up.

"Hi," I replied, forcing a smile. I tried to scan the room for Lucien's figure.

"Would you like a dance?"

I looked at the bodies intertwining and dancing on the dance floor. "No, thanks."

"She means go away," Lucien said dryly, walking up to the table with the beer.

 He places them both on the table and sits idly. "I'll translate into a language you understand. Fuck off."

"Well, pretty boy, I don't see your name on her." Cowboy drawled, turning to give me a suggestive look that made my skin crawl. "Or is it hidden beneath the clothes? I'd like to find out."

The last word had barely been spoken when Lucien pulled him by the arm and sent the side of his face slamming into the table with so much force it rattled. He held his face immobile by pinning it to the table with his elbow.

"You have ten seconds to apologize to the lady. After which you will take your leave like the good boy you are. Understood?"

There were two or three seconds of silence. 

"Good boy," Lucien said pleasantly, loosening his grip and letting the other guy walk off towards the exit.