CHAPTER 16- TORKAN

Torkan POV

In the shroud of the darkest night, the solitary new moon hung solemnly in the sky, cloaked in a haze of swirling clouds. As the chill breeze gently kissed my face, an overwhelming sense of light-headedness crept upon me, causing the world to spiral around in a dizzying dance.

My trembling hand reached for my temples, fingers tightly gripping the railing of the balcony in a desperate attempt to steady myself. But my legs buckled beneath me, succumbing to the weight of my own body as my breath grew heavy and strained in my throat. Gradually, the once-blurry vision dissolved into an inky blackness.

When my eyes fluttered open, I found myself in a moonlit clearing beneath that same elusive new moon. My boots slid over the snow-covered ground, yet the icy touch failed to register. Instead, a warm, constricting sensation wrapped itself around my heart, guiding me through the shadows with invisible strings until a melodic voice reached my ears, crooning softly.

"Keep all women away from your thoughts. Keep my face firmly in your mind. This scene I've created, only for your mind to invade. Dream of me and only for me. There we'll be silent, together and equal. Give me all your thoughts, this night you'll dream of me."

Following the haunting melody, I approached a young woman with alabaster skin and cascading silver locks, immersed in the frigid waters of a hole carved in the frozen lake. Time halted, and my inner wolf whispered her name.

"Mine"

With a surge of urgency, I lunged toward her, fingertips grazing her bare shoulder, igniting a tantalizing sensation that pulsed through my veins. However, as I neared her, a deafening crack echoed beneath my feet, rupturing the ice and plunging me into the dark abyss. The icy water enveloped me, robbing me of air and light.

In a desperate bid to reach me, my mate dove into the freezing depths, extending a hand towards me. But a mysterious force yanked her back to the surface, tearing a cry of anguish from her lips.

As I awoke, disoriented and aching, a sharp pain throbbed in my head and mouth. Unable to articulate my thoughts, I gazed upon Lorcan, my twin, his eyes clouded with concern.

"Torkan! What happened? Are you alright? You're bleeding!" His gaze bore into me as he led me to the bathroom, tenderly tending to the blood that stained my lips.

"You seem to be healing, but you've broken a tooth. My wolf sensed your turmoil. It appears you've endured a nightmare," he murmured, inspecting the wound on my head.

"I can't recall... I don't remember." I winced, fingers grazing my throbbing temples in an attempt to dispel the remnants of pain.

"Belkam has awoken and broken free from his chains. We must confront him without delay." Lorcan helped me to my feet, offering me his cloak.

Chains? How long had I been in unconsciousness?

Yet the allure of the new moon tugged at my consciousness, leaving an inexplicable void within me. Before descending into the depths of the dungeons, a word echoed in my mind, a word awaited with bated breath for years.

"Mine," Thorne, my inner wolf, whimpered, urging me to seek her out. Yet, her scent remained elusive, cloaked in a shroud of mystery.

"Where is she? I can't sense her," the unyielding pull toward her essence haunted me, a hollow echo of yearning.

"Find her! Reach out and you'll know. Find her now!" Thorne's urgent cries reverberated within my being.

"Torkan, your eyes!" Lorcan's exclamation jolted me from my reverie.

"My mate..." I turned to the moon, consumed by a sense of yearning.

"Where?" Lorcan's voice carried a tinge of concern.

"I don't know..." I admitted, the absence of her presence a gaping void within me.

"What do you mean?" Lorcan's grasp tightened on my face, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"I can't feel her," the words escaped my lips, laden with a sense of foreboding.

"I hope it's not Lorelei again," he muttered darkly.

"What happened?" I averted my gaze from the moon, locking eyes with my twin.

"I told you to come hunting for Luna," his words lingered, shrouded in enigma, leaving me to grapple with the shadows of uncertainty.

I awoke each morning now with the weight of the same dream pressing on my mind. The unyielding grip of it refusing to release me from its grasp. In this dream, my fingers reach out towards it, a glimmering promise just out of my reach, until it shatters like fragile ice beneath my touch. A foreboding warning, perhaps, that I am destined to be forever separated from my true mate.

The frustration of this realization weighed heavily upon me, threatening to overshadow all other thoughts. The impending war, the emergence of two new packs - all of these concerns paled in comparison to the yearning for my destined one. A mysterious figure cloaked in silver-gray fur, skin as pure as snow, and a scent that intoxicated me with its blend of roses and caramel.

Her essence haunted me, lingering in the shadows of my mind, clouding my senses and stirring my desires. But despite my fervent search, she remained elusive. None of the wolves within our pack, or the neighboring ones, bore the scent of my destined mate. The very thought of another male encroaching upon her stirred a primal rage within me.

Only the brief moments when her scent enveloped me brought respite. In those fleeting instances, Thorne, my inner wolf, would rise to the surface, engulfing me in waves of pleasure as we reached out across the bond, praying that she could sense us, find us.

Yet, alongside this longing, a sense of turmoil gnawed at me. My twin and I shared a connection that transcended the ordinary bonds of wolfkind. Emotions swirled between us, a tumultuous blend of anguish, anger, and joy, even when not directly connected. And now, as the lure of my mate's presence grew stronger, that connection became a source of jealousy and unrest.

She was mine, and the primal instincts of my wolf stirred within me, driving me to the brink of madness. Thorne, sensing my desire, attempted to quell the raging hunger that consumed us both. Yet, his newfound responsibilities as Beta left him little time for solace, his own desires eclipsed by the need to protect our pack.

But the alluring call of my mate's scent could not be denied. It coursed through my veins, igniting visions of shared passion and longing. The ache of desire pulsed through me, urging me towards a self-produced release. And just as I surrendered to the intoxicating fantasy, a sharp knock shattered the moment, the growl of my twin echoing through the door, a stark reminder of the bonds that bound us, even in the throes of desire.

"Theron" A low growl resonated, a clear reference to my twin Lorcan's wolf.

"What is it, Theron? Can't you see I'm occupied?" Thorne, my wolf spirit and I exchanged heated growls through the door.

"Trust me, I'm aware! However, your alpha demands your presence in the council room" Lorcan's voice reached me through the closed door. "Release control to Torkan so we may proceed."

My twin's tone dripped with irritation, successfully disrupting the momentum I had gathered to ignore him and carry on with my tasks. I swiftly clothed myself and swung open the door, a sharp bump between my brother's shoulder and mine signifying the abrupt end of our brief interlude with my mate.

"I'm weary of this. Just take a woman, so we can both find freedom," my twin shattered the silence in the corridor.

"I won't! The alpha stands by me, and his word is law," I retorted, my voice laced with annoyance.

"Balderik (Belkam Wolf) has been blinded by recognition of Lorelei as his mate. He's irrational, and you know it," Lorcan stressed, his gaze piercing through my back. "Furthermore, how can we take you seriously when you spend your days and nights engaging in physical self-pleasures?"

"Envious? Of me finding solace while you're stuck in a tedious meeting?" I shot back bitterly.

"Not in the least, especially when I'm able to bask in the sweet caramel scent of your mate every night," he sneered.

Rage ignited within me, prompting me to grab my brother by the collar and slam him against the wall, lifting him slightly off the ground.

How did he come to know the fragrance of my intended?

"No one speaks of my mate that way. She's mine!" I snarled at my twin aggressively.

He effortlessly loosened my grip by seizing me by the neck and growled loudly. "Remember, you spoke to the beta brother, and my word supersedes yours."

"If I have to face Vastos to silence you, I will," we engaged in a brief but intense standoff, locking eyes and exchanging snarls until Andrew, our stronger Warrior, intervened, separating us.

The recent rift caused by my twin's lack of support cut me deeply. The special bond we shared, not only with each other but with our wolves, amplified the pain. Yet, I am not deluded; she exists, and I know it.

Within the council chamber, our brother Belkam delivered the news we had long awaited with bated breath - we were to depart from the ST GUINNEFORT pack to join the pack of the former alpha, Sigurd of the Rougaroo pack.

"Belkam, I cannot...!" I attempted to protest, only for Belkam's alpha voice to cut me off.

"I have spoken, Torkan! If anyone comprehends your yearning for your mate, it is I! Lorelei was abducted by Castien, yet my focus remains on this war, to ensure her safe return and a secure future for all. Can I depend on my brother or not?" Belkam's growl reverberated in my direction, prompting me to bow my head in respect, albeit still harboring annoyance at the decision.

"As you command, alpha," I growled, maintaining his unwavering gaze.