§~§ THREE

THREE

The air in the throne room crackled with unseen tension as two men stood head to head sizing each other up in a death glare. One with pure jet black hair, accurately defined structures, a barely noticeable crooked nose, and well-sculptured cheekbones which ticked in anger with the pass of every second. His dark eyebrows drew together and his dark eyes pinned warily at the man in front of him as his body, which comprised mostly of thick muscles, relaxed visibly like a predator in wait. Only when one peered closer could one see his biceps flex with forced restraint, a restraint that was beginning to wear out like an old rag. Now and then, his muscles would bunch underneath the shirt whose color was the complete opposite of his personality. Although he was big and scary, he still managed to keep his demeanor cool.

The other man however, with slightly the same features except for the brown mass of hair on his head and green eyes that burned with spite, gave a mocking smile in a bid to get his brother to disrespect the man watching them with a frown of disapproval. He seemed to enjoy the way he got under his skin.

"Cole," The older man seated on the throne finally said, causing the addressed to reluctantly drag his gaze away from his target. His head bowed low in obeisance as he turned.

"Your majesty." He said, then stood up straight and tall in all his six feet and four inches of towering glory. Underneath the sparkling chandelier glow, his ink jet black hair gleamed like twinkling blankets of stars spread out on a dark sky despite the thick darkness.

The brown-haired man glared hard, his green eyes filled with unconcealed resentment and jealousy which could cover up the earth to its brim and run over if they were emptied in it. He desired for the older man to look at him the way he was looking at his rival.

The Alpha King heaved a weary sigh, knowing how much contempt the two men held for each other while he was still alive, and could not help but wonder what it would come to at last when the inevitable happened to him. They might be his seeds but were brought forth by different women in almost the same period. Cole was the older one while Nathan came several days later. With that little difference distinguishing them both, they never ceased to be at loggerheads whenever they got the chance. Dead silence once again dominated the atmosphere when a woman stepped into the room. With high cheekbones, a face as pale as death, and dark blonde hair harshly pulled into a high bun, she glided across the smooth tiles not speaking a word until she took her place right next to the Alpha King.

A derisive scoff followed the silence, cutting it abruptly short, and six pairs of eyes fell upon Cole, who didn't appear perturbed by it. He raised his head again, chin gracefully set straight as his deep voice bellowed out. "You say, Father, that it is only when one of us finds his mate before we can succeed you?"

The man nodded tersely, his eyes still heavily resting upon his first son. "Precisely."

"I won't do it then." He said simply.

The woman's eyes widened in surprise, as she tossed a sharp look toward him. "Are you serious about it? That must have taken a lot of thinking and contemplation but we understand you, darling. Sadly, your brother would have to--"

Her speech was interrupted by Nathan, who had been watching the show in silence. "It seems I'm the only one capable and worthy of your throne and my brother..." He sent a sideways glance of derision his way. "...is nothing but scared. Who wants fear in a leader?"

"You seem to say so many words for a capable leader." Cole bit back, laying thick emphasis on 'capable'. He was a man of few words but always got off on rendering Nathan speechless. Words were not his specialty but action and blood made up for his lack of them. The ecstatic feeling of warm liquid oozing down his clawed hands always made his blood thrum with overexcitement that could send a patient with heart issues to his grave.

"It's not your choice to make, Cole but my order to give. Both my sons would find their mates before partaking in any rituals of the Moonstone pack, henceforth. Anyone who crosses me should prepare to be a rogue to be hunted and mauled by other deranged rogues. Do not test me." Anger flashed across the Alpha King's eyes as he stared at Cole. It happened every time Cole purposely went against his father by doing the prohibited just to defy him.

"Yes, Alpha." His head came low before his King and he straightened himself once more, boring holes into the side of Nathan's head which seemed to swell figuratively at his expense. Cole didn't stay past his welcome in the large room as he stormed out instantly, thudding his way across the carpeted floors and down the hallway. Passing by several floors, he stepped into his room. Anger rolled off him in turbulent waves and he slammed the door to his chambers shut. The thick veiled curtains shook as the windows rattled at the impact. White canines elongated, peeking out from between pink plump lips. Fur broke out on his skin and his claws tore their way out of his fingertips as he held the dresser with a grip strong enough to turn it to splinters if he wished. Blood from his broken skin dripped slowly, seeping through the soft, fluffy material of the carpet below. He was beyond enraged.

Stripping down to his feet, he padded his way across the room and into the bathroom to cool off the steam of anger evaporating off his skin. As he stepped into the large bathroom drenched in rich shades of gold, the glow bounced off the wall, falling onto his skin which gleamed like sunlight at the effect. Cold spritz of water shot out from the square-shaped shower, a few inches above his head, dropping onto his smooth skin and soaking him up. He expelled breath from between his teeth harshly as the water continued to cascade down his well-toned and defined muscled form. It traveled over his broad shoulders, down his huge biceps, over his washboard abs which rippled with every intake of breath he took, and narrowed down to a V between his strong thighs. The sound of bloodcurdling screams and throat gurgling with spilled blood resounding in his head, forced him to exercise his self-control. In less than ten minutes, his temper reduced slightly and he found himself able to think rationally.

He stepped out after turning off the shower. His hair dripped with wetness and had been shaken free of the sleekness it initially had. They now stood like individual shiny curls which framed around his angular face like a halo but with a dark ring instead. He plopped on his bed with his head facing the canopy above him, stark naked as his manhood lay placid a few inches above his belly button. The door opened a bit hesitantly and a woman's face peeked out from behind the door in uncertainty. Seeing his silence as approval, she stepped forward into his room, throwing open her robe and letting it drop to the floor in a sexy strip.

Cole sniffed the air once. Twice. With an excited growl, he propped himself up on his elbow as his eyes raked sexily over her body. He could smell her womanly essence as she slowly approached with each waft of scent getting stronger than the last. Her chest was bare leaving the only piece of clothing on her body to be the already soaked material covering her crotch. His wolf scratched at his chest repeatedly then retreated into his deep slumber to ignore what the man was about to do. It yearned to be with their mate but Cole didn't appear ready.

"How did you know I needed this?" His voice came out in a low growl as he winked at her from below. His fingers hovered over the rim of her panties awaiting her response.

"When Cole gets in this mood, Sue knows. She is here to serve my Lord." The lady, who looked to be in her teens, replied. Her looks were truly deceptive for she was just a few days over a century. That was all it took to rip the flimsy material off of her. In a heartbeat, he was behind her and had her bent over his bed as he impaled the slick wet opening of her vagina lips with the throbbing rod of his manhood. Over and over he thrusted and withdrew himself, pushing them both to the limit before sending them over the slipping edge. The moment he stopped spilling his seed into her, he collapsed against her, letting his fangs trail her collarbone as he pulled her to himself. He was exhausted from thoughts of his brother- scratch that- half-brother, and his quest for a mate which his Dad hung over his head.

After a while of deeply sated silence, Sue spoke up. "What do you want to do about your mate?"

Cole tensed at her question. For once, he wanted to feel contended being wrapped around her and not have to be flung rudely into reality. "Can we not speak about this?"

She craned her head so she could look at his chest since his head was way above her to be seen. "We can't avoid this topic, my Lord. What then happens to me when you find your mate?"

He had not even given that much thought, so he gave a hasty reply. "You could be my mistress alongside my mate. I don't think there's anyone who gets me like you do."

Sue stiffened but remained quiet at his response. She loved Cole with all she had and didn't want to think about the distance and hurt it would cause if his mate eventually came around but it was inevitable. "I don't think I want to be in second place for you. If I can't be first, then I don't want to be your mistress."

Cole's wolf snapped lightly inside him in anger. He managed to keep him reined in. "I don't think my wolf likes the thought of that. I feel him getting uneasy with every second that passes and I know he can sense our mate but I can't yet."

At that, Sue arose from underneath him, walking towards her discarded clothing to pick it up from the ground. Cole watched her bottom wiggle and semen run down her legs as she walked to the bathroom. She was going to get a shower. The bathroom door clicked shut and Cole fell back on his bed to reflect upon her words. He had known Sue since the first time when she first set paws into the grounds of the Moonstone pack. A slender pup blossoming into a ripe bitch. Always reserved, but walked with graceful steps, never looking down on herself or others. The Alpha King had them rescued and brought in as rogues. They possessed every sanity and had not gone wild like regular rogues so that was the sign from the moon goddess to offer a chance for them to survive in a land filled with modernized werewolves. Cole remembered vividly how terribly bashful she felt the first time he spoke to her. She hid away instead of throwing herself at him as the other young werewolves did at the time.

From speaking to him about the most trivial issues to meeting him to help her sharpen her fighting skills. She refused to settle in and become a vixen doing nothing but make herself up, visiting the clubs in human settlements. She was satiated with the peaceful bliss of the Moonstone pack. Which is why it hurt him when he found out that she wasn't his mate. His wolf only wagged its tail in pure delight.

The bathroom door opened and Sue stepped out now fully covered with the robe she had worn in. Her eyes were red and blotchy like she had been crying inside. Cole stood up to meet her ignoring how ridiculous he looked with his manhood swinging side to side like a pendulum. He gathered her in his arms.

"We have no roles to play in the selection of our mates, I hope you know that."

"But you can refuse her. It would hurt but it would ease the bigger hurt when you find out that she doesn't even match your requirement." She replied with a trembling voice.

Cole nearly laughed but didn't. She was talking from pain. "The moon goddess doesn't give people mates that do not match with them, Sue."

"But what if you do not love her?"

"How will I not love her? She is my mate after all."

Sue didn't stop at her assumptions as she craned her neck to stare intently at him. "What if you love her the way you love me?"

Cole found himself tongue-tied, unable to counter her fears with any words. "So that was what you are scared of? Being replaced?"

Her gaze stayed on his face, then she stepped back out of his hold, shaking her head. "I'm sorry to have made such stupid statements, my Lord. If you need me to do anything else for you, let me know."

She swiveled around to walk in the direction of the large doors that served as an entrance and exit to his room. Soon, he left standing in the center of his room still naked with only one thought lingering within him.

How was he going to be able to let Sue leave when he finally found his mate?