12| Mate

ZAK'S POV

"Look here, Sierra is the next in line to be Beta. Most people don't approve of it, so the Alpha decided it was wise to keep it a secret until the ceremony, which is in three days' time. Jared's best friend is Sierra's younger brother, Shawn."

Ash took a deep breath and continued.

"Jared has been pushing for Shawn to become his Beta for a year now. I thought it was weird that he wanted Sierra to become Luna so that Shawn could be the beta, but it makes sense now. If Sierra gets killed, Shawn will ascend alongside him. By the way, Jared's ceremony is tomorrow."

The words rushed out of her mouth, and it took me a moment to make sense of them. It clicked. Darren gasped as he realized what this would mean. I immediately started to mindlink people.

"Ryker, go and get the Beta's daughter to safety. She must not leave your sight, no matter what happens. Darren, inform the Wolfsbane's Beta of the situation. I don't trust the Alpha to be level-headed with his son. Make sure the game is nowhere around you."

"Yes, Alpha!" They both simultaneously replied and got into action. Ash looked at them in surprise as they left.

"Why are they leaving?"

"To take care of things. They wouldn't allow me to bring anybody else as we are on thin ice with this pack."

"Wait, does that mean you left your territory with no ranked wolves to handle it?" She asked, baffled.

"I have many Alphas under me. I'm an Alpha Superior," I stated.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot that for a moment."

'Why?' Why was she so hellbent on trying to rile me up?

"So I can go now, right?" She asked hesitantly. Oh yes. She couldn't really go yet. I had no intention of letting her out of my sight until everything was over. And I still had to know how she knew all that confidential information.

"No," I replied icily. This omega was not at all what she seemed

ASH'S POV

"What? You told me I could go if I tell you everything I knew!" I said, exasperated. He sighed.

"Look, I could be out there trying to stop a war. But as much as you try to deny it, you mean something to that brat. In case things don't go as planned, keeping you away from him is the best course of action."

"I'm all for that, but why?" He scowled a bit at my question.

"We could have used you as a bargaining chip, but from what you said, the relationship between you and him isn't exact-"

"There's no relationship, trust me," I said, cutting him off. Zak looked displeased at being interrupted, but ignored me and continued.

"We know for sure that he won't try escaping or start anything if you are not with him. That is why I will have to babysit you until your Beta has been informed of the situation and made his decision.

I frowned at the word babysit, but decided not to question him in case I embarrassed myself.

"But why does it have to be you? Can't Daniel or someone else do it? You could even go and inform the Beta yourself."

"Because I don't really think the others can handle this stink for long without fainting," He said dryly. I gave him a sheepish grin.

'And here I thought this would keep me away from Alpha males.'

I looked at the watch in his hand.

"The stink will be gone in a minute. It's a scent masking potion to mask my scent. And if the stink is not gone by then, I can just remove it." Zak looked at me like my cat pissed in his breakfast.

"I thought you told Daniel you didn't have one?"

Oh well, let's not get into that, shall we? It would lead to him realizing my special lying skills. I really needed to get away from him, or distract him. Maybe do both. This man was making my instincts go haywire.

"Speaking of Daniel, can I have him back? I told you this would be gone in a minute. Actually, should be gone by now," I said, taking my antidote for the smell depriving potion I had taken earlier to numb my sense of smell.

He scowled at my question.

"No," He answered simply. I glared at him.

The potion took only a few seconds to take effect, and a wonderful and elegant scent of winter jasmines, sharp like ice wafted throughout the room. It was all I could smell. My eyes widened as one word resounded in my mind.

'Mate.'

I looked at Zak with wide eyes. This guy was my mate? An actual soulmate? I had a mate, and it was this Alpha Superior? I looked around the room and outside through the window. There was nobody out there. Indicating that Zak was indeed my mate. It all made sense now. My curiosity and attraction to him.

'Oh, fuck me sideways. I'm screwed.'

This was so unexpected that I didn't know what to do. I thought about it. I only had a few years to live. Ten years at most. There was no cure since what I had wasn't a disease. It was just the way things were, and I had come to accept it.

But that might not be the case for Zak. I knew how painful it was for a Lycan to lose their soulmate. They would absolutely lose their minds. Although I had not known him for long, I did not want that to happen to Zak.

I made a decision. I would quietly leave without making a noise as soon as this total fiasco was over. Without revealing that I was his mate by not taking off the scent masking potion I had on me. That's the best course of action. I laughed bitterly at my fate. Blessed with a mate, but not the life to spend it with him.

How cruel.