Alpha Wolf - Mate Mine

Chapter 80 ~ Something Familiar

The truth was that Elena really needed to be alone for a while and reflect on everything that had happened in the past months and what was to come. The girl needed some private time to meditate on her future position as Luna, on Herculi, on her relationship with Mirko, and so on.

Elena needed to acknowledge the swirl of emotions, thoughts and sensations in her body and mind. Instead of them leading her, she wanted to be the owner of her inner self.

Because a clear mind would lead to a quick and clear decision-making.

When Elena meditated in her strolls in the woods, she actually stepped into that particular moment of life – into the present. That allowed her to take in different perspectives at the one time, reducing any possibilities of misunderstandings and stress.

Therefore, she'd be able to recognise and be aware of her own emotions and other people's emotions independent of each other, thinking and behaving sensitively to others and herself.

The freezing air suggested that winter was just around the corner, the angry wind was screaming at the wilderness and hitting Elena's hair. The sounds of various animals and rustling were in the background. Since Mirko had marked her, the girl felt stronger and less tired. She knew that none would dare approach her with that mark roaring power and threats.

So she was surprised when her skin prickled and the early feeling of being watched invaded her guts. The soon-to-be Black Luna scanned the trees around her and halted.

There was an imposing man in between two oaks. Without the werewolf sight, she would have mistaken him for a tree itself or the shadow of a ghost, due to how still and dark he was.

The man was tall, with long, messy, dirty hair. The emerald green eyes were perhaps the most inhuman thing about him. He was completely naked, with a constellation of scars, cuts, and several bite marks. Some recent in appearance. Claws were prominent and it seemed he had eaten recently by the dripping blood. He was half covered in mud and other forest's elements.

He looked totally wild, like a new species. He looked like the Mr. Hide of Tarzan (the dark version of Tarzan).

However, the most surprising thing of all was the scent. It was strangely familiar.

Who was this man or boy or were-creature? No danger or threat radiated from him and somehow he didn't rush away under the power of Mirko's mark.

As the mouth opened, Elena noticed the wolf's canines, not retracted and sharp. They were bloody with his own blood after piercing his own mouth.

"E-E- ..."

He tried to speak and then winced, closing his eyes, and placing a hand on his throat, as if it were hurting him greatly. His chest heaved up and down, his nostrils flared. A wave of sadness swept over Elena for this strange person who couldn't be much older than her.

With a hoarse sound, he cleared his throat and tried to communicate again, in vain. When she took a step forward, he snapped at her and growled.

Elena, who was the Black Alpha's mate, felt no fear. It was as if something suggested that he would never hurt her.

"E-elen-a-a," He rasped out, looking into her eyes.

Green versus green.

Her heart leaped on her chest.

There was something she couldn't piece together, and a little voice inside her soul was whispering the truth, but it was too low to hear.

Elena could feel Mirko push through their private mind-link. Her mate had sensed her surprise and slight anguish and was trying to talk to her. Elena ignored him, completely shutting their link. She can manage her mate later...

"Who are you?"

Not only was his smell familiar, but it also reminded her of someone. Somehow.

"I-" to her surprise, he made a strangled sound and covered the handsome dirty face. A second later, he crouched on the ground, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He seemed to be suffering enormously.

And, like thunder crossing the sky on a sunny day, a thought pierced Elena's mind.

"Herculi?!"

She covered her mouth and, a heartbeat later, was running to him. Without thinking, she knelt in front of his shaking figure and hugged him. Her arms encircled his neck and pushed his head under her chin.

"Oh my god! It's really you!"

At first, he stiffened, his defence level extremely high. But once the guy remembered that this was Elena, his only friend, he returned the hug.

That was probably the first hug he had ever received, or at least for what he remembered in the blurry fog that was his mind. In the arms of the only person he had seen during all those dark years as a wolf, Herculi (whose name was not Herculi) gasped in pain.

Tears streamed down his dirty face, digging wet lines.

Tears for all the years he had lost.

Tears for his forgotten family, stolen by the unforgiven hands of an angry fate.

Tears for his dark loneliness and anguish.

Tears because he had deeply and perhaps irreparably hurt his mate, whom he loved with every bone of himself already.

But he had Elena.

And for now, that was all he needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN/ So, towards the end of book 1, Elena meets Herculi, again! This time he is in his human form (don't forget that the book started with Elena and Herculi!!).

He does look confused and shocked after several years in a dormant state. Any thought?

AN2/ Next update, next weekend ;)

Read Book 2 + 40 bonus episodes of Elena, Mirko, Marco & Cruciero + 20 extra mature hot chapters on my Patreon's page!

Also, first 56 chapters of my new exclusive werewolf story "Along came a mate" available on Patreon! :D

Link to sign up:

https://www.patreon.com/ladytrex

Love you all!!!