Vindicator

Chapter 10

For this reason, the crowned prince, Chance Reginald Lycidas was currently seated in the back seat of a black Cadillac Escalade on his way to interview some packs about the Spectre. His brown eyes looked tired as he stared at the folder he was currently reading through. With a heavy sigh, he ran his fingers back through his messy thick black hair, not caring he'd already ruined the neat styling job he left the castle with.

"We'll be there soon enough, but I still don't understand why you didn't try to rest" the driver's voice called back, breaking the near-silence in the vehicle.

Chance's eyes looked up to meet the friendly brown eyes of his best friend, and future Beta, Tom. The two grew up together, with Tom's father serving the current King as his Beta. Tom knew Chance better than anyone, and could tell he was anxious.

"Something doesn't add up about all of this" Chance explained, waving the folder in his hand for emphasis. "I'm just making sure I didn't overlook something" he added with a shrug that was meant to portray nonchalance.

"Sleep helps you consolidate the information you've learned, it's arguably more important than re-reading it a hundred times! Don't forget that" Tom said with a grin, knowing his friend would ignore his advice.

As expected, Chance merely replied with a very un-princely grunt. Tom chuckled and shook his head, a few strands of his brown hair falling down into his eyes.

Before Tom could pester the prince further, Chance's cellphone rang. A quick look at the caller ID told him it was his mother. He was too far from the palace to mindlink now, so they had to settle for communicating by phone.

"Hello, mother" he answered.

"Hello, my darling! I hope your trip is going well" she said in her usual cheerful voice.

"It's work, mother, not a trip" Chance replied flatly, since his mother was the one who sent him.

"Oh, it's a business trip, so it's still a trip" she said with a laugh. "And I have more business to add to it" she continued.

Chance stifled his groan, knowing it would only have his mother scolding him. "What is it, then?" He sighed.

"Well, we've received an urgent request for help from the Red Moon pack" she explained.

"Is it their Alpha?" He asked, remembering the reports that the Red Moon's Alpha had been slowly losing his sanity since the death of his mate.

"Yes, it seems he has finally lost control of his wolf. His son turned 18 recently, meaning he will be able to find his Luna and take over the pack. The Beta suspects this was what sent the Alpha over the edge...He lost his mate, and soon he will lose his pack" she said with a sigh.

"It might not be so soon" Chance said bitterly.

At the age of 18, werewolves fully mature and are able to find their mates. This is paramount for Alpha heirs, as they cannot take over their packs without their Luna. Due to this, it's not uncommon for heirs to go on pack tours to find their mate. Chance, the heir of the king of Alphas, was now 22 and had still not found his mate. He had gone on 4 tours, and was unable to find her, so the mention of finding one's mate being something that would happen "soon" was a sore spot for him.

His mother uttered a tsk, disapproving of his tone, but left it at that. "Regardless," she continued on, "you'll be passing by the Red Moon pack on your trip, so please make it a priority to stop in and assess the situation. I anticipate you and Tom will be capable of handling one crazed Alpha; but, if the situation is too far gone, call and we will send the Royal Guard to handle it."

Sighing, Chance replied with an obedient "of course, mother."

"Thank you, my love" she said with a smile. "Stay safe."

"You too, mother. Good bye for now." He replied, ending the call then letting out a loud groan of annoyance.

Tom, who had overheard the whole thing thanks to his werewolf hearing, let out a laugh. "Come on, it'll be fun" he offered.

"We must have very different ideas of fun" the surly prince grumbled.

Tom kept a grin on his face, looking forward to some action. "Next stop, Red Moon pack in T-15 minutes, boss!" He said, practically cheering.

Chance just rolled his eyes, but he could feel his wolf stirring at the mention of the Red Moon pack. He turned his attention inward. "What is it, Xander?" He asked his wolf.

"I'm not sure" the wolf admitted. "I just feel a pull to that pack...Maybe mate is there!" He said excitedly.

Chances eyes widened at that. "Truly, you think so? We may finally find our mate?" He asked, sitting up straighter and beginning to take notice of his appearance.

"I have never felt this before, so I don't know, but...It has to mean something" the wolf replied.

Chance nodded, and began to smooth his hands over his white dress shirt in an effort to press out the wrinkles. He'd been sitting in the car for hours, hunched over files, and it had caused the middle of the shirt to bunch up. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing his muscular forearms; and unrolling them now would also leave wrinkles, so he left them as they were. Next he went to trying to tame his hair, and this caught Tom's attention.

"Uh...What's up with you?" He asked, an inquisitive brow quirked up as he peered back at his friend.

"Xander said he's feeling a pull to the Red Moon pack" Chance replied, pressing down on his wavy locks in an attempt to flatten them.

Tom's eyes widened. "You think it's your mate?" He asked in excitement.

Chance couldn't help the beautiful smile that broke across his handsome face. "Could be" he offered, trying not to get too excited in the event she wasn't here.

Tom beamed at his friend. He'd chosen a mate already, and was a soon-to-be father. He knew how much Chance envied him, and he was nearly as excited as the prince at the prospect of finding their future queen. "Guess we'll find out soon" he sang, pulling the car down a dirt road that disappeared into the woods.

"Yes" Chance said, his leg bouncing with anxious energy. His leg froze when they rolled up to the guards at the gate a few minutes later. Tom had rolled the window down, letting the fresh, cool air of the evening sweep into the vehicle. With it came a variety of scents, and one in particular stood out, despite being faint - and it had his wolf hopping around in his mind.

Chance furrowed his brow, a bit confused. Although it was faint, there was definitely something about this scent. He'd been told by his parents and grandparents that a mate can be identified by scent before anything else. Their scent is unique to you, and will draw you to them; identifiable as your favourite scent. Sometimes it can be a mix of things that, combined, create a new scent you'd never experienced, but it never fails to make one's mouth water the first time it hits.

With that in mind, he was puzzling over the fact that this scent was definitely alluring. It was pulling him towards it like a magnet, and it was certainly a scent unlike any other he's experienced before. It was wonderful...But something about it just seemed off from what he'd been lead to expect.

"It's probably just people misrepresenting the truth" Xander said, giddy as an energetic puppy.

"You're probably right" Chance said, his wolf's excitement oozing into him. He decided not to focus on it, and figured he'd know his mate when he saw her and that would clear any doubt.

"We're here" Tom announced, putting the car into park. "Let's go meet our future queen" he said with a grin.