BONUS CHAPTER #1
ALPHA ULYSSES' POV.
(Edited- 21/05/2017)
All my life I have been surrounded by wolves. Wolves who have all been in deep deep love with their Mates, worshipping their other halves and always putting them before anyone else.
I came to know about the concept of Mates, when I was three years old.
I know it sounds weird, but I still remember that day when my Dad had told me how I will have a woman who will love me like no other. A woman who will make me complete....
I'd always felt as if a part of me was missing. Other kids my age were busy playing tag and I'd just have this gut feeling that something was amiss. Something was missing.
And when Dad finally told me about how I'll find a Mate before hitting puberty, the pieces all fell into place. I now knew what I was missing.
Or more specifically who.
And I couldn't wait to find her.
That was when I was three years old, and Dad had told me about Mates as a birthday present.
Or so I thought.
On my next birthday, when I was four years old and totally obsessed with the concept of my Mate, listing down all the things I would do for her when I find her, and how I'd tell her that I've been waiting for her ever since I knew about her existence, my Dad beckoned me to his study.
I was only too excited to go. Hoping that maybe he'd tell me something more about my mate and how I could find her.
Only, he didn't.
Instead, he told me something that according to me no 4 year old deserved to hear.
At least no 4 year old wolf.
"Lys, today what I am going to tell you is something very very important" He starts.
I see Ma come in and smile at her.
She doesn't smile back.
So I give my undivided attention to Dad.
"Ulysses, you cannot mate with your Mate till she is eighteen" He tells me.
I already knew that. Most wolves were advised to mate only after they had turned eighteen, so both of them can understand just how important they are to the other.
I still nod my head.
"I know that, Dad" I smile.
"No, Ulysses. This is serious. You cannot spend anytime with your mate till she turns eighteen. You cannot officially accept her till she is eighteen. You can't have anything to do with her till she is eighteen" Dad says seriously and I felt my four year old heart clench. A sharp pain shot through my chest and I did my best to ignore it.
Sometimes I really hated how fast I was maturing. How I could understand distinctly all that he is saying.
"What?" My voice sounds wrong to my own ears. Withdrawn. Angry. At my Dad for even suggesting that I stay away from my Mate.
"Ignore your Dad, son. You just make sure that you don't mate with your female till she is eighteen, yes?" Ma says softly, patting my shoulder.
"Don't give him false hope, Love. He deserves to know. And he better be prepared. From now on, he will learn total self control, because the Moon above knows he has a hard path ahead of him" Dad's voice breaks in the end and Ma gets up from the chair beside me and sits down on his lap.
"No, Ash. We can't ask him to stay away from his girl. I can't let any other female go through what I have been through" Ma is whispering frantically in Dad's ear.
"I am gonna go" I stand up to leave.
"Sit, Lys. This is serious" Dad warns.
"No, Dad. I don't think you realize what you are asking of me. I will never ever stay away from my Mate. Not even if my life depended on it" I swear.
"But what will you do son if your Mate's life depends on it? What will you do then? If you being near her will mean nothing but danger for her, what will you do?" Dad is now standing, Ma beside him, trying to calm him down.
"What are you trying to say, Dad?! I will never hurt my Mate! Never" I shout at him, feeling so much anger.
"He's just a kid, Ashton! Don't do this to him" Ma begs but Dad is having none of it.
"I want to know why my Mate will be in danger because of me!" I growl.
"I, Alpha Ashton, your Alpha, forbid you to get close to your Mate till she turns eighteen" Dad orders using his Alpha command on me.
I know I should back off now, because he is my Alpha, and I am supposed to respect his words, but I can't get myself to. Not when it involves my Mate.
"Ashton!" Ma gasps at Dad, but I am just out of it.
"I will not leave my mate!"
"Shut up, Ulysses"
"No!" I snarl, feeling too many emotions for a four year old.
"Don't you see Avery? He is just four year old but he is already under it's influence! The curse is already working, don't you see? Have you not realized how obsessed he is with the concept of Mates? How he is searching for her already? It's time, Avery ... It's time..." A tear slips out of Dad's eyes and I feel like all the air is punched out of me.
"Ashton..." Ma rubs Dad's back.
"Leave Ulysses" Ma says but I can't get my feet to move.
My father is crying.
Because of me.
But why?
Why can't I get to know my mate?
"What is going on, Ma?" I ask her tentatively.
"Nothing, son. Your Dad and I will be going out for some weeks, yes?" She smiles sadly at me.
"Where?" I ask.
"Somewhere... for now, just promise me you will not think much about it. About what your father told you today, okay?" She is looking at me expectantly.
"Yes, Ma" I parrot out, because you can't say 'no' to my Ma. I turn to leave, my heart sinking with each step I take.
"And, Ulysses?" She calls my name when I've reached the door.
"Yes?"
"Try not to think about your Mate too much, son. You will have all the time in the future for that, yes?" It was easy to read between the lines. By future, she meant some 14 years (If my Mate turned out to be my age that is...)
I didn't argue with that, making a promise to myself that no matter what happens, I will not hurt my Mate. Not even if my parents want me to.
But I don't tell my Ma that. Instead I nod like her good little son and make my way out of their study, ignoring my friends who are calling out to me to come and join them.
I go to the heart of the forest.
Once I have reached the lake, I look around to see if anyone is there, and when I find the coast is clear, I remove my clothes and jump in, allowing my tears to mix with the lake water.
I don't understand what is happening! I am four years old for Moon's sake! How can my Dad tell me that my Mate will be in danger because of me? That is just so mean. I haven't even met her and I love her already! How can anyone doubt my love for her?
I will never ever hurt my mate, I decide and swim out of the lake, putting on my clothes and making my way to the pack house to say goodbye to my parents.
(♧.♧)
It's been four months since my birthday. Since Ma and Dad left for wherever they went.
Ma said that they'd be gone for weeks, but months have passed and they still haven't returned.
I think they went because of me. Because I am a crap son. I shouldn't have back answered Dad and agreed with him on staying away from my Mate. For his sake.
But even the thought of staying away from her hurts me. Physically.
For some reason, I have been glued to Hayden's Ma's side this last month. She is the Gamma Female of our pack, and everyone loves her.
In return, she loves everyone too.
I have always liked her, she makes awesome cookies, but this past few weeks, I don't know why I can't get myself to be more than 30 feet away from her.
Even going to school and training is tough. I keep on missing her, worrying about her.
It's stupid how I, a four year old am worried about a full grown woman.
I observe that her scent has changed ever since I've been staying at her place (from the past one month)
Before she used to smell of lilies and roses.
Now she smells of hazelnuts too.
Hades and I were playing tag outside but now we decided to play football. I have come in their house to get the ball.
Once I've gotten the ball, I decide to check in on Hade's Mom so I head towards her room.
I am outside, but I can hear her talking to Hade's Dad.
My wolf senses have already started to kick in.
"I am going to be a father again?" Harry, Hade's Dad sounds awed and I hold my breath.
They are going to have a baby?
"Yes, Harry! I am one month through" Hade's Mom sounds hysterical.
"Oh... my love" It's Harry and I imagine them hugging or doing whatever it is that adults do at a time like this so I walk away, giving them the privacy that they deserve.
And even as I am walking out of the house, away from the woman I've been stuck to for the past month, I know.
I know that it is my Mate that she will birth.
(€-€)
Eight months have passed and it is my birthday.
My parents returned two months ago, they were gone for altogether ten months.
We haven't talked about the whole Mate thing again. More like I've been avoiding them as much as I can so I don't slip and tell them about my discovery.
Hayden's Ma is as round as a balloon and Hayden has been going around for months, boasting about how he is soon going to have a little sibling.
All my friends are jealous of him because none of us have siblings.
Ever since Ma and Dad returned, I have to stay with them, in their wing of the pack house, and it is tiring for me because I feel like I am not near enough to Hade's Ma.
What if something happened to her? What is something happened to my Mate?!
That is all I can think about these days.
Some times, when I am playing outside wuth Damon and Hayden, I feel so jealous of them. The two of them are so nonchalant when it comes to discussing about their mates. None of them are worried, because they know that it will happen when it has to happen.
I on the other hand can't think about her enough.
Sometimes I wonder if I am older than I look, because I definitely don't feel like I am five. (It is my birthday today)
I am sitting outside, by the lake, when I hear the distant wail of Hayden's Ma.
My ears have sensitized to her voice and I can locate her even in the crowdiest of places.
I don't waste time and instead, jump on my feet and run barefoot all the way back to the packhouse.
I am breathless when I reach her side, and a growl leaves my lips when I see a sudden wave of panic on her face.
"What is it? What is it Aunt Bella?" I ask rubbing her feet.
"Call- Call for Harry!" She cries clutching her tummy.
I open the pack link and locate Gamma Harry. Luckily, he has not blocked anyone out.
'Uncle Harry! Something is wrong with Aunt Bella. She is in a lot of pain' My voice sounds panicked to my own ears.
'Where are you both?' He asks without missing a beat.
'In your room' I shut the link off and turn towards Gamma Bella.
Her face is blank, until suddenly it gets contorted into a mixture of surprise followed by pain.
"What can I do, Aunt Bella?" I am not dumb. I know it is time that my Mate comes to this world.
My Mate and I will share the same birthday, is a distant thought in my mind as Aunt Bella gives me an adoring look and shakes her head, indicating that I can't do anything to help her.
I feel useless.
Luckily, before I can beat myself up for not knowing what to do, Gamma Harry and two woman I have never seen before enter the room.
"Wait outside with Hayden, son" Gamma Harry pats my back and ushers me outside, shutting the door on my face.
I go to knock on the door, to demand that they let me in, that I want to be the first person who sees my mate, but my friend stops me.
"Let go of me Hades!" I snap at him and only when I see the fear in his eyes, that are large and staring at my face, do I pull back.
"You-u are ch-hanging, Lys!" Hayden sounds awed and I look at my arms, to see the growth of blonde hair on them.
A sharp pain shoots through my spine and I let out a guttural growl, my screams almost drowning Bella's.
I don't know what happened next, when Dad came to find me, or how I even reached the jungle, but when I next see clearly, I am staring at the reflection of my wolf in the crystal clear water of my lake.
I don't stop there to admire the white blonde coat of my wolf, nor do I stop to chat with my wolf or get to know him.
I already feel like I am running late as I turn towards the direction of the packhouse, hoping that nothing happened to Bella and my mate in the time I've been gone.
"You are not going anywhere son" Dad's voice is steely.
I growl at him.
"I know she is your Mate" He says emotionlessly and I bark in reply. Affirming his words.
"You will not see her" He states and the growl that leaves my mouth has the whole jungle unsettled.
I bare my teeth at my Dad. No one can keep me away from my Mate.
"Shut it, Ulysses. Promise me that you will not go anywhere near your Mate till she is eighteen, or I will exile her from the pack" I don't think about it twice and lunge at my Dad, wanting to tear his throat out for even mentioning something like that.
He has me on the ground by my throat in a second, staring at me with eyes swimming in pain.
"You are not strong enough to take me down son" Dad looks right in my eyes.
"Do you trust me Ulysses?" Dad asks finally.
I have to think about it, and it takes me a minute to realize that I trust my Dad more than anyone else in this world.
I nod my wolf head.
'Then trust me on this, son. You need to stay away from your Mate, son. You cannot tell anyone that she is your mate, not even your Ma, yes?' He is now talking to me via the pack link.
'But why?' My voice sounds defeated to my own self.
'I will tell you soo, son. Soon' A tear slips out of his eyes and falls on my fur.
'Okay' I croak out.
Dad let's out a harsh breath and tells me to change, turning away from me.
I change into my human form.
"Lets go home" Dad turns towards me and I see a trail of dried tears on his face.
"You need to stop crying, Dad. I promise I won't go near her" I say softly, my heart breaking as the words slip out of my mouth.
Dad stares at me for a moment, and then kneels down, hugging me tightly to himself, his tears wetting my shoulder.
"I am sorry son. So so sorry" He keeps on whispering as he holds me close.
"Let's go and see your Mate, yes? You have to stay away from her for her own good, but that does not mean that you can't even see her" He is talking mostly to himself as we make our way out of the jungle and to the packhouse.
"Happy Birthday, Son. I didn't get you a gift... but you can ask me for anything you want" Dad rubs the back of his neck sheepishly as we reach the oak tree and I pull on a tee shirt and shorts.
"Really?" I ask hopefully.
"Of course" he rubs his temple and I know he feels bad for forgetting about the present.
"Can I hold her?" I ask shyly crossing my fingers behind my back so that he doesn't refuse.
He stares down at me for a few seconds and then somethimg passes in his eyes before he nods yes.
I let out the breath I didn't even know that I was holding and wish my legs to stop shaking as we continue to walk on the muddy road.
I am coming Mate.
(¤_¤)
So..... tell me how it was. Did you guys like it? Did it reach up to your expectations? Which chapters do you want me to do next?
Next update in Alpha Ulysses' POV will be when this book has 1.5K likes
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