Page 192 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

“The pack was excited about the upcoming ceremony. But Lyall, one of Conan’s cousins, was jealous of the blatant favor Selene had always shown to his uncle’s family. He felt it was unfair of Selene to not only grant them the lycan alpha power but also to allow one of them to form a union with her daughter instead of any of the other wolves, who were also her creations.

“He had lusted after Asteria for years, hoping she would turn her eye towards him, but it was to no avail. The young woman had always favored Conan, and years of rejection had created a deep-rooted jealousy in Lyall’s soul.

“He wanted Asteria as his mate. He wanted her to spread his seed. It was his belief that pups born from the Moon Goddess’s daughter would be stronger and better werewolves than those born from any other female.

“He concocted a plan, a plan that would ensure he could have Asteria for himself. The night before Selene would have returned, he captured Asteria in her sleep, taking her to a cave hidden deep within the forest.

“Asteria was frightened when she awoke and found herself bound and laid in a bed of straw, her intended mate nowhere to be seen. She held her fear and her tears back, though, refusing to show any weakness to the monster who had taken her away from her love.

“Conan was furious when he woke to find Asteria missing, and it did not take long for him to realize that his cousin Lyall had been behind her disappearance. He had seen the lustful gazes Lyall had always thrown towards Asteria, and he knew the other werewolf had nefarious intentions towards her.

“He quickly rallied the warriors and trackers of his pack, leading them on a desperate search for Asteria.

“Lyall, knowing he wouldn’t have much time before Conan realized his deception and found him, decided to mark Asteria as his mate before Conan could track them down and rescue her. He brought his fangs out, quickly embedding them in Asteria’s neck to leave his mark on her, as all werewolves did once they had chosen a mate.

“What Lyall failed to understand, however, was the depth of love Selene had for her daughter and how far she had gone to protect Asteria from something like this. For she knew there would be jealous wolves lusting after her daughter, even after Conan had claimed her as his intended. And although Conan had his enhanced abilities, she did not want to rely on only that to keep Asteria safe.

“So, she’d used her magic so Conan would be the only male able to leave a mate mark on Asteria, further binding them to only each other.

“It outraged Lyall when he saw his mark instantly fade from her skin. He tried to mark her a second time, only to be met with the same result.

“Repeatedly, he tried to mark her, sinking his teeth into her neck again and again, to no avail. Every time he removed his teeth, his mark would vanish, leaving no trace behind. And with each bite, he grew more and more frustrated. He descended further and further into the madness that had been growing in him since Conan had claimed Asteria.

“While all this was happening, Conan and his wolves were racing through the forest, following the scent trail of Lyall and Asteria. Because of the bond Selene had created between the two, Conan could feel Asteria’s pain, fear, and panic. Knowing that his love was in such a state pushed his lycan to run faster in order to rescue their mate.

“Realizing that he could never mark Asteria as his, Lyall decided that if he could not have her, no other wolf should have her either. He shifted into his wolf form and tore Asteria’s throat out in one swift movement, just as Conan burst into the cave where the two had been hiding.

“Conan could feel the exact moment that his beloved died. A sharp, deep, unimaginable pain tore through his body, starting from his heart and spreading throughout his entire being, straight to his very soul. Without a thought, he inflicted the same punishment on Lyall as Lyall had on Asteria, tearing his throat out and killing Lyall instantly.

“His lycan stayed by his mate’s body in the cave. His spirit weakened from the loss of his love. He let out a long, low, mournful howl, the sadness of which was heard and felt by the entire pack.

“He sensed her before he saw her. Selene’s gentle, loving power filled the space of the cave. She knelt beside him on the ground, her hand pressed to his lycan’s chest, just above where his heart beat sadly. Her own heart and soul mirrored the pain that he was experiencing.

“Every wolf and lycan in the world could feel the sorrow of their mourning goddess. Across the globe, they lifted their muzzles in the air, howling for losing their beloved Asteria.

“As the chorus of howls dissipated, Selene quietly disappeared from the earth, heading to the moon to live with her depression in solitude.

“Before she departed, however, she left behind another gift for all of her wolves and lycans who remained, all the wolves who had always stayed loyal to her and her daughter.

“She gifted each of them a mate. A true soulmate meant for them and no other. She hoped the knowledge of a wolf out in the world meant just for them would eliminate the possibility of something so tragic from ever happening again.

“She also granted Conan a second chance, providing him with his own soulmate after several years had passed. He marked her, and they lived together happily, having many pups together over the years. He never forgot his first love, though, and would constantly thank Selene for letting him love her daughter, even if it had only been for a short while.

“One night, many years later, when Conan was near the end of his days, Selene appeared to him in a dream. She promised him in the future when her heart had healed fully and she was no longer mourning for her beloved Asteria, she would have another daughter. This daughter would be the true mate of a worthy male, one who had proven himself to be of the same caliber of lycan as Conan.

“Conan passed this knowledge to his children before he died, and they passed their father’s story down to their children.

“And so it went. From generation to generation, the story circulated throughout the world as Conan’s descendants spread far and wide. Until every werewolf and lycan knew of Selene’s fabled promise to once again grant a lycan alpha the honor of being her daughter’s mate.”

I closed the book and held it in my hands, staring at the gold scrolling on the cover as I processed everything. Behind me, Wesley’s heart beat against his ribs.

“So, Selene’s gift was Asteria. Her daughter,” I said, vocalizing my thoughts.

“Her first daughter,” Wesley corrected. His arms around my waist tightened, and he swallowed. “And the promise of her second daughter.”

“And you think I am this second daughter? The one she promised would be mates with a worthy lycan?” I asked.

“It fits,” Wesley murmured. “It fits better than the other story.”

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