Page 12 of Destined to the Lycan
My cheeks heated with embarrassment when I found the elder woman staring at me in shock, her nostrils flaring.
“By Ferazan! Remus, you’re in heat?!”
I flinched and averted my eyes, feeling mortified. There was no reason for me to feel ashamed that I should have found my Twin Flame. And yet, a lifetime of being told I was an abomination that should have been put down at birth left indelible scars. The packs always made it clear I had to stay away from our females not to harm or taint them. To this day, any involvement I ever got with a woman—or even merely considering it—had me feeling like a criminal.
“I’m not in heat,” I muttered, wishing I could disappear.
“So why are you…?”
Misty’s voice trailed off as understanding slowly dawned on her. A flurry of emotions flitted over her wizened features: shock, disbelief, and finally elation. In that final instant, I realized I’d been holding my breath, bracing for the inevitable air of disgust and outrage that one such as I would dare think I could possibly be someone’s fated mate. My heart filled with love for the older woman when her face lit up with pure joy for me.
“Your Twin Flame! That sweet child is your soulmate!” she whispered with a thrill in her voice. Before I could answer, her eyes flicked from side to side as she seemed lost in intense reflections. “How the stars align. It all makes sense now. It was fated.”
“What? What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
She frowned, gave me a critical once over then, visibly displeased with my appearance, the innkeeper dragged me into the back kitchen.
“Misty, what are you doing?!” I exclaimed when she grabbed a clean cloth, wet it, and started scrubbing me as a mother would clean a rambunctious child who had smeared dirt all over himself from playing too roughly outside.
“You have to speak to your mate. But I must prepare you first,” Misty replied absentmindedly while still scrubbing me.
I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be outraged. She didn’t even seem to realize what she was doing. I wasn’t actuallydirty. At best, I had maybe a tiny streak of dried blood and the random strands of fur from carrying the beasts over my shoulders.
“Her name is Amara, and she’s dying,” Misty brutally dropped.
I froze, all fussing forgotten as my blood turned to ice. “What?” I breathed out.
“She’s poisoned and requires a rare antidote that can only be found in these mountains,” she said grimly.
“I’ll get it for her,” I said without hesitation. “What does she need?”
The sad look she gave me had my innards twisting. Misty threw the—essentially still clean—cloth into the sink and took both of my hands in hers. When she locked eyes with me, I braced for what would be terrible news.
“You must be strong, Son. The cure… It involves Ranael,” she said in an apologetic tone.
I took a step back, her words striking me like a physical blow. Shaking my head, I tried to pull away from her, but she tightened her grip on my hands and closed the distance between us.
“Hear her out, Remus. Amara isn’t foolish or some crazy lunatic pursuing a far-fetched charlatan cure,” she quickly added in a pleading tone. “You’re her only hope. I just warned you so that you would be prepared. But please, listen to her with an open mind.”
“That’s insanity, Misty! Ranael destroys anything he touches. He’s taken my parents from me, and now you want me to deliver my mate to him to be butchered?!” I snapped, yanking my hands out of hers.
“Of course not, silly boy. I want you to be happy, Remus,” Misty said in a reasonable but firm tone. “You may not be my blood, but I’ve always loved you as if you were the fruit of my body. The moment I saw this girl, I knew she was a beautiful, special soul. Now, I understand why. Fate sent Amara to you. Whatever challenges lie ahead, who better than you to see her through it? Listen to what she has to say. And if you still disagree, then you can plead your case with her as to why a different course of action might be better.”
I stared intently at her, torn by conflicting emotions. My every instinct screamed that she was completely out of her mind to even suggest I should entertain such a mission, let alone that my Twin Flame should pursue an obviously suicidal endeavor.
Voss timidly approaching with a large bowl of steamy spiced wine interrupted us. At seventeen, the youngling was already a mountain of a male. I couldn’t wait to see what a magnificent beast he would turn into once he reached full maturity. Too bad he had too sweet and gentle a disposition. He would have made a formidable alpha.
“Thank you, darling,” Misty said warmly to her grandson, sounding relieved for the timely distraction.
She hastened to the boy and took the bowl with both hands before bringing it to me.
“Here, bring this to your mate. She ordered it while waiting for you to arrive. Go on, Son. And please, keep an open mind,” Misty urged while gently pushing me out of the back kitchen.
I almost resisted in order to argue some more, but she wasn’t the customer who needed convincing. And this gave me the excuse I needed to approach my Twin Flame without giving away the fact that my interest in her went well-beyond any business transaction.
To my shock, as soon as I exited the kitchen, I found Amara staring in my general direction, a hopeful expression on her stunning face. The disappointment that immediately took over the moment she spotted the bowl in my hands almost made me smile. Under different circumstances, I would have been amused by her mistaking me for a server. But Misty’s revelations were messing with my head.
I didn’t know this woman, but she was my life mate. I’d be damned if some poison took away the one good thing to have happened to me in decades.
