Malik
Seven Months Ago
I tore through the forest, my paws digging into the soft earth, the wind whipping through my fur. My second-in-command, Ajax, ran close behind as we led a unit of warriors to the border. "Units one and two to the east, three and four to the west, five to the south, and six to the north!" I barked through the mind link. "Lock down the perimeter! This may only be a drill, but when a real threat comes, you need to be ready to defend! Unit leaders, report when your teams are in position. On my count—go!" My warriors took off, my second and third in commands stood behind me. I could sense his eyes, burning a hole through my fur. Before I had time to address it, my mind flooded with my lead reports. Four minutes, twenty-three seconds. A new record. "Good work, everyone. We beat our best time," I praised. "Keep this up, and we'll break it again tomorrow. For now, rest up. Training resumes at six." I dismissed them and headed back toward the castle. Ajax was hot on my heals, his piercing stare drilling into my back, heavier with each step I took. In the changing rooms, I shifted back, throwing on an old pair of sweats and a tank. I stepped outside ready to head back to the castle. The evening air was cool against my skin, a welcome contrast to the heat lingering from training. My muscles ached, but I barely noticed. It was a good ache—one I had grown used to over the past few months. "Malik." I turned at the familiar voice, catching sight of Ajax walking toward me. His reddish-brown hair was a mess of waves. sticking out in different directions. The moment our eyes met, I felt it—the slight tension, the unspoken words sitting between us. His greenish-gray eyes flickered with betrayal. I let out a breath. "Ajax." He slowed to a stop in front of me, tilting his head slightly. "You're back." It wasn't a question. He had already known I'd returned—of course, he had. Nothing slipped past Ajax. "I had to find out through training today." He said, his eyes narrowing annoyance in his movements. Still, there was something in his tone that made my shoulders tighten. He crossed his arms. "I thought we were better friends." He turned his head up, looking away from me. Ah. There it was. Guilt settled in my chest. He wasn't angry. Not really. Just hurt I hadn't told him. I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. "I meant to tell you." He arched a brow. "You meant to." His voice was neutral, but there was a hint of amusement behind it. "Right. You've been home for—what? A week?" I hesitated. "…Two." Ajax scoffed, shaking his head. "Two weeks. And not a single word." I sighed. "It's not personal, Ajax. My father—" "Yeah, yeah," he interrupted, waving a hand. "King Egan has you proweling around for your mate." He paused, studying me for a long moment before his lips quirked into a smirk. "So?" I frowned. "So… what?" He rolled his eyes. "Don't make me drag it out of you. Did you find her or not?" It took me a second to register what he said, I shook my head. "No." His smirk faded slightly, replaced by something closer to genuine curiosity. "How many countries have you been to now?" "Thirty Five." I answered, picking at the skin around my nails, avoiding eye contact. He let out a low whistle, resting his hands on his hips. "Damn. All that traveling, and you didn't even catch a scent of her?" I shot him a dry look. "That's how it works with wolves, Ajax. Not me." He chuckled, shrugging. "Still. I figured if anyone could track down his mate across the world, it'd be you." I didn't answer. Because deep down, I had thought the same thing. I had visited almost half of the countries in this world. And nothing. Ever since my 16th birthday, I had followed every vision, every instinct, but they had all led to nothing. Ajax's teasing expression softened just a little. "That must be frustrating." I nodded once, jaw tightening. "It is." He was quiet for a moment before he let out a breath and said, "You'll find her." The certainty in his voice caught me off guard. I gave him a sideways glance. "You sound sure." "I am," he said simply. "You're Malik. If fate doesn't give you what you want, you'll hunt it down and take it anyway." A small smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. "You really think that highly of me?" Ajax scoffed. "No, I just know how stubborn you are." A low chuckle escaped me, and just like that, the tension between us lightened. Ajax let out an exaggerated sigh. "Still can't believe you didn't tell me you were back, though. Some best friend you are." I huffed. "I'm here now." "Yeah, yeah." He smirked. "I guess I'll forgive you… eventually." I rolled my eyes, shaking my head, the guilt in my chest eased. This was Ajax. Even when I failed to reach out, even when I got caught up in my duties—he was still here. And that meant more than I could say.
Present Day
I sprinted through the forest, the sunlight filtering through the trees, illuminating my path back to the castle. My heart pounded—not from exertion, but something deeper. Something life-changing. I found her. The one I had spent years searching for. And now, everything was about to change. I shifted in the changing rooms, pulling on my clothes as a grin stretched across my face. I walked hurriedly back toward the castle entrance. The large doors boomed shut behind me. I forced myself to calm down, smoothing my expression before striding toward my father's office. The moment I knocked, my mother's gentle voice called out, "Come in, Malik." I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Unable to contain my excitement, I let a grin slip as my back was turned, by the time I faced them, I had composed myself. My father barely looked up from his desk, his eyes slightly peeking over the rim of his glasses. "Well? We have work to do." He snapped. "Mom, Dad," I began, my voice steady. Steadier than I felt. "I found her." My mother's eyes widened, filling with joy. She rushed toward me, wrapping me in a tight embrace. "That's wonderful, honey! I can't wait to meet her." My father stood so fast his chair nearly toppled over. "You did?" His voice was a mixture of shock and pure excitement. "Where is she? I don't smell her!" I hesitated. "That's the thing," I said carefully. "She's… human." Silence. For a split second, my father blinked at me. Then, to my complete and utter surprise— He grinned. "A human?" he repeated, his voice almost giddy. "Well, isn't that something? I want to meet her." I stared at him, momentarily thrown off by his reaction. My father—the mighty Alpha King—looked like a pup who had just been given his first taste of meat. My mother, however, was less amused. "Egan," she warned. "What?" My father threw his hands up, grinning ear to ear. "Our son found his mate! We've waited nineteen years for this, Valerie! We should be celebrating!" She sighed, crossing her arms. "We will celebrate, but we need to consider how to approach this carefully. We don't want to scare the poor girl. Let them fall in love first. You know the laws regarding humans who don't know about us." "But, Valerie—" he whined. "We've all waited nineteen years for this," she interrupted, shooting him a pointed look. "You can wait a few more months until the girl is comfortable." My father huffed, plopping back into his chair like a sulking child. "Fine. But I want to meet her the moment she's ready." I bit back a laugh. The fearsome Alpha King, the ruler of our people—tamed by my mother. She turned back to me with a warm smile. "We'd love to meet her when she's ready." I nodded and left the office, heading toward Ajax and Isla's room. I knocked lightly. "Ajax, Isla, it's me." After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing Isla wrapped in a robe, her pale blue eyes groggy but sharp. She squinted at me, her hand gripping the edge of the door like she might slam it shut at any second. "Good morning, Isla. Sleep well?" I asked cautiously. She yawned, rubbing one eye before fixing me with a deadpan stare. "I was sleeping well," she grumbled. "We had a long night of training. What do you want, Prince Malik?" she added, voice dripping with sarcasm. Man. She was just full of attitude in the morning. I cleared my throat. "I—uh—can tell you both later, after you've had more sleep." Her glare intensified. "So you woke us up for nothing?" I threw my hands up. "Not nothing!" I protested. "I just—wanted you both to hear it." Heavy footsteps thudded inside the room. A moment later, Ajax appeared, shirtless, hair even more of a mess than usual. He ran a hand through it, his face still lined with sleep as he blinked at me. "Well," he grumbled, voice raspy. "Out with it then." I took a deep breath. "I met her. I found my mate." Silence. Sleep vanished from their faces as their eyes snapped to mine. Ajax straightened immediately, suddenly much more awake. "Where is she?" he asked, scanning the hall. "I'd have thought you'd be parading her around by now." I exhaled slowly. Here we go. "That's the problem," I admitted. Ajax cut me off, "So after all these years there's a problem with your mate? I'd have thought you'd be happy?" He teased eagging his finger. I roll my eyes, "It's not an actual problem. There's just restrictions. I can't approach her yet." I explain, fumbling over my words. He cocks his head to the side, "Restrictions?" Isla intersects. "She is human. She just moved here and doesn't know about us. Therefore I only know her name and where she lives." I say. Their faces turn with realization. Ajax let out a low whistle. "I never thought you'd be paired with a human Malik." He said sounding disappointed. Isla shoots him a glare. "What's her name?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement, "Her name is Audra." Isla gasped. "Wait—Malik!" she squealed, practically vibrating with energy. "Is she short with long black curly hair? Kind of quiet?" My heart slammed against my ribs. I nodded. She gasped again, grabbing my arm and shaking it like an excited pup. "She goes to our school! I have a few classes with her!" My breath caught. "If she's at school…" I murmured. "Then you can see her," Isla finished, eyes gleaming. "I can befriend her, invite her over—then you two can meet, fall in love, get married, and have so many pups!" She twirled, actually twirled, squealing in excitement. Ajax chuckled, grabbing her by the waist before she could spin herself into a wall. "They'll fall in love naturally, babe. That's how mates work." I inhaled sharply, my mind racing. I could see her. But— I clenched my jaw. King training. I wouldn't be attending school until mid-October. That only gave me a few short months with her before I graduated. My chest tightened. I forced a smile, nodding at Ajax and Isla before leaving. My feet mindlessly led me to the garden. My favorite spot, though the fresh air did little to calm the restlessness burning inside me. I walked through the garden, following the familiar stone path to a bench. I sat down, staring at the horizon, thoughts spinning. She was so close. Yet, I couldn't go to her. Not yet. I clenched my fists. Just a little longer, Audra. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply, willing myself to be patient. Wait for me. Please.