I WILL TREAT YOU RIGHT IN THIS LIFETIME

'Mate.'

Just one word, but that was the most powerful word for any supernatural creature, especially a lycan like Micah. He had been looking for his mate for years and thought to himself that he would never find one.

Micah had even started looking for a mate of choice just to fill the role of the Luna beside him, since that was not a big deal for him.

However, he could see how completely wrong he was when he finally found her. She was a big deal, she was the whole deal. There was no way someone would be able to replace her, not even her shadow could be compared to anyone.

"What… who…" Hazel looked at Micah with her eyes open wide. Her damp black hair cascaded down her back and she looked surreal.

Her lips parted slightly, as she was about to scream for help, but she was too stunned upon witnessing a huge white lycan shifting back into his human form right in the middle of her bedroom.

She was unable to say anything, especially when Micah prowled toward her and marked her right there and then.

He shouldn't have done this, he knew better than doing this, but this was the first time he lost to his beast. This was the first time that his desires synced so well with his own beast's. He wanted her. She was his and he would never let her go.

Micah stood right in front of Hazel, his palms cupped her face as he kissed her all of a sudden. Then he traced his lips down to her neck, as he was drawn to her intoxicating scent. He had never smelled something like this before.

She was his drug and he was already addicted to her…

"Mine," Micah said a moment before he sunk his teeth into her tender skin. He marked her as his and intertwined their fates together.

No matter how Hazel struggled to get herself away from this strange man, her efforts were barely noticeable by the alpha.

***

She looked surreal.

She was not real.

She should have been dead.

Micah savored her existence. He was afraid to even blink his eyes. He was afraid that it was not real and he would lose her in the next second.

For now, he was still trying to wrap his mind around the crazy situation he was in. Was this his second chance? Was this what the moon goddess said? His second chance?

Right at that time, when Micah was still trying to digest the whole situation, Hazel stirred awake and the first thing that he heard was how she whimpered softly.

Her body was burning, which meant his mark had started to form, they were bound together now for life and after.

Micah knew that he shouldn't be worried about this transition, despite those shifters, who claimed it was dangerous to mark your human mate, since they were fragile creatures, because Hazel would survive this night. She would be in pain, but she would be fine within three days from now. He remembered that vividly, though that was a distant memory.

"Shhh… you will be fine. I am here…" Micah pulled Hazel's body closer to him and turned her around, so he could see her face. "Hazel…"

Micah pressed his lips together when he saw her sleeping face. The woman he thought he would never see again.

His emotions were in a mess right now. He didn't have any words to describe how he felt. This overwhelmed him and he was not used to feeling this way.

"I am sorry for failing you. I am sorry for failing our daughter. I am sorry that I didn't treat you right. I am sorry for all the pain I caused." Micah pressed his forehead against hers, as a tear fell on his cheek.

His whole body was trembling, as he said the words that he couldn't say to Hazel before. The words that she was not able to hear because she had died. She was killed and he was not there to protect her. She died alone and Micah didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to her. To say how sorry he was…

"I swear I will treat you right in this lifetime. I will not let anything happen to you…"

He held her so close, as she was too dear for him.

The pain from the memory of losing her returned, the pain was still fresh and raw, and the fact that Hazel was with him right now in his arms didn't help to reduce the pain…

This time she would live, no matter what the moon goddess said, he would make sure that his woman lived.

The thought was unnerving. This was the word of the moon goddess against his.

Micah kissed her hair, to find any form of comfort with the thought, the alpha was not easily scared, but for her, he would jump to the worst case.

For now, when her sweet scent invaded his senses, he felt utterly sated and grateful.

It was just a single strange day of witnessing the existence of a supernatural creature for Hazel, but for Micah, he had just returned from a long battle, countless sleepless nights, heartbreak and emotional storm…

======================

Hazel felt her consciousness drifting away and every time she opened her eyes, she would see the same person, the same man staring at her with that weird look in his eyes.

However, she was too exhausted to say a word, she was too tired. What was happening to her? Had this man done something to her? Did he give her drugs?

Hazel couldn't find a way to know about it.

But, another thing that she noticed was this tingling feeling, the spark that danced on her skin whenever he touched her. Strange enough, she loved this feeling…

"Sleep, my love… you need to take more rest, my Hazel," The man spoke so gently to her.

And yet, Hazel wondered, how did he know her name? Have they met before?