Chapter One

He was just 10 when Kevin felt the first connection with his mate .It was a dull ache below his breastbone. It was bearable but he can only imagine the extreme level of pain his mate was experiencing to have the feeling resonated with him.

It was saddening. There was no way to know that they were safe. He could only hope that they were alright. Then again he was also glad that his mate was alive and somewhere out there.

After that, most mornings, afternoons, and evenings were filled with an echo of the burning in his heart. It made him feel dejected. Can't he be of any help. To lessen the pain his mate was going through. But all he could do was bear it. And wait for them. Sometimes he would think about them, After a vigorous Alpha training with his father ,being done for the day he would lay in his bed and feel the distant thump of his mate's heartbeat lulling him to sleep

Some other days he gets distracted smiling fondly imagining them. Boasting to his brothers about the connection he shared with his mate. He was only 10 year-old but completely smitten for them.

But there were also times when he wondered what was driving his mate so hard. Lounging on his grandfather's chair after a hard training session. He thinks about them. His brothers Steven and Stephan both roll their eyes, calling him a romantic idiot, a sap or what not. That gets to him and soon they start fighting, rolling, wrestling kicking.

Their father watches them from the doorway, a proud, and fond smile on his face, clearly amused at their antics. Before he starts pulling them apart by their ears.

Though, years after years, the pain continues, a constant dull ache. It has lost the intensity but it was still there. It had become so natural that it felt almost negligible.

He would deny it till he died. but when he doesn't feels the ache, he may have panicked a few times. After Years of having his mate always there, almost a constant in his life. And waking up without their presence is alarming. Without the constant ache. He knew he should be happy for his mate to have the pain lessened but still the selfish part of him wanted to be connected to them even if it meant pain.

He would spend hours with his brothers talking about his mate. Sometimes they were sympathetic. Sometimes they laughed at him.Because They never felt their mates throughout the years.They thought Kevin was being ridiculous. With time they felt as if their brother was mistaken. But seeing Kevin so invested they didn't have the heart to confront him directly

"Must be hard to be like normal people and not have a moment's peace. But you are lucky it has decreased now"they'd teased, but it wasn't.It was hard not being able to know if his mate was alright. Alive out there. In their lives it was common for rouges to attack villages. They were wolves from the Canis Clan of Abana. A complete different breed from the humans. With the evolution as men. Canines, Felines , Aves and even Reptiles evolved along with Primates. But unlike men these species prospered along with their beast characters. They were almost close to myths and legends for humans. And so they were hunted down whenever spotted. Their civilizations always remained hidden from others. Coexistence with humans was never an option. And the inter species difference made it difficult even to exist with the other beast tribes. Every species consisted of their own misfits and outlaws. They were called rouges. Who were persistent with their attacks. Trying to take over the villages. Again there were Human hunters, witches and warlocks who were out for their blood who had a common ancestor. Apes. As an Alpha he knew about the situations outside his pack too. So he couldn't help but worry for his mates safety. Unlike humans, witches and warlocks. The beast tribes are blessed with mates. And they mate for lives. There are circumstances where they don't meet their fated mates. But they can always feel the pull and the scents they are blessed with.

Kevin simply wanted his mate to be safe. The world was already in chaos with raging wars. And he couldn't help but be scared for his mate. Was it bad that he missed the pain? It wasn't pleasant, but at least it meant he wasn't alone.

Then one day, he met a boy on the waterfall in the forest he trained, swimming. Hope swelled as he smelt the faintest and sweetest smell ever. He thought maybe.

Devon was nice, but a bit of a dolt. Still, he was kind-hearted, with a big and open smile, something almost unknown among the pack he lived. Kevin felt drawn to him, like a moth to the flame, and thought maybe.

That afternoon, just hours later, he felt his heart shatter like glass. He was alone in his room, so no one saw him clutch at his chest as tears rose unbidden from an unknown loss, like losing something important but worse than even that somehow. After all the years and years of constant ache, this was without a doubt the worst. And it didn't go away.

The next time he saw Devon, he thought about asking. But decided against it. If Devon wanted to tell him they were mates, he would.

They saw each other almost every day, but never discussed the subject. They were young, so they cannot be sure, not until they were old enough and ready, but still Kevin couldn't help but look at the kind boy next to him, with his stupid hair and dumb competitions and maybe... hope?

He'd thought that day was the worst, but he was proven wrong. The worst came almost a year later. Kevin was sitting with Steven when he felt his heart break, clieved apart, in a way that was far too familiar. It felt like the last time, but so, so much worse. His whole chest seized. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Whatever had just happened to his mate felt like it was ripping him apart.

When Devon told him later that day near the waterfall, tears welling up, that his mother had died, Kevin had been almost, almost sure.

But Devon was just beginning to cry, while the pain in Kevin's chest felt the same, a bleeding pain that persisted. Not better, it hadn't really felt better but not worse. Not in the way that it maybe should? Clearly, Devon was hurting more now then he had been a minute ago.

Maybe he'd been hiding it, but Devon wore everything on his sleeve. Subterfuge was not something he was skilled at. Pain was welling up in him, sudden and overflowing, not looking at all like the constant ache buried behind Kevin's own breastbone.

No. His friend probably wasn't his mate.

Kevin would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed.

Soulmate or not, it was good to have a friend.

Until almost a year later, when he'd found out that he had been playing with a enemy the whole time. Inter species war was a different matter. The pack residing nearby were also at war.

His friend, the one with the big dreams for peace - with the charisma to drag him along with his stupid schemes, guileless enough to make him think, just for a moment, that it was possible - was a Devon Rickson of the White Lotus Pack. Not just any member, but Alpha Kent Rickson's and Luna Solana Von Rickson's first child and soon to be Alpha. The ruthless Alpha Kent who had himself killed his packmates.

Kevin hadn't known his grandfather Richard Flint. Just known enough that his death had left their father Derrick Flint devastated, holding Kevin as a newborn by the grave where they buried him. Derrick their Alpha of the Nightshade Pack had sworn revenge. Needed it like he needed to breathe.

But Kevin couldn't give it to him, not at the cost of his only friend. Not now, when so often, it felt like him and Devon were against the world. The only ones sane enough to look around and say enough.

His head hurt. His heart hurt. He watched his father lunging at Devon. Watched his brother Stefan bitting the girl that looked like Devon. Felt his father's demand to fight in his bones but he couldn't. Not like this. Not until Kent Rickson snapped at him barring his teeth. He hadn't known that Devon belonged to their neigbouring enemy pack. Why couldn't he belong to some other pack like the White Carnation. At least that pack had a mutual agreement and they had mated pairs among them.

He didn't let his face show any of the conflict raging within him as he convinced their families to retreat. Admitted a weakness he didn't have in order to force their capitulation. He didn't know if he was weaker than Devon, but he didn't want to know, not for sure

His father being mad at him was an understatement. His father had never been disappointed in him before. It hurt more than he thought it would. But Devon and him were made enemies even before they were born. It wasn't their choice. It wasn't their fight to begin with. For some stupid fued their ancestors held. He felt pain as he mourned his friendship and for the first time it nullified the constant dull ache in his heart.

Years passed. Hundreds of little aches never drew out the pain in his chest that turned slowly into an icy burn. Chipped away at them like frostbitten fingers. But grief didn't leave, even if it subsided like the tide. Left in its wake. Without his friend his mate's pain was the only thing that kept him sane enough. To continue the ridiculous notion his father called war. If it  hadn't been for his mate.He would have gone mad. It felt like his mate was calling out for him to help him. Kevin felt his lungs scrape and hurt and he didn't know why, but whoever left his mate feeling so worthless would pay one day. One day he would just kidnap his mate and run away. Till then he would wait.

When his father Derrick died of cancer. Kevin was twenty one and more of an adult then most of his peers had been lucky enough to make it to.He had even told his father on his deathbed that he was going to ask for ceasefire.But the fights with the Ricksons continued and they were brutal.

Kent Rickson although middle age proved to be tough opponent for Kevin. Devon his one-time friend, the one who he'd refused to kill years ago, was also on the front line along with his Sister Celine Rickson fighting his brothers Stefan and Steven. And then there was the White Demon. Nobody knew his name and no one has seen him in his human form. Snowwhite fur and Red eyes so sharp that they seem to cut through everything in the path. He moved like a monster tearing his opponents apart. No one has been able to take him one on one. And if someone tried they get shredded to pieces. Kevin had only seen him twice running with crazed eyes. Like a Demon for Kill.

They were meant to fight putting their lives on the lind. But admist the war for the first time Kevin felt dread sensing danger. Only one thing came into his mind. That thing needed to be killed.

#Please vote and comment if you like it. And I am writting it in the first chapter only

If there are any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, any mistake in spacing, anything ?? Please comment and let me know. I will correct them.