When will King Theo propose to Princess Alaska?

Chapter 20

I was Gamma Aiden now, which meant that I could follow Theo on his State business. I was happy with my new identity because I was a respected Gamma and no longer had to spend all my days in the palace, just waiting for him to come back at night.

This was my first weekend back from London. I was jolted into consciousness by a bright, intense light shining through the window; I rubbed my eyes and glanced out of the window to find snowflakes swirling and dancing in the air.

It was now the end of February, so I didn't expect a heavy snowfall - how rare!

As I stretched my limbs and sat up in bed, I looked at the clock on the wall; it was already noon. I had been feeling a bit off these past few days. I couldn't tell how I felt uncomfortable, but I felt hot and weak all over, and I just wanted to be left alone in peace.

It might be the feeling that I am about to shift. I heard that the first shift would be very painful, as my bones would be rearranged and reassembled, almost like being reborn from hell. I couldn't help but dread the thought of this.

As I felt another wave of heat rising inside me, I arose from the bed to pour a glass of cold water and drank it, hoping that this would give me respite.

Theo had gone out hunting with Luke early in the morning, and I wished he could have been with me because his scent would help soothe my irritable mood. I saw that the fire in the fireplace was roaring, and my body felt increasingly uncomfortable, as if the fire were not in the fireplace, but instead burning inside me.

I wrapped myself in Theo's towel, which smelled like him and immediately helped me to calm down, before squatting alone in the bathtub as if it were my den. I desperately sucked in Theo's scent from the towel, but soon Theo's scent on the towel started to weaken, and I started to become restless again.

Soon, I was frantically tearing at the towels with my teeth and my nails in my desperate attempts to feel less agitated. I felt my human consciousness weakening, and I was like an animal in a den.

I lost track of time, but eventually I heard a creak as the bathroom door was pushed open, and Theo walked in.

"Get out, get out!" I shouted. I hated seeing anyone invade my territory, and I just wanted to be left alone, as Theo was no longer my closest friend but an intruder.

Theo spoke reassuringly as he walked towards me, "Babe, you're about to shift. I'll take you outside, it's a full moon tonight and the Moon Goddess will give you magical powers, so your shift won't be so painful."

When Theo reached out to touch me, I instinctively sprang up and lunged at him, my sharp nails embedding deep into his skin. I clenched my teeth and tried to keep myself from hurting him. I had retained some control, and I tried to resist the urge to attack him.

Theo brushed off my attacks, although I could see blood flowing from my nail marks. He gently held me in his arms. "Shh, Babe, try to take your mind off this and think about your good friend Sophie," he said softly.

Theo's familiar scent calmed me for now, and he carried me to the Forbidden Garden. He placed me gently on the grass where he had last helped me detoxify and whispered, "Dory, I will leave you alone now, but I will be watching you and I will always be with you."

I nodded. As I lay alone in the blanketed snow, gazing up at the bright, glowing moon above, I felt a sense of tranquillity wash over me. I could sense my body purifying, and some primal part of my soul had awakened. I closed my eyes, feeling calm now, and it seemed as if I was entering another world.

Now I felt my neck twist, I could hear the cracks of bones being rearranged; then, my canines emerged, my claws flicked out like knives, and I could see my skin covered with hair all over my body. I felt a dreadful pain accompanied by the joy of rebirth.

Finally the pain elapsed, and I now stood on all fours on the white snow. With a deep breath, I let out a haunting howl towards the glowing moon that echoed across the frozen landscape, "Owwww..." By the mercy of the Moon Goddess, I had finally shifted.

I looked down at my thick fur being ruffled by the cold wind; it was unexpectedly glowing blue in the moonlight. It was full of mystery and almost too beautiful to be true.

I then noticed that Theo was next to me; I turned around and saw him standing not far away, observing me with a smile on his face. I whooshed over to him - he was clearly unprepared, and he stumbled back for a few steps back before falling on his back in the snow.

Theo hauled himself up and composed himself. He wrapped his arms around me and brushed my neck, "Babe, well done! Your wolf is so strong that she can pounce on me." He then kissed my lips affectionately again and again, and then rolled around with me in the snow.

I was starting to relax when Theo suddenly stopped and stood up from the snow. "Wait for me," he said as he stripped off. Soon he had also shifted into a wolf, the snow-white one I had met before.

"Hello, I am James." I knew that this was Theo's wolf talking to me.

I pondered for a moment and said to my wolf, "I'll call you Faye." Just as I had finished speaking, I heard Faye's voice responding to me: "Hello, I am Faye."

"Such a beautiful name, just like you." James started to flirt with Faye.

"I am so flattered to be praised by such a handsome man as you!" Faye responded to James. I rolled my eyes, thinking that Faye seemed to be better at coaxing men than I was.

"Let's go out for a walk," James said, flicking his head at Faye and then running out of the Palace grounds.

Faye gave an excited yelp and ran after James. It was as if the two wolves had been good friends for many years, playing affectionately with each other as they went. At one moment, James ran to Faye's side and rubbed against her, and the next moment Faye ran to James' side and touched his cheek. I blushed and felt a little jealous as I watched.

Soon, James had led Faye up a mountain. The entire mountain was blanketed in a layer of white snow, creating a peaceful, almost otherworldly scene.

James guided Faye through a deep cave, and I heard the sound of rushing water. We followed the sound of water, and it turned out to be a hot spring with steam rising gently from the source.

James leapt into the hot spring, and before I could react, James had turned into Theo again. "Babe, our wolves have played enough, now it's our turn to enjoy ourselves," he winked at me.

I hesitated for a moment and said to Faye, "I'm going to shift back." I saw Faye's sad face, and the next thing I knew my fur had disappeared and I was back in my human form - standing naked by the hot spring. I was so embarrassed that I covered my breasts with one hand and my pubic area with the other.

Theo laughed and dragged me commandingly into the water. As I sank into the hot spring, I was wrapped in his arms. The heat of the water enveloped me, his lips pressed against mine, I felt a tingle in my skin that I had never felt before, and my skin became rippled.

Faye gently called out in my head, "Goddess of the Moon, I've found my fated mate." I shook at Faye's words and felt my skin tingle even more.

Is it true that Theo is really my fated mate? I stopped kissing and looked at Theo, "Is it true? We are..." I was stammering nervously and couldn't find the courage to say it out loud.

Theo's eyes flickered with a golden light, like a hot flame. "It's true, we are fated mates," he nodded and replied with certainty.

The tension in my mind and my muscles begun to dissolve at these words, and I was cheered in my heart: Theo belongs to me, we can finally be together!

We kissed passionately and his hand gently caressed my breasts, which made my nerves tingle. I felt like the snow on the edge of the hot spring, melting on him, and I could feel our hearts beating in time with each other.

It was quiet and still, as if the world around us had paused.

The hoot of an owl cut through this tranquillity. Theo whispered in my ear, "babe, let's go back."

I was disappointed, as I thought Theo would go further than this - mate with me. But on second thoughts, since I was now his fated mate, maybe he would formally propose to me, and then mate with me. Women like a sense of ceremony; thinking of this, my disappointment just now swept away.

I am going to be a Luna, of course I should be more reserved.

I nodded to him, and we both turned back into wolves when we were back at the Palace.

For the next few days, I lived in a fantasy world, thinking one moment about how Theo would propose to me, and the next about what style of wedding dress I should wear.

"Dory, what's wrong with you? Do you have something nice to share with me?" Esther asked jokingly when she saw me smiling at the thought.

"Yes, I have some good news, but it will take me some more days before I can tell you." I patted her shoulder, gave her a cheeky kiss on the cheek, and skipped away.

Theo was especially busy these days with the visit of King Mateo of the Chichimeca Kingdom, the second largest of the six Lycan kingdoms. King Mateo's visit was important to Theo because he needed the support of his allies, especially now that Paul was opposing him and sniping at him.

His reforms were met with strong resistance from the hardliners, and with Paul behind the scenes, Theo found it very difficult to implement them.

Although he knew that Paul was colluding with human beings and supporting one of Theo's relatives to be a puppet King in his place, he still couldn't find any substantial evidence to enable him to punish Paul, and Paul was able to find a scapegoat to take the blame for him every time.

Today, I went hunting with Theo and King Mateo as part of his entourage. Theo and King Mateo were both highly expert archers, and almost every time they shot an arrow, a deer would fall.

King Mateo was in high spirits and tapped Theo on the shoulder, "King Theo, why are you still single? What's your requirement for a Luna? " he asked.

"To be my Luna, of course, she must be both beautiful and wise, and must be able to help me to rule the country and expand my territory." Theo shot an arrow into the sky, and an eagle fell out of the air with a miserable cry.

"I believe my daughter Alaska fits your criteria, would you like to consider her? If we join our families in marriage, our alliance will be unbreakable." He finished with a hearty laugh.

"That sounds a good idea, maybe I will think it about." Theo also laughed.

As I listened to their conversation, every word felt like an arrow piercing my heart, and the pain shot deep into my bones. Theo needed a woman who could help him rule the country and expand the territory, a woman with a distinguished family who could help him consolidate his power.

But what was I? I was just a rogue, I couldn't give him any of the help he needed.

At night in bed, as always, Theo took me in his arms. His familiar scent and his gentle touch did not excite me at all this time, and my mind was filled with the conversation between Theo and King Mateo earlier that day.

"Babe, what's wrong with you tonight?" Theo had noticed my behaviour.

"Your Majesty, it's nothing, I'm just feeling tired," I lied and closed my eyes.

"Then get some rest." He stopped stroking me and, after pausing, he whispered, "Make sure that you don't make a shift in front of the others or you'll get into trouble."

I pretended to be asleep and didn't make a sound.

When I awoke the next day, Theo had left for the Chichimeca Kingdom with King Mateo.

Before long, the newspapers had published pictures of Theo dancing with Princess Alaska with the titles "Will Princess Alaska be our Luna soon?" and "When will King Theo propose to Princess Alaska?"