VIII

„...and then she shot the arrow in the wolf's neck and it fell down! It was amazing! She is like Wonder Woman."

The looks of disbelief were etched on everyone's faces. „You mean to tell us, that a girl, who lives in the Cursed Lands, The Cursed Lands where no one survives for even a day, saved you and took you to her house?"

The beta female, Genevieve, was around the table, trying to make sense of what happened to Mathias. „And you want to tell us that this supposed girl that saved him is... is your mate?" Maximus looked her straight in the eyes and nodded, a twitch of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

„This is impossible!" Now, Gamma Troy, looking the same as everyone.

„Look, I know it seems impossible, believe me, I have a hard time understanding this myself, but I know what I smelled."

Alpha Maximus was in doubt himself at first, but he has always trusted his wolf and he wouldn't have made such a mistake. He was sure the smell was of his mate.

„Let's call it a night and talk more in the morning. Mathias must be tired." They all nodded their heads.

"I'll take him". Amelia, took her son's hand and ushered him up the stairs, to his room in the pack house.

Around the table was a deadly silence. Suddenly, the beta, Benjamin, best friend since childhood to Maximus and his most trusted wolf, approached him and gave Maximus a hug, patting his back.

„Congrats, man! If you say it's her, I believe you. Your nose never disappointed." They all laughed and told Max they were happy for him.

„Now... what do you want to do?" Gen asked him.

„I don't know. We can't just march in the Bloodwoods. The land stretches for miles and even if we crossed the border, we wouldn't know where to go. Mathias said she lives in a meadow and it looks nothing like the Elders told everyone. I don't understand. Did they lie to all of Erebus?"

All were quiet, thinking of a way to understand all that was happening. Maximus saw Troy was narrowing his eyes. „What is it, Troy?" They all turned their heads to him.

„I was just wondering... Do you think your father knew anything?"

„Well, If he knew something, he didn't tell me for sure. That bastard was all lies anyway, I wouldn't have believed him."

„I have an idea." Gen whispered. „What if...we don't go in the Bloodwoods to her, but make her come to us?"

„Gen...we don't even know how far off the border she leaves. By what Mathias described to us, it may be closer to the other side."

„It wouldn't hurt to try, no? What do we have to loose?"

„I think we should try it." Ben sided with his mate. „Look, you want your mate, we want our Luna. Amelia is a good leader and the wolves love her, but no one would lead by your side like your mate would. Besides, what harm can it do? We'll just gather the Nighshades, ask Mathias to call her. There is a small chance she will hear it. If she doesn't and something else crawls out of that forsaken place, we'll just kill it."

Looking at all of their hopeful eyes, Maximus sighted. It wasn't as easy as they described. There may be a chance she doesn't hear them or worse, she doesn't want to come to them. The taught of never seeing her makes his heart ache. At his 26 years, Maximus has already searched 5 times all over the Kingdom for his soulmate. Wolves are able to sense their other halves since 18. Him, being the Alpha King, was expected to have heirs. The pressure coming from the High Order to choose a woman to have pups with was getting him angrier and angrier. The elders were shallow, still following old, sexist beliefs. Even after years of search, he would not betray the gift of the goddess like that. But everyone was getting impatient.

His pack was expecting a Luna, a queen to rule beside the King, to bring prosperity and a future for the royal pack. Amelia took her role seriously, but she was tired, not having a mate herself, Mathias and Eli to look after. She knew it was time to step down from the title and let Maximus's mate be the leader she was chosen to be by Artemis herself.

Maximus has always dreamed of finding his mate. As ferocious as he was in battle, heartless to his enemies, he longed for a soulmate to share his life with. He didn't have expectations because he knew his mate was made perfectly for him, no matter what she looked like, her age or strength. Someone to be his equal, to rule beside him, to have a family and a long life to share together. Even though he watched his father be consumed by his grief due to his mother dying, he knew there was no denying the Goddess's doing. He admired the relation between Gen and Benjamin, sometimes becoming jealous of the connection they shared, longing for his other half.

„Ok, we'll try it tomorrow."

Before going to bed, he checked on Mathias. Amelia was sitting on the bed, listening to his rumbling. He was half asleep, but Maximus caught few words. „...beautiful, looked like a goddess, mamma."