The Dark Alpha's Sweet Mate

5 “Who are you?”

Maverick drifted between wakefulness and drowsiness. The drugs were slowly ebbing from his blood. He will be awake soon. But they still pinned him to the stretcher. He couldn’t move yet.

Maverick could hear Noble and his men moving around in the distance. His ears perked up, catching a sound, a rustling of robes close by. It was so close, as if the person was standing over him.

His wolf unfurled inside him, sensing his presence too.

Wyrd, he whispered to his wolf as he felt his presence more than he should. He ran his tongue over his canines, but they were not elongated. His senses were sharp though and he could hear Noble and his men talking.

They were talking about the lab again. He tried to listen, but his attention was caught by the presence next to him. Maverick opened his eyes. And he was met by blazing green ones staring down at him. The man leaned close, his long white hair slid over his shoulder. And his black robes rustled as he moved. He looked to be a supernatural being like him. Maverick sniffed the air around him. The man smelled like a fairy. Maverick’s eyes slid over his face to his ears. He noted the pointed ears, confirming his assumption.

Maverick narrowed his eyes on him. What was he doing there? Was he there to help him? His heart beat double as he waited for him to do something. But the man didn’t move. He stared at him, making him feel weird.

Why wasn’t he doing anything? Maverick asked himself. His eyes fell on the door of the container.

He could hear Noble in the distance. He could come back at any minute.

Maverick opened his mouth to speak. But the man placed his finger to his lips, and shook his head. An amused smile pulled at his lips.

“You’re finally awake,” he said. “I have been waiting for you to wake up.”

What? Maverick stared at him as he moved around the stretcher, running his finger over him. He was looking at him with reverence and appreciation. Maverick felt a bit awkward as he lay there unable to move.

“Who are you?” he asked. He had a strange feeling about the man. It didn’t feel like he was there to help him.

“Me? My name is Cein.”

“What are you doing here?” Maverick asked. He tried to move his hands. But the drugs still held him down. “You are not here to save me, right?”

Cein said nothing. He just stared at him.

“You turned out to be more perfect than I thought. Noble, has been stingy with information even though I am the one who showed him the way to your creation.”

What? Maverick stared at him, not understanding what he was talking about. Dr Noble was a scientist. A crazy one, but he was the one who was in charge of his experiments. And it took him years to accomplish what he had. Maverick didn’t understand what the man was talking about.

Could there be more to Noble’s experiments? Maverick narrowed his eyes, confused.

“I see you’re confused, don’t be. Everything will be revealed to you soon.” He came to a stop at the head of the stretcher. He placed his hands on his head. Maverick felt something cold seep into his skin. He shivered. And tried to fight him off.

But Cein was strong. Stronger than his lean body let on.

“Let me see the one who lives inside you,” he whispered. Maverick shook his head.

“What are you doing? Let go of me,” Maverick said, trying to shake him off, but because of his unexpected strength, the drugs and the straps holding him down, he couldn’t fight off his hold and the magic he was working on his wolf. He could feel him now – his wolf. His presence was way more than he was used to inside him. Maverick clenched his jaw as he felt his body morph into something he couldn’t recognize. His claws elongated. His canines lengthened.

And a dark malevolent growl rumbled deep inside him.

Wyrd, he called his wolf’s voice as he felt himself receding into the darkness.

No…. Maverick screamed.

“What the hell are you doing?” the door to the container slammed against the steel wall as Noble rushed in.

Cein’s hands were snatched away, and Maverick could breathe again. He gasped for breath as the darkness disappeared.

“Don’t touch him!” Noble shouted. Maverick heard the sound of guns being c****d fill the room.

“You think those things can hurt me,” Cein laughed. And then his voice hardened. “Get that s**t out of my face. I think you forget who is protecting you.”

Maverick looked from Cein to Noble. Noble looked down at his feet, not facing Cein.

“Come. We need to talk,” Cein said, staring Noble down. Noble nodded and then followed him out of the container.

Maverick tried to listen to what they were saying, but he couldn’t hear anything.

What was going on here?

Nothing seemed to be the way he thought it was.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Cein walked out of the container. He hated coming anywhere the human was. He hated the smell of the chemicals he used in his labs. They were harsh to his sensitive nostrils. But he was a means to an end he had to tolerate. At least he wasn't back there where his original lab was. He hated that place with all of his being. The smell of death and pain that lingered in the air never failed to remind him how wrong he was for doing what he was doing.

But he knew it had to be done. Noble came to stand next to him.

“It’s time,” he said, staring at the human.

“No. not yet,” he said, taking a step back. “I still need him. He’s important to me, to my science. He’s my greatest achievement. You can’t take him away from me. Not yet.”

Cien stared at him, feeling his anger rise.

“He was never yours to begin with. I created him to serve a greater purpose. Not to play soldier for your government.”

“I know. But…”

“You have a few days. Be ready to hand him over by that time,” he said and walked away. He disappeared into the trees. The air rushed around his face as he moved at stop speed. The world around him became a blur as his speed increased.

He arrived home a few minutes later. The oasis that surrounded the fairyland took his breath away. His heart expanded in his chest as his love for his land filled him.

He clenched his hands into fists as that love soured into the hatred that he held for his brother.

Well, half-brother, to be exact.

Cein was the son of the first wife of the former Fairy King, and then there was Kalan. The second son of the Fairy King. Born of a werewolf slave that his father kept as his lover. Because of his love for his slave, their father made Kalan his heir.

Not for long, Cein thought as he walked on the paved path that led to the large palatial house that was the seat of their kingdom. He walked through the door, heading to his wing of the house.

“Cien.” He turned to his half-brother’s voice. He unclenched his jaw, forcing a smile on his lips. His eyes roamed over Kalan. He was dressed in his human clothes. He must have been out, Cien thought, as he came to stand in front of him. They both had the same white hair as their father. But that’s where the resemblance ended.

He had nothing in common with a Halfling.

“You went out?” he asked, having nothing to say to him.

“Yes,” Kalan sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. He always looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Oren, his second in command, stood behind him.

“You should get some rest,” Cein said with an indulgent smile. “We wouldn’t want our King to exert himself.”

Kalan smiled. He gave him a brotherly slap on the shoulder as he walked past him. Cein barely held his disdain inside.

He watched his brother walk away, his every step confident like a king.

Soon, he'll know what it feels to have everything snatched from him. Like he felt for all these years.