Xavier's POV
The revelation had hit me like a silver blade to the chest, its sting lingering even now, three days later. My wolf, Nath, was restless, pacing within the confines of my mind, his unease mirroring my own. The prophecy; those cryptic, damning words from the pack's oracle, had shaken me to my core. "The Alpha King will face a beast within, a force untamed, unless the bond of the true mate is found." A beast. The very thought sent a chill down my spine. Nath and I were ruthless, cold, and unyielding, forged by years of battle and sacrifice into the most feared Alpha of the Moonlight Pack. But a beast? A mindless, uncontrollable force that could turn on our own people? That was a nightmare neither of us could bear.
"Lives will be lost, Xavier," Nath growled, his voice a low rumble in my mind. "Blood will spill, our pack, our family. Thousands of werewolves, even the strongest, won't be able to stop us if it comes to that. We have to do something."
"But what?" I snapped back, my voice tight with frustration. I paced the length of my office, the polished hardwood floor creaking under my heavy steps. The room, with its towering bookshelves and the massive oak desk littered with maps and reports, felt like a cage. My hands clenched into fists, nails biting into my palms as I fought to keep the rising panic at bay. I was the Alpha King, the strongest of all werewolves, feared by enemies and revered by allies. Yet here I was, grappling with a prophecy that threatened to unravel everything I'd built.
A sharp knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts, followed by Daniel's voice through the mindlink. "Alpha, where are you?"
"In my office, dumbass," I retorted, my tone sharper than intended. The door swung open, and Daniel sauntered in, his usual cocky grin plastered across his face. His dark hair was tousled, as if he'd just rolled out of a fight or a nap, and his green eyes sparkled with that infuriating mix of mischief and loyalty.
"Xavier, come on, don't look like a thousand-year-old wolf," he teased, dropping into the leather chair across from my desk with a dramatic flourish. "Trust me, you're giving my grandpa a run for his money with that scowl."
I glared at him, my patience already frayed. "What do you want, Daniel? I'm not in the mood for your nonsense."
He leaned forward, his grin fading into an uncharacteristically serious expression. "You know what you need to do, Xav. The prophecy. The mate bond. It's the only way to keep the beast at bay. You've tried everything else; scouring pack territories, consulting every elder, even sniffing around rogue camps. There's one option left." He paused, his eyes locking onto mine. "Go to the human world. Hit up that popular club downtown, the one everyone's always talking about. You never know, she might be there."
I froze, my jaw tightening as his words sank in. A human mate? The idea was absurd, offensive even. "Are you for real?" I growled, leaning across the desk, my voice low and dangerous. "You think I, the Alpha King, would be fated to a human? In case your brain's not working right, let me remind you who I am. I lead the Moonlight Pack. I've crushed armies, torn through rogues like they were nothing. A human mate? That's a joke."
Daniel didn't flinch, though his lips twitched as if he were fighting a smile. "Say what you want, Xav, but you know it's possible. The Moon Goddess doesn't care about your title or your pride. She picks who she picks. And deep down, you know it."
I wanted to snarl, to throw him out of my office for even suggesting it, but a tiny, traitorous part of me; the part that had been haunted by the prophecy for days, knew he might be right. The Moon Goddess was unpredictable, her choices often defying logic or tradition. A human mate for an Alpha King wasn't unheard of, just… rare. And humiliating. I shoved the thought away, refusing to entertain it.
"You know what, Daniel?" I said, my voice dripping with irritation as I rounded the desk and grabbed his arm, hauling him toward the door. "Just leave me alone. I've had enough of your nonsense for one day."
He stumbled but didn't resist, that infuriating grin spreading across his face as he let me shove him toward the hallway. "You'll thank me later, Alpha," he called over his shoulder, his tone mocking but laced with genuine concern. "Just think about it. One night at the club won't kill you, unlike that beast you're so worried about."
I slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing through the office like a gunshot. "I might just kill you someday," I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my dark hair. The room felt smaller now, the walls closing in as Nath's unease pulsed through me. I sank into my chair, staring at the maps on my desk territories I'd conquered, enemies I'd vanquished. None of it mattered if the prophecy came true.
Nath's voice broke through my thoughts, softer now but no less urgent. "He's not wrong, Xavier. We can't ignore this. The club, the human world, it's a chance. Maybe our only one."
I growled, slamming my fist on the desk, the wood groaning under the force. "A human?" I said aloud, my voice thick with disbelief. "The Moon Goddess wouldn't dare."
But even as I spoke, doubt crept in, coiling around my heart like a serpent. The prophecy had been clear: without my mate, I'd become a monster, a danger to everyone I'd sworn to protect. The image of blood-soaked fields, of my pack lying broken at my feet, flashed through my mind. I shook it off, but the fear lingered.
I stood, pacing again, my boots thudding against the floor. The club Daniel had mentioned; Neon Pulse, the hottest spot in the human city, was a chaotic mess of lights, music, and sweaty bodies. The thought of stepping into that world, surrounded by humans who had no idea what I was, made my skin crawl. But what choice did I have? If there was even a chance my mate was there, I had to take it. For my pack. For Nath. For myself.
"Fine," I muttered, more to Nath than to myself. "One night. But if this is a waste of time, Daniel's cleaning the training grounds for a month."
Nath chuckled, a low rumble in my mind. "That's the spirit. Let's hunt, Alpha."
I grabbed my jacket, the leather creaking as I slung it over my shoulders. The weight of my title, my strength, my legacy pressed down on me, but for the first time in days, a spark of purpose flickered in my chest. Human or not, my mate was out there. And I'd find her or die trying.