Chapter 43. The Only Lycan

**43. The Only Lycan**

***Third Person's POV:***

Rafael could hardly believe that his prayers had been answered—his Astrid was back. Though her breathing remained shallow, the fact that she had opened her eyes brought immense relief to Rafael. Unable to contain his joy, he enveloped Astrid in a tight embrace. "Astrid, my little dove. Please never leave me," Rafael begged.

Eva was overjoyed as well. She was concerned about Rafael's reaction if something went wrong.

Astrid felt as if millions of swrods were pierced in her body all at once, but when Rafael approached her, she felt life return. She wanted to say so many things but couldn't, and Scarlet was desperate for her first shift.

Realizing that the pain stemmed from the impending shift, she realized there was a serious threat to her life if she didn't shift soon. Astrid mustered the strength to utter, "Open ground."

"Huh?" Rafael took a step back from Astrid and looked at her.

"Sh-Sh-Shift," Astrid murmured again, trying to get up but collapsing in pain.

Rafael frowned, unable to comprehend Astrid's words. His eyes widened as he realized what she had just said. "Astrid, are you ready to shift?" Rafael asked. Astrid fluttered her eyes to respond to his question.

"Rafael, take her near the lake; should I come with you?" Eva asked.

"No, stay here; I'll call you when I need to," Rafael said, looking at the doctors. They removed the IVs and signaled that Astrid could leave.

"Your highness, don't panic; just remember that she was destined to be so," Alice advised.

When Astrid opened her eyes, Alice realized everything. She could sense Scarlet's aura and knew it was stronger than any other wolf's.

"Thank you, Alice; I owe you for this one," Rafael said.

"Glad I could be of some use, your highness, and for what you have done for me in the past, I will be eternally grateful," Alice said.

Rafael took his time picking up Astrid. It hurt him to see Astrid wincing, but he was relieved that it would soon be over and she would have that important part of her life back.

"Don't worry, little dove, we'll be there shortly." He directed Bryan to dismiss everyone and clean their room until they returned. He quickly teleported them deep into the woods at the back of the mansion.

"Ahhh..." Astrid screamed, unable to bear the agony. Every inch of her body was being ripped apart.

"It's okay, little dove; I'm with you, and I'm not going to let anything happen." Rafael began whispering sweet nothings to divert her attention away from the pain.

"I thought I'd never come back to you. Ahm..." She muffled her voice once more to stop wincing.

"I thought that too, my love; you have no idea how much you scared me," Rafael cried again.

Astrid let out yet another scream. "I'm with you, Little Dove; this is all going to end soon."

"And then you'll have your wolf, and the best part is you can shift whenever you want, and she'll be just like you," Rafael said quietly.

Rafael heard the sound of Astrid's bones breaking down.

He took her hands in his and began walking backwards, leaning against a tree. He sat on the ground, drawing Astrid closer to his chest. Because of swear her hair were sticking to her face. Rafael wiped her face with his hands and drew her back. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair.

"After a while, we'll be glad that this happened," Rafael said again. "You are so strong, my little dove; you handle everything with such ease; you have been to so many things alone, and this is nothing in comparison," Rafael said. He stroked her hair and kissed her.

"Scarlet is very excited to meet you," Astrid said with a smile.

"Scarlet? Is she your wolf?" Rafael asked. Astrid gave a nod.

Soon a full moon appeared, and strangely, the sky above them turned bright blue, but it was still night, with millions of stars shining around them.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh......" Astrid cried so loudly that their surroundings shook.

When she stood up, her bones began to reorganize. Rafael just stood there, helpless, staring at Astrid. He wished he could share her anguish, but he realized that time had passed. Her canines gradually emerged, and thick white fur began to cover her body. Rafael found himself facing a formidable, colossal wolf towering above the branches, a far cry from the fragile Astrid he knew.

Her violet eyes sparkle as she gazes admiringly at her mate. "Mate!!!" Scarlet began to approach Rafael slowly.

Rafael couldn't believe what he was seeing, and to his surprise, when Scarlet spoke, she didn't even open her mouth, as if they were mind-linking. Rafael said it again, "Mate."

He approached her slowly and stretched his hand out, his thoughts racing. Scarlet rubbed her fur against Rafael's hand, and a soft voice rumbled in her throat.

"Scarlet," Rafael delighted in, stroked her fur, and Scarlet nudged herself into his touch more and more. Suddenly, she tackled him on the ground and started licking Rafael. Rafael chuckled, enjoying Scarlet's tenacity.

"Scarlet, don't do it," Astrid warned her, and unbeknownst to them, Rafael could hear Astrid's voice as if he were witnessing both of their bantering right in front of him, but Astrid and Scarlet were unaware of this.

"Don't be jealous of me, Astrid; I am a part of you." Scarlet sighed and rolled her eyes. "Perhaps you shouldn't be envious of yourself."

"No, why would I be jealous?" Astrid, on the other hand, felt as if everything was happening to her while she stood by and watched everything from afar.

"Say that to yourself now. Sit back and let me enjoy my time with our mate. I feel so free after so many years. You have no idea how much I wanted to come out all these years." Scarlet sighed.

"Then why didn't you show up?" Astrid pondered.

"You'll know that in a while, but for now, I'd like to go for a run," Scarlet said.

Astrid agreed and released her. It's as if Astrid's thoughts were her stimulus, telling her mind to go for a run. Rafael knew what Scarlet was thinking since he could hear them interacting, so he suggested that she go for a run.

Scarlet bobbed her head and dashed through the woods. Rafael instructed her to return to the same location once she was satisfied and cautioned her not to leave the "forbidden territory."

Scarlet reveled in her newfound freedom, relishing the fresh air as she darted through the trees. Rafael sat near a tree, contemplating the whirlwind he had experienced in less than a week.

He was terrified, as he was on the verge of losing Astrid, but a miracle occurred, and she was resurrected. Rafael knew Astrid had died, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that it was a lie.

He couldn't imagine his life without her, and once she returned, his life was once again jeopardized. He didn't even have the time to examine Astrid because he missed her so much. He wanted to be in her embrace a little longer, to feel her senses and touch, and to know that she would never leave her after this, but her shift occurred.

He couldn't be more grateful and honored to be Astrid's mate now that the most anticipated part of her life had arrived.

As much as he tried to deny it, Rafael knew Astrid couldn't be wolfless. Though it didn't change his feelings for her, he could always sense Astrid's longing for her wolf and wanted to help her.

He knew because he couldn't justify her actions, knowing they were mates. if she wasn't wolf enough to sense mate bonding. And now that he'd seen her wolf, he couldn't stop smiling. He realized that Astrid is completely unaware that she is a freaking 'Lycan.'

Rafael was astounded when he saw her because he could easily distinguish between a Lycan and any other variety of wolf. Other wolves come in a variety of colors, some white, but there is always at least some hint of another color on their fur, and their eyes can never be violet.

Rafael had also studied other supernatural creatures in addition to vampires. He knew everything there was to know about them, and he had studied the fact that Lycans were extinct and were known to be the most lethal creatures, even more lethal than vampires. Rafael was proud and honored to have been blessed with such a strong mate, and seeing Astrid and Scarlet made him feel like he was getting more attention. Yes, he was looking forward to that.

He chuckled at his own thoughts, but there are still many questions Rafael and Astrid have that only Scarlet can answer. Scarlet emerged from the bushes and lunged at Rafael.

"Can we talk now, Scarlet?" Astrid asked.

Scarlet agreed, and Astrid closed her eyes. Scarlet told her to think about returning to her original form, and the deal would be done. Rafael realized she was about to revert to her human form and moved away from Astrid.

Astrid willed herself back into human form, and she gradually began to shift back into shape, but she made a mistake. Astrid had forgotten that when werewolves shift, they are completely naked, and standing in front of Rafael was Astrid in all her glory.

Rafael's eyes looked like they were about to fall out of their sockets. Astrid became aware of her situation and attempted to shield her body with her hands.

Scarlet was laughing in her head. Astrid yelled in her head, "You could have at least warned me!"

"You are right. I would have also put clothes on our bodies," she grinned.

"Can you do that?" Astrid asked.

Scarlet teased, "Yes, but you imagined yourself as a naked, dirty lady." Astrid wished for clothes to appear on her body.

"I hate you, Scarlet," Astrid muttered.

Scarlet was Astrid's polar opposite. Astrid was always shy and self-conscious about her body, so she would never have attempted this stunt, but Scarlet was crazy.

"You can't blame me; I am you, and you are me," Scarlet said, stiffening her laugh. "I am just a naughty wild part of you that was always hidden from the rest of the world," Scarlet explained.

"Astrid" Rafael's eyes filled with tears. He hugged her to his chest. He was now certain that his Astrid was safe. She was standing completely healed, as if she hadn't even been limping a while ago.

"My little dove, I don't know what I would have done without you; don't scare me like that ever again," Rafael sobbed on her shoulder.

"Rafael." Astrid hugged him back, and she knew she was home. "I'm here; I'm not leaving," she tried to reassure him, but Rafael wasn't ready to let go. He felt as if the light of his life had returned and he was once again alive.

"You did it, little dove. I am proud of you, and you should be as well, because you are Lycan Astrid, the only Lycan in existence at this time." Rafael was rambling.

"What?" Astrid was perplexed.

"Yes, my love, you are Lycan; ask Scarlet for all your answers," Rafael said, looking her in the eyes.

Astrid felt stupid for not understanding that. Of course, nothing else could explain why she had spent her entire life among werewolves and had never seen a wolf that massive.

"Yes, Astrid, I've always been by your side, and Rafael is our true mate. Edward and the others were just stepping stones on the way to your destiny," Scarlet elaborated.

"So, Scarlet, why haven't you shown up all this time? Where were you when I needed you the most?" Astrid inquired.

"I was always with you, Astrid, even though Lycans only appear after the age of five in human life. I was there, but there was something stopping me from coming out," Scarlet sighed.

"What was it, Scarlet?" Astrid asked desperately.

"Every day, you were given a dose of something that kept me restricted from showing up."

"Dose? What dose? Who gave it to us?" Astrid frowned.

"It's something enchanted mixed in your food every day, making you sick and preventing me from showing because if I did, we'd both die the second we shifted," Scarlet explained.

"Who did it?" Astrid asked, but Scarlet remained silent.

"I asked you something. Who did Scarlet?" Astrid asked in a strict voice.

"Our mother," Scarlet replied.

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NOTE:

**Lycans have a completely different meaning in my book. They are just huge wolves, the double of a normal wolf, with thick white fur and distinc**t violet **eyes, blessed with enormous strength and extinct species, but our Astrid is the only one to exist in the present time. Maybe she got her genes** from **somewhere you'll know about.**

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**Should I stick with the third person's pov for around two more chapters? or should I get back into writing individual POVs? Now that Scarlet is in scene, I thought it would be better if I continued in the third person's POV but anything you all say will go <3
Hey guys, sorry for the delay... Everything went pretty well, and I am back to business. I'm trying to give you at least three updates this week, and for Astrid, do you think that's the only reason why her life is threatened—only because she is Lycan? What do you think is the reason?