My Life For You

Beta Artemis POV

Seeing Dragana attacked in the meadow like this brought my heart to stop and drew my blood cold. She looked so beautiful, yet so fragile, so innocent, so vulnerable, her big silver eyes full of confusion and fear. At that moment, as in many moments in past 10 years - all I wanted to do is take her in my arms and never let her go. For years, I have stolen secret glances, smelled her scent passing by, looked at her hair glisten in the sun, perhaps hoped against hope that one day she will see me as her mate, or that her wolf will appear and claim me. She was always nice to me, funny, prankster at times, we got along really well. However, I had to maintain my loyalty to the Alpha King, to the packs, I had to respect the blood oath we all gave to Roman so many years ago.

Something happened that fateful night to him, when he pulled her lifeless body out of the depths of that lake. I think somewhere in his heart, that reminded him too much of his mother’s death. He was very close to his mother, they were really, more like siblings, especially after his younger brother died tragically at age 1. To this day, nobody knows what happens, even though there were rumors of poisons and dark magic witchcraft – Alpha King Jonathan dismissed all that as futile talk. Queen Luna, on the other hand, was not so quick to disbelieve these things. Her heart was broken when Michael, a chubby little pup, with golden hazel eyes as his father fell mysteriously ill and started fading. She looked everywhere for any clue, for any type of help. She was very close friends with Princess Dzana – how they knew each other nobody knew, as even though we are a very progressive pack, we usually did not make close friends with other supernatural beings. We were bound to Lycans, by military, oath and finances, plus we all fell under the command of the Lycan King -  but otherwise we largely stayed away from others, kept to our selves. We had no problem if a fated mate of one of the pack proved to be a witch or a vampire, demon, dragon or any other , we just did not seek them out actively.

Princess Dzana did everything in her power. It is said that the boy lived to say words Momma and Pappa and called his brother Ronnnwan before he died.. And then one day, he just fell asleep and never woke up. The pain of the Queen Luna, hear heartbreak and the cries of the mother, echoed in these walls and were felt by every pack member. They are to this day. Little prince’s death changed everything, and in my heart to this day, I believe his death caused Queen Luna’s premature departure too. Her behavior changed, drastically – she became more engaged in battled, more active, more reckless despite protests of Elders and her mate.. It was almost as she was seeking death, it was almost as she was seeking to be with her dead child, to find peace in the afterlife with the chubby little boy, peace that eluded her every waking moment on earth…

The packhouse, once full of laughter and happiness became dull and dark place… Roman was the one who suffered the most. A young man, already formed and groomed to be the next Alpha King, the pack always thought he would be the only son. Little Michael’s birth was unexpected but welcomed by none more then him. I remember how he dreamed of teaching his little brother to shift, to fish, to play.. Those memories to this day hurt as if somebody was flaying me alive.. My heart was aching.. We were family..

That night, when Dragana nearly died, he made us swear a blood oath. We would not get close to her. Nobody in the pack would be close to her, nobody would ever be her real friend. In his grief of nearly loosing her, so close after he lost his mother and brother, he nearly went crazy. Forbade us all to love her, yet we all secretly did, but could never show. In a way, I think he forbade himself to love her too – even though I knew he cared deeply for her.

As did I.. Tonight is the night, I thought to myself….Tonight, I will ask him to release me, both as a Beta and from my oath. I wanted to go with Dragana, I wanted to be with her, wherever she may be. I wanted to protect her, I wanted to love her, if she will let me. At 28 my mate had not shown up, and quite frankly I did not want her and secretly hoped she never did. I wanted no other then Dragana, and even if she did not want me that way, I would forever be in her service, forever her protector and guardian. “He will not like it”, Emir my wolf said. “I imagine not, but I cannot live with myself if anything were ever to happen to her.. Not after tonight”.. “She would be a wonderful mother to our pups” he said and I had to agree.. I had to be with her, even if it cost me my life.