LYKOS

The flight back to the den is quick. My heart races at the thought of seeing my sweet little mate again. Now that I've found her there's no way I'm letting her go. By the time I get to the den it's only a couple hours before sunset.

"Look who's decided to join us!" Xanthos yells from the living room the moment I go through the front door and I hear doors open and close throughout the den.

When I step into the living room I find everyone gathered there and I raise my brow.

"Did you guys start a book club or something while I was gone?" I smirk.

"I think it's time you tell us what's been going on with you. You may not think we noticed but we have so come on. Sit your ass down and start talking," Xanthos says firmly and the other guys grunt in agreement while Eryx stares me down with a raised brow and an amused smirk.

"I needed to know what was going on before I could tell you," I start as I take a seat and let out a heavy sigh. "I've found my mate. I've been dreaming about her for years and our bond was strange during that time but I finally found her. But she's in danger, which is why I'll be going to watch over her tonight," I explain in one breath and then sit back and wait for the guys to respond.

"Whooaaa!" Xanthos is the first to respond.

"That's big news, kid," Orfeas says, surprise taking over his usually neutral expression.

"I was not expecting that!" Sofoklis mumbles.

"Damn, Lykos. I thought you were dying or something!" Daedalus exclaims, his eyes wide.

Eryx simply sits back with a proud smirk on his face, like he already knew that's where I had been. Almost like he'd expected it. He seemed to know more than I did about how the whole mate thing worked. It made me think he may have had one. I may have to ask him about it when we have a moment together.

"Wait, so what does that have to do with the fainting spells and the nightmares?" Xanthos asks, his brows scrunched together in confusion.

"She's got really strong magic and she's royal, I'm thinking she's the product of Fae and Magi royalty. Every time she'd access a new power or experience something significant, I'd feel it. But I think there's more to it than just the mate bond, I just haven't figured it out yet," I explain and notice Eryx's eyes go wide from the corner of my eye.

"Oh shit! She's THAT kid?!" Sofoklis gasps and we all turn to him.

"What do you mean?" I frown at him.

"Well, there was a rumor that the famous odd royal couple had a child but it was said the child died in the attack. Not many people even knew that they had a child in the first place," Sofoklis explained.

"There's something else, isn't there, Eryx. Why don't you tell our young one here the truth about his origin?" Orfeas smirks, turning to Eryx and I frown.

Eryx inhales sharply before letting out a heavy sigh. "Kid, I'm sorry I never told you this but I think it's time. The reason you can shift into more than just one form is because your great grandmother was a Magi," Eryx says, his voice low and quiet.

Xanthos let out a low whistle and Daedalus smacked him lightly upside his head. I found myself stunned to silence, my mind racing to find answers as my eyes searched Eryx's.

"There's something else isn't there?" I ask leaning forward.

"The fainting spells and trances you've been going into, it's not just the mate bond. The mate bond is tied to your latent magic. I believe the stronger the bond, the more your magic fights to awaken. From what Sybella said, your magic will finally activate when you complete the mating ritual," Eryx explains.

Finally everything starts to make sense. I lean back in my seat silently, letting everything sink in while the guys glance between me and Eryx. I should've been mad at Eryx but I couldn't bring myself to. He kept a lot of secrets from me but he always had a good reason.

"How long have you known?" I finally look back up at him.

"A few days give or take. Sybella filled me in after she told you about your mate," Eryx shrugs, his eyes searching my face for a reaction.

"I'm not mad, Eryx. Thank you for telling me, everything makes so much more sense," I say calmly and Eryx visibly relaxes.

"Well, alright. I have to go pack a few things before I leave. I'll be checking in during the day but I think I'll be spending my nights watching over my mate. Those monsters that have been hunting her won't stop coming for her," I say as I stand and head to my room.

When I come back out with my duffel bag, I find the guys still gathered in the living room speaking in hushed tones. It's Eryx who notices me first and stands up, garnering the attention of the other guys as they follow.

"Kid, you're not dealing with this alone. We'll help you watch over your mate. We're family and we look out for our own," Eryx says, grasping my shoulders firmly.

"Yeah. And since we're sharing secrets, I think it's time I shared one of mine," Orfeas speaks and we all turn to him in surprise. Orfeas never offers information and he hates questions. "I'm a Shadow Wielder and I have some Magi blood in me too although not very strong," he says.

"I'm a Light Wielder and Intellect," Sofoklis says, taking Orfeas's hand.

"Really? I'm a Light Wielder too!" Xanthos exclaims excitedly and Orfeas rolls his eyes.

"I'm from the Warrior faction, but that was probably obvious," Daedalus adds with a shrug.

"I'm both Shifter and Warrior," Eryx says and I find myself blinking at them, not knowing what to say.

"Wow! That's a lot of secrets!" I chuckle. "But it makes sense. Now that we're talking about it none of you gave mundane vibes so it's not too much of a surprise," I shrug.

"Show down!" Xanthos yells and rushes out to the backyard.

We all glance at each other and I start to go after Xanthos. "Come on guys, might as well show the goods if I'm going to trust you to watch over my mate without getting yourselves killed," I tease.

By the time we're done I feel very enlightened, like I know the people I call friends and consider family a lot better than before. While the rest go back in for dinner, I gently grab Eryx's arm, pulling him back.

"You have a mate, don't you?" I ask and his eyes flash with something I can't quite describe before he screws them shut, his face contorted in pain. I stay silent and give him time to speak, knowing that it's a sensitive subject for him.

"She was a Warrior. We'd just started getting acquainted when the attack on the royals happened. She was taken. I still don't know what really happened to her but I know she's not dead, I would've felt it if she was," Eryx says, his voice quiet.

"I'm so sorry, Eryx. Thank you for trusting me with this," I clasp his shoulder. "I don't know how but I know you'll find each other again. I'll do whatever I can to help but in the meantime, I'm here for you," Eryx pulls me into a tight hug the moment the words are out of my mouth.

"Thank you, brother," Eryx's voice is thick with emotion as he pulls back.

"Come on, let's join the others for dinner. I have to leave soon," I say looking up to the sun that's about to start setting before I head into the den.

The dinner table is filled with more chatter than usual. Somehow we feel closer than before, like a family. The thought makes me smile.

"Hey, lover boy! Daydreaming about your mate?" Xanthos yells before he starts making kissy sounds. "Ow! What was that for?" He yells turning to Sofoklis who just slapped him upside his head.

"Don't be an ass and I won't have to," Sofoklis simply responds with a smirk.

Soon the last rays of the sun fade into the horizon and I get my duffle from the living room.

"We agreed to let you have tonight but from tomorrow, we'll start our shifts helping you guard your mate," Eryx's voices echoes behind me just as my hand reaches for the front door and I turn to him.

"Thank you, brother. I'll check tomorrow during the day," I give him a nod.

"Good luck, kid," Eryx rasps out gruffly trying not to show the intense emotions coming off him in waves.

"I don't need it but I'll take it. See you tomorrow, Eryx," I give him a sly wink and head out.

It doesn't take long for me to get to Irida's home. I linger outside for a while my chest tight, torn between camping out on her terrace or staying here.

"Go up! We need to be closer!" My wolf whines and my lion and dragon growl in agreement.

"I know, I feel it too. I just don't want to creep her out," I explain to them while I pace back and forth. Just then a whistle pierces the air around me and my head snaps up towards the rooftop.

"Are you going to wear the grass out or are you going to come up here and join me, Wolfy?" Irida's sweet voice echoes in my ear and I feel goosebumps scatter across my skin. My dragon's wings sprout out of my back and in a second I'm standing in front of Irida.

"Did you really think I was going to let you camp out there?" My mate asks and I feel my face flush.

"I- I didn't want to creep you out," I manage to get out, my eyes getting lost in hers.

"Thanks for the consideration but I know you want to be close, I feel the pull too. No reason to start off this relationship with resistance," Irida smiles softly at me and my heart skips a beat. "Come sit with me, I have to talk to you about something," she pulls a couple mats and sits.

"What about?" I sit facing her, unable to tear my eyes from her.

"It's about our parents," my heart races at those simple words. "I found out some interesting information about the attacks. Apparently there's a group of dark mages called the Skot�di. They're the ones behind the attacks on the royals. They wanted to be the only power. They figured out a way to bring creatures from other realms and control them. From what I hear they managed to create monsters of their own from their experiments on magical beings. They use a variation of Pandora's box to drain our kind of our magic, even trapping the souls of mundanes and magical folk alike in it so they have more power," Irida explains.

"That-that's a lot of information," I breath.

"Yeah. Tell me about it!" She sighs loudly. "They're the ones who've been sending creatures after me since I was a kid. That is until I started to hunt those creatures instead of waiting for them to hunt me. Now that I know, I plan to hunt them down," she adds.

"That's dangerous," I say, my heart besting wildly in my chest as I start to remember my nightmares.

"I know but I won't be alone. And I have a few aces up my sleeve and a good plan. It has to be done," she looks up at the sky as she speaks. I know she's not doing this just for the sake of revenge, there's something more.

"I'll follow you to the ends of the earth and beyond. I'm not letting you face anything alone ever again," I say sincerely, taking her hands in mine and looking in her eyes hoping she'll see how much I mean it. "On that note, I learned something new today. Well a lot of new things but I'll stick to what matters. Apparently my great grandmother was a Magi, which is why I can shift into more than just my wolf. And the reason why I had so many fainting and trance spells over the last few years. At first I thought it was just our bond, most of the spells I remember I'd see visions of you fighting monsters or using your magic. Every time you'd tap into a new power I'd feel it. Turns out our bond has been activating my latent magic, or trying to," I explain slowly and wait for her reaction.

"That actually makes a lot of sense. I used to have a lot of fainting and trance spells when my magic started activating too. I saw your eyes in my visions but never really thought too much of it. I mean I grew up in Ayia, a hidden village in Agrios with priestesses and warriors only so it's not like I had to worry about anyone I didn't know," my mate rambles and all I can think of while she speaks is kissing her until she mentions Ayia.

"Ayia? I thought that place was only a myth?! A lot of people believe it's a myth," I answer, surprised.

"Not a myth, just inaccessible to society and outsiders. Magically warded and heavily guarded by the most skilled warriors I've ever known," Irida chuckles and I'm entranced in the sound of her.

"So how did you..." I trail off trying to look for the right phrasing.

"My parents used magic to transport me there when I was an infant. The high priestess, Areti, raised me as her own. They all raised me as their own but Areti most of all," she answers with a shrug.

We sit in silence, her enjoying the night sky and me enjoying the sight of her sitting in front of me.

"Who's the guy who had me chained up earlier?" I find myself asking.

"His name is Galen. This place is his, he took me in when I moved from Ayia, looking for a place to live. My instincts led me here but the rest was all him. He's a seer and a healer, a mix of Healer and Warrior factions. He's become a brother to me," she answers with a wistful expression on her face and I find my chest burn with jealousy. Jealousy that I haven't had much time with her, haven't been close to her.

"You care about him," I find myself saying out loud before I can think about it.

"Yeah. We look out for each other," she answers then turns to me. "You have no reason to be jealous of him, he already has a mate, even though she's been lost for a while," she says firmly, narrowing her eyes slightly at me.

"I just- he's had time with you, gotten to know you and be close to you. I guess I just..." My voice fades as I struggle to find the words to explain.

"I know what you mean," she says softly, placing her hand on mine and tingles burst throughout my body.

We stare into each others eyes and my chest tightens at the distance. I cup her cheek, my thumb swiping the side of her lips, relishing in the way her breath hitches. Unable to resist, I dip my head and claim her lips in a searing kiss.