Taming Her Beastly Mate

“HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!” Lycaon roared as he mashed the buttons on his controller aggressively.

“You hit up, up, then hit B, but you have to do it fast.” Jamie said, as if it was common knowledge.

“I see how it is. You don’t care to explain all the controls that way you can win. Cheaters.” Lycaon growled as Diana giggled.

“I got the hang of it already.” She chided playfully as Lycaon snorted.

“Video games were invented for people who wanted to see how it feels to be a god. Someone like me, who is already a god, is above it.” Ike said in a cool tone.

“Of course… so why are you trying so hard?” Kurt eyed Lycaon with a cheeky grin.

“We finally beat him at something…” Jamie chuckled and Lycaon growled, gripping the controller tightly.

Diana watched as Lycaon crossed his arms over his chest, a pout on his lips. He was acting more and more… human. He used to have an aura around him that kept others away. Diana had done the same thing, which is why she didn’t talk to many others in the pack. She smiled as she listened to the three men and their competitive banter. The little makeshift family was really making this feel like home. There was just one big piece missing, and that was Aiden.

She missed his green eyes, that looked at her like she was the only person in the world. His soft auburn hair and how it draped over his forehead. She missed his strong arms and how gently they used to hold her. And his scent… it had faded from his room and now all that remained was the remnants on the fur he left her. She hoped he returned before it was completely gone.

“Ha! Gotcha!” Kurt yelled triumphantly as he defeated Lycaon in their latest game.

Lycaon g*****d, and threw the controller down in defeat. “Alright, alright. You win this one,” he muttered, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Diana looked at him sympathetically. “Don’t worry, Lycaon. It’s just a game,” she said softly.

“Here we will try a different game,” Kurt said as he moved to the game console. He came back, plopping down beside Diana on the couch. His arm brushed against hers and a tingling sensation spread through his body from the contact. He glanced at Diana from the corner of his eye and could see her body tense from it.

A searing agony engulfed his body, a pain so intense it felt like molten lava was coursing through his veins. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he curled in on himself, sinking to the ground while white-hot fire consumed him from within.

“Kurt!” Diana cried as she grabbed onto him. Her touch triggered flashes in his mind. Like lightning, images began to spark in and out.

“Damn.it…” Lycaon growled as he knelt in front of Kurt. “Reapus!” He snarled loudly. “You soul hoarding zombie, where the hell are you?!” He roared.

“There is no need for that attitude.” A deep voice growled from the side. Diana looked up at the man dressed in all black with a black cowboy looking hat.

“Reapus!” Lycaon growled, and the man shifted his attention to Kurt.

“Oh…” The man breathed in through his teeth and then began to click his tongue. “What is it that you want me to do?”

“Is he okay?” Lycaon’s voice was soft and laced with concern. He turned to look at the man with almost pleading eyes.

“Ike…” Reapus said, taking his hat off freeing his blonde hair. “This can’t be prevented… pieces always pop in and out. Sometimes as visions and sometimes as dreams.”

“What is wrong with him?!” Jamie growled, looking at the two men.

Lycaon pursed his lips together and looked at Diana’s frantic face. He could see her wide teary eyes as she held onto Kurt. “He is okay…”

“What is this?” Kurt muttered, shaking his head in confusion. In his visions, he saw Diana, but it was from another time. It didn’t make sense to him. He lifted up his head and looked over at Lycaon and the man in all black.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve met,” Reapus said with a small smile. “I’ve met your soul before…” He looked over at Lycaon and then nodded his head. “You begged me to let you live… you had to stay… but there was nothing that could be done. Then Ike here popped up. He made me promise to hold your soul… so that you could be reborn. It took a lot of careful planning, but finally the time came for you to reenter the world…”

“Wait…” Diana gasped as she glanced up at Lycaon, who nodded his head slowly.

“Decker begged to be able to watch over you. He said he didn’t care if his memories were wiped because he knew he would find you and protect you. I made a deal with Reapus to hold his soul and we handpicked where he would be born again. With Selene’s help, we knew when you would reawaken…” Lycaon whispered as he watched the tears flow from her eyes.

“Kurt is Kurt.” Reapus said with a shrug. “He isn’t Decker… but Decker’s soul is in Kurt. It seems complicated, but it isn’t. Kurt is not Decker…” Reapus scratched his chin and hummed. “You’ve heard of people saying they had dreams that seemed real? Or that they have a sense of déjà vu? Those are usually recycled souls, and those memories just pop up. Or something that feels familiar to their soul. They are not that person, but their soul still recognizes what was familiar to them. You and Kurt probably feel connected to each other because you are. He isn’t Decker… but Decker’s will to protect you lives inside of Kurt.”

“So that is what the weird tingling sensation is.” Kurt sighed in relief. “Okay, well, that makes sense and I feel a lot better now.” He chuckled, not phased at all about hearing his soul used to be Decker’s. He was just thankful it wasn’t a mate bond that was starting.

The visions he had were endearing. He had seen a vision of Diana as they played a card game together. It was through his sight, but it wasn’t his body. He knew it was him or a version of him.

Then there was another vision when he escorted Diana out to greet the people. The final vision showed him standing in front of her protectively while something unknown came their way. It was a piece of him that all felt familiar. His protective feelings for Diana all came from another life. Sure, as the Beta, he was protective over her, but this was more than that. And now he finally understood why.

Diana’s head was spinning from the revelation. It was a lot to take in. Her mind was racing as she tried to process everything that was said. She looked back at Kurt, whose eyes met with hers. It was as if she could see a glimmer of Decker’s soul within him. She hadn’t searched for it before, but now that she did, she could sense it. The reason Kurt reminded her of her brother was because they shared a soul.

She wasn’t naïve enough to look at him as her brother. She knew they were different people. Still, she felt grateful for having him in her life, even if it was only a small part of her brother. She had a piece of him with her. He made sure he was there to look out for her.

She had a tidal wave of emotions, but mainly… she was grateful. Grateful that Decker’s soul was still with her. Grateful that Lycaon made sure she had a piece of her family with her.

“Thank you, Reapus… I’ll be contacting you again shortly.” Lycaon said as the man nodded his head.

“Shiva explained it all to me. Can’t wait for the hunt… see you soon.” He said, tipping his hat back on and instantly vanishing.

“Ike—” Diana choked out as tears streamed down her face. She rose to her feet and stepped towards him. Then suddenly she wrapped her arms around him, hugging his body tightly. “Thank you. You should have told me… but thank you…” she whispered, her voice strangled with emotion.

Lycaon gave her a small smile and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Always… but this wasn’t just for you. It was Decker’s wish, too. It was the only thing I could do for him to make his passing easier.”

“So, if you knew the whole time… Bro! Why didn’t you tell me?!” Kurt said with an exasperated tone.

“I planned to tell Diana… I was just waiting for Aiden to return. I wasn’t sure how she would take the news. I know it can be a bit confusing… especially when it is dealing with a loved one. I was going to tell you later Kurt because I didn’t want you getting confused with what you were feeling.” Lycaon said as Jamie hummed to himself, deep in thought.

“Time out. What if those two would have fallen in love? That would have been—”

“He isn’t her brother. Their genetics are not the same. Kurt is a werewolf… at least for now. And—”

“What does that mean?” Kurt asked and Lycaon’s eyes pinned against his.

“One thing at a time. First, Jamie—”

“I get it I get it I get it…” Jamie repeated, waving his hand. “I know souls get recycled, but we know souls who retain their memories. Like Aba…” He watched as Lycaon smiled as he looked at him.

“That is a different situation. Souls that reenter the life pool are cleansed of their memories. They only get weird visions or dreams that might be of their past. It is rare for one of those souls to get their memories… rare, but not impossible. Now… with what you are talking about… that is different. That is a soul being forced into another body. That soul didn’t go through the life pool. They weren’t reborn. They were shoved inside another body. It is different. And it can have consequences…” He trailed off quietly.

“Like?” Jamie asked, and Lycaon stood there in quiet thought for a moment.

“Aba doesn’t have all of his memories, right?” He watched as Jamie nodded his head. “If those memories from his first life resurface… there is no telling the path he will choose.”

“He is a guardian now though… Lucy is due to have her babies and he will—” Jamie began to say, but Lycaon cut him off.

“There is no point going back and forth on the what ifs and what should game. What will happen… will happen. The fairies made the choice to bring him back… let’s see if it was the right one.”

“I don’t like the sound of that…” Jamie said with a small frown.

Diana pulled away from the embrace, wiping the tears from her face. She was still trying to process everything that was said. She didn’t really know Aba too well, but she understood what Lycaon was trying to say. However, there was one thing he did say that pricked her curiosity.

“You said Kurt is a werewolf for now. What does that mean?” Diana asked as she glanced over at Kurt, who looked up at Lycaon with interest.

“Kurt and Jamie need to be prepared for the inevitable.” Lycaon glanced between the two men who stood there, washed in confusion. “You both are werewolves… but not just werewolves. Kurt, you can shift into a selkie. This is a rare gift. Jamie, your warlock powers shine through from your mother’s side. These parts of you will never go away. However, your wolves won’t be staying.”

“What do you mean?” Kurt asked, looking over at Jamie.

“Once Aiden and Diana become marked… an official pairing… you both will change. Your wolves will leave you and you will become lycans. Your wolves will both be given new partners. I know they are part of you, but this is a necessary change. You both need to be stronger. This was the agreement I made with Selene a long time ago.”

“Do we have a say in this?” Jamie asked as Lycaon shook his head.

“No, the change will automatically happen. You both will become something much stronger. I can’t see the future… but I know Selene has seen it. I know there will be many changes and—” he paused and then shook his head. “In either case, this is for the future. This will help you keep them safe.”

“My wolf acknowledges this… he already knew.” Kurt whispered quietly. “If this means I can protect Aiden and Diana better, then I’ll accept whatever is necessary.”

“Right… like he said… like we had a choice, anyway.” Jamie chuckled with a shrug. “Guess this means we will officially be stronger than our dads.” Kurt laughed and then looked over at Diana. Her eyes seemed unsure.

“Dee… it’s fine. Our wolves are okay with this as well. This is all for a purpose.” Kurt gave Diana a reassuring smile before he looked back at the television. “Well, now that that’s all sorted, who’s ready for another round of video games?”

As the game started up and they all got lost in their own battles, Diana felt a gentle warmth encompass her. She was home, and she was surrounded by people she… loved. Aiden was the only piece of the puzzle that was missing. She couldn’t wait until she could finally see him again.

She didn’t realize it… but that feeling of being excited to see Aiden again would soon vanish. The next time she saw Aiden, she would be filled with regret and uncertainty of what the future would now hold…