Author's note: This is from Duke's point of view

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The thought of me with any woman other than Serina made me nauseated and I refused to accept it as a possibility.

There must be a way out of this. There is no way that I waited eleven years for Serina only for my wolf to deny me that pleasure.

I want power BECAUSE of Serina and if gaining that power means I will lose her, I don't want any of it.

Wait, wait! They said that the wolf is like a second voice, another personality. Maybe we will disagree, but he can't force me to do things. Or can he?

If my wolf thinks that any woman is better than Serina, I will end him even if that means harming myself.

But before I go deeper into dark thoughts, I wanted to find out more information.

"Does every werewolf find his mate?", I asked Ash.

Ash thought for a moment before responding. "They say that every werewolf has a mate, but it's a question if we will meet each other because they could be anywhere. Some find their mate on their eighteenth birthday, and some live for centuries as bachelors, and yes... some die before meeting their other half."

OK. This was a bit of a breather. Maybe I don't find mine.

But just in case I do… "Is there a way around the mate bond?"

"First, let's clarify one thing.", Ash responded. "There are two types of mates. The mate given to us by the Moon Goddess is called a fated mate, but one can also mark a person that is not a mate, and that's called mates by choice. The bond between fated mates is instant and it gets stronger after marking while in the case of chosen mates, the bond is formed only upon marking, and it will be weaker compared to the bond between fated mates. If one marked a partner and then found a fated mate, there is a possibility that they will feel each other, but the bond between them will be weakened by the existing mate bond with the chosen mate."

Ash paused and I waited impatiently for him to continue.

"If you want to know about avoiding the bond that was already formed, one can reject a mate in which case the bond will break, but it's painful for both parties involved, potentially deadly, and definitely not recommended. No one thinks about avoiding the fated mate bond because it is considered sacred and transcends social standing. It's like opposite sides of a magnet, you are drawn toward that person, and you can't help it. As a bonus, after the marking is complete, you get a power boost. Who would say no to that? Even Alphas look for their fated mates, exactly because of this extra power. It doesn't matter if the mate is an Omega or a human, it will still be very beneficial to both of them. The only way we can achieve full happiness is to find our mate and mark her, or him. That's our reward from the Moon Goddess…"

Sergio snorted. "Yeah, right.", he mumbled and continued eating.

Both Ash and I stared at Sergio. What's his problem?

"Please, continue…", I urged Ash.

"Werewolves are set for a harsh life, where one is measured by his strength and needs to go through many hardships in order to acquire it. That's why when we meet our mate, we experience unconditional love, to make up for all the bad things that happened before…"

"What if your mate is not a werewolf?"

Ash waved like it's not a big deal. "If she is not a werewolf, she won't be aware of the bond, but the attraction will exist. That means the Moon Goddess gave me another task where I need to win my mate's heart. After I mark her, she will feel the bond and we get our happily ever after."

"Other than your wolf telling you, are there other signs that someone is your mate?", I asked.

Ash shrugged. "I don't know." He pointed at Sergio. "Ask him."

Sergio gaped with a mouthful, giving us a full visual of half-chewed food.

Gross.

"Why me?", Sergio asked, some food coming out of his mouth.

Double gross.

"Because you are older, and you are a shaman.", Ash responded. "You should know about these spiritual things that relate to our wolves. It's part of what shamans do."

Sergio rolled his eyes. "What was the question?"

I was not sure if he was messing with me or he really spaced out, but I repeated, "Other than your wolf identifying your mate, what are other signs that you found your mate?"

"Unreasonable attraction.", Sergio responded with a frown. "You can't stop thinking about her. Everything looks, feels, and smells like her, and when you are not together you feel like you are losing your mind. Every other woman is trash compared to her and you can't stand any man getting close to her. You can identify her scent among millions of others, and it lingers forever, making you wonder if she is there or if you are just imagining it."

"That was specific…", Ash blurted out. "If I don't know better, I would imagine that you are talking from personal experience."

Before Sergio could respond, I waved to get their attention. I needed more information, and I didn't care if it was first or second hand.

"You described a man is in love.", I said to Sergio.

"In love, is a mild way to say it.", Sergio grumbled. "Think of it more as infatuation, obsession. It goes into a zone of madness."

I thought about Sergio's words. That's how I feel about Serina. Is she my mate? That would be great!

I wanted to clarify another thing. "Your wolf… can he make you do things against your will?"

Both Ash and Sergio shook their heads.

"It's like a second person.", Ash responded. "We talk, and sometimes his emotions seep into me, but it's just when intense emotions surge, and it's not sustainable over long periods of time."

OK. This sounded good.

"So, if I have a wolf, and he tells me that a girl is my mate, yet I don't want her, I can talk him out of it?"

Sergio rolled his eyes, and I had a feeling I will not like his answer.

"The mate bond doesn't come from your wolf.", Sergio said irritably. "The wolf only helps you identify your mate. Think of it like this… You are hungry, and that's the mate bond, while your mate is a fish. You might like chicken, and your wolf might prefer beef, however, that will not change the fact that you are hungry, and only fish can satisfy your cravings. Even if your wolf doesn't tell you that you need to eat fish in order to feel full, by eating fish you will fill your stomach and be happy about it."

Well, this food analogy messed up with my idea on how to deal with this, and I was slightly confused. Unless Serina is a fish.

Does that even make any sense?

Nothing made sense.

Fish, beef, chicken… who talks about life-altering things while comparing women with food?

The only thing I knew was that I was not willing to give in to this Moon Goddess or whatever creature came up with this concept of mates.

Why would I want the power of the Supreme Alpha if I can't decide an elementary thing like with whom I want to spend the rest of my life?

In the last eleven years, I only wanted Serina. Everything I did was for her and for my right to stand by her side. If anyone tries to mess with that, I will make him disappear and I don't care if that's a human, wolf, bond, spirit, or magic. I was confident in that.

There was only one problem. Serina is shouldering this burden of uncertainty in silence, and I'm again the reason why her heart is aching.

I vowed to make her happy and I felt the urgency to do something about this.

My wolf is not here to confirm she is my mate, and unless he appears and tells me that she is not my mate, I can't prove that I will fight for us.

I need to find a way to convince Serina that she is my only one and nothing will change that, no matter what happens in the future.

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