Lycan's Mate (His Claim) Chapter 67

Fiona's POV

"Why the long face?"

My body froze at the sound of that voice. It seemed all too familiar and no matter how much time would pass, I knew my subconscious mind would never forget it. I turned around slowly, my eyes widening as his figure began to appear in front of me. A sinister smile spread across his lips as his hazel eyes shone brightly under an invisible light, seeming more wild than usual. He wore nothing but a pair of shorts, the same attire he had worn the very first time I had ever encountered him. Only this time, Blake wasn't here to protect me.

I twisted my body to face him before trying my best to put as much distance between us. I tried to will my arms and legs to help me stand up from the cold ground so I can easily run away from him, but my body refused and instead only crawled its way slowly away. He chuckled lowly at my attempt and he simply stood there watching me before making his way over. In one swift movement, he scooped me up in his arms, pressing my back against his chest while wrapping his arms securely against my waist.

He brushed his lips against the side of my neck, making me shiver in disgust under his touch but I didn't bother to squirm away. I knew it would be a useless attempt against a werewolf. "Where you going, love?" He asked, his abnormal cold breath brushing against my skin.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to get away from him as I asked,

"What do you want Maxwell"

He chuckled, his grip never once faltering.

"Can't I say hello to my lovely sister-in-law?"

His words caused the same pained feeling to form in my chest, but I simply rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Last time I remember, you were trying to keep me all to yourself."

He let out a thoughtful sigh as he leaned his chin against my shoulder with ease. He wasn't as tall as Blake was, so it was easier for him to do so despite me being so small in height.

"Ah, those were the days. Too bad your little mate had to interfere on my plan. Speaking of which," he paused, lifting up his head to get a better look at me before continuing,

"Where is my dear little brother?"

I closed my eyes shut, trying my best not let the fresh tears to fall as I answered, "Home with his pack."

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Don't you mean your pack, as well?" I was surprised to find sincerity in his words and I had to look up at him to see if he was truly curious. Surprisingly enough, his expression matched his tone.

I shook my head, looking down at the ground as I whispered,

"No."

I felt his hold loosen ever so slightly but not enough for me to escape. I turned once more to look at him and was disappointed to see that the usual Maxwell I had known was back. A sly smile stretched along the length of his lips as he stared down at me, his eyes wild.

"Don't tell me, you actually left my little brother?" He asked, letting out a short laugh while shaking his head.

"Who would've thought?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, curiosity easily overtaking my tone.

He chuckled once more before replying, "The way you had looked at him when I first met you made me think that you would never let him go despite the circumstances. And yet, here you are, mateless, while my little brother is sulking around back home. I knew you and I were perfect for each other."

With that, he released me from his tight hold and took a step back. His words made me turn around quicker than I have ever done so before and I was glad to find him still standing behind me with that sly smile of his. I tilted my head in question while crossing my arms over my chest. For once in my life, I felt no threat come from the man standing before me. His sinister smile still haunted my dreams every night, but I no longer felt fear as I stared up at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked again slowly, my voice completely guarded as I anticipated his next words.

He shrugged his shoulders as he began to circle around me, like a predator analyzing his prey. His eyes lingered across my body, their shade taking on a darker one as he licked his lips hungrily. "I must admit, you look more appetizing than ever."

I rolled my eyes at his words and stared at him harshly, twisting my body so I could get a better look at him since he was now standing behind me.

"Answer my question Maxwell."

He chuckled.

"A bit touchy now, aren't we?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and amused eyes. Letting out a heavy sigh, he continued.

"What I mean by that, love, is that you and I have more in common than you believe."

"How so?"

"Well, first thing's first, we are both mateless."

"My mate is still alive, Maxwell. Or did you forget that he was the one who killed you?" I asked, surprised at this newfound confidence that was taking over me.

He seemed unfazed by my words and continued circling me, his gaze locked with my own.

"Touché, but did you not leave him recently? In a way, you have rejected my little brother as your mate, leaving you mateless. Even though mine was taken away from me, you and I have that in common." I was surprised to find him saying those words calmly, with little to no emotion in his eyes. Suddenly, he stopped beside me, his smile broadening as he said,

"And we have another thing in common."

I arched my eyebrow in question.

"Is that so? And what would that be?"

He nodded before walking up to me and leaning forward until his lips were against my right ear.

"Losing our mates is killing us slowly."

Without uttering another word, he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face what appeared to be a full length mirror. It had a golden boarder that shimmered under an unknown light as did the glass. It was completely spotless, casting rainbows of light across the floor in front of us as well as the dress I wore. Stepping behind me, I stared at his reflection before averting my gaze to stare at my own. What I saw made my mouth drop open in horror.

My skin no longer glowed like it had done so moments ago. It now seemed to stick onto my very bones and was a ghostly shade of white. My eyes were now dulled to a dark brown and my hair clung onto my face like a second skin. I looked sick. I felt sick. The strength I had felt while talking to Malcolm seemed to vanish as I stared at my reflection.

"What's happening to me?" I asked as I pressed my hand against my cheek. Looking down, I noticed that my skin was now mimicking that of my reflection. It was dry and wrinkled. It appeared to be fragile and with one touch, I was afraid that it might disintegrate before my very eyes.

I looked up at him and noticed him take a step back, his eyes trained on me. "You're dying," he said simply, his voice ominous as were his now dark eyes.

"How?" I choked out, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. It was as if the air around me was thickening and it was becoming very difficult with every breath that entered my lungs.

"That's the thing about us werewolves, Fiona. We are designed to live the rest of our lives with our significant other. Our other half. Our mate. If we lose them or reject them, we die slowly of loss or pain. We cannot live without our mate, love. The only way we can survive is to find someone else to replace our mate to carry on. But don't worry love, you still have a long way to go before you find yourself greeting death in the face."

My eyes widened at his words and I had to stifle a scream from escaping my now opened lips as I stared in horror at the ever changing Maxwell in front of me. His perfect, flawless skin began to crack open, revealing his bones and muscles as dark blood began to ooze fiercely out of them. They appeared all along the length of his chest and torso, destroying the perfect mirage of the man I had once feared. His sinister smile remained in place as a large wound began to appear along the length of his cheek, revealing his cheekbone easily. I covered my mouth, trying hard not to throw up from the horrific sight. His flesh began to molt quickly, the skin peeling off of him in strips and falling down to the ground around him. The smell of rotting flesh filled my nose, making me nearly gag. It was suffocating and I couldn't seem to break free from it. I took a step back, my back colliding with the mirror and imprisoning me. Maxwell continued to stare at me, his face nearly unrecognizable as he took steady steps in my direction. Stopping a few feet in front of me, he reached out and stroked a finger against my cheek. It was then that I realized that his flesh had completely fallen off and what was stroking me now was nothing but a piece of bone. I flinched away from his touch but never once broke eye contact.

He opened his mouth, taking a deep breath before whispering in a rather raspy voice,

"I'll see you on the other side, love."

Suddenly, his entire body collapsed onto the floor, leaving nothing but a skeleton of what used to be a man with rotting flesh surrounding it. Its eyes were still intact with its skull, its hazel orbs staring lifelessly up at me.

I wanted to scream and run, but no sound escaped my lips and my body didn't seem to function as I stared in horror at the sight in front of me. Suddenly, as if pulling my eyes away from the rotting corpse, I averted my gaze to a dark figure standing a couple of yards in front of me. He was easily recognizable but the expression on his face made me want to cry. Especially what I saw standing beside him.

His arm was stretched out to his side and wrapped around a young woman's silhouette. From where I stood, it was a bit difficult to make out her face until she seemed to step out of the darkness. Her long dark brown hair cascaded in waves around her shoulders, framing an elegant, flawless face with light brown eyes and tanned skin. Her slender figure molded itself against Blake perfectly, her manicured hand resting above his chest as her tender cheek laid on his shoulder. She stared up at him with admiration and love until her eyes looked over at me. An evil smile crept along her face, destroying her angelic features and making her resemble that of the devil. She raised an eyebrow at me, her eyes lingering across my body before smirking. Placing her free hand on her slender hip, she reached up and planted a longing kiss on his lips.

My mouth gaped open and I could feel tears streaming down my face uncontrollably as I stared at this horrid sight. It was as if the room began to spin around me, making me stumble backwards until the glass shattered behind me, bits and pieces piercing through the darkness. I grabbed a hold of the frame, trying to steady myself before something inside me told me to let go. To let it be and not fight it anymore. That this was my decision and I am merely seeing the consequences of my actions. I don't know where that thought came from, but I didn't ignore it. Giving them a final glance, I released my hold and welcomed the open air as it pierced through my fragile frame, closing my eyes tightly shut as I descended into the black hole.

Time seemed to pass by slowly before I opened my eyes and found myself lying down in my bed, drenched in sweat. I took in deep breaths, wiping my face with my hands before slowly sitting upright. The room continued to spin but I paid it no mind as my dream began to continuously run through my mind in a fast speed. His angelic face, his ominous words, and her sinister smile. But through all the images that surged through my numb mind, there was only one question about it all that spoke louder than the rest:

What have I done?