My Disaster Mate

Asher's POV

Life isn't so good but I can't complain. That will make me seem ungrateful. What more do I want that I don't have? Others would be so quick to ask me that.

I have a father who loves me, a mother who dotes on me as if she can't live without me and even though I have a sister who is annoying and enjoys teasing me, I know she loves me.

To cap it all, I am the heir to the throne and being the next alpha of the Ulier pack isn't something to be taken lightly. It comes with a lot of benefits.

I have wealth that many in the clan pray for and a social standing that can never get crippled.

Life is indeed good. I swing my leg on the porch at the balcony of my bedroom, enjoying the feel of the wind against my skin. I feel like jumping down but only the thought of scaring the maids working down there gives me pause.

They would scream as if they forget that I'm a werewolf and can't die by jumping off from a porch on the fourth floor of my father's mansion.

I hear the door to my bedroom open and I swing my neck so fast I almost pop it out of the joints. I am not expecting anyone and I told the maids not to disturb me.

I walk to the room, scaring the maid who is walking towards me.

"Oh, my lord." She gasps, holding a hand to her chest as her eyes widen at me. "You scared me."

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" I question, moving back to the balcony. "I gave instructions not to be disturbed."

She sighs. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to."

I nudge my head in her direction, giving her a side look. "Is there a problem?"

"The alpha wants to see you."

"What is the time?"

She gives me a confused look, wondering what I was talking about but she indulges me. "It's five minutes past one."

"I'm not hungry. You can leave."

She stares at me for a few minutes before clarity shines in her eyes. She nods and smiles. "Oh! He is in the throne room not the dinner hall."

I frown. Father isn't calling me to have lunch? I wonder what else he wants to see me for. I had woken up late and had a heavy brunch which is why I can't join them for lunch, even though I know how much father loves a complete family.

Having brunch today isn't the problem but having a lot of it recently is the problem. I have been waking up late these days and eating alone in my bedroom. That means missing out on lunch and getting father annoyed. I had been waiting for when father would call me out on the attitude which is why I assumed that was what the maid is here for.

"Do you know what he wants to see me for?"

She gives me a look that respectfully wonders if I'm stupid.

"Oh!" I blush. "I'm sorry."

It's not like the alpha would have a heart to heart with a maid about why he wants to see his son before sending her on an errand. I shouldn't have asked a stupid question.

"I have to leave now." She reminds me that she has other tasks to do and can't wait for me to make up my mind.

"You can go." I wave my hand at her.

She bows slightly to me in the customary way and leaves the room.

I sigh, wondering what my father needs me for as I change the attire I have on. We live in a modern world with businesses booming all around us and technology making everything beautiful but we still have traditions we hold on to.

One: Never visit the alpha like a homeless fellow. You have to show your respect for him with the way you are dressed when you show your presence to him.

It doesn't matter if I'm his son. Being in the throne room means that he is in his official space and may have guests with him. I can't go there in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts that I have on at the moment.

"Father," I breathe as I walk into the throne room minutes later, thankful that he doesn't have guests with him.

I may be the next alpha but I still get freaked out by the council of elders, especially Santhos.

"My heir, welcome." Father turn to me with his teeth pulling back into a wide smile.

He looks welcoming and loving but the hairs at the back of my neck stand up in alarm. I narrow my eyes at him in suspicion as I move closer to him.

First, it was asking that I meet him in the throne room and second, it was calling me his heir which wouldn't have sounded weird because that is what I am but he hardly calls me his heir whenever we are alone.

"Is there a problem, father?" I ask as I sit.

He throws his head back and barks out a laughter. "You are as intuitive as an alpha should be."

Okay, can we stop with the reminder that I'm next in line for the throne? He has freaked me out enough.

"Thank you, father." I reply at a loss of what else to say.

"I have something important to discuss with you."

As if I wasn't expecting that. I keep my expression calm even though I'm raging inside with curiosity and can barely sit still. I force myself to grind my behind on the chair, hoping not to disappoint my grooming teacher.

The lessons those days were as tedious as they were important.

One: Don't lose your calm.

Two: Choose your mate wisely.

Three: Don't be controlled by your appetites.

Four: Don't disrespect the elders even if you don't agree with them.

"Won't you ask me what it is?" Father asks, breaking into my mental reminder of the alpha classes I took years ago.

I swallow, forcing the fear down my throat. "What is it, father?"

He smiles, almost moving off his throne with the excitement to tell me what it is that has his heart thumping. I don't know how I know but I don't feel like what he wants to tell me will make me smile as much as he is.

Maybe it's intuition or lessons from the past, I can't tell. Father was like this months ago when he told me to get more friendly with Lucas, a move I regret every minute of my existence.

"You have my permission to get mated." He grins.

I stare at him, blinking like a deer caught in headlights because that is exactly how I feel. His permission to get mated? I never told him I wanted to get mated.

He notices my lack of expression and scowls. "You aren't happy?"

I force my tongue to work. "I'm eighteen, father. I don't think about getting mated."

He scoffs. "I got mated to your mother when I was your age."

Asher's POV

"The world has changed."

"Has it?" He asks, pinning me down with his gaze.

I gulp, my nerves choking my throat. He is right. The world might have changed but ours hasn't, no matter the modernization we embrace.

I knew I would hear this conversation one day but had hoped to have it delayed. Not a chance anymore, I guess.

"You have a mate, right?" He asks, his eyes shining with curiosity and hope.

I hate to disappoint father so it isn't easy to shake my head when it feels like lead. "No."

"You have a girl in the pack you desire, right?"

I keep my snort to myself. As if I want any of those girls who think of me not as a man but as a means to becoming the next Luna of the pack.

"No."

He sighs but then the sad expression is gone as quickly as it came. "You have enough time to find a mate."

I suck in a breath, glad that I'm off the hook. I need years to myself before thinking of finding a mate.

"Thank you, father." I bow.

"You have to find a mate before the full moon in the next six months."

"What!" I screech as I jump off the chair and forget my lesson.

A look from father tells me he is also disappointed I lost my calm. I don't care. I am grateful though that my teacher isn't here. I can't deal with two pairs of eyes looking at me with correction.

"Too late?"

I scoff, this time not hiding how I feel. "Too soon."

"You have to find a mate by then." He says, ignoring my protests. "There are many beautiful ladies in the pack and the neighboring packs. All you have to do is find a mate that makes your wolf burn."

"But father-"

He raises a hand to silence my protests. "No more, son. It's tradition for the heir to be mated at eighteen."

Damn tradition. I sigh.

"I don't want a political mating."

"Which is why I give you my permission to find your mate in the neighboring packs, if you don't like the females here."

Is there a way to tell him that I don't want any female?

"You have till the next six months to do as I say or forfeit your position to Lucas."

I growl, my fists curling and my lips bared in a snarl as I thought of that happening.

Father takes a look at my face and smiles, feeling content with himself. "I thought as much. I guess I'm getting a daughter-in-law soon."

I don't have any female wolf I'm interested in but I would be damned if I let Lucas become the next alpha of the pack.

"Are you ready for the hunt, brother?" Lucas smiles as he walks towards him, his devilish grin betraying his dark heart from miles apart.

"I'm not your brother." I hiss, repeating the words I have always said from years but he never listens.

He loves to rile me up. The little bastard.

"Then what am I?" He flashes his teeth at me.

I shrug, flexing my shoulders and look ahead, pretending that he isn't there. If only it's that easy. Lucas doesn't like being ignored and doesn't take a hint.

"I'm your nightmare, brother." He whispers as he leans closer to me.

That he is.

"As you've always been." I hiss.

For the past eighteen years, Lucas has been a thorn in my flesh and worse than a nightmare.

Rule number three of the alpha notebook: Don't be controlled by your appetites.

If only my father hasn't flunked that rule, my life would be super great. Lucas was the negative in my life and the reason I hate my life at times.

If father didn't get drunk and sleep with someone else other than his mate, Lucas wouldn't have been conceived and I wouldn't have a half-brother that makes me want to beat him to crap.

It's worse that we are the same age.

"I hear father wants you to find a mate."

I growl. "Can't you see I don't want to talk to you?"

If he knows that father wants me to get mated, then he probably knows that he may get the throne I don't succeed. And I don't have any doubt that is what he is trying to say.

He chuckles. "When have you ever wanted to speak with me and when did I ever listen?"

I roll my eyes, hating how right the asshole was. That is Lucas, always doing as he wants.

He places a hand on my shoulder. "I really do hope that you find a mate."

"Fuck off." I say through gritted teeth.

He laughs. "You always make my day, brother."

"I'm not your brother." I repeat, getting tired of the words. Maybe I should start ignoring him.

"Good luck on the hunt, Asher. Make sure you don't get hunted." He says and walks away.

I snarl at his retreating figure and spit on the ground in annoyance. I'm the hunter, I can't get hunted as a stupid prey.

"Welcome, our friends from Vava pack." Father's voice booms from where he stands with the alpha of the other pack.

We have a forest at one of the borders of our land which has been used over the years for hunting, reminding us of the past when we shift and prowl like the predators we are and also to foster relationships with the neighboring packs.

At the moment, the forest is being used to have fun with the wolves from the Vava pack who paid us a friendly visit two days ago, and the game we are about to play is one that has been in existence since the time of our ancestor.

"You all know the rules." Father says, his excitement shining through. "The one who finds a deer first and brings it forward wins the game for his pack. Are you ready?"

"Yes, we are, my lord." Wolves from my pack and the other echo.

Father gives me a look and I know what it means. He is counting on me to win the game for the pack and make him proud. I nod subtly, letting him know that I won't disappoint him. He smiles in return.

The smile father gives me is the same the alpha of the Vava pack gives his son but I'm not bothered. It makes me more determined to win this game.

I know someone else from the Ulier pack can win the game and father will still be proud if Lucas brings the deer out but I want to do the honors. The game won by the next alpha of the pack is a feat that will make father proud and talk for months to come.

The whistle sounds and I smile as I shift, feeling my bones take shape as my smooth human skin disappears and fur covers me. I grin as my wolf fully take shape, loving the feeling of being on all fours and feeling stronger. It never gets old.

I stretch and shake my black fur to show how ready I am for the hunt.

Asher's POV

"Go, Asher!" Females scream but I pay them no attention.

I dash into the forest, my eyes scanning the forest as I move. I hear the deers moving but at a distance. They must have sensed our presence and know that we mean nothing but trouble. I hear fast movement and smile, my fangs baring in ferocious brutality. They can't escape us. Wrong. They can't escape me.

I see a wolf run past me and wait for few seconds before overtaking him. His silver fur isn't hard to miss and I smile at the hiss emanating from the chest of the wolf as I run past him.

Sorry, Bino. I say in my head to the son of the alpha of the Vava pack.

I know he isn't mad at me and will try to overtake me again but I don't mind. We have been friends for the past two days and will go back to being buddies once this hunt is over. We are both heirs and competitive. It's not surprising that we fight hard to win.

I can't let him win though.

I relax my ears, listening to the sounds in the air as birds fly away in fright and leaves rustle on the ground as the other wolves tramp through the woods.

I know exactly where everyone is and try my best to keep my tracks hidden. I have superior hearing abilities than the rest of my pack but that doesn't mean they don't have good hearing. If I don't try to be silent, they will know where I am.

I frown, pausing in my tracks as I wonder where Lucas is. I haven't seen him and I wonder if he opted out of the game. The red tints at the ears of his wolf aren't hard to miss and Lucas enjoys trailing behind me and being a pest.

I don't feel comfortable that he has changed his tactics and I remember his words.

Make sure you don't get hunted.

It leaves an ominous feeling in my heart. Lucas doesn't give warnings unless he has planned or has something a scheme planned against me.

There was a time he told me to shower as soon as I woke up but I showered in the afternoon as I always did only to have slime running out of my bathroom tap. We were ten at that time.

Father had beaten the hell out of him that day but that didn't stop me from finding a snake coiled between my sheets that night. I had been lucky that I had decided to adjust the bed before laying in it.

Father hadn't believed he did it, insisting that the snake crawled through my open windows but I knew Lucas did it. It was that day I moved to a bedroom on the fourth floor.

I feel alarm skittering down my spine and turn, looking around for where the danger is lying in wait for me. I see a deer running before me and get distracted with the thought of winning, the danger forgotten and my mouth getting wet with the taste of victory.

I realize my mistake when I run into a trap, howling as my paw catch into the metal. I fall, having the common sense to quickly shift into human form before I touch the ground.

Just before I make contact with the rotten leaves, I see Lucas walking out from behind a tree in his human form, a wooden spear in his hand and his eyes shining with malice.

How foolish I was. I should have known Lucas was up to no good when he warned me to be careful of getting hunted.

"I'm sorry I'm not going to win this game, father." I mutter while fighting back tears, hating the thought of disappointing father more than being at Lucas' mercy.

"Hold on tight. This is going to hurt a bit." Daya, the healer of the pack, warns as she bends over me.

I suck in a breath as I lie wounded and bleeding on a mat in my bedroom, wishing that it won't hurt at all.

As much as we've allowed civilization, we don't have hospitals because we heal on our own as werewolves. When there are cases like I am where a wolf can't heal without help, we have healers who use herbs and potions to quicken the healing process.

"Grit your teeth together." She commands, tipping the content of a small brown glass on my wound.

I scream, as loud as I can, my face going red as I realize how embarrassing that it is.

"You lied to me." I hiss at her.

"I told you it would hurt." She smiles, enjoying my pain far too much.

She is a weird healer. Aren't they meant to be kind and compassionate? If I wasn't in dire need of her help, I would have told her to go have fun by herself.

"A bit. That wasn't any bit." I glare at her.

"Quit whining, son, and be a man." Father scoffs at me. "How did you get yourself in a trap with a spear lodged in your belly?"

Ask your bastard son. I want to snap at him.

Lucas had thrown the spear in my belly and it was only by luck that it missed my vital organs. I didn't have the energy to pull out the spear on my own and he knew that as he stalked towards me, maybe to cut off my head.

Fortunately, some wolves were nearby and had heard my scream. Lucas had run away before they got to me, my life saved at that moment. The men had freed me from the trap, pulled out the sword but I was unable to heal on my own because the trap and the spear had been coated with a mild dose of silver, weakening me.

It was indeed a miracle the spear didn't touch the vital organs in my belly.

I don't know much what happened after that as I slipped off into unconsciousness, driven crazy with pain. I woke up to seeing a crowd in my space, Daya hovering over me and getting high from my pain.

"He must have missed the trap in his haste to win."

I turn my head at the sound of that voice, shooting nasty glares at Lucas. I can't believe he is here, pretending to be concerned about me when he almost sent me to meet our forefathers.

I want to curse at him for his sly heart but at that moment, Daya pours another potion on my open wound, making me scream with pain and a mix of rage and embarrassment.

How can my enemy be here to watch me cry?