A day ago.
He walked down the stairs leading to the dungeon. His long fur coat almost wiped the floor, his long fiery red hair was in a plait, and the muscles of his striking face were stern as he focused on his way forward.
At every corner, a guard stood on watch, and they bowed with their hands on their chests whenever he got near them.
Not paying any attention, he stopped at the end of the dungeon at one of the cells. He gave a glance to a guard, and immediately the guard pulled out a key and unlocked the gate of that cell.
Inside was an old man bound with chains on his arms and legs, staying still. The young man stepped toward him.
"Do you know what the Alpha would say if he knew you found me?" the old man asked in amusement as he kept his eyes closed.
The young man didn't reply and only stared.
The old man opened his eyes and looked up at the young man. "Tell me, why did you trouble yourself to visit a dying old man?"
"How can I lift my curse?" he asked evenly.
The old man smiled. "Why should I tell you?"
The young man scratched his forehead, then sighed and crouched. "Can't you just tell me and take it as a departing gift?"
The old man glared at him. "You brought that curse upon yourself."
He frowned. He was aware of that. Any werewolf who killed their mate would receive such a curse, one that would prevent them from ever feeling the bond again.
"Urgh," he groaned. "Let's say I did. It's not like I can change it. But now… I need someone by my side. This time, I'll be careful."
He had the qualities to inherit the pack except for the shame that he didn't have a future Luna and didn't possess the qualities to have one.
He was in such urgency that he had no choice but to find that criminal seer and have him perform some divination.
"Old man, I might consider freeing you depending on the answer," he said lightly, making it hard to guess if it was a joke. "Besides, am I not like your grandson? You wouldn't like this to happen to your family."
The old man scoffed. No wonder they called him the shameless and bloodthirsty monster of the pack.
He turned serious as he said, "Eclipse Pack."
He glanced up at him in surprise. "Do I need to annihilate the whole pack to break it?"
The old man sneered "But I'm warning you. She will be your doom."
He stared, trying to understand the old man's words.
"Old man, be specific. Is she meant to break my curse… or is she—" His eyes widened. Could it be his mate? He found her that easily? If so, breaking the rules to see him wasn't in vain.
He wanted to ask more questions, but the old man suddenly dropped to the floor unconscious.
"Huh." He looked at him in disbelief. Only after powerful divinations did seers pass out. Was a glimpse of how to lift his misfortune that powerful?
He turned and headed outside.
'Eclipse Pack, huh?'
Soon he returned to his mansion. He remained outside in the courtyard with his two friends as they had dinner together.
"What? Menelyck, since when do you believe in divination?" exclaimed a guy sitting opposite him. He had messy black hair. He looked rough, but his good looks were unmistakable.
Menelyck cracked a nut without facing him and replied, "Since I started to believe the curse was real." He paused before adding in frustration, "Do you think it's possible I killed my mate without even realizing it? How was it possible? Even my wolf doesn't remember that."
His friend drank the liquor in his glass. "Maybe you felt it, but you cared more about something else. Pleasing your father, perhaps?"
He shot a glare at him. Why did it sound like he wasn't on his side?
"What's so important about having a mate?" said the girl with large beautiful eyes and short hair. "Adrien doesn't have one, and I also don't. You could find any girl. You can't stay alone forever just because you couldn't find her..."
Menelyck casually said, "Adrien had one, but she died. As for you, Celia, haven't you rejected the two of them already? Hey, how could you even do such a cruel thing to yourself?"
Adrien smirked. "I doubt Celia would let you have another woman after all the effort."
Celia glared at him but said nothing. He wasn't wrong. She rejected the two men for Menelyck. How could she let him go?
Menelyck, as if he heard nothing, added, "So are you coming with me?"
"Obviously. We have to go and have some fun," Adrien said. Then he took a steak from the bowl and stuffed his mouth. He asked, "When are we leaving?"
Menelyck stood up. "Tomorrow. I heard it will be their Beta's son's birthday. The bigger the gathering, the better. We will find her effortlessly."
Adrien only watched him in surprise. It seemed his friend was indeed determined.
Not long after, Menelyck stepped into one of his rooms, which few people knew existed. Inside were items he had collected during his missions, most of them pendants.
In his whole life, he had never cared about anything apart from his father's orders. He wanted his father to be proud of him and one day even entrust the pack to him.
He walked until he reached one of the long boxes on the table. He opened it, and his ocean eyes shone from the light inside. It was a long staff with a curved beast and a bulb illuminating green light.
That was a magical staff he retrieved from the Queen of Witches. Strangely, the staff had continued to shine all the time even after three years since her demise.
He took a deep breath and closed the box. He should prepare himself for the journey to Eclipse Pack to find his woman.
If it was true she was in Eclipse Pack, it meant she was weak, and his father would never accept such a weakling. That wasn't a problem though, because even he didn't want such a mate, so he would make sure she became strong enough to stand by his side.
He couldn't stop his grin as he grew excited to see her. Who might she be?