My Mate Is An Omega
My Mate Is A Virgin Chapter 38

Jasper POV

"King Jasper is back, ladies! Missed me?"

It was still dark. Through the needles of the tall pine trees, I could see a few stars and the crescent moon shining in the sky as I stood at the edge of the woods on the south border. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed my queen shake her head in disapproval, but the affectionate smile on her face revealed how happy she was. I couldn't say the same about the oldest huntress though, who rolled her eyes and grunted before turning her back on me to head closer to the gates, completely dismissing my presence. Honestly, her bad mood had become quite amusing - I would go as far as to say I missed it even.

"Slow your roll, Tiger." Adriana patted me a little too hard on the back, causing me to almost trip. "You need to be fully focused today. I said you were ready to hunt with us again, but only if you can keep your emotions under control."

"Yeah. You're a ticking bomb, My King, and we wouldn't want you to heat up and...explode." I was surprised to hear Kindra's voice, especially because I could sense the sarcasm in her tone. She usually only scoffed, growled or threatened me. A smirk immediately spread over my lips. "Oh, so you do have a sense of humor?"

The woman turned her head abruptly to stare at me. "Who said I was joking?" Even from a distance, her glare was quite intimidating.

"King Jasper!" Alula broke the tension with her sweet smile. "You have to see how high I can pounce now!"

"I'm sure you're even more amazing than I remember." I laughed at her enthusiasm. The youngest warrior was like a ray of sunshine among the gloomy cats.

As I walked up to the rest of the huntresses, Calynn and Marina flashed me their usual shy smiles, and Tessa waved her hand excitedly. Laina nodded at me, still wearing her customary frown, while Mackenzie simply lowered her head in respect. After greeting all of the women, I got into formation with them. Because I was the king, technically the most valuable piece in our chess game, I had to be in the center so they could protect me from all sides.

Once we were all in position, my mate's voice echoed through the woods. "Huntresses. Are you ready?"

"Yes, My Queen!" they roared in synchrony.

Andromeda flashed me a side glance before commanding, "Let the hunt begin."

In the blink of an eye, the lynxes came out as pieces of cloth rained in the air. I didn't hesitate to follow their lead, allowing Phoenix control. Hunting had soon become an activity he craved just as much as howling to the moon or running with our pack. His blood was rushing with adrenaline, and I had to remind him not to get lost in the feeling; we couldn't afford to let our emotions get the best of us.

The second the guards opened the gates for us, the huntresses bolted out of the territory. When we set foot into the lands that belonged to nobody, the rose-pink light of dawn was starting to paint the horizon. Phoenix couldn't hold back a howl as he warmly welcomed the morning. The wolfish melody didn't startle the females, who kept running towards the hunting grounds; I guess they had gotten used to having a werewolf as their king by now.

We were marching up a hill, on the way to one of the three forests where we usually would hunt, when the women suddenly ceased their run. I was confused for a moment until I noticed Laina's lynx standing at the top, glancing down at us. She always ran a good distance in front of the team to clear the path for us. Her sudden stop either meant that she had spotted a threat she couldn't neutralize on her own, or...

"There's a herd of caribou grazing in the plains at the other foot of the hill." I heard Laina's voice inside my head as she sent the message to everyone simultaneously.

Genevra's ears twitched in amusement. "How many?"

Laina's lynx took a brief glance at the field ahead of her before replying, "Around fourty."

The huntresses exchanged glances, remaining silent for a minute as they analyzed the situation. It wasn't quite common to come across these creatures, and a successful attack against them meant we could get enough to feed the clan and leave quickly, significantly shortening the time we remained exposed to the dangers of the wild.

But there was a catch. Although caribou were less violent and smaller than moose, they traveled in large herds, unlike our main prey. They found their strength in union, sticking together to fight off predators. We had to have a great plan in order to hunt them safely, and we couldn't risk making mistakes.

Genevra turned to her right hand, both their eyes clouding over as they communicated telepathically. In the end, Rajani nodded at my mate, who held her head higher to get the other women's attention.

"It's worth trying," Dree told us through the mindlink. "We can separate and take down a couple of them, may a few calves, but I say we strike a larger group at once. If we can get at least six of them, we can call it a day and head back home." "What's the strategy?" Kindra asked, her lynx's slit pupils landing on my mate.

Genevra turned to me. "We will sneak down the hills and stay camouflaged in the snow. Jasper will run into the herd and scare them off. By going in through the center, he will incite panic. Since caribou tend to prefer to flee instead of attacking, they should run off in different directions. We go for the group that comes towards us and strike down as many as we can." "Remember to stick together," Adriana added. "And be careful with their antlers."

"Alright, let's go." My queen took the lead, nodding at their huntresses before Genevra glanced at me over her shoulder. "Wait for my signal."

Phoenix followed the lynxes as quietly as he could. Once we reached the top of the hill, he laid on the cold snow, staying as close to the ground as he could; his fiery coat stood out against the fields of white, and we couldn't risk being spotted until the moment was right. Through his eyes, I watched the females sneakily travel down the hill without being noticed by our prey. As soon as they were in position, Dree's voice sounded like like an alarm inside my head. "Now!"

On her command, Phoenix bolted towards the herd. Aiming his head to the sky, he let out a howl that cut through the morning. The caribou immediately stopped grazing, but using his werewolf speed, my counterpart managed to get to them before they could react. When they spotted the wolf among them, they freaked out, dispersing as they ran in all directions. Phoenix noticed a group of ten running straight in the direction where the lynxes were, unable to detect their presence. He barked non-stop as he chased them, making sure they would stay on the right path.

And once they got close enough, Alula's albino lynx pounced on the first one, knocking it to the ground and digging her claws into its hide to immobilize it. The other girls followed right after her, each of them striking one of the prey before they even knew what was coming. Phoenix went after the two caribou who escaped the lynxes' claws, but as we were about to take down one of them, my mate's voice rang inside my head.

"They're coming towards us!" Phoenix stopped running to turn around. His eyes widened when we noticed the entire herd bolting in our direction. "Quick, hide behind the fallen ones!"

Following the queen's command, the huntresses all ducked behind their dead prey. Phoenix rushed to Genevra's side and they both crouched on the ground as close to the carcass as possible. Less than a second later, dozens of caribou started flying over our heads, their hooves thundering against the snow as they jumped over the carcasses. What was going on?

"Why did they come back for us? That shouldn't happen!" Genevra pressed her large paw against my wolf's back, both shielding him and forcing him to stay down as we tried to avoid being stomped by the fleeing herd.

"I don't think they're coming for us," I observed. Phoenix started sniffing the air around us, and it didn't take us long to realize what was truly happening. "Something else scared them. They're running from it." "What's 'it?""

"Lynxes." A low growl echoed in my wolf's chest. "Rogues."

There was a hint of worry in my queen's diamond eyes as they landed on me. All we could do was wait until the wild stampede stopped. After the last couple of caribou jumped over us, we remained in our hiding spots for another minute to make sure we were safe. Phoenix's eyes scoured through the fields in search of the other huntresses. I calmed down when I realized they were all okay, but my heart soon started racing again when Genevra jumped over the carcass in a quick movement. Worried, Phoenix immediately lifted his head to replace a group of four rogues standing only a few feet away from our queen.

"They're the same ones that attacked Calynn a month ago," she revealed, causing the anger to rise in my chest. I'm sure the other girls also recognized them, because less than a second later, they all started growling as they rose back to their feet. Genevra didn't take her eyes off the enemy she continued, "Huntresses, have my back. I'm gonna shift back to talk to them."

"What? No way!" Phoenix was about to rush to her, but her warning growl let us know to stay back.

"I'm not afraid. I have the huntresses' protection." This time, I knew her message was only being sent to me. "We can beat them, as we have the numbers. However, male lynxes are still strong. If I can avoid my team getting hurt, than I will." Andromeda closed our connection before I could protest, and in the blink of an eye, she assumed her human form.

"Fancy meeting you again, boys." My mate's powerful voice echoed through the plains. She held her head high as the rogues eyed her carefully. "What do you want now?"

The males exchanged glances. Before long, the one who seemed to be the leader of the group, as he was stronger and taller than the rest, took a step forward. Phoenix was ready to attack should they try anything, but to our surprise, the male just shifted. He was tall as s**t, with platinum hair, tan skin, and a body that was too muscular for a rogue. Upon a closer look, I noticed the other lynxes, who were still in animal form, looked a lot skinnier; it was even possible to see their ribs. They must have been leaving most of the food to their leader.

"It's nice to see you again, My Queen." The man flashed my woman a smirk as he took a bow. Seeing his eyes scan her bare skin made Phoenix see red, and I had to hold him back from pouncing at the enemy. As much as I wanted to s***h his throat, I had to keep the promise I made to not expose my powers. For that, I needed to stay calm - a task that proved to be even harder as the rogue dared step closer to my mate. "Just from your aura, I can tell you're a fierce queen. As you can see, I'm pretty well-built." He waved his hands towards his own naked body. f**k, I was tempted to let my wolf burn this fucker to ashes. "If you were to take me as your king, our lineage would be quite strong. We would produce strong heirs together."

That was it - I couldn't f*****g take it anymore. With a loud growl, Phoenix jumped from his hiding spot, stepping between our queen and our opponent. At my sudden approach, the other rogues lunged in my direction, but they were stopped by the eight huntresses who quickly stood in their way. The tension in the air was growing thicker, but all I could think about was the many ways I could tear this audacious man apart.

When his eyes met my wolf's, he scoffed. "Have you gotten yourself a pup, My Queen? How cute."

"He's my mate," Andromeda stated.

"You mean..." The stranger turned to her with a mix of confusion and amusement in his expression. "You can't be serious. You have a wolf as your king?"

As Phoenix was about to jump at the rogue's throat, my queen placed her hand on the top of the wolf's head. Her touch was just enough to keep me sane for a while longer.

"I have no time to waste here. State your business, or I will command my huntresses to slaughter you and your pathetic friends." With Dree's threat, the females all started growling. "If you thought you could take our prey again, you better-"

"I'm not after prey," he cut her off, making her frown. "As you can see, I'm pretty well-fed." He stretched his arms behind his head, once again showing his muscles. Soon after, he stared at my wolf, but he failed miserably at trying to intimidate us. "I want to challenge your...king."

Phoenix's eyes never left the enemy, but I could sense Andromeda's worry as she glanced at me from the corner of her eyes. Although she trusted me and my abilities, I knew the idea of letting me fight against another lynx made her uneasy. Still, we were both aware that we had no choice - according to werecat law, a king couldn't turn down a challenger if he was caught outside of his kingdom.

My wolf rubbed his head over her body in an attempt to calm her down before assuming an attacking stance. Reluctantly, she stepped away from me. It pained me to hear her heart throb in her chest, but it also gave me strength to come out of this challenge victorious. She only took her eyes off me for a brief moment to glare at the rogue.

"I wish you could live to regret your stupid decision," she threatened, holding her head up high.

The man blinked a few times to process her words, but soon enough, he shook his head. He growled at me one last time before allowing his lynx back control. Phoenix took a few steps back, gaining distance as he started circling our enemy. The huntresses stood in a circle around us, creating a barrier to prevent the other rogues from trying anything. The males, however, seemed to be quite calm, as if they expected the combat to be an easy win for their leader.

I couldn't wait to prove them wrong.

My wolf didn't wait for the opponent to start; we knew lynxes liked studying their prey before attacking, so the less we let him think, the bigger our advantage would be. Attentive, he easily dodged, but I wasn't expecting to hit my first strike anyway. He saw our proximity as an opportunity to strike and quickly grabbed Phoenix by his scruff, knocking him down.

As soon as my counterpart picked himself up, he instantly jumped at the enemy again. This time, my wolf managed to sink his teeth into the lynx's shoulder, but he didn't even wince before shaking us off. In a quick movement, he pounced on us. Phoenix rolled to the side to escape, but he still managed to scratch us with his claws. We put ourselves at a vulnerable position, and of course, the enemy didn't hesitate to climb on top of us.

I had never been the best warrior. Despite all my training, I would never be able to beat a lynx's force. But in the past few months, I had also come to realize that power wasn't exclusively related to strength. My quick-thinking brain made me amazing at strategizing, and I recently discovered abilities that certainly made me special. And much like any overconfident cat, this one had just fallen right into my trap.

Stay calm, I reminded my wolf as the rogue used his massive weight to press us against the ground. Breathe, I told him as his growls became louder. Wait, I ordered as the enemy bared his fangs at us, ready to sink them into our neck and claim our title. Now! I commanded when the sharp teeth were only a few inches away from our jugular.

Phoenix forced his paws against the rogue's chest, his claws tearing again the opponent's skin. We weren't strong enough to push him off us, but we had a trick up our sleeves. My wolf channeled the fire inside of him to his paws, using all of his focus to its intensity. By heating up our body just enough, we manage to startle the attacking lynx without leaving burn marks or exposing our powers.

The cocky male jumped back, releasing us from his grasp as he tried to understand what happened. My wolf took advantage of his confusion, striking when he was the most vulnerable. Much like while hunting caribou, we couldn't afford to make mistakes now. Phoenix was aware of that, and the rogue only had time to widen his eyes before the black-and-auburn beast lunged for his neck, ending his life with a clean strike.

Except for my wolf's ragged breath, silence filled the air as he stepped over the lynx's dead body, getting his paws drenched in the enemy's blood. A loud bark left his throat, and a single stare was all it took to make the other rogues set off running. Sadly, because they had decided to use all of their resources to feed their leader, they weren't in shape to escape the huntresses' claws.

I was so focused on witnessing their deaths that I didn't notice my mate approaching Phoenix until she dove her muzzle into his fur, purring against his neck. Andromeda was back to her animal form, and I had to admit; the proud look in Genevra's face was enticing. "Why were you worried, My Queen? Did you think I was going to lose?"

"To this moron? Not at all." The white lynx shook her head. "I was afraid you might lose control."

"As tempted as I was to burn him alive, I knew you wouldn't be as fond of the idea."

"Okay, lovebirds." Adriana's voice interrupted us. We turned around to replace Rajani glancing at us as she held her prey between her jaws. "You two can celebrate later. We should head back before we run into any more trouble."

Genevra flashed her wolf mate one less smile before she grabbed her own caribou, leading the way back home. The adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, keeping me alert throughout our journey. However, the moment we crossed the gates to our territory to be welcomed by our clan, I forgot about everything else.

As I participated in the celebration that occured whenever we returned from our hunt, I noticed my mother-in-law standing among the crowd. She didn't usually come, but what truly surprised me was the hint of emotion in her expression. I couldn't quite figure it out, but considering how stoic she always was, it made me feel uneasy.

We all shifted back to get dressed in the robes the servants fetched for us. Once the crowd dispersed and the huntresses were dismissed, the former queen walked towards my mate and I. By now, I could tell Andromeda had also noticed something was off. "Congratulations on today's hunt." The older woman nodded curtly at us. "The prey you brought will keep the clan's stomachs full for the week."

"Is there something you wish to talk to us about, Mother?" My queen arched an eyebrow, cutting straight to the point.

Nymeia hesitated, looking away. "I'm afraid I have... rather unpleasant news to share with you."