My Mate Is An Omega
My Mate Is A Virgin Chapter 45

Jasper

POV

It was nice having my former Beta and his mate around, although their presence didn't affect me in the way I thought it would. Luke and Megan were my friends, and hearing about how they were doing at the pack brought back memories I would always carry in my heart. Yet, they didn't feel like home anymore.

Not in a bad way though. We once belonged to the same pack, and they would always be family; nothing in the world could change that. If they ever needed me, I wouldn't hesitate to come running to their aid, much like they were doing for me now. However, having my old friends near didn't make me feel more comfortable; not because I saw them in a different light, but because I wasn't uncomfortable in my kingdom anymore. Against all odds, I had found my home among the cats. I felt loved, respected, and safe at Snow Pelt. The lynxes had become my family.

Still, I couldn't deny that hanging out with them again was fun. Between their training with the rest of the warriors and the meetings I attended to support my queen, the four of us found time to just lay low. We would share drinks, relive the past, and I'd occasionally laugh whenever they were shocked by cat customs. Time flew by as I eventually forgot about my problems, but in the end, there was nothing any of us could do to avoid them. The day of the war finally came.

Before dawn, I stood in the snow covered fields right outside the border of my territory. Through the mist caused by my hot breath colliding with the cold air, my eyes scoured through the crowd surrounding us. Our army of roughly two hundred shifters, consisting of a hundred-and-fifty lynxes and fifty wolves, was already in position as we waited for the enemy. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't afraid or hesitant. The desire to defend my lands, my people, and my title kept the courageous flames alive inside of me. The same couldn't be said about my queen though.

When Andromeda's warm, velvet hands touched my shoulder, the first thing I noticed was the worry in her expression. Her piercing diamond eyes exhibited a reluctancy I don't think I had ever seen before. I turned around to face her properly, bringing both hands to cup her face in an attempt to soothe her.

"I want to fight beside you," she whispered, closing her eyes as she touched her forehead to mine.

"You want to protect me," I corrected her. "But this time, I must be the one protecting you. You are the queen, the heart and soul of this clan. Your life is too valuable to be risked in vain."

"I am the chief huntress. I am strong enough to defeat any of the enemy warriors. They are not a threat to me."

"And you think I'm not capable of doing the same?" I inquired, causing her eyes to burst open. She bit her lip; it was obvious she wanted to argue, yet she knew she couldn't. "Trust me to defend our home. Trust your king."

"Queen Andromeda." A third voice echoed from behind us before my mate could reply. It was Calynn, and she had Marina by her side. "The enemy army should be here at any moment now. We must take you to the watchtowers, where you can observe the battle in safety."

My queen glanced at her huntresses hesitantly. Gently, I pressed my index finger against her chin, bringing her attention back to me. After flashing her a reassuring smile, I walked towards the other two women. They lowered their heads in respect the second my gaze fell on them, but they relaxed when I placed my hands on her shoulders.

"If I do fail, protect the queen for me."

The two huntresses exchanged horrified looks before Calynn continued, looking straight into my eyes. "You won't fail!" Her statement was also a plea.

"But rest assured, we will keep the queen safe until your return." Marina nodded at me, and I smiled in return.

"And you'll be safe with us." When a fist connected with my arm, I immediately knew it was Adriana - it was her signature greeting.

"I've trained you myself. You better not embarrass me out there," Kindra threatened, but her tone was more positive than usual. I even noticed the shadow of a small smile on her face.

"I won't, teach," I replied playfully before dedicating my full attention to my mate again. "I'll see you again after I win the war."

For the first time, Dree smiled. "You better come back to me in one piece, or I'll tear you apart myself."

"I wouldn't dare to disregard your command, My Queen."

Ignoring the people around us, I pulled her close to me by her waist, allowing my lips to crash against hers. A small groan reverberated in my chest as my tongue explored her mouth thoroughly, afraid I would ever forget what she tasted like. She deepened our kiss, her fingertips digging into my neck as she held me tight, unwilling to let me go. Sadly, we didn't have more time, and I had to pull away.

"Stay safe," I begged.

"You two." She caressed my face one last time before stepping away.

With a heavy heart, I turned around, resisting the urge to glance at her over my shoulder; I knew if I did, it would be impossible to leave her. I nodded my head at Kindra and Adriana, who returned the gesture before following close behind me towards the center of the army. As the king, I was the second most important pawn in this chess game, therefore I couldn't be in the frontline. Instead, I should wait for the warriors to take down most of the enemies until it was time for me to face their king.

"Are you sweating, King Jasper?" Luke's playful voice pulled me from my thoughts. He was standing a few feet away from me, leading the werewolf army. Being smaller than the lynxes, the wolves were supposed to stay in the back and attack in pairs. "I'm always hot, you know. Phoenix Fire and all," I joked.

"Right." Megan, who was on my left, rolled her eyes at me. "Don't worry, we'll have your back in case your Phoenix Fire stops working," she mocked.

"Fire is fueled by oxygen. The flames will keep burning until I take my last breath."

"You better keep breathing then, Your Majesty," Kindra said sarcastically.

At that second, a powerful roar cut through the break of dawn. I watched as the Night Star Clan army marched up the hill with the sun rising behind them. They stopped a good distance away from us, the tension that arose with the eminence of battle making the air thicker. I took a deep breath, readying myself.

"Give them the command, My King," Adriana instructed me.

I closed my eyes to focus. When I reopened them, I screamed, "Snow Pelt, attack!"

As soon as I finished my sentence, the sound of bones cracking and feral growls erupted throughout the battlefield as the shifters assumed their animal forms. I quickly followed them, allowing Phoenix control. His usually pale blue eyes were burning in a bright shade of white, like the hottest of flames. Feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he let his fury overtake him, I found it necessary to remind him of an important detail. "Don't lose control. If we can beat them without using our powers..."

"I know," he cut me off, growling in annoyance. "As much as I would love to burn these fuckers to ashes, I don't need our fire to destroy them."

With those last words, my black-and-auburn wolf released an ear-piercing howl, encouraging our warriors as he too marched forward. The two strongest huntresses of our clan covered both my left and my right, making sure no one would get to me. Honestly, I was feeling confident, but even if I weren't, it would be impossible not to feel safe with these beastly women by my side.

The rest of the huntresses were in the frontline, and within the first seconds of battle, they were already succeeding in defeating every enemy that crossed paths with them. Laina was doing what she did best - swiftly striking and weakening the opposing lynxes while Mackenzie finished them off. I caught a glimpse of the purest, whitest she-lynx jumping with precision at one of the adversaries, pinning him to the ground. With an impressive speed, Tessa's counterpart slashes the creature's throat, ending its life in the blink of an eye. I had seen them in action a thousand times, but their skill would never cease to amaze me.

However, I had to shift my attention to the attacking army as a few of the warriors managed to get past our first line of defense. Kindra and Adriana were killing machines, easily taking down every enemy that came too close to me. But sooner than later, I knew my time to fight would come, and it would be smart for me to warm up.

While both my bodyguards were busy slaying two males, a third one appeared in front of me. With a warning growl, Phoenix showed his fangs, standing his ground; we had learned that the best way to confront cats was to wait for the perfect moment to strike. Eventually, the lynx lost its patience and lunged at us - his first mistake. My wolf ducked by crouching on the snow, catching one of the creature's hind paws. He may be stronger than us, but we were still powerful enough to crush his bones with our jaw. The enemy let out an agonized cry as he fell to the ground. With his movements impaired, we had the opportunity to land a clean strike on his jugular, killing him before he could even scratch us.

We barely had time to celebrate though.

"Jasper, to your right!" Adriana's warning was loud and clear inside my head, but Phoenix couldn't react quickly enough.

A gray lynx jumped on my wolf, easily pushing him down. The two beasts rolled

on the ground for a while, fighting for dominance, but the werecat eventually wound up on top of us. He had both of his huge paws on Phoenix's shoulders, pushing him deeper into the snow while I tried to think of a way to get us out of this situation. He roared intimidatingly at us, but even as his claws dug into our flesh, we didn't cower. Then, from the corner of my wolf's eyes, I saw an escape.

A blurry figure ran towards us, and though I couldn't figure out exactly who it was, I knew it was an ally. Swallowing the pain caused by the enemy's claw tearing his skin open, Phoenix concentrated his power on his fangs. Using all of his strength, he pushed himself up just enough to bite the creature's shoulder. The pain made the opponent wince, but it was the fire that startled him, making him jump away from us. The moment he did, our ally closed his jaw around the fucker's neck, catching him mid air. Phoenix rose to his feet again, shaking the snow off his fur. When our eyes landed on the smoke-gray lynx who held the dead enemy by his throat, they widened as I realized who he was.

"Wade?" I uttered in disbelief, reaching out to him through the mindlink.

He dropped the corpse, fury in his eyes as he turned to look at me. "You're the king," he stated blankly. "Not only because you were chosen, but because you earned it. That doesn't mean I like you, but I have sworn to protect the crown, and I will do so." Before I could process his words, he engaged in a fight against another enemy. Phoenix shook his head, remembering we were in the middle of a war; we couldn't lose focus. Once Adriana and Kindra were done taking care of their adversaries, they stood beside me again, and we continued to fight together.

I couldn't lie; the battle was tough. Our numbers were even, and while they had more lynxes than us, we had a Phoenix Wolf and a Beta who had been gifted with the bite of the last living Original. However, even with all my training, I still struggled to match my opponents' strength, especially because I had to refrain from using my powers in a too obvious way.

It would be easy if I could simply set them all on fire, but the Royal Council had agreed that I should only resort to my pyromancy if absolutely necessary. The priority was still ensuring our victory, of course, but if I could avoid exposing my secret, which would draw more unwanted attention to our clan, it would be best.

Still, I gave my best and held my ground. After taking down a few lynxes, I had collected a few scars, but I had no serious injuries. An hour or so into the battle, it seemed our numbers were higher than the enemy's. Snow Pelt was winning.

But it was too early to celebrate our victory.

Out of nowhere, four females jumped at Adriana and Kindra, attacking them in pairs. Judging by their strength and skill, I realized they must be part of the Night Star team of huntresses. Although my friends were outnumbered, their adversaries seemed to be in worse shape. It would be a tough match, but knowing my huntresses, I was sure they could win. However, I had to double my attention now that they were busy.

At first, I didn't think anything of the situation, until the largest lynx I had seen appeared in front of me. He had a few superficial wounds, as well as old scars decorating his entire body - or as werecats called them, trophies. The power emanating from him was even stronger than my queen's aura, and his intense yellow eyes were locked on me as if I was his next prey.

That's when I realized he was the king of Night Star.

Then, it hit me; he must have realized he wouldn't be able to get to me as long as the two strongest huntresses of Snow Pelt were by my side. His army was losing, but he could still win the war by defeating me. If he succeeded in killing the ruler of Snow Pelt, he would have the right to claim the crown.

And my queen.

Phoenix growled louder at the thought, not letting himself be intimidated by the fact that our opponent was a lot bigger than him. He would fight tooth and claw to make sure this a*****e would never lay a finger on our mate. For a second, I didn't care about how tough it would be to beat him; I had been preparing for this moment, and I would die before I failed.

Phoenix and the king engaged in a fatal dance, surrounding each other with caution. I expected the enemy to wait like any cat, but he didn't. Confident in his capability of defeating me, he quickly lunged for us. He was stupid enough to underestimate us, but we wouldn't make the same mistake.

Yes, he was strong and fast, but we still managed to evade his attack. He growled in frustration, realizing the duel wouldn't be as easy as he expected. His reaction made Phoenix grin, which only further annoyed him. The king continued to come for us, and we continued to attentively dodge his moves, patiently waiting for an opening.

And as the adversary let his rage get the best of him, he eventually gave us the perfect chance to attack.

The next time the huge lynx came for us, failing to catch us, his exhaustion showed. He tripped as he landed on the ground, and before he could regain his balance, Phoenix used his powers to heat up the snow just enough to make it melt underneath the enemy's feet. The water made the ground slippery, causing him to fall on his stomach with his limbs spread wide.

The opponent couldn't pick himself up before Phoenix went straight for the back of his neck. He roared as we sunk our teeth into his skin, piercing his rough hide. The metallic taste of his blood fueled my wolf's anger, and he bit down harder. We couldn't land a clean strike as long as the opposing king was protecting his jugular, but he was losing a lot of blood. All we had to do was hold onto our advantage.

But the beast had more power than we thought.

With a furious growl, he used his strength to stand back up on his feet, lifting us into the air. Phoenix dug his claws into the lynx's back, trying not to lose balance, but it was useless. The enemy threw himself against the ground, crushing us with his massive weight. As my wolf gasped for air, he had to release his grasp on the adversary.

And just like that, the king took control of the fight again. Phoenix tried to move quickly, but it wasn't enough. The werecat climbed on top of us, using his paws to press us against the ground. No matter how hard my wolf struggled, he couldn't break free. "Is this a life or death matter?" Phoenix joked.

I growled, annoyed that we hadn't been able to defeat the king with just our physical strength. "f**k! Yes, just use our powers already!"

Phoenix didn't need another command. He opened his mouth, drawing in as much air as he could. He was ready to go all out and spit fire like a f*****g Charizard. But as he was channeling his powers, the lynx pressed his paw against my wolf's throat, blocking our air passage. With his other paw, he stepped harder on Phoenix's chest, causing all the air to leave our lungs.

And without oxygen, there isn't fire.

For the first time, fear washed over me. My mind was racing as I tried to think of a single way we could turn the situation around. But in the position we were at, how could we overpower a beast that was stronger than us? Phoenix desperately glanced around him, only to realize Adriana and Kindra were still struggling to defeat the enemy huntresses. Luke and Megan were fighting together to take down other lynxes, not noticing how f****d I was. If I could still reach them through the mindlink, I could ask them for help, but our pack bond had been long broken.

As Phoenix locked his gaze on the king standing on top of us again, I realized we had run out of options, and my heart fell.

But as I thought all hope was lost, a lynx I knew too well came to our rescue, knocking the enemy king off of us.

***

Andromeda POV:

My fingers were grasping the stone window so tightly, I could actually feel the rock shattering underneath them. My eyes never left the battlefield as I tried to make sense of the mess of warring lynxes. There was blood everywhere, corpses falling to the ground. Even though I could tell Snow Pelt was winning, it didn't help me relax.

I was a queen, yet I was locked on a tower like a f*****g demsel in distress.

"Calm down, daughter. Can't you see the war is in our favor?" My mother's voice caught my attention, but I never turned away from the battlefield.

Queen Nymeia had once been a chief huntress herself, and a formidable warrior, but her age was making her slower. I wondered how she could stay so serene while she watched the people who had once been her subjects losing their lives in battle. "It will be alright, My Queen," Calynn reassured me when I didn't reply to my mother. "It will be over soon.

"Before it is, anything could happen," I observed sternly.

And just as the words left my mouth, I felt something deep inside of me. Fear - Jasper's fear. A horrified gasp escaped my lips as my eyes scoured through the battlefield in search of my king, and when I found him, my legs became weak. He was fighting the enemy king on his own. As I noticed the lynx pin him on the ground, a single question crossed my mind. Why wasn't he using his powers? "Because he can't," Genevra pointed out, not bothering to hide the worry in her tone. "He can't breathe."

"s**t!" I growled in horror, my hands shaking as I turned around to walk down the stairs and join my mate before it was too late. To my despair, Calynn and Marina jumped in front of me, probably not realizing what was happening.

"It's still not safe, Dree!" Marine insisted.

Genevra hissed, contemplating the thought of fighting off her own huntresses. I would have let her, but I knew it would be a waste of time, and we couldn't afford to lose a second. With my mate's life at stake, I didn't think. I rushed towards the window of the watchtower, jumping off before any of the three women with me could do anything.

My lynx shifted mid-air while my mother and the huntresses called out for me, but I ignored them. The second Genevra's paws hit the ground, she bolted through the battlefield, praying that it wasn't too late. Tears of desperation and anger were already streaming down her face. I could lose my crown, my power, my kingdom.

But I couldn't lose him.

We ran faster when we finally caught sight of the enemy standing on top of our mate. Before the beast could land his final blow, we jumped at him. He fell to the floor as we sank our fangs into his back, our claws digging into his skin to help secure us.

The male hissed as he stumbled back, shaking himself in an attempt to get rid of us. I don't think he realized I was the prize he wanted to win, because the moment he succeeded in knocking us down, he went straight for Genevra's throat. I had never fought a king before, but he was obviously stronger than us. I should have known he was stronger than us.

When his teeth ripped my lynx's jugular, I didn't even feel pain. All I could see was a pool of blood underneath me as my vision turned black. I knew what was happening too well; I had seen and landed the same clean strikes before. It was a fatal blow. Still, I wasn't scared as I felt the life drain from me.

I could go in peace knowing at least I had saved my king.