His Hunter

III | The Future

Mornings always made Lionel feel even more lonely than usual. Normally, there were people milling about, carrying out their duties for the Pack and filling the halls with distracting noise and comforting chaos. But the morning was quiet. Sometimes he'd see Jaeda, who was a surprisingly early riser, and nod to her in the hall. But otherwise, he tended to be alone, wandering the Pack Mansion in silence before real daylight streamed through the windows. His was the time of soft light, painting the world in muted, monotone colors. 

He sometimes felt like if he ran into someone, his voice wouldn't even work because he hadn't used it in so long. If he didn't speak for long enough, would he become mute? He could spend an entire morning without making a sound, a harsh contrast to how he used his voice in the following hours. There were words stuck in Lionel's throat that he wished he could say, but he had yet to discover what they were. 

Lionel was good at talking. He always had been, even when he was a child and new to the Prowlers. Words had always just poured out of him, a smile plastered to his face throughout his days. It felt real most of the time, most likely because of how grateful he was towards the Pack, even towards the universe, that he'd ended up in such a safe place with his little brother. He couldn't help but smile when he thought about where he could've found himself, about how much he valued his home. But even if he loved everyone here, if he thought of the Prowlers as heaven compared to what he had before, he always knew there was something else. 

Even if he didn't want to admit it to himself, he knew that it was a mate that was missing from his life. He was always so cold in the halls. He longed for a time when he'd never be cold again. It didn't help that Kaleb had found his now. Lionel's best friend had practically bounced into the room, breathing hard with a spark in his eyes, excited to announce that he'd found his mate, the girl he'd love. Lionel wasn't used to seeing a fire behind Kaleb's eyes, at least not one so gentle. 

He was happy for his friend, of course. Kaleb had been lonely and angry for far too long, something Lionel couldn't change no matter how hard he had tried. But...he was also unbearably jealous. He was loved by all of those around him, something that set his heart at ease, but Lionel wanted passion. He wasn't embarrassed to admit it. He'd messed around with other lycanthrope before, but the stories were right. It felt ok, even good, but never mind blowing with them. There was someone out there, someone he thought about all the time, someone who, once they'd met, would shift his world forever. 

Lionel had pictured meeting his mate over and over again. It was sometimes what he thought about when he was walking the halls alone in the morning. Lionel wanted fire in his veins and lightning on his skin. He wanted to be hopelessly swept away by his mate. He wanted to lose himself in another person beyond the point of no return. He wanted to feel alive, to have sex that changed his life. Lionel wanted to fill the hole in his soul. 

When he finally met his mate, Lionel would play it cool. He wouldn't be overwhelming, he would act like he knew what the hell he was doing. He was good at hiding his feeling and his thoughts; surely, it would be the same with his mate. He wouldn't come on too strong. He wanted to cultivate the suspense, to ease into it so that when they finally touched, the whole world would suddenly make sense. 

"I'm going to meet her today. For real this time." Lionel froze and looked up. He'd been absently walking with his hands in his pockets, and hadn't noticed Kaleb approach. Lionel shifted uncomfortably, glad that Kaleb couldn't read his thoughts. He put on his best supportive smile. 

"Really? You nervous?" Lionel asked. Lionel knew he would be. This person was supposed to be with you forever, to be your destiny, your whole future. That's an important first impression. Kaleb's only answer was a shrug.