Christopher's POV

As I walked into the reception hall, I was happy to see my pack - our pack so happy. I had decided to come home to Moon Ville Pack for a while. A smell permeated my nostrils. It was very intoxicating. I looked around but could not identify where or who the smell was coming from.

I smiled at the people who were happy to see me. I was happy to see them through but that smell, of fresh lemon and grapes was drawing me, drawing my eyes towards the stairs.

All of a sudden, my eyes fell to her... every other person ceased to exist that instant.

Oh my God! I thought, I have never seen anything like it before - the feeling that flooded through me and neither had I seen anyone like her. She was not too tall but not short either, with a slim figure but with the right curves, her breasts were full and I longed to put them into my mouth. My mouth watered and I licked my lips.

'Mate!' My wolf whispered.

I had to agree with Zara, my wolf. I wanted to mate this goddess. Yes, that was what she was, every other female I had seen paled in comparison to her. I had finally found my mate and I was not disappointed. I had wondered when I'd find her and here she was staring at me as though she was seeing a strange specimen. I could not take my eyes of her as well as she descended the stairs. She tore her eyes away for an instant to look at the people in the hall, but they didn't matter to me right now. The only one who mattered was the lovely lady standing on the stairs looking like she owned the whole pack. My wolf smiled, 'Isn't she beautiful?'

She was and regal. As though in a trance, I started walking towards her, then, I heard Sylvester clear his throat, 'Millicent, come here, my dear'. But I did not bait an eyelid. I felt like ravishing her there and then and I did not care who knew it.

'This is my mate and the soon - to - be Luna of the Pack'. Sylvester said and I stopped in my tracks and threw him a look. His mate? I couldn't have heard him right. What did he mean that this ...goddess - my goddess was his mate? How was it even possible? This was not the time or place to discuss such things. So, I looked at the beauty before me with narrowed eyes, to see what her reaction to Sylvester's announcement was and if she accepted it but I could read nothing from her expression. But her lovely light brown eyes were drawing me in and I felt myself drowning in them.I could not look away from them.

'And this is Alpha Christopher, my twin', Sylvester added and she smiled, offering me her hand, her dainty hand. Her smile was as captivating as her whole self.

'It's a pleasure meeting you', she said.

Oh no! I screamed in my head and voiced my thoughts. 'The Pleasure is all mine!' I noticed her flush. So charming! And I smiled inwardly.

I took her hands and shook it firmly, wanting to imprint myself on her. The contact was electrifying and I enjoyed the feeling. It fed my lust but she jerked her hands away and looked at my brother as though apologising for touching me. I was getting angry with Sylvester's interference. This mate issue has to be taken care of!

I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs that Millicent was my fated mate but something occured to me. Sylvester has introduced her as his mate, could they have already mated? Has he claimed her? The thought made me see red and I balled my hands into fists. But my fury calmed when I didn't smell Sylvester on her. Maybe I should have come home earlier and then there wouldn't be this misunderstanding. It will be cleared in any case if I have anything to say about it and I do. She is my mate afterall.

These thoughts were still going through my mind when Sylvester pulled Millicent to his side possessively, his arms remaining by her waist and I felt like giving him a punch on his face for touching my mate that way. I looked at her and she still had a smile on her face and I could not decipher if she enjoyed his hand around her or not. But she must have felt what I felt when our hands touched. She must have felt the mate bond. Why was she allowing Sylvester hold her like that? I could not take it anymore. I had to speak to my brother. We need to resolve this and the earlier, the better.

'Sylvester', I called. 'We need to talk!'

'Now?' he asked smiling and I found that smile grating on my nerves.

'Yes, now!' I replied, ready to start climbing the stairs.

'It can wait!' he said. 'This people are here to celebrate your return and you are going to leave them and have a chat with me?' he asked and before I could say anything, he continued, 'I must say I am flattered that you miss me so much that you want us to have some private time together but we can have that later. Right now, we have a duty to make our pack happy by being present as they celebrate you and not neglecting them!'

'I know my duties!' I said, seething. Sylvester said it as though he was speaking to a ten year old who did not know what his duties were and a sharp comeback was on the tip of my tongue but I looked around at the happy and expectant faces and calmed the beast withing me. I couldn't prove him right here by acting immaturely. He was right. There would be time to deal with the issue of the mate, I just had to endure his hands on her for some more time and I pray the moon goddess gives me the strength before I did what I might regret.

He raised his eyebrow at me.

'Right!' I agreed. 'Later!'

'Then let us celebrate!' he said and drinks were brought by the maids and who went around serving everyone.

Sylvester's POV

'She is my mate!' Christopher hissed at me, as soon as we were behind closed doors. 'How could you introduce her as your mate?'

I had known that such was the case when I saw the way he was looking at Millicent at the reception hall. And the bitch had also been staring at him as though she were on heat. This was someone who was going to be my Luna. Shameless!

'Why are you angry?' my wolf asked. 'You don't really want her, do you?'

'Oh shut up!' I screamed at him. 'Not now!'

'Christopher, how can she be your mate when she is mine?' I asked in a gentle voice, trying to reason with him. Even she can attest to it, that as she came into her wolf on her eighteenth birthday, that fact was revealed to her.' Christopher was welcome to her but only after I had used her to secure my position.

'Is it possible then that we are both mated to the same person?' Christopher asked, bemused.

'I have not known such a thing to happen but it might be possible', I conceded.

'We should find out from the elders', he suggested.I didn't think that was a good idea but there was no way of hedging it so I conceded.

He did not wait to speak to me but went straight to summon them. He could have sent a message to them through his Beta but he went himself, and I doubted that he recalled that he had a Beta. It showed me how agitated he was and how badly he wanted Millicent.

I felt strange about that. What was so special about the girl that Christopher was so wired about? But I realised that was not the reason I felt strange. I just did not want Christopher to have Millicent and I wondered why. Was it still because I wanted to retain my position or what?

'You are jealous!' My wolf said merrily.

'Don't be ridiculous! How can I be jealous that Christopher might have an intimate relationship with Millicent?' I asked getting angry.

'Don't be so worked up. If you are not jealous and if she means nothing to you, dump her and allow your brother get her. You have nothing to lose. You have Cathania after all!'

The prospect was not appealing nor acceptable and it got me bothered. What was happening to me? I was yet to investigate the person who was in my garden earlier today and here I am debating on the strange emotions coaxing through me.

The fact was that the day I rejected and exiled Millicent, the day I saw her dancing intimately with Daniel, and had been angry at her guts, I had wanted to teach her a lesson by mating with her and still making her serve her exile. That would teach her to mess with me and truth be said, I had been filled with a delicious anticipation but Cathania had had to come and cut it all short.

I knew Millicent despised me and did not want me but I had wanted her to see what she was missing. It gave me no small pleasure to make her watch me fucking Cathania. The pleasure had been perverse. I had wanted to see her eyes darken or lighten with desire and I would have sworn that it was but I could not be sure and if indeed her eyes had had lust in them, I wasn't sure if it was for me or for Daniel which whom she had been dancing that evening and it frustrated me further and in rage, I attacked Daniel, barely restraining myself from fighting him.

'Why were you dancing with the maid?' I asked.

'My Alpha', he said. 'I just took a fancy to her is all'.

'Took a fancy to my property?' I thundered.

'Your...I'm sorry. I did not know you felt so strongly about it', he said, lack of comprehension on his face. 'I was going to obtain your permission to court her'.

'You cannot do any such thing. Be thankful that I am in a good mood tonight. Else, I would have fought you to an inch of your life!'

Daniel had looked at me with shock in his eyes. I'm sure he was thinking, all this for a supposedly ordinary maid? Because I saw comprehension dawn on him.

'I'm sorry, My Alpha but I didn't know you had your sights set on her. But you could have had her anytime but you didn't...'

'I owe you no explanation. Just make sure I never see you near her anymore!'

'I will not dare!' he said

Later that night, when I sent for her, no one knew where she was. I summoned her through mind link but I could not get through to her and that was when I knew she was no longer within my territory. Who permitted her to leave so soon? I was so furious. She had cheated me out of my desire to ravish her before she left. I was frustrated and found myself thinking about her but I know it was just because I had not been able to get under her pants, once I did, I was sure the revulsion, anger and hatred I haboured against her would come back with its original force. But that was not to be because she had escaped!

To make matters worse, the council of elders had to give me an ultimatum: 'get married to your fated mate or lose the kingdom. You cannot make your chosen mate your Luna when your fated mate is alive and you already know who she is'.

That had caused a search for Millicent to commernce. It was not because of the unfinished business I had with her but because I needed to save my pack from disaster and bring blessings into the pack.

I have tried to win her heart and I think I am making progress but Christopher had to come now to halt my progress. When I saw the way they were both staring at each other like they wanted to start mating there and then in the reception hall, I knew I had to act fast.So I had introduced her the only way I could to cut the growing connection between my cursed mate and my twin brother.

'...my mate and future Luna of this pack', Millicent had smiled happily and I had wanted to wipe the smile from her face with a slap to her cheeks. She had just looked lustfully at my brother but was happy to be referred to as my soon - to - be Luna. I had not been ready when Christopher said we should talk. There was nothing to talk about. But alot to do and the first on the list was get Millicent away from Christopher before he claimed her because he had no scruples like I do and just might beat me to having her.

Secondly, I need to make her

my Luna as soon as possible so that she is protected from other predators until I have had my fill of her and toss her away to anyone who might still want her then!

Third Person POV.

'Elders in council, I do not understand what you are trying to say. The girl in question is my fated mate. How can Sylvester introduce her as his mate? Or did you mean chosen mate?' Christopher asked, looking at his brother.

'She is my fated mate as well', Sylvester said. 'I had to go bring her back from exile because her absence at the pack was causing a lot of sickness and death. The seer said, she is my fated mate and should rule alongside me, that's the only way to avert the misfortune'.

Christopher looked at the elders with incredulity.

'What your brother said is the truth', the chief said. 'But you are also right when you said she is your fated mate because I saw the bond between you two even before you shook hands at your reception the other day', he paused. 'The only possible explanation is that the moon goddess has decided to mate both of you to the same person'.

'Is it possible?' Christopher asked, still not believing. He did not think he could share his mate - his love with anyone even if the person happened to be his brother.

'It has been known to happen but sometimes, it comes with tragedy's, another elder said, looking at his colleagues and they all nodded in agreement.

'Tragedy?', Christopher asked. 'We hat kind of tragedy?'

The elders kept quiet. They did not know how to say this and they did not know why this kind of fate should be thrust on them.

'Well speak up', Christopher shouted. 'What tragedy?'

'One of the mates will have to die for the other to be able to live with her!' Chief said and a hush descended on them all.

'Is there any way around this?' Sylvester asked.

'None that I know of', Chief said.

Sylvester could not believe this. This insignificant maid was really very annoying. She was turning to be a femme fatale. He nearly killed Daniel for dancing with her. His fight with Christopher has increased since he got back, because of her and one of them had to die for her?

'I cannot share her and I will also not kill Sylvester', Christopher said. 'Sylvester already has Cathania. He even sent me an invitation to their engagement party, though I couldn't come. So, he will have his love and I shall have my mate!'

'It is not done that way. This is fate!' Chief said, shaking his head. 'Do not go against destiny son'.

'I shall write my own destiny' Christopher said, and stormed out of the reception arena.

Sylvester stood and went after him. Confused. He knew that he didn't see eye to eye with Christopher in a lot of cases but he couldn't possibly kill his own brother for that maid and neither would he die for her.

To be safe, while searching for a way out of all this without incurring the wrath of the goddess, all mating and marriage plans would be kept on hold like the Chief suggested. He hoped that a solution would be found soon. In the meantime, he was just going to continue his illicit meetings with Cathania.

Sylvester was in the room when Christopher came to see him.

'I heard you say, before the council that you had exiled Millicent', he started. 'Was there any reason for this?'

Sylvester thought about hedging or lying but thought better of it. It was simpler to tell the truth.

'I felt her presence was going to be awkward since I was planning on making Cathania, my Luna', he said.

'But you already knew she was your mate. Why did you not claim her?' Christopher asked.

'I didn't want her. I rejected her and she accepted my rejection', Sylvester confessed. 'The mate bond is supposed to be broken. That is the normal procedure. You can imagine my rage and shock when the seer said she is destined to be the Luna of this pack! I must go get her back'.

'Why did you reject her?' Christopher asked. 'I can't understand it. You sound like you despise her. Why? It can't be only because she was the maid here!'

'Yes, I despised her!' Sylvester hissed.

'Despised?' Christopher asked in amusement. 'You no longer do?'

'I mean... Oh, let me be, Christopher's, he said. 'I have a lot ony mind and in my plate right now, I do not have the time to argue with you. I might just say things I didn't mean'.

'You were going to tell me why you despised her', Christopher prompted.

'You might not recall, but our parents had been going to visit her father for the signing of a treaty when they were brutally murdered. I found out from a reliable source that her father murdered our parents!' Sylvester said. 'I do not know why the moon goddess has decided to curse us with her as our mate!'

'If you despise her this much, why did you bring her back!'

'Weren't you listening to the chief just now?' Sylvester asked exasperated.

'No, I was not', Christopher confessed. 'I was thinking about my mate and how I'd love to be with her at all cost!'

'Then you are even more confused that I gave you credit for!'

'How's that?' Christopher asked.

'How can you keep thinking along such lines about the person whose father killed our parents?' Sylvester asked, open mouthed.

'Did you feel the pull at all, the mate pull?' Christopher asked. 'It is unlike anything I have ever felt before. You may not have felt it with her because you are filled with hatred for her. And I pity you, because you are missing a lot. But your loss, is my gain!'

'Ahhh!'

'How could you be hundred percent certain her father committed the crime you accuse him of?' Christopher asked, standing and pacing restlessly. 'Did you investigate the matter?'

'I did not! There was no need to. He did it. I could see the guilt all over him and that's why I got him killed and wiped away his pack!'

'You did what?' Christopher shouted. 'Did you not learn anything about fairness from our father? How could you kill him when it had not been properly investigated and confirmed that he actually committed the crime?'

'Well, it is all in the past now, What has been done, cannot be undone!' Sylvester said nonchalantly.

'And how is that Millicent's business?' Christopher continued. 'Was she the one who asked her father to commit the crime if he did indeed commit it? Why must she be made to pay for it?' he asked angrily. 'Does she even know how you feel about her?'

'Save your anger for her, not for me!' Sylvester shouted at his unreasonable brother. How could Christopher be so blinded by lust that he was ready to love, rather than punish the person whose father made them orphans?

'Since you despise her so much, I shall relief you off her', Christopher said. 'You can have your Cathania, let me have her!'

'No!'

'Ah!' Christopher said, looking speculatively at his brother. 'Perhaps you do not really despise her like you'd have me believe. Have you also fantasized about how it would feel like ravishing her? Oh, I have been unable to think of anything else!'

'Shut up, Christopher. How dare you say such things about my mate?' Sylvester thundered. 'You will respect her and keep your filthy hands off her!'

'Are you jealous that she might choose me over you?' Christopher taunted.

Sylvester was now seething though for the life of him, he couldn't explain why. He stood and advanced menacingly towards Christopher.

'Oh, It's okay', Christopher said, raiding his hands as though in surrender. 'I have heard all you have said. You should keep your hands off her as well. But I assure you, I shall have that case from eleven years ago, reopened and I shall personally lead the investigation!'

'Do as you please! Sylvester spat and left the room, slamming the door.