Page 41 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

Vincent chuckles slightly and nods.

“I can sympathize though,” Elden says to us. “I was hoping one of you would be fated to Finn, he’s been searching for his mate for two years now. But so far, no luck.”

“He will find the right person,” I say with conviction. “He deserves the best.”

Elden smiles warmly. “That’s sweet of you to say.”

We wave Elias and Vincent off before Elden leads the way to their family library. His second beta, Calvin, follows us. Calvin is older than Vincent. He’s always seemed to be a really nice guy and has been with the family for a long time. His hair is brown and cut in an old-fashioned style that suits him with his even, soft features.

However, although I was originally happy to see him again, something feels off. It’s like Danica is all tensed up around him. I don’t know what it is, but he’s suddenly giving off a bad vibe to me. I’m pulled out of my thoughts by Elden, showing us into the library. The space is huge, and I’m momentarily stunned silent as I stare at all the books surrounding us. Elden’s library consists of multiple rooms that seem to span three floors. So much knowledge in one place!

With the help of the librarian, Harmony and I spend the afternoon in the library, reading and finding books. Good thing we can borrow a bunch of them—there is no way to read everything at once.

Afterward, Elden and Calvin approach us again. “Did you find anything?”

“Plenty,” I admit. “Thanks for allowing us to borrow some books. But now my head feels overloaded.”

Elden smirks. “I might just have the solution for you to clear your head.”

“Yes?”

His smirk just grows. “I heard you’re a fast runner, Celine?” he asks.

I smile, noticing where this talk is going. “I’m fast,” I say with confidence.

He grins. “This just sounded like a challenge. How about a run?”

“That’s exactly what I need now!” I admit.

Elden turns to Harmony and Calvin. “What about you guys?”

“In for it,” Harmony chuckles. “Although, I stand no chance against you two.”

“Same,” Calvin agrees. “Have mercy for an old man.”

“Oh yes,” Elden snorts. “Because you are so old!”

Harmony smiles. “No chickening out, Calv!”

He smirks. “Don’t worry. I would never.”

Again, my skin crawls uncomfortably. I don’t know what it is. He’s the same as always, but something about him just ticks me off for no specific reason. I really need this run, it seems.

Elden was not kidding. He’s strong and fast. Lycans are huge. I saw him in his wolf form over a year ago when we fought Red Claw’s old alpha together. But now, I have time to examine how strong his muscles are when he runs and how big his wolf’s head is. Liam is a very similar build to Elden in strength and size. I wonder if Marius is the same.

I decide to focus on myself now. I don’t want to lose against Elden or anyone else. I’m fast, really fast—time to prove it. Danica and I tear through the forest, and I can feel my senses taking over. I see everything sharper and clearer. It’s like paths open themselves for me, like the forest leads me through it toward my destination in the best way possible.

Elden and I reach the pack house at the same time. I have just managed to tie with a lycan! The lycan of all lycans, on top of that. I can feel how proud Danica feels, how the knowledge of having been on par with such a strong wolf like Elden just boosted her confidence.

Elden gives me some privacy to shift back into my Human form. Once we are dressed again, we sit down on the benches at the back of the pack house, waiting for our betas. Elden looks at me impressed. “You weren’t kidding,” he nods his approval. “I have seen fast werewolves before, but nothing like you.”

“I’ve always trained my other disciplines well,” I explain to him. “I’m a she-wolf, and being my father’s only successor, merely combat training wasn’t enough. I knew that, and I didn’t want anyone to take my position from me.”

“Your father said your gift is a tactical one?” he inquires.

I nod. There is no reason for me not to trust Elden. He’s probably one of the most trustworthy people out there, and Danica likes him too. She has always had a good sense of people. “It comes in handy because it allows me to analyze a situation immediately, even in one-to-one combat.”

Elden stays silent for a while. “You being able to run so fast is more than just training,” he points out. “At one point, I fell behind because I chose a path that was too narrow, but you… you raced through the forest like you were one with it. That’s not because of training. It’s more than that.”