Atlas POV
I was starting to understand why Mia liked training so much. It was a great way to blow off steam. Flint turned out to be not only a good teacher but also a great training partner. The two of us spent hours outside until it was late at night. Throughout that time, I felt my Lycan coming closer and closer to the surface. It was an odd yet thrilling sensation. I didn't know what to think when I was first told, but now I could feel his presence within me, and it felt right. It was weird. It was a presence I never missed, yet now that I had him, I would feel odd without.
"We need to mark, mate," his voice rang in my head as we finished up training and entered the house. Mia was not downstairs, but I could now smell her. Her scent was strong, wafting from upstairs. Flint headed off to his room, and I went to find Mia. She was sound asleep under the covers. Her clothing was neatly folded on top of the dresser, and the entire room had been cleaned.

I quickly took a shower and then started getting into bed with her. To my surprise, she was completely unclothed, causing me to shake my head. "You really are going to drive me crazy all the time," I whispered, trying not to wake her. Mia moved against me, remaining asleep. I found it very cute how she nuzzled against my body, and I could tell she relaxed more doing so. I wrapped my arm around her, feeling the softness of her skin beneath my fingertips.
"She went to bed sad," my Lycan's voice filled my head.
I yearned for a way to alleviate the pain and sorrow that consumed her. But deep down, I knew my capabilities fell short. Nevertheless, I made a vow to remain by her side, offering solace and reassurance. "Why is she sad?" I inquired of my lycan within my thoughts. "Because she is different from us," he replied, leaving me even more perplexed. "Tonight, in your sleep, I will assist you in recollecting our true nature." With those words, I closed my eyes.
As sleep enveloped me, I found myself standing in the familiar field where the white wolf often appeared. Yet this time, a figure emerged, it looked like a wolf and human mix, standing resolutely amidst the grassy expanse. It dawned on me that this was my lycan counterpart. "Our memories were concealed, but to keep our mate safe, you must remember your past," he conveyed. Suddenly, a torrent of forgotten recollections surged forth, overwhelming me. I witnessed a younger version of myself seated beside my parents, the esteemed lycan king and queen. I observed the mistreatment and exploitation of werewolves within our kingdom, reduced to the status of slaves, confined and subjugated.
Nausea gripped me as I remembered my own indifference towards their plight. It became apparent that I was the rare offspring of two lycans. I witnessed guards in the palace callously disposing of a werewolf breeder who had become expendable. Their callous words, "we lost another, time to capture more," echoed in my mind, underscoring the disregard for werewolves' lives. I then recalled a brave female werewolf, struggling to birth a lycan pup, her life sacrificed in the process. This onslaught of memories left me reeling, and finally, I remembered celebrating my father's centenary, despite his youthful appearance defying the passage of time.
"Mate is filled with sadness and worry," my lycan explained, his voice tinged with concern. "Her life, compared to ours, is but a fleeting moment, like a blink of an eye. And if we mark her then when she passes, it could cause us pain. She doesn't want that."

I nodded, the weight of my feelings evident. "But it would hurt me even more not to have her in my life," I confessed.
As I pondered a solution, memories of a grand library flooded my mind. I saw myself as a young child, flipping through the pages of a history book that delved into the unity of werewolves and Lycans. There, I discovered that Lycans could grant their mates a similar lifespan, bringing a glimmer of relief to my heart.
"When we wake, we will shift. And after, we must mark mate. Our bond will then be complete, ensuring her safety," my lycan insisted, his voice resolute, as the flood of memories continued to wash over me.
Once the memories came to an end, I felt the same excruciating pain coursing through my body as I did when I started tearing at my flesh. "Atlas, I need you to wake up," Mia's voice echoed around me, her soft hand gently caressing my face. The room enveloped me in pitch blackness as I slowly opened my eyes, taking a moment to adjust. There stood Mia, clad in a robe.

"I need you to come with me, Atlas. Inara can sense that your Lycan is ready to shift. I'll help you," she explained, extending her hand and passing me a robe. "We're going outside. Don't worry, Flint and Bryn already know and will give us privacy," she reassured me, guiding me out of the room. I paused, leaning against a wall as the searing pain in my skin flared up once again.
"I know it hurts, Atlas. Your first shift will be incredibly painful, but I need you to push through it for me," Mia said, leading me to an area surrounded by trees. Her hands met mine, removing the robe from my body and brushing her hand against my skin. It was the only thing that provided relief from the agony. Suddenly, she dropped her robe, and instinctively, I pulled her body close to mine.
"You can hold me for a moment, Atlas, but when you start shifting, I can only be by your side," she explained. I pressed my lips against her skin, savoring the moment of intimacy.
"When will I know?" I asked, my voice filled with uncertainty.
"Your Lycan will warn you. It could take a few minutes or hours for your first shift, but know that I will be with you every step of the way," she promised, her unwavering support providing a sliver of comfort amidst the impending pain.
"Atlas, I have something important to discuss as well. I just needed to find the right words first," Mia confessed.
"Is it about how I apparently don't age fast?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.
"Yes," she admitted, her voice tinged with sadness.
"I got all my memories back, Mia. I know who I am now. I now understand one of the reasons my kind considered themselves superior was our longevity. But I also recall a book in the palace that spoke of a time when my kind took werewolves as mates. There is a way for you to age like me, Mia, and we will find it. I refuse to lose you," I declared, feeling the warmth of her tears against my skin, just as another wave of pain crashed over my body.
“It’s time,” I heard my Lycan’s voice echo in my thoughts as I let Mia go.
It was an overwhelming experience, a mix of excitement and fear coursing through my veins. The intensity of my emotions seemed to fuel the transformation, causing my body to contort and reshape itself. As my heart raced, the adrenaline surged, amplifying the sensations.
The bones in my body groaned and cracked, as if they were being shattered and reassembled in an instant. The excruciating pain shot through me, but I knew it was a necessary part of the metamorphosis. Each limb elongated and thickened, muscles bulging beneath the surface as they grew stronger and more powerful.
My flesh felt like it was being mercilessly torn apart, as if a thousand needles were piercing through my skin. But with each agonizing sensation, a layer of fur sprouted, replacing the tender flesh. Soft at first, the fur rapidly thickened and spread across my entire body, providing insulation against the cold and a visual testament to my newfound identity.
As I watched in awe, my fingers extended into sharp, lethal claws, the once familiar nails giving way to formidable weapons. They glistened in the dim light, ready to rend and tear through anything that dared to challenge me. The transformation continued, my jaw elongating and reshaping into a powerful muzzle, equipped with razor-sharp teeth.
The pain gradually subsided, replaced by an incredible sense of liberation. I stood there, fully transformed into my lycan form, a creature of raw strength and untamed instincts.
As the echoes of my Lycan's voice lingered in my mind, I was filled with a newfound sense of purpose. It was time to embrace my true nature, to protect those I cared for and to navigate the world with both the ferocity of the beast and the compassion of the human that I was.
In my lycan form, I could experience Mia's presence more intimately. It was a strange sensation, as if Brutus, was now in control, yet I could still see and feel everything he was doing. "We can protect our mate now," his voice echoed in my mind, "the moon Goddess has chosen us to always protect her." With that, I watched as Mia gracefully shifted into her wolf form, and together, we sprinted off into the distance.
As we ran, the early morning breeze caressed my fur, and the dark sky transformed into a vibrant orange hue as the sun began to rise. The surge of speed and power I now possessed was exhilarating. I ran alongside Mia until the entire sky was bathed in bright daylight. With ease, my lycan effortlessly shifted me back into human form.
"We must mark our mate now," Brutus insisted, his determination evident. I eagerly embraced Mia in my arms once she shifted, feeling her warmth against me. A giggle escaped her lips. "I want to mark you," I admitted to her, my desire for her undeniable.
"I accept your mark, Atlas," Mia responded, "Let's head to the room. The marking may cause me to sleep, as your lycan mark will have a strong effect on me." With that, we donned our robes and made our way back to the silent house.
Once inside our room, I closed the door behind us, and without hesitation, pulled Mia into my embrace. Nuzzling my nose against her marking spot, I could sense exactly what needed to be done. Instinctively, I traced my tongue along her skin, evoking a pleasurable moan from her lips. As I felt my canines elongating, I knew what I had to do. I gently bit into her soft flesh, instantly being overwhelmed by a wave of emotions.
My desire to be with Mia intensified, and every fiber of my being was consumed with the need to protect her from harm. As I released my teeth, Mia went limp against me. Before worry could consume me, my lycan's voice reassured me in my mind. "She is fine. She will wake soon. In the meantime, hold her." Following his instruction, I carried her to the bed and settled in beside her, cradling her in my arms.
I remained awake, the weight of Mia in my arms, feeling the softness of her body against my skin.
"In a very short time, you have awakened me to the world I was always meant to be in, my precious white wolf," I whispered, my voice filled with awe. The room was enveloped in a calm silence, broken only by the faint rustling of leaves outside.
"Even if I were to have lived a life as a human, I would have still loved you and protected you," I continued, my fingers gently stroking her hair.
"Let's get revenge for your pack," I said, my voice growing stronger with each word, "and destroy anyone who dares try to harm you."
"Together, we will rule our realm the way it always should have been," I declared, my heart swelling with a mix of love and purpose.