Loving Amir (Fated Mates #4)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

Amir

After The Great Flood

I am Amir, son of Fate herself and bearer of the beast curse that marks me as both blessed and damned. For centuries, I’ve walked this earth as a warlock, carrying within me the spirits of creatures my mother bound to my soul.

I am a shifter—a mix of beast—and I am also a vampire, cursed with an unending thirst for blood. But today, as I stand here watching the waters recede, I feel more monster than man.

I stand at the edge of the cliff, my hands clasped tightly behind my back. The sun beats down on us with a fierce heat, the desert air pulling every ounce of moisture from my skin. The acrid smell of salt and decay drifts up from below, where the floodwaters are slowly retreating.

The wind whips around us, carrying the metallic tang of magic and the distant cries of surviving creatures. The cracked earth beneath our feet is still damp, squelching with each step—a reminder of the devastation I’ve caused.

My sisters—Aya, Asma, and Alina—stand with me. They wear their cloaks, the fabric clinging to them in the heat, their hair soaked in sweat. Aya looks angry, her face sharp and dangerous, while Alina and Asma hang back, their hands nervously brushing against each other. Alina straightens her back, silent as usual.

Once, we were inseparable. I remember when we were young, when Aya would lead us through the celestial gardens of our old home, our original sanctuary, teaching us spells while Asma and Alina giggled at my failed attempts.

Back then, Aya’s magic was pure, untainted by darkness. She was our protector, our guide. Asma and Alina worshipped her, following her every move like twin shadows. Even I looked up to her, before the dark magic began to corrupt her soul. Before she started viewing humans as lesser beings to be controlled rather than protected.

We stare at the ark below. It’s enormous, as if it doesn’t belong in this world but was pulled from some ancient power beyond us. It’s docked now, empty and waiting.

The truth of it churns my stomach. I did this. All of it. So much death. Too many lost. Something presses against my chest, suffocating me. This is my burden, and I can never undo it.

Behind me, my small pack of wolf-shifters waits quietly. They are what’s left of the House of Zorah—the only lives I could save. My children. The ones I am supposed to protect. Their heads are low, fear rolling off them like waves. They wait for my orders, but I can’t give one. Not yet.

Aya steps forward. “Are you happy now?” Her voice is sharp, cold .

I can’t answer her. I just keep staring at the ark.

She moves closer. “Your loneliness is disgusting. You needed a family. You crave so much of what these humans have, yet you don’t see it, do you? You don’t understand. You’re destined for greatness, Amir.”

A knot forms in my chest at her words. She’s right—my loneliness pushed me to create the shifters, to act as if I were a god. I craved children, a family that would understand me, love me without limits.

But in my selfish attempt to fill the emptiness inside, I set off a chain of events that has spiraled into this devastation.

Mother Fate and the human God cleansed the world with the flood, wiping out countless lives. Yet, she allowed me to save the House of Zorah. Why? Is this mercy, or another test? My guilt is unshakable.

“I offer you my deepest remorse,” I say, my voice quiet, worn, as it has been every time I’ve sought her forgiveness since the waters consumed the world. My words are hollow, meaningless.

She laughs, but it’s bitter, hollow. “What will an apology do, Amir? What will it solve?” The anger in her voice pierces me.

Alina and Asma step to her side, placing their hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her, but she shrugs them off like they are nothing. She storms forward, stopping just inches from my face.

“Did you see the flames, brother? Did you hear our mother’s voice?” Her eyes are ice, piercing. Pain lingers there too, but she hides it beneath her rage. “One Fated Mate. We cannot love unless she commands it. Unless she provides the mate we’re destined to be with forever. We don’t get to choose anymore. Why? Because you are never satisfied. ”

Her words burn, pressing down on me like the sun beating against my neck.

I look down at her, guilt knotting in my chest.

“You will never love me, will you, sister?” My voice wavers. It’s the only piece of honesty I have left to give.

“What is it with you and your quest for love? Love is weakness. We’re not made for it. We’re made to keep the balance. Humans have holes in their hearts. They always want more, always destroy to get it. We’re supposed to stop them from ruining everything. I don’t have time to love you, Amir.”

She steps back, turning her furious eyes away from me to look at the ark below. She sneers.

“A fresh start. And with it, the loss of agency. It looks like you’re finally going to get the love you deserve.”

Her smile twists into something cruel, and my stomach sinks. I notice the key on her wrist—the key to her spell book. The key to the most dangerous spells in existence.

Our mother, Fate herself, gave it to Aya to protect humanity from the darkness.

But Aya couldn’t resist. Dark magic seduced her long ago. It’s why we’re here now. It’s why I’m cursed. Fallen. Shattered. This madness destroyed our home, our sanctuary.

Like Adam and Eve, Aya’s defiance cast us out of paradise, and we’re left to wander this broken world.

She relishes dark magic. I see it in her eyes every time she uses it. It’s eating her alive, shredding her soul piece by piece. Even now, as she pulls the key from her wrist, her obsession oozes from her. She taps it on her spell book—the one I can’t touch. Forbidden by Fate.

The book floats before her, a massive thing bound in ancient leather. It looks wrong, like it’s been here longer than time itself. The pages flutter open, dragged by her will. They stop suddenly at a spell she’s been searching for.

Her eyes burn with excitement as the words glow on the page, and all I can do is stand there. Watching. Failing. Always failing.

“What are you doing, Aya?” I demand, my voice sharp.

She doesn’t look at me, her finger tracing the text in her book. My hands drop to my sides as magic stirs weakly in my palms. It’s not enough. My powers have dulled against my sisters ever since I became this... beast.

My mother made me this way, knowing it would set me on the path to kill Aya like some mindless creature.

But I can’t. She’s my sister. Why would Fate force me into this?

“First,” Aya says, her voice disturbingly calm, “I’m going to take care of your little companions, those animals you seem to cherish so much. Then, I’ll do what needs to be done to fix the human problem. Their free will is the issue, Amir. Strip it away—make them comfortable as our servants—and they’ll fall in line. Do that, and we’ll have balance again. We’ll stop them from destroying the very earth that is our home, the only home we’ve ever known. It’s the only way, brother. It’s the only way to reclaim paradise.”

Panic rises in my chest, but I force myself to glance back at the House of Zorah—my creation, my children.

They’re huddled together, their eyes wide with fear. She’ll target them first. I know it. And I can’t let her. Fate told me to save them. They are the key. They represent hope, salvation.

Aya meets my gaze, her blue eyes filled with venom, the beauty in them overshadowed by the darkness corrupting her soul. The spell book vanishes from her hands as though it were never there. Her lips begin to move .

“ No,” I breathe, already aware of what she’s doing.

“Through blood and bone, I sever the tie,

No moon, no beast, by this curse you die.

Lunaris Exilium, your spirit unmade,

Shift no longer—fade, shifter, fade!”

Aya glances over her shoulder at Asma and Alina, her silent command clear. They obey instantly, their voices joining hers to strengthen the spell.

Heat flares through my arms as I lift my hands, releasing a burst of gold magic. It explodes outward like a thunderclap, slamming into Aya and my sisters, knocking them back and off the cliff.

As they fall, Aya’s voice carries back to me, her magic interlaced with urgency.

“Winds that dance and skies that sigh,

Lift me now—let me fly.

Through cloud and storm, by edge of night,

Aeris Ascendio, grant me flight!”

Their descent halts as they rise into the air, their bodies bathed in a faint glow, defying gravity itself. Aya’s eyes flick to my children, still huddled in fear and paralyzed.

I extend my hand, casting a shimmering shield around them. Aya growls, her frustration evident.

As I stand between my sisters and the shifters, I’m torn between two impossible choices. These are the last of my children - the only ones Mother Fate allowed me to save from the flood that I caused. Perhaps she saw something in them worth preserving, or perhaps this is my punishment - to protect the few while carrying the guilt of destroying the many. Every time I look at them, I see both my salvation and my damnation.

“Ah yes, our mother blessed you with the ability to cast spells without chants. But you’re still the weakest among us. I’m tired of your endless betrayals, Amir.”

Her words sting, but I focus on the pack behind me.

She looks to Asma and Alina, snarling. “Get out of here! I’ll handle him myself!”

They hesitate, lingering behind her, but I see it—the bond. There’s something between them and Aya I’ll never comprehend. It’s not loyalty; it’s something darker. Maybe they can’t leave her if they tried.

“Asma, Alina, unlink yourselves from her! She’s gone too far. The dark magic will consume you if you don’t stop now!” I plead.

Aya roars in rage, thrusting a hand toward me. A flash of blue magic erupts, hitting me square in the chest. The impact sends me flying back, slamming hard into the shield I crafted for the House of Zorah.

The air crackles with energy as her magic builds, the taste of ozone sharp on my tongue. Each spell she hurls creates a distinct sound - some whistling like arrows, others booming like thunder. The smell of burning earth and singed hair fills my nostrils as her attacks leave scorched patches on the ground.

Pain sears through my body, but I struggle to my feet. She launches more magic in waves, each attack radiating power and fury. Every spell burns as I block it, the heat crawling over my skin like molten metal. It rouses the beasts inside me—the instinct, the rage, the drive to kill.

“Aya, stop!” I roar, my voice choked with desperation, but she doesn’t listen.

“You think I won’t kill you again, brother? Move aside! These animals are the reason we’ve fallen into ruin!” Her anger ripples through every word as another burst of magic sears its way toward me .

The burning, the pain—it’s overwhelming. My control slips. The beasts rise, their fury silencing all reason. Before I know it, my body shifts. My skin gives way to sleek black fur, and my form grows massive. The lion roars from within me, unrelenting, powerful, and unstoppable.

Her magic slams into the lion, but it does nothing. The heat that once tore at my human body now brushes off like ash in the wind. My lion charges, claws digging into the scorched earth, my golden eyes locked on her.

Aya screams as he crashes into her, dragging her to the ground. For the first time, I see fear flicker in her blue eyes. My lion’s jaws clamp down on her wrist, sharp teeth pressing into her skin. She cries out, the sound filled with pain, and tears stream down her face.

Her screams pierce something deep in me. My lion stops. The anger, the feral rage recedes, and he releases her, stumbling back. The black fur fades as I shift back into my human form, panting, horrified.

I drop to my knees beside her, my hands reaching to help her as blood trickles down her arm. “Aya, I—I didn’t mean to?—”

“Get off me!” she screams, shoving me away. She scrambles to her feet, her eyes burning with hatred, and I step back, the old agony flooding me again.

She stares at her wrist as it heals instantly, her expression unreadable. Then, she looks up at me and laughs—a low, venomous sound that pierces my guilt.

“This is fascinating,” she sneers. “Your quest for love, Amir. It’s your weakness. And my salvation. You couldn’t kill me even if you wanted to.”

“You are my family, Aya. I love you—all of you. But this magic, this darkness—it’s destroying you. Mother commanded us to destroy the spellbook if dark magic ever tainted us. You have to listen to her.”

Aya laughs, bitter and mocking. “You’re not my brother anymore, Amir. You’ve chosen these dogs as your family over your own blood. And worse—you’ve ruined us all. You took away our agency. Now we can’t love unless Mother commands it. I hope you’re proud of yourself. I hope you realize what this has cost you.”

My head hangs low. “I won’t let you corrupt the humans with dark magic.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” she challenges, her laughter searing into my soul.

Before I can respond, she raises her hands, and the air above her ripples. A portal opens, hues of blue and green swirling together like galaxies spiraling. Asma and Alina glance back at me, their eyes pleading, but they step through after Aya. Then, with one last cruel look, Aya follows.

And just like that, they’re gone.

I turn back to the House of Zorah, lowering the shield as I rush to them. My heart aches as I inspect them, ensuring they’re unharmed.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Zorah, the alpha, says softly. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

My voice is firm yet pained. “I am your father. I will always make sacrifices to protect you, Zorah.”

His gaze softens with respect, and he kneels. “You’re not just our father, Amir. You are our king.”

The rest of the pack follows, bowing before me. But I don’t want this. I can’t be their king.

“No,” I say, my voice almost breaking. “I’m not your king. Get up. ”

But they stay. And deep down, I know. I no longer have a choice.

This isn’t what I wanted. I never wanted to rule over them. The House of Zorah, and all of my creations, they weren’t supposed to be subjects. They were meant to be my family. I made them to have something to love, something to keep close.

I turn back to the cliff, my hand gesturing out over the destruction below. It’s mine—all of it. My doing. My fault.

“Get up!” I bark, my voice rougher than I intend. “House of Zorah, you do not bow to me. I am not a king. I’m just a lonely warlock, carrying beasts inside me I can’t begin to understand. You cannot favor me. You cannot honor me. Do you not see what I’ve done? The destruction I’ve caused us all?”

They rise slowly, their faces tired, but they obey. Zorah steps forward, his gaze steady though the force of my words must hit him as hard as it hits me.

“My lord,” he says, his tone calm as though he’s reasoning with a storm. “Fate left us along with you, still standing, and granted us new laws. There have been mistakes, yes—but you can begin again. I believe this is her will.”

“And what if it happens again?” I ask, my voice low, thick with bitterness. “What if I destroy everything again?”

He pauses, tilting his head slightly before giving a small, knowing smile. “What if this is Fate’s plan all along? Maybe you are the balance—if you can find the right path to achieve it. Out of all the Baileys, my lord, you are the one I’ve seen care about love.”

The words dig deep, hitting something raw inside me. I place my hand on his shoulder and give him a firm nod. “ Promise me, Zorah,” I say, my voice quieter now. “Promise you won’t give up on me.”

Zorah bows his head, solemn and sure. “I promise, Lord Amir. The House of Zorah will forever remain loyal to you, all the way until the end of time.”

“Alright,” I say, stepping back, letting some of the burden roll off my shoulders, though not all of it. “We’ll begin again. Create a new kingdom of supernaturals and maintain the balance.” My eyes lift to the sky, searching for answers that I know won’t come.

Zorah presses a fist to his chest and lowers his head once more. “The House of Zorah will be your lead architects,” he promises with conviction.

For the first time in what feels like eons, I smile—just slightly—and bow my head in acknowledgment. But deep down, I know this fight isn’t over.

As long as Aya holds onto her dark magic, she’ll keep coming for me. She won’t stop—not until one of us is finished for good.