Alethea
The weekend finally arrives, and I feel relieved. No work, no pressure, no Xavier. It’s like a weight lifted off my chest, knowing I won’t have to face him today.
He’s been anything but subtle in his interest, and it’s starting to wear on me.
Amelia’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Check out this gown. I bet it will fit you perfectly. I can go for the blue while you go for purple.”
She’s staying over for the weekend-she’ll be bored at home without her human parents, who are off on some trip. I glance at the gown she’s holding out for me, still a little lost in my head.
“Which one?” I ask, focusing on the fabric she’s showing me.
“It’s casual office wear. It’ll fit just right.”
I nod, pulling myself together. “Okay, let’s go for it.”
I hear Declan’s laughter in the background. Selena is probably with him, keeping him entertained.
But then, I feel a sharp, searing pain pierce through my abdomen. It’s like something is squeezing the very life out of me.
“What the hell?” I scream, the pain taking my breath away. Amelia drops her tablet, her eyes wide with concern as she rushes to my side.
“Are you okay?” she asks, panic threading her voice.
Before I can respond, another wave of excruciating pain shoots through me. I gasp, feeling as though my insides are being twisted. “Oh my goodness…” My voice trembles with shock.
“What’s happening?” Amelia’s voice wavers, her hands hovering around me, unsure of what to do. “Please, call Selena,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
Selena must have heard my screams because she burst into the room, her face etched with worry. “What’s going on?” she asks, rushing to my side.
“Did you find your mate?” Amelia asks.
“I don’t have a wolf,” I say, struggling to keep myself from collapsing. “How is it even possible to find my mate without one?”
Amelia’s eyes darken. “So, what could explain this pain? The pain means you’ve found your mate… and your mate is with another she-wolf,” she says matter-of-factly as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world.
“I have no memory of finding my mate,” I say, my voice breaking as another wave of pain crashes through me, leaving me breathless.
I turn to Selena, desperate for help. I’ve been through heat cycles before, and she’s always been there with the herbs that calm the pain. But right now, nothing is working. This is something else.
“Selena, please, talk to me,” I plead, tears stinging my eyes as they start to fall. “Did I find my mate? Because I don’t remember shit.” The sobs catch in my throat, and I feel completely helpless.
Why am I suddenly so emotional? I don’t even know. Everything feels like it’s falling apart, and all I want is for the pain to stop.
Seeing Xavier again has shaken me. His words keep echoing in my mind, questioning everything I thought I knew. “Why did you leave BloodMoon Pack?” he asked like it was the simplest thing to explain. “I made arrangements to make you mine.”
The arrangements. I have no fucking idea what he’s talking about. All I know is that now I’m here, writhing in pain from the bond of a mate I don’t even remember meeting.
“Oh, my child, don’t cry.” Selena pulls me into a hug, her hands soothing my back. I can feel the wheels turning in her head. I know she’s done so much for me, and the last thing I want is to be a burden on her.
But I feel so helpless. There’s nothing that will stop it until he ends whatever intimacy he has with the other she-wolf.
“This is so sad,” I grit my teeth, another round of searing pain shooting through me, making me flinch.
“Did I find my mate, Selena?” I look her straight in the eyes, my voice tight with desperation.
She hesitates, conflicted, before looking away. My heart drops into my stomach. What the hell? Why is she hiding something so crucial from me?
“Did I find my mate, Selena? Please, say something,” I beg, my voice shaking. The pain is unbearable.
Selena slowly shakes her head, her expression filled with guilt. “Ally, seriously… I can’t tell you if you found your mate at Redwood Pack.”
“What do you mean?”
She hesitates again, her eyes softening with sympathy. “I remember one morning… you came home crying like you were in pain. I couldn’t wait to ask you, because I was summoned to the pack house to help a woman in labor. I had to hurry and get dressed.”
I frown, trying to piece everything together.
“When I came back, I asked you what was wrong, but you didn’t give me a definite answer,” she finishes.
“Oh, my world…” The thought hits me like a freight train. Could it be? Was that the moment I found my mate? And why was I crying? Could it be because he rejected me? I don’t get it.
I groan loudly, stomping my foot like a child, the weight of it all crashing down on me. The confusion, the pain-it’s all too much.
“I don’t remember shit,” I mutter under my breath, frustrated and overwhelmed.
Selena sighs, her voice soft but firm. “And even if he rejected you-” She pauses, glancing at me with sympathy. “Perhaps you didn’t accept the rejection, or maybe his wolf didn’t accept it. That’s why you’re feeling the pain now.”
For a brief moment, I think I can breathe again as the pain stops.
Whoever my mate is, he’s the fucking biggest asshole. My anger boils over, and I spit out, “I hate you.”
Amelia steps closer to me, her arms wrapping around me tightly. Tears are already streaming down her face. I know she can’t stand to see me hurting like this.
I slowly move my hand to my face, and only then do I realize that tears have been falling down my cheeks without me even noticing.
I’ve been through so much… and I didn’t even know I was this broken.
I turn my face to Selena, and I can see it in her eyes-the conflict, the hesitation. It’s like she’s battling and she’s holding back from me.
Xavier’s questions keep replaying in my mind, things I couldn’t answer. And I know that Selena has been such a big part of my life, has seen things I haven’t, and maybe, just maybe, she knows things I don’t.
My heart races, the question that’s been gnawing at me for days finally spilling out.
“Selena… Why did I leave BloodMoon Pack?”
I brace myself, knowing this is a question that might open up something painful, something I might not be ready to hear. But it’s time to face it.