Chapter 57: Mate
The air crackled with adrenaline as Yuki ran.
Wind whipped through her hair and tore past her ears, drowning out almost every other sound. Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground. Every instinct inside her screamed at her to keep moving, to run faster.
The forest called to something buried inside her, something ancient that had been sleeping beneath her skin for years. Branches blurred past as she followed the others into the darkness, her heartbeat pounding louder with every step.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt free.
The ache in her body faded beneath the rush of exhilaration. Her senses sharpened. She could smell damp earth, fresh leaves, and the scent of other werewolves scattered throughout the forest. Every sound seemed amplified in the dark forest.
Then the pain came.
It struck without warning, slamming into her body so violently that her legs gave out beneath her. Yuki crashed into the mud, a strangled cry escaping her lips as agony exploded through every inch of her body. It felt as though her skeleton had become a cage of knives. Bones cracked and shifted beneath her skin, twisting into unnatural shapes while her muscles stretched and tore to accommodate the change.
She curled into herself, fingers digging into the muddy ground as another wave hit.
A low groan escaped her throat.
In the distance, howls echoed through the forest. One after another, newly awakened wolves announced their arrival beneath the moon. Their cries carried triumph and excitement, but Yuki could barely hear them through the agony consuming her.
The potion Kieran had made should have helped.
Instead, it felt as though it was fighting a losing battle against the wolfbane and the injuries covering her body. The pain of shifting was 10 times worse than wolf bane combined with her fresh injuries. Her back burned. Her wounds throbbed. Every lash she had received earlier seemed to reopen as the transformation forced its way through her.
Tears streamed down her face. She had thought the wolfbane was the worst pain imaginable. She had been wrong, the sensation of her bones breaking and reforming was far worse.
"Yuki." The voice appeared suddenly inside her mind.
At first, she thought she had imagined it. The pain was making it difficult to think. Everything felt distant and unreal.
"Yuki."
The voice came again. It sounded exactly like her. It was the same voice and tone. Yet there was something different about it. It sounded colder and angrier.
Yuki’s eyes widened. "Who are you?" she gasped aloud. Trembling in pain.
Laughter echoed through her mind. The sound sent chills down her spine. "I am you, Yuki."
The answer came immediately.
"If you do not let go, we will die."
Fear gripped her chest. The pain was driving her mad. She could barely breathe. Every instinct told her to fight whatever was speaking to her, but she did not have the strength left.
The voice did not sound angry. It sounded impatient. "Let go, Yuki," it repeated. "I have been trapped for so long."
Yuki curled tighter into herself as another wave of agony ripped through her body. Her fingers clawed helplessly at the mud. She could not stop the transformation. She could not stop the pain.
For the first time, she stopped fighting. The moment she surrendered, something inside her snapped.
Her body arched. Fur erupted across her skin, and her limbs stretched. The pain reached its peak before vanishing so abruptly it almost left her dizzy.
For several moments the forest remained silent. Then a howl shattered the night. Birds exploded from the trees, and ravens scattered into the darkness.
A massive white wolf stood where Yuki had fallen.
Moonlight danced across fur as white as fresh snow. Violet eyes gleamed in the darkness like polished amethysts. The wolf threw her head back and howled again, excitement surging through her entire body.
It felt free..After being trapped for years, she was finally free. Without hesitation, she sprinted through the forest.
The world felt different now.
Every scent was clearer. Every sound was sharper. The ground flew beneath her paws as she raced between the trees. Pure exhilaration coursed through her veins. She leapt over fallen logs and burst through undergrowth, revelling in the strength flowing through her body.
Eventually, she slowed near a river. The water reflected the moonlight like liquid silver.
The wolf approached cautiously and lowered her head toward the surface. A beautiful white wolf stared back at her. Her fur gleamed beneath the moon while striking violet eyes shone from the reflection.
Satisfaction flickered through her. She liked what she saw. She was engrossed in admiring herself.
A sharp crack from the surrounding woods instantly put her on alert.
Her head snapped up, the playful excitement vanished immediately. Several grey wolves stepped from the shadows.
Then more appeared and more. Within seconds she found herself completely surrounded..The white wolf’s muscles tensed.
Their eyes glowed red, carrying a hungry predatory glint that screamed danger. These were not newly awakened wolves celebrating their first shift. Their aura was different and they looked trained.
Something was wrong. The white wolf took a cautious step backwards. The moment she moved, they lunged. She barely reacted in time.
A grey wolf snapped at her throat. Another aimed for her flank. Instinct took over. She twisted away and crashed through the smallest gap in the circle before they could close it and sprinted into the woods.
It wasn’t over. They had no plans of letting her go. The chase began immediately. Branches shattered behind her as the small pack pursued her through the forest.
The white wolf ran as if her life depended on it because it did. She was completely lost in the chase; she forgot to contact the one person she had a connection with, Aevia.
The grey wolves followed their eyes gleaming in the night. Yuki’s main consciousness was completely consumed and unaware of what was happening.
*********
Back at the festival grounds, several newly transformed wolves had already returned from the forest.
Families cheered as their children proudly displayed their wolves for the first time. Excited conversations filled the clearing while healers and attendants helped guide the younger werewolves through the overwhelming experience.
Yet none of the triplets was paying attention. They stood near the edge of the forest, each growing increasingly restless. Even Kieran, the most level-minded one, was pacing restlessly.
"How long will this take? I warned her not to go deep into the forest." He muttered, unable to pinpoint the cause of his unease.
Something felt wrong. Very wrong..The unease that had been lingering throughout the evening refused to disappear.
Another howl echoed through the night. A wolf burst from the trees and sprinted toward the gathering. Immediately all three brothers felt something stir inside them. A strong pull and they started jogging towards the forest boundary.
Alexander rose from his seat, Aevia immediately rose after him. Beta Maddox smiled, glancing at his wife Yvonne. Even their mother Estelle was there to watch history being made.
From the brothers’ reactions, the conclusion seemed obvious: it was the mate pull, and who else could their mate possibly be if not Eloise?
The wolf approached rapidly, then she shifted. Killian’s breathing caught and Kaden’s eyes widened. "Eloise," he said.
Wrapped in moonlight, Eloise stood before them. Her body trembled from the transformation while her mother rushed forward with a blanket. Relief filled her face. She was scared earlier that Eloise might not have been their mate.
"You did well," Yvonne said proudly as she wrapped it around her daughter and kissed her forehead.
Eloise smiled and immediately looked toward the brothers. Excitement shone in her eyes.
At last, this was the moment she had been waiting for. She reached toward Kieran. Instead of moving closer, he stepped back.
Her hand froze in midair. Silence spread through the gathering. Something was terribly wrong. The expressions on the brothers’ faces looked less like joy and more like horror.
"Why are you backing away from your mate?" Yvonne asked, unease creeping into her voice.
Kaden stared at Eloise. Disbelief filled his face. " Eloise..." he whispered. His voice shook.
"Why can’t my wolf feel you?"
The words struck as lightning and Eloise froze. The excitement drained from her face. Only then did she realise it.
There was no pull or electrifying bond. Not even the overwhelming attraction. There was nothing out of the ordinary that felt magical. She shoved away from her mother.
"No," she whispered.
"No..."
Panic entered her voice. At that exact moment, all three brothers staggered..A sharp burst of emotion slammed into them with a spike in adrenaline. Their body trembled with fear but it wasn’t theirs.
Their wolves erupted into chaos.
"What is going on?" Alexander demanded.
Nobody answered, before he could speak again, the three brothers shifted simultaneously. Gasps erupted throughout the crowd.
Without hesitation, they bolted into the forest. Their wolves had taken control and instinct overruled reason. They ran as though their lives depended on it.
Because somewhere in the darkness, their true mate was terrified and she needed them. After covering a shocking distance, they finally found the source.
Several unfamiliar wolves were fleeing through the trees. The scent coming from them did not belong to Ravencourt. One of them carried an unconscious blonde girl across its back.
The moment the brothers saw her, everything inside them snapped into place. The bond and overwhelming instinct.
The same word echoed through all three minds.
’ MATE.’
Killian released a thunderous roar and charged forward.
