Chapter 63: Her mates
A sharp pain pierced through Yuki’s head. Her brows pulled together as several images flashed before her mind. Her face scrunched up in pain until her eyes shot open.
Sweat beads rolled down her forehead, her chest rising and falling rapidly while a sense of panic gripped her like a vice. Yuki immediately sat up, gasping. Her hand clutched the bed covers to her chest as her eyes started frantically searching the room.
Her eyes darted around, searching for something that made her feel inexplicably empty. She did not know what it was, but it was meant to be here. The room was empty aside from her sitting on the bed.
" What is going on?" she muttered, confused by the urge surging through her. Her breaths were still coming out in gasps.
Then a voice whispered in her mind. ’They are not here.’ Yuki froze once she heard it. It felt eerie, a voice identical to hers speaking inside her head.
She was startled. Who was the voice in her mind and which ’they’ was it talking about? Her mind was a complete mess. Her memories were a wreck and her skull pounded continuously.
’I am you, silly...’ the voice replied, and she was left stunned because she had not voiced the words.
" How did you know what I was thinking?" Yuki whispered to herself, finding the experience novel. The voice replied right away.
’Because I am you. Do I need to repeat it...’ She felt its annoyance from the tone. ’Also the reason you are anxious is because of them. They left.’ There was a hint of sadness in the tone.
Yuki’s brows furrowed as she tried to piece everything together. " Are you my wolf?" She thought to herself as she had just uncovered the clue.
’Isn’t it obvious? You are not really the smartest. I cannot believe I have gotten this dumb.’ Her lips twitched. It turned out her wolf had quite a personality. A pretty sassy one too.
Yuki released a breath of relief. She could not exactly be mad at her wolf. It was like being mad at herself, but things felt different around her.
’Who were you talking about? The ones I am searching for.’ Yuki inquired using the mindlink. During her first shift, her wolf had completely suppressed her primary consciousness so she was not aware of the train of events from last night.
Besides, she was also unconscious when it happened. On hearing her question her wolf got excited, like it was the question she had been waiting for.
’Can’t you feel it? The scent filling the room.’ The voice hummed with a mix of longing and frustration. ’Our mates. They were here.’
Yuki’s heart gave a strange lurch at the word ’mates’. Plural. Her heart started to race after hearing the words. She was already mated and it was not to one. Yuki never had high expectations for the festival but now she had mates.
’Mates?’ she echoed silently, testing the word. ’As in... more than one?’
’Obviously. You are one lucky wolf. The Moon Goddess blessed us with three. Can’t you smell the distinct scents here.’ Her wolf’s tone sharpened, the sass returning full force. ’They must have left before we woke up.’
That was when Yuki sensed it. Her senses were sharper, especially her sense of smell with her wolf fully matured. Three distinct masculine scents lingered in the air, woven together with the earthy breath of the forest.
A bold intense scent of warm amber mixed with black pepper carried a heat that seemed to linger on her skin. It blended seamlessly with the second addictive untamed scent that smelled like dark woods touched by rich spice. And beneath them both was a calm yet powerful scent of lean floral notes kissed with fresh rain and crisp air. Together the three scents created something harmonious, distinct from one another yet fitting perfectly, all of it wrapped in traces of pine, moss, and morning dew from the forest beyond the palace walls.
The combination felt achingly familiar, as though her body already knew it by heart, but her mind refused to accept the truth. She stood there puzzled, breathing it in deeply.
From the window, she could see the towering walls of Obsidian Hall. Her mates must still be somewhere inside the palace. The thought sent a flutter of nervous excitement through her. Were they visiting officials from other territories who had come for the festival, or residents of the pack house itself? Either way, the emptiness inside her chest urged her forward.
’I have to find them,’ she communicated to her wolf, swinging her legs off the bed. Her bare feet touched the cold floor
’Of course you have to. The bond is new and being unclaimed is painful,’ her wolf chimed, the urgency clear in her tone.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed fresh clothes neatly folded on the bedside table. She grabbed them and quickly changed. Yuki noticed the injuries on her back had healed. The pain that was ripping her apart was also gone.
The entire time she was changing her wolf chattered endlessly in her mind. She was clearly excited to meet her other half. Even if Yuki wasn’t particularly optimistic about finding her mates, the sheer excitement of her wolf made her more curious.
’Their scent is familiar. Do you not recognise them?’ her wolf pressed. She noticed the stir in Yuki when she picked up the scent. Although her wolf was part of her. Their memories weren’t completely synced. Her wolf was like a split personality living in her.
’I am not sure,’ Yuki replied, adjusting the simple dress. There weren’t any shoes so she had to move barefoot on the cold floor, but she could not care less. She walked straight out of the room, closing the door behind her.
In the large corridor, the scents grew stronger, wrapping around her like an invisible pull. She drew in a deep breath and tried to concentrate on where the trail was most concentrated. Like a bee drawn to nectar, she followed it blindly through the palace hallways.
Servants hurried along their daily errands, casting curious glances and whispering among themselves, but Yuki remained completely immersed in the scent, noticing none of it. She didn’t sense the tension
She crossed a sunlit courtyard with bare feet, the cool stones pressing against her soles, and arrived at the main wing of the palace where the alpha’s office was located. She did not recognise the ornate walls or heavy wooden doors. She had never been here before. The scent grew almost overwhelming, pulling her forward until she stopped in front of a grand door.
’They are in there?’ her wolf said excitedly. She could feel them too. The alpha’s office was sound proof preventing anyone from being able to eavesdrop on conversations.
Yuki’s hand pressed against the door, about to push it open while trying to hold back both herself and her wolf, who wanted nothing more than to race inside.
Before she could even open it, the door clicked from the other side. It swung open and the first face she saw was Eloise’s hazel eyes. Shock immediately flickered across Eloise’s face. Her eyes went wide.
Yuki’s stomach dropped instantly. She stepped back, confusion swirling inside her. Why would her mates be with Eloise? The thought gave her a very bad feeling.
From the moment Eloise saw her, hostility sharpened her gaze and her fists clenched at her sides. " What are you doing here?" Eloise demanded, her voice was low and venomous.
Yuki’s wolf surged forward with a strong urge to push inside, but fear held her in place. She did not want to find out any more, but it was too late.
Soon after, three tall figures stepped out of the room. Their sapphire eyes met her calm jade ones at once.
’Mates...’ her wolf shrieked in her mind, the word filled with pure joy but what Yuki felt was far from it. An overwhelming sense of dread instantly wrapped around her heart.
" No... no... no..." Yuki whispered under her breath, trembling all over as she continued to back away. They did not say anything, but she could sense their reluctance, a heavy tension in the air.
Kaden was the first to move. He draped his arm around Eloise’s waist with possessive ease. " Why are you standing here?" he hissed, his deep voice cold as he led Eloise away. A small, triumphant smile curled on Eloise’s lips.
Kaden guided her down the hallway and the brothers followed without a word. None of them even acknowledged Yuki’s presence. It felt like her heart was being clawed out of her chest. Her clenched fists trembled violently.
’Why are they leaving?’ her wolf whispered, sounding deeply hurt.
Yuki forced a bitter smile to herself. ’Because the Moon Goddess made a mistake,’ she replied silently, ignoring the searing pain that threatened to swallow her whole.
She turned to leave, but had barely taken a step when Aevia appeared at the end of the hallway. The girl looked like a complete mess, her eyes wide with worry.
" Yuki," Aevia said hesitantly, her voice soft and uncertain. " Please, we need to talk."
