His Mate’s Secret

Chapter 12 Part 1

(Ivy’s POV)

The clock on the wall read 4:28 p.m.

My heart pounded so hard I thought the monitors beside my bed would start matching its rhythm.

“Now,” River whispered inside my mind.

I slowly pushed myself upright, every bruise protesting the movement. Darren had nearly beaten me to death, and my body made sure I remembered it.

The room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

Too quiet.

Too exposed.

Too easy to be caught.

I looked down at the IV in my arm and wrapped trembling fingers around the tubing.

“This is going to hurt,” I muttered.

“Only for a second.”

I took a deep breath and ripped it free.

A sharp sting shot through my arm as blood trickled from the puncture site.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out.

No turning back now.

Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I stood carefully.

The room tilted.

Black spots danced across my vision.

I reached for the bedside table to steady myself.

“Easy,” River said gently. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

“I know.”

The hospital gown hung loosely from my frame, making me feel small.

Weak.

I hated it.

I’d spent eight years being weak.

Not anymore.

I padded quietly toward the door and pressed my ear against it.

Footsteps echoed somewhere farther down the hall.

Voices drifted through the air.

No one was nearby.

I slowly turned the handle and slipped into the hallway.

The smell of antiseptic hit me immediately.

It made my stomach turn.

Hospitals were supposed to heal people.

To me…

They felt like another prison.

“Stay close to the wall,” River instructed.

I nodded and moved quickly, keeping my head down whenever nurses passed nearby.

No one spared me a second glance.

Every step brought me closer.

Closer to freedom.

Closer to a life I’d only dreamed about.

The exit sign came into view.

Hope bloomed inside my chest.

Then—

Voices.

I froze.

“They said she was stable,” Darren muttered.

“So where the hell is she?” Kolton asked.

A familiar voice answered.

“Find her,” Jace growled.

Silence followed.

Then—

“NOW!” he roared.

Every hair on my body stood on end.

River let out a low growl.

“Left.”

I didn’t question her.

I darted into a side hallway and shoved open an emergency exit.

Cold autumn air rushed over my skin.

Freedom.

Real freedom.

For the first time in eight years…

There were no locked doors behind me.

No collars.

No chains.

No one telling me where I belonged.

I took one shaky breath before breaking into a run.

The woods surrounding the hospital welcomed me instantly.

Branches brushed against my arms.

Leaves crunched beneath my bare feet.

The farther I ran, the lighter my chest felt.

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” I whispered between breaths.

“Neither can I.”

A howl split the air behind us.

Deep.

Powerful.

Furious.

Jace.

Another howl answered from somewhere to my right.

Then another.

Then another.

They were spreading out.

Searching.

Hunting.

“They’re coming,” I whispered.

“Keep moving.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Yes, you can.”

My legs screamed with every step.

My lungs burned.

The bruises covering my body throbbed mercilessly.

Still…

I ran.

Suddenly, a searing pain exploded through my chest.

I stumbled forward before collapsing onto my hands and knees.

Every muscle in my body tightened at once.

“River…”

Fear crept into my voice.

“What’s happening?”

River was silent for only a heartbeat.

Then—

“Your wolf has waited long enough.”

Pain tore through me.

A scream ripped from my throat as my spine arched violently.

Bones cracked.

My arms twisted unnaturally.

My fingers curled as sharp claws pushed through the tips.

“No!” I cried.

“It hurts!”

“I know.”

River’s voice remained calm.

“Don’t fight me.”

“I can’t—”

“Trust me.”

Another crack echoed through the forest.

My ribs expanded.

My jaw ached as it slowly pushed forward.

Silver light shimmered beneath my skin.

Fur burst across my arms before spreading over the rest of my body in waves.

I felt every change.

Every bone.

Every muscle.

Every heartbeat.

It was agony.

But beneath the pain…

Something else stirred.

Freedom.

Power.

Life.

The ache that had lived inside me for eight years suddenly disappeared.

Like I’d been missing half of myself all along.

The transformation slowed.

Then stopped.

Silence settled over the forest.

I opened my eyes.

Only…

They weren’t human anymore.

I looked down.

Dark gray paws stood where my hands had been only moments before.

Soft white markings traced my legs.

Hints of warm peach blended naturally through my thick coat.

Silver shimmered across every strand of fur, making me look as though moonlight itself clung to my body.

I stared in awe.

“I’m…”

“Beautiful,” River finished softly.

I caught my reflection in a small puddle beside me.

Bright emerald eyes stared back.

Not frightened.

Not broken.

Strong.

River stepped forward within my mind, warmth flowing through every part of me.

“We’re together now.”

A lump formed in my throat.

“I’ve waited my whole life for you.”

“And I’ve waited just as long for you.”

For the first time since I was twelve years old…

I didn’t feel alone.