Marked by Fate

Chapter Seventeen: Mate

Evan stood in the middle of the battlefield, his wolf snarling in his mind, his muscles coiled, still brimming with the need to fight. But something—something primal—shifted within him.

*Claire.*

It was a whisper in the back of his mind, faint at first, but then, unmistakable. The bond, the one he had kept at bay for so long, had flared to life the moment he felt her pain. It wasn’t just the emotional tug of it—no, this was physical. He could feel her injury, sharp and real, as if it was his own.

His heart hammered in his chest. His eyes scanned the chaos of the battle. He wanted to stay, to help the pack, but the bond was relentless. Claire was hurt. She needed him.

With a growl, he tore his gaze from the field and bolted. The warriors around him barely had time to react as he pushed through them, not bothering to explain. There was no time for words.

He had to get to her.

As he ran, the distance between them seemed to stretch farther, but the bond kept him tethered. It was like a tug on his very soul, urging him toward her. Every second that passed felt like an eternity, but he didn’t falter. He couldn’t.

By the time he reached the pack hospital, the doors swung open before him, and he found her.

*God, she was so pale.*

Claire lay unconscious in the hospital bed, her wounds patched up, but the blood loss had been significant. Her breathing was shallow, and the rise and fall of her chest was the only sign she was alive. The bond told him she was still with him, but the agony in her scent was undeniable.

Evan’s heart clenched at the sight of her, his fists tightening. He wanted to rage at the rogues, at the Alpha who had done this to her, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Not while she was in this state.

The doctors had done their best, but there was nothing they could do to ease the bond he felt. Nothing could calm the gnawing sense of helplessness that gripped him as he stood there, watching over her.

He moved to her side, pulling a chair close to the bed. His hand instinctively reached out, his fingers brushing her skin. She was cold, too cold. His heart stuttered in his chest as he cupped her face gently, running his thumb over her cheek.

*Claire...*

It was the first time he’d said her name aloud in his mind, but it didn’t feel strange. It felt right. The pull, the bond, it all made sense now. She was his. And she didn’t even know it yet.

He had known since the moment they met, before the battle had even begun, that she was his. But seeing her like this—so vulnerable—made it all the more real. The weight of his responsibilities as Alpha hit him in a way it never had before. He wasn’t just a leader of the pack anymore. He was a protector. And Claire, his mate, was his world.

Every part of him wanted to yell at her for being so reckless, for putting herself in danger when she didn’t have to. But deep down, he knew this was who she was. She was a warrior. A fighter.

And damn, did that make him proud.

He leaned over, pressing his forehead gently to hers, his breath shaky. "You’re so damn strong, Claire," he whispered. "You did it. You took down the Alpha. You protected the pack."

He stayed like that for a long time, just holding her hand, feeling the bond pulsing between them, even in her unconscious state. The pain that had shot through him when she was hurt was fading, but the intensity of it hadn’t left. His wolf was restless, pacing in his mind, growling in frustration.

He wanted to shift. He wanted to run, to chase down the rogues, to protect Claire from anything and everything. But he had to stay here. He had to stay strong for her. He wouldn’t leave her side.

The minutes dragged on, each one stretching into hours. Evan was dimly aware of the passing time, but all that mattered was her.

When the door to the hospital room creaked open, Evan didn’t look up, not at first. He knew it would be one of the doctors or pack members. But when he felt the faintest tug of the bond pulling in another direction, his head snapped up.

It was Sarah.

She stood in the doorway, her eyes heavy with worry. She didn’t need to speak for Evan to know what she was thinking. He had the same thoughts swirling in his own head. What if she didn’t make it? What if they were too late?

He didn’t want to entertain those thoughts.

He couldn’t.

Evan stood up, his hand never leaving Claire’s, and moved to meet Sarah at the door.

“Is she…” Sarah started, but Evan silenced her with a shake of his head.

“She’s strong,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse with emotion. “She’s a fighter, Sarah. She’ll pull through. She has to.”

Sarah nodded, but the doubt was still there in her eyes. Evan could feel it, the same weight pressing down on him.

But he couldn’t allow himself to think like that. Not now. Not while Claire was still breathing.

He turned back to Claire’s side, sitting down again. His gaze never left her face.

The bond between them was alive, thrumming with every beat of his heart. His wolf paced in anxious circles, growling every so often, but Evan refused to give in to the panic that clawed at his chest. He couldn’t leave.

“I’m not leaving you,” he whispered to her, his voice barely above a breath. “Not now. Not ever.”

He knew the fight wasn’t over yet, but right now, this moment—being with her—was all that mattered. As long as she was alive, he would stay by her side.

And if anything—*anyone*—tried to take her from him, they would have to go through him first.