Ex Mate, I'm Back

Chapter 2: Twisted night in tumbled sheets

This evening was meant to be Kaylin's engagement. The magnificent ballroom ought to have shone with golden chandeliers, laughter echoing as attendees raised their glasses to celebrate her future. She ought to have been positioned at the center, glowing, a smile on her face as she placed a ring on her partner's finger.

Rather, this evening marked her funeral.

The hall, originally intended for joy, was now covered in sadness. Dark banners took the place of white silks. Candles wavered in the low light, their flames creating strange shadows on the walls. The fragrance of flowers, far too many, made my stomach churn.

And after that, there was the murmuring.

Soft voices slithered through the throng like snakes, phrases intended to be heard yet never recognized.

"She has committed murder."

“She took the life of her own sister.”

“I was informed that she felt envious of Kaylin’s engagement.”

“Did you notice how the Alpha gazed at her?” “He plans to make her suffer.”

I balled my hands into fists, my nails pressing into my hands. My entire body felt as if it were sinking, submerged beneath their critical gazes.

At the front of the room, my parents remained motionless, their faces colorless, their shoulders drooping under the burden of embarrassment. My mother's hands shook as she fixed her stare on Kaylin’s casket, entirely avoiding looking at me. My father, once a figure of unwavering strength, stood next to her, his fists so tightly clenched that his knuckles became pale.

Neither of them said anything to me. They hadn't since the previous night.

I wanted to scream, to tell them that I didn’t do it. That I wasn’t a monster.

But what was the point? Even if I shouted until my throat bled, no one would believe me.

I took a step back, then another. The air was thick, suffocating. I needed to get out of here.

As I turned, I caught the sneers of a group of women in long silk gowns, their painted lips curling in amusement.

“She can’t even sit through the funeral,” one of them scoffed, her voice dripping with cruelty.

“Of course she can’t. Guilt is eating her alive.”

“If I were her, I’d have thrown myself off a cliff by now.”

Their laughter was soft, sharp, and it cut deeper than any blade.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to keep walking. My breath was coming in short, uneven gasps. My heart hammered against my ribs, but it wasn’t just because of their words.

Something was wrong.

A strange heat curled through my veins, slow at first, then burning hotter, spreading like wildfire. My muscles tensed, my skin tingling as though something was crawling beneath it.

Audrey.

My wolf stirred, her voice a whisper in my mind. He’s here.

I froze.

What? Who’s here?

But Audrey didn’t answer. The pressure inside me intensified, pulsing, calling. It wasn’t pain,it was something else. A pull. A force.

I stumbled out of the hall, my breath ragged as I pushed past mourners and into the open night air. The wind kissed my burning skin, but it wasn’t enough to cool me down.

The pull dragged me forward, my feet moving on their own.

Don’t fight it, Audrey murmured. Let go.

I shook my head. I don’t understand—

You will.

The pressure snapped.

A gasp tore from my lips as my body lurched forward. My legs moved faster, my senses sharpening. The night air smelled sweeter, crisper, every sound more vivid. I could hear the distant hoot of an owl, the rustling of leaves in the wind, the heartbeat of something alive.

I ran.

Through the clearing, past the towering trees. The forest called to me, a song I had never heard but somehow knew by heart. My skin tingled, my bones aching, shifting.

Then, pain.

A white-hot surge of energy ripped through my body, and I fell to my knees with a choked cry. My fingers clawed at the earth as my bones cracked, twisted. My dress tore at the seams as my spine stretched, my limbs lengthened.

I gasped, my vision blurring, but Audrey’s voice was strong now. Breathe. Don’t fight it.

I exhaled shakily.

Then I let go.

The transformation was both agony and freedom.

I threw my head back, a howl ripping from my throat as my body morphed, my human skin melting away to reveal sleek black fur. My ears sharpened, my claws dug into the ground, and my tail flicked behind me.

Power thrummed through my veins, raw, untamed.

The pull was stronger now, leading me deeper into the woods. My paws moved on their own, my body surrendering to instinct.

I was no longer just Kendall.

I was the wolf.

And tonight, my fate was no longer my own.

The force inside me was relentless, dragging me deeper into the woods, my feet moving as if they belonged to something else entirely. My body burned from the inside out, every nerve on fire as Audrey, my wolf, howled in my mind.

He's here.

I didn’t need her to tell me,I could feel it. The air around me thickened, the scent of pine and damp earth mixing with something heady, intoxicating. My wolf trembled inside me, craving what was coming.

The trees parted suddenly, revealing a towering waterfall, its crystal-clear water crashing down into a shimmering pool. Mist hung in the air, catching the moonlight, making everything look ethereal.

Then, I felt him.

A presence behind me. Large. Powerful.

A deep, primal growl rumbled through the night. I didn’t turn,I didn’t have to. I knew who it was.

Zach.

Before I could move, before I could think, his scent wrapped around me—smoky, wild, dangerous. His warmth pressed against my back as he lowered his massive head, inhaling deeply at the crook of my neck.

My breath hitched. My body betrayed me, leaning into his touch.

Mate.

The word pulsed between us, unspoken but undeniable.

With a shuddering gasp, my body shifted, bones cracking, reshaping, fur retreating into my skin until I stood bare in the moonlight. I turned just as he transformed, the beast melting away to reveal the man,Zach, powerful, predatory, eyes burning with the same fire consuming me.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t need to.

His hands were on me before I could blink, his lips crashing into mine, raw and claiming. Heat exploded between us, the pull of the bond undeniable. The world disappeared,the grief, the whispers, the shame.

There was only us.

And under the roar of the waterfall, tangled in moonlight and shadows, we gave in.