The Mate Bond Awakens
1469 Words
*First Person POV - Thessara*
The supply room was quiet. It was too quiet, I had no choice but to count the IV bags. For the third time, my hands? They wouldn't stop, they kept on shaking.
The late shift. Meant fewer people. Around. Fewer eyes. Watching me. Pretend. To be Claire.
But the silence. Made everything. Worse. I could hear. Every heartbeat. In the building. Every whisper. Of fear.
The door opened. Behind me. I didn't need it. To turn around. I knew. His scent. Pine and winter. And something. Darker.
"Working late?" Kieran's voice. Filled the small space. Made it. Feel smaller.
"Someone has to." I kept counting. Bags. Didn't look. At him.
His footsteps. Came closer. The room. It was too small. For both of us. Too close. Too dangerous.
"Look at me," he said. Soft. But it wasn't. A request.
I turned. Slow. His black eyes. We're normal now. Brown. Humans. But I knew. What I'd seen. Earlier.
The moment. Our eyes met. Something hit me. Like lightning. Like fire. Like the world. Splitting open.
The mate bond.
No. This couldn't. Be happening. Not with him. Not with this. Dark thing. Wearing human skin.
But my body. I didn't care. Heat flooded. Through me. Need. Want. Desire. So strong. It hurt.
Kieran stepped back. Like I'd burned him. His eyes. Wide. Shocked.
"What the hell?" he whispered.
I gripped. The metal shelf. Behind me. My knees. I felt weak. This was wrong. All wrong. The moon goddess. Wouldn't do this. To me.
"Stay back," I said. But my voice. Sounded breathless. Wanting.
"I can't." His voice. It was rough. Strained. "What is this?"
The mate bond. The one thing. I thought. Was lost. Forever. When I woke up. In Claire's body.
But the goddess. I had other plans.
Kieran moved. Closer again. His hand. Reach for me. I should. Pull away. Should run.
Instead. I learned. Into his touch.
His fingers. Traced my cheek. Still cold. But now. The cold felt. Right. Like ice. On burning skin.
"Claire," he whispered. But he was looking. At me. Like he saw. Something else. Someone else.
"Don't," I said. But I didn't. Move away.
His other hand. Came up. Framed my face. His eyes. Searched for mine. Looking for. Answers. I couldn't give up.
"Who are you?" he asked. Again.
"I'm—" I started. To lie. Again.
But the words. Died. In my throat. He leaned closer. His lips. Almost touching. Mine.
The door. Slammed open. We jumped apart. Fast. Guilty.
A woman. I stood there. Tall. Blonde. Beautiful. On the way. That cut. Like knives.
"Oh." She smiled. Sharp. Predatory. "Sorry. Didn't mean. To interrupt."
I searched. Claire's memories. Fast. This was Marissa. Dr. Marissa Chen. Surgeon. Ambitious. Dangerous.
And she wanted to. Kieran.
"Marissa," Kieran said. His voice. Back to cold. Professional. "What do you need?"
"Just looking. For supplies." Her eyes. Never left. Mine. "Hello, Claire. Good to see you. Back on your feet."
"Thank you," I said. My voice. It sounded normal. But inside. Something snarled.
Jealousy. Hot. Fierce. Unexpectedly.
I'd never felt it before. Jealous before. In my pack. Mates were. Sacred. Untouchable.
But Claire's body. Claire's life. Made everything. Complicated.
"You look..." Marissa tilted. Her head. Studying me. "Different. Since the accident."
"Different how?" Kieran asked. His doctor's voice. Alert. I'm interested.
"Harder somehow. Sharper." Marissa's smile. Got wider. "Almost predatory."
The word. Hit me. Like a slap. She knew. Something. I was wrong.
"Accidents change people," I said. Careful.
"Oh, they do." Marissa moved. Into the room. Closer to Kieran. "Sometimes. For the better."
Her hand. Touched his arm. Light. Casual. But claiming.
The jealousy. Roared louder. In my chest. My hands. Clenched. Into fists.
"I should go," I said. Before I did. Something. Claire wouldn't do it.
"Of course." Marissa's voice. It was sweet. Poisonous. "Don't work. Too hard."
I pushed past. Both of them. Out into the hall. My heart. Pounded hard. Against my ribs.
The mate bond. Still hummed. Between Kieran and me. Even with. Distance. I could feel him. Like a second. Heartbeat.
This was. A nightmare. The moon goddess. Had cursed me. Made me human. Then bound me. To this dark thing.
Why?
I walked. To the break room. Sat alone. In the corner. I tried to think. To understand.
My phone. Buzzed. A text. From Kieran.
*Meet me. In my office. Ten minutes.*
I stared. At the message. Should delete it. I should go home. Should run.
But the mate bonds. Pulled at me. Like gravity. Like coming home.
Ten minutes. Later. I stood. Outside his office. My hand. Raised to knock.
The door. Opened. Before I could.
"Come in," he said.
His office. It was small. Dark. Papers scattered. Everywhere. Charts. Photos. Newspaper clippings.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Research." He closed. The door. Behind me. "About the attacks."
I moved closer. To his desk. The newspaper clippings. Showed headlines. About animal attacks. Strange sightings. Missing people.
All near. Maplewood.
"Why are you? Researching this?" I asked.
"Because." He stood. Behind me. Close. "I think. They're connected."
"To what?"
"To you."
I spun around. Fast. "What?"
"The attacks started. Three months ago. Right when. You started having. Those dreams."
Dreams? Claire. I had dreams. About the attacks?
I searched. Her memories. Found fragments. Dark creatures. Running. Hunting. Blood.
Claire had been. Having werewolf dreams. Just like. I used to. Before the accident.
"How do you know? About my dreams?" I asked.
"You talk. In your sleep." His eyes. We're black again. Just for. A moment. "You talk. About running. About hunting. About the pack."
Fear crawled. Up my spine. Claire had known. About my kind. Somehow.
"I don't remember. Having dreams," I lied.
"Don't you?" He stepped. Closer. The mate bond. Flared between us. Hot. Dangerous.
"No."
"Then explain. This." He picked up. A photo. From his desk.
It showed. Claw marks. In a tree. Deep gouges. That looked. Like wolf claws. But bigger.
"I don't know. What that is," I said.
"It's from. The night. Of your accident." His voice. It was soft. Deadly. "Found it. Fifty feet. From your car."
My heart. Stopped beating. For a moment. The creature. From Claire's memories. Had left. These marks.
"What do you think? It means?" I asked.
"I think." He moved. Even closer. "Something is hunting. In Maplewood. Something like that. Shouldn't exist."
"Like what?"
His hand. Touched my face. Again. The mate bond. Sang between us.
"Like werewolves," he whispered.
The word. Hit me. Like a physical blow. He knew. He suspected. About my kind.
"That's crazy," I said. But my voice. Shook.
"Is it?" His thumb. Traced my cheek. "Tell me, Claire. What do you remember? About that night?"
Everything. I remembered. Everything. Through Claire's eyes. The creature. With black eyes. Like his.
"Nothing," I lied.
"Liar." But he said it. Gentle. Almost fond.
The door. It opened again. Without knocking.
Marissa walked in. Like she owned. The place. The man.
"Kieran, we need to—" She stopped. Saw us. Standing close. Too close.
"Discuss the Morrison case," she finished. Her voice. Sharp now. Cold.
"Of course." Kieran stepped back. From me. The distance. Felt like. Losing warmth.
"I'll leave you. To your work," I said.
"Claire." Marissa's voice. Stopped me. At the door. "Maybe we could. Have coffee. Sometimes. Catch up."
I turned. To look. At her. Her smile. It was perfect. Predatory.
"I'd like that," I lied.
"Wonderful." She moved. Closer to Kieran. Claimed her territory. "I have so many. Stories to share. About Kieran and me. Working together."
The emphasis. Together. It was clear. The threat. Obvious.
"I'm sure. You do," I said.
But my eyes. Flashed gold. Just for. A moment. Dangerous. Warning.
Marissa saw it. Stepped back. Fast. Her perfect smile. Faltered.
"I should go," I said. Again.
This time. I left. Fast. Before I did. Something. That would expose. What I really was.
In the elevator. Going down. I closed my eyes. The mate bond. Still pulled. At me. Even floors. Away.
This was. Impossible. The moon goddess. I had taken everything. From me. My pack. My body. My life.
Now she'd given me. A mate. I couldn't have. A dark thing. That hunt. My kind.
But the bond. I didn't care. About impossible. It only cared. About need. Want. The pull. Between souls.
My phone. Buzzed again. Another text.
*This isn't over. - K*
I deleted it. Fast. But the words. Stayed burned. In my mind.
He was right. This wasn't. Over. The mate bond. I would keep pulling. Us together.
No matter. How dangerous. It was.
No matter. What secrets? We both kept.
The moon goddess. I had a plan. For me. For us.
I just. I hope so. I would survive it.
- Writer
