CHAPTER TWO:MATE
1151 Words
Elara's POV
"Say something."
Ava's voice sounded far away. Like she was speaking through water.
I couldn't take my eyes off the letter. The paper trembled between my fingers. Not because of the wind because my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Do not let the Alpha find you.
The words blurred as my vision swam.
My mother had written this. My mother. The same woman I'd spent ten years mourning. The same woman who supposedly died in a hunting accident. The same woman who had never gotten the chance to tell me goodbye.
Yet somehow she'd known this day would come. Known enough to leave me a warning. A warning about the Alpha.
My stomach twisted.
"Maybe she meant a different Alpha," Ava offered weakly.
I looked at her. She looked at me. Neither of us believed that. There was only one Alpha in Blackwood Pack.
Alpha Darius Blackwood.
The most powerful wolf in the territory. The man every unmated female secretly dreamed about. The man I had never spoken to.
Not once. So why would my mother warn me about him?
A sharp blast of the ceremonial horn echoed through the village again.
Ava cursed. "We have to go."
I looked back at the letter. "No."
Her eyebrows shot up. "What?"
"I'm not going."
Ava blinked. Then blinked again.
As if she was waiting for me to laugh. I didn't. "Elara, the Moon Ceremony only happens once a year."
"I know."
"You can't skip it."
I folded the letter carefully. "Watch me."
Ava stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "You've been excited about this for weeks."
"That was before my dead mother came back to haunt me."
"Technically, it's a letter."
"You know what I mean."
Ava groaned.
I walked to the fireplace and stared into the flames. Every instinct told me to listen to the warning.
My mother had died protecting something. That much was obvious. And if she'd gone through the trouble of leaving me a message...
Then she must have had a reason.
Right?
The horn sounded a third time. Longer this time. The final call. My chest tightened. Outside, I could hear villagers moving toward the ceremonial grounds.
Laughter.
Excitement.
Hope.
Everything I'd been feeling an hour ago. Before the letter. Before the warning. Before my entire life got flipped upside down.
Ava moved beside me. "What if your mate is there?"
I froze. The question hit harder than I wanted to admit.
Because despite everything…
Despite the warning…
Despite my fear… A tiny part of me still hoped.
Hoped there was someone out there waiting for me. Someone who would look at me and choose me. Someone who would make me feel less alone.
Ava saw the hesitation immediately. A slow smile spread across her face. "There she is."
I groaned. "Don't."
"Go to the ceremony."
"No."
"Let's go."
"No."
I pointed toward the door. "You're annoying."
"You love me."
Unfortunately. She wasn't wrong.
Ten minutes later, I found myself walking toward the ceremonial grounds. Muttering complaints the entire way. Ava looked entirely too pleased with herself.
The clearing was packed. Hundreds of wolves filled the space. Music drifted through the night air. Torches illuminated the surrounding trees.
The giant moon hanging overhead bathed everything in silver light.
Beautiful. Ancient. Sacred.
My nerves returned instantly. "Oh, Goddess."
Ava grabbed my arm. "Breathe."
"I'm breathing."
"No, you're hyperventilating."
"I am not." I immediately took a breath too fast.
Ava snorted.
The crowd suddenly parted. A ripple of excitement spread through the clearing. I didn't need to ask why. Alpha Darius had arrived.
The atmosphere changed immediately. Every head turned. Every conversation stopped.
Power rolled off him in waves. Even from a distance. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. Sharp jaw. Gray eyes that seemed capable of cutting through stone.
I hated how good-looking he was. It felt unfair.
My wolf stirred beneath my skin. Restless. Interested. I ignored her.
The Alpha stepped onto the raised platform beside the Elders. His expression remained calm.
Controlled. Untouchable. Then his eyes lifted.
And landed directly on me.
The world stopped. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The crowd disappeared. The music disappeared. Everything disappeared.
There was only him. And me.
And the invisible thread suddenly pulling tight between us.
His entire body went rigid. A strange expression crossed his face.
Shock. Pure shock.
The air left my lungs. No. No way.
My wolf surged forward. Excitement exploded through every part of me.
Mate.
The word echoed through my head.
Mate. Mate. Mate.
My knees nearly buckled.
Across the clearing, Darius looked like he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes never left mine. Not even for a second.
For one beautiful moment… I thought he was happy. Then the color drained from his face. Fear replaced the shock.
Raw. Immediate. Terrifying.
The same fear I'd seen on Elder Miriam's face. The same fear hidden inside my mother's warning.
Cold dread flooded my stomach. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
The Alpha suddenly took a step forward. As if he intended to come to me. A low voice stopped him. One of the Elders.
I couldn't hear the words. But I saw the reaction.
Darius froze. The Elder handed him something. A folded piece of paper. His eyes scanned it.
Once. Then again. The blood drained from his face completely.
My pulse pounded in my ears. What was happening? What was on that paper?
Darius slowly lifted his head. Our eyes met again. The look on his face shattered every bit of happiness I'd felt. Because it looked exactly like the expression of a man being forced to make an impossible choice.
Then someone screamed.
The sound tore through the clearing. Every head turned.
A woman stumbled out of the crowd. Blood covered her dress. Her eyes were wide with terror.
She pointed directly at me. "She's back."
Silence crashed over the clearing.
The woman was trembling violently. "No."
She shook her head. "No, no, no." Her finger remained locked on me.
Terror twisted her features. As if she'd seen a ghost. As if she'd seen a monster. And then she whispered three words that made the entire crowd recoil.
"The Silver Heir."
Darius's POV
Impossible.
That was the only word running through my head. Impossible.
The moment our eyes met, I knew. Mate. Mine.
The realization should have felt like a blessing. Instead, it felt like a death sentence. Because the girl standing across the clearing wasn't supposed to exist.
And the name the terrified woman had just spoken confirmed my worst fear.
The Silver Heir.
After eighteen years… They had finally foun
d her.
My phone vibrated inside my pocket.
I already knew who the message was from. Slowly, I pulled it out.
One text. One sentence. One order. My blood ran cold.
Reject her now, or watch her die tonight.
- Writer
