Chapter Eight
1389 Words
Claire's pov
"Claire?" Kimberly's smile disappeared instantly. "What's wrong?"
My breath caught. It felt like something had squeezed my heart in a merciless grip.
I doubled over.
"It hurts," I whispered, my voice trembled.
A strangled cry slipped from my throat as I slid onto the floor.
Kimberly immediately crouched beside me.
"Claire!"
I pressed my palm harder against my chest, struggling to breathe through the agony.
"My chest..." I gasped. "It's paining really badly."
Panic flashed across Kimberly's face.
"Let's get you to the infirmary."
When Kim helped me stand up on my feet the pain intensified.
"I can't," I whimpered.
"It's okay I'll carry you," she said as she
slipped an arm beneath my knees and another around my back before lifting me into her arms.
I clutched Kimberly's top tightly as the world around me blurred.
"You're okay," Kim reassured me as she hurried toward the infirmary. "Just hold on."
I bit down hard on my lip to keep from crying out.
By the time we reached the infirmary, my breathing had become uneven.
The scent of antiseptic filled the air. A few of the pack members looked at Kim carrying me but Kimberly couldn't be bothered.
A women clad in a white coat stood at the reception desk chatting to one of the nurses when she turned and saw us, she quickly approached us.
Doctor Sarah.
Her expression sharpened immediately when she saw me curled against Kimberly.
"What happened?" Sarah asked.
Kimberly adjusted me carefully in her arms. The pain was worsening, I felt like my life was slowly draining away.
"We were doing our chores and then she suddenly grabbed her chest and collapsed," Kimberly explained quickly.
Doctor Sarah's eyes moved over my pale face and trembling form.
"How long has the pain been going on?" she asked gently.
I swallowed hard.
"It's the first time I'm experiencing something like this, it started ten minutes ago and it wouldn't stop."
Sarah nodded once and looked at Kim.
"Bring her to the examination room," she instructed. "I'll examine her and find out what's going on."
"It's fine," I murmured. "I can walk."
Kim glared at me. "No you can't," she hissed, tightening her hold on me before carrying me down the infirmary hallway.
Fear settled heavily in my chest.
Because deep down I knew this wasn't normal. Something was wrong.
_________________________________________________
Kimberly carefully but gently lowered me onto the examination bed and adjusted the pillow beneath my head as another sharp ache pulsed through my chest.
I lifted my trembling hand and pressed it against my chest.
It still hurt but not as unbearable as before, but enough to make tears gather in the corners of my eyes.
"Easy," Kim murmured, brushing my hair away from my face. "You're going to be okay."
Sarah stood near the bed and began her examination. Her fingers rested lightly against my wrist as she checked my pulse before listening to my heartbeat.
The room was quiet except for the ticking of the clock on the wall.
"Do you have any dizziness?" Sarah asked. "Or trouble breathing?"
"No I don't. But when the pain started I did have some trouble breathing," I admitted softly. "It felt like..." I swallowed thickly. "Like someone was squeezing my heart."
Sarah's expression grew thoughtful.
She lowered her hands and looked directly at me.
"Have you found your mate?"
I blinked.
Why was she asking me this?
"Yes."
Beside me, Kimberly frowned in confusion.
"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, crossing her arms.
Sarah's gaze shifted toward Kimberly.
"It has everything to do with her mate."
Silence settled over the room.
My brows knitted as I stared at Sarah.
"I don't understand."
Sarah hesitated before speaking carefully.
"Mate bonds can affect wolves emotionally in ways we don't fully understand. Sometimes intense emotional distress connected to the bond manifests physically."
My fingers tightened around the blanket.
"What are you saying?"
Sarah took a slow breath.
"Claire..." she said gently. "This kind of pain can occur when a mate betrays the bond."
The world seemed to stop.
My eyes widened.
"...What?"
Kimberly looked horrified.
"You mean—" Kim said but Sarah nodded quickly.
"Your mate has been unfaithful."
I stared at her.
"No," I murmured shaking my head frantically as tears burned my eyes.
"No, that's not possible."
Cole wouldn't. He promised me he would never hurt me, he promised to take care of me and protect and keep me safe.
Unless all that was just a plan? To get me to sleep with him.
I looked at Sarah, tears rolling down my face. "Are you sure it's not that and something else?"
Sarah's expression softened.
"I wish there was."
A sob caught in my throat.
The ache in my chest suddenly made sense. The strange feeling of something cracking apart inside me.
Kimberly immediately moved to sit beside me, taking my trembling hand into hers.
"Claire..."
All this time, I believed that Cole cared about me. That despite everything I endured over the years, the Moon Goddess had finally given me someone who chose me.
Someone who cared and someone who wouldn't hurt me.
My breathing hitched painfully.
"He told me..." I whispered brokenly. "He told me I could trust him."
Kimberly squeezed my hand tighter.
I lowered her head as another sob escaped my lips.
For the first time since finding my mate, the fragile dream I built around Cole began to shatter.
_________________________________________________
The cemetery sat at the edge of the Night Stalker territory, hidden beneath towering pine trees that swayed beneath the evening wind.
I stood before a simple stone grave. It was unlike the grand monuments built for the previous alpha's and beta's, this one was modest. It was elegant and beautiful just like her.
Marrisa, my mate.
My eyes remained fixed on the name engraved into the stone.
The woman who had once been my entire world. The woman I failed to protect.
The flowers I brought earlier on rested at the base of the grave, their petals dancing in the cold breeze.
I slowly crouched down, resting my forearms against my knees as I stared at the headstone.
"Everyone keeps telling me to move on," I
said quietly, my voice rough.
"But I can't, I can't do it without you," I whispered into the night.
"I'm sorry I failed you."
I closed my eyes, forcing down the familiar wave of guilt threatening to consume me.
Memories of her assaulted me. The way she laughed, the warmth of her smile. Her touch and her scent.
We planned a future together and it was gone before it could even start all
because of one man.
My hands curled into fists thinking of him.
Michael destroyed my life, he took away the most precious thing away from me.
"I swear to you. I won't let Michael get away with what he did."
My voice turned cold.
"I'll make him pay."
The wind howled through the trees as though carrying my promise into the night.
"I'll destroy everything he loves."
Footsteps approached from behind me. I didn't need to turn around to see who it was. The only one person who would dare interrupt me here was my beta, luca. He was the only person who knew I'd be here.
"Alpha."
"What is it, luca?" I asked flatly.
Luca hesitated before speaking.
"I just received word from one of our spies."
That caught my attention. I slowly rose to my feet and faced my beta.
"What did you find?"
Luca's expression darkened.
"In two days, Michael is throwing a grand party."
I stared at him.
"A party?"
Luca nodded.
"He invited his allies, the Iron fang pack and the Redstone Pack."
A slow smile spread across my face.
"How f*****g convenient," I murmured, my fist clenching.
The son of a b***h is celebrating whilst I'm griefing.
Luca's eyes sharpened.
"Alpha?"
I made a promise to you Marrisa and I will keep it. Michael will pay for taking you away from me.
"That will be the perfect time to kill him, don't you think?" I asked, meeting luca's gaze.
"You want to attack the party?"
"We won't just attack."
My voice was cold enough to freeze the blood in my beta's veins.
"We'll make an example out of him."
- Writer
