REGRET— the shadow wolves

Chapter 8

Brandon

They tried to imagine the region as it was before. Lush vegetation and expansive forests, vast valleys and open spaces. But instead, they were confronted with a chaotic landscape that did not resemble their memories at all. The once open valleys were now overgrown, and the forest was so eerie that it was hard to believe it used to be teeming with life. It was no wonder that the shadow wolves roamed freely in this area now; their pack had likely removed any barriers when they moved through.

Brandon felt Lucy grip his arm as he drove, perhaps for comfort or to try to establish a connection again. Despite everything, she never seemed to give up. "Don't," he snapped, unable to tolerate her anymore. She should feel the same way, but she was stubborn as always - like when she convinced him to enter the mating ceremony. He should have known better than to listen to her. "I'm sorry...old habits die hard," she muttered, but he had heard it all before. It was time to move on and let go of the past - including their relationship that never really took off. "I'm only here for one reason - to find Mika. And when we do, I don't want there to be any misunderstandings. She needs to know that I came back for her. And only her."

He could feel her sadness without even looking at her. She was hurt by his rejection, but he no longer cared. Their relationship had been doomed from the start. He was only here to make things right with Mikayla, the one he truly loved.

"If I could undo it all, I would," he said regretfully. "But it's too late now. And even if we tried to fix things, she'll never forgive us if she sees us together."

"You mean that?" Lucy replied unsure. "I will never be with you again. I only pretended for the sake of our pack, but that charade is over now..." His words were cut off as they both noticed it at the same time.

Lucy's once beautiful dresses were hung on poles across the fields, almost mimicking real people. Each one more expensive than the last, lined up, side by side. Not a single word escaped Lucy's lips as the overwhelming mortification washed over her.

They continued walking until they reached the old pack house and surrounding cottages, all adorned with more of Lucy's dresses. The sight left them both stunned and silent.

As the rest of the pack gathered, they all kept their thoughts to themselves. Dante's voice was barely audible as he spoke, "She has been here." Lucy's voice was filled with regret as she responded, "Yeah." The whispers of the pack members behind them asked, "What does this mean? Is it the shadow pack's doing?" If only Brandon could explain, but now wasn't the time. He needed his pack to heal, and it wouldn't help to add more pain by revealing his suspicions. "It could also be a rival pack sending a warning," he finally said.

Lucy's tears streamed down her cheeks as she asked, "Will she ever forgive us?" But I couldn't bring myself to care. My only concern was for Mikayala, my destined mate.

As we stepped into the pack house, it was obvious that a pack had lived here before. It wasn't as messy as expected, but there were no family heirlooms or pictures left behind. The Devon pack had been completely erased from the mansion. It was what they had anticipated, but they didn't expect all evidence of their existence to be erased as well. The same was true for the cottages; they had been used, but there was no trace of the intruder or any signs of forced entry. Instead, there was an unsettling feeling of someone invading their personal space and using their belongings without permission. But those were minor concerns compared to the fact that all of their personal belongings had been removed or put on display to mock them, like Lucy's dresses. Did Mikayala do this? Was she still here?

Could he not sense her presence anymore? Had their bond disappeared completely? He still hadn't claimed Lucy as his mate or marked her. The reason behind it was that during the mating ceremony, he managed to convince them to wait until he could talk to her and explain, but he never got the opportunity. For all he knew, Mikayala only witnessed him entering the official mating ritual with her sister and that was the end of it.

He needed her to understand the truth. Despite being apart, he was still devoted to her. She was the only one for him, and he could never bring himself to be with another female. Though they pretended to be mated for the sake of the pack, it was all a facade. Nothing more than a charade.

"Brandon?" Dante's concerned voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You need to see this. How did we let this happen?"

Panic and worry surged through his body as he followed Dante to whatever discovery awaited them. As they rounded the corner, he froze in shock. His body trembling with disbelief at the sight before him. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be true.

In the spacious main room of the mansion, the same room he took the vows to mate Lucy, Mikayla's belongings were strewn about haphazardly, as if they had been violently thrown. But it didn't stop there. Everything was torn apart, reduced to shreds. It looked as though a hurricane or a raging fire had ravaged the room. The walls were covered in words that appeared to be written in blood, sending chills down his spine.

Traitors.

He knew Mikayla had been here, and while he should have felt relieved, all he could feel was dread. The woman he once knew as kindhearted had transformed into something much darker and more sinister than he ever could have imagined.

Mika was here and I needed to find her.