Chapter 10
1025 Words
Without a word, he was on the move; his friends were right, he might have felt like he had been rejected in that moment, but he had been doing that to her for years, and the shame burned like acid.
Milton races through the forest, his heart hammering against his ribs. The ceremonial circle fades behind him, the shocked murmurs of the pack growing distant as he follows Clover's scent, lavender and pine, now tinged with the sharp edge of fear. His wolf guides him unerringly through the darkness, more attuned to her presence than he ever allowed himself to acknowledge.
"Clover!" he calls again, his voice echoing among the ancient trees. "Please, wait!"
But Clover has no intention of stopping. Her newly awakened wolf lends her speed she's never possessed before, her bare feet barely touching the forest floor as she flees. Tears blur her vision, but she doesn't slow down. The humiliation burns worse than any she's endured before, to discover her fated mate is the very man who has spent years making her feel worthless, only to have him reject her before the entire pack.
'I can't stay here now,' she thinks desperately. 'I have to leave tonight.'
What she doesn't realise, what she can't see through her panic and pain, is that Milton's eyes hold no rejection, only desperate need and dawning horror at his own blindness.
Back at the ceremonial grounds, chaos erupts as the implications of what just happened sink in. Pack members cluster in small groups, their excited whispers creating a steady hum of speculation. Theodore stands rigid with shock, his mind racing to adapt his plans to this new reality.
"Did you know?" he demands of Alpha Frederick, his voice low and accusatory.
The Alpha's weathered face reveals nothing as he meets Theodore's gaze. "I suspected. The Goddess has been restless these past weeks, and the signs were there for those willing to see them."
"And you said nothing?" Theodore hisses.
"Would you have listened?" Frederick counters, his voice carrying the weight of years of wisdom. "Or would you have tried harder to prevent what was meant to be?"
Peter watches this exchange with growing unease, his own emotions a turbulent mix of jealousy, relief, and genuine concern for both Clover and Milton. His wolf paces anxiously within him, sensing the upheaval that's only beginning to unfold.
"I should go after them," he says, taking a step toward the forest path.
Luna Joanna's hand on his arm stops him. "No," she says firmly. "This moment belongs to them alone. Your presence would only complicate things."
Grandmother Willow nods in agreement, her ancient eyes distant as if seeing beyond the present moment. "The bond must be acknowledged or denied by them alone," she says, her voice carrying despite its softness. "Interference now would only bring pain to all involved."
In the forest, Clover finally stops running, her lungs burning and legs trembling with exhaustion. She finds herself at the edge of the Claiming Pools, natural hot springs where newly bonded mates often retreat to complete their bond. The irony of it wasn’t lost on her. I need to hide where no one has ever found me before. The hollow willow tree is the safest place now for me until I can think clearly.
The hollow willow tree stands sentinel at the farthest edge of Kirkwood territory, its ancient trunk split open centuries ago by lightning. Inside its cavernous core, Clover has found sanctuary since childhood, a place where neither Peter's cruelty nor her father's disappointment could reach her. Now she presses her back against the gnarled interior, her ceremonial dress collecting splinters and dirt as she slides to the ground.
Her wolf, Sage, whines in distress, pushing against her consciousness with unprecedented force. -Why are we hiding from our mate?- the wolf demands, confusion and longing tangled in the mental communication.
"He's not our mate," Clover whispers aloud, though no one is there to hear. "He can't be. The Goddess wouldn't be that cruel."
But even as she speaks the words, she knows they're a lie. The moment Milton's lips touched hers, something fundamental clicked into place, a connection so profound it terrified her with its intensity. Years of yearning she'd buried beneath layers of protective indifference suddenly make painful sense.
She's always wanted him. Has always been drawn to him, despite his cruelty, or perhaps because her wolf recognised what her human heart refused to see.
Miles away, Milton crashes through the underbrush, following Clover's scent with single-minded determination. His wolf guides him through the darkness, more attuned to her presence than he ever allowed himself to acknowledge. The ceremonial circle and shocked pack are far behind him now, irrelevant compared to the primal need driving him forward.
-She thinks we'll reject her,- his wolf growls, the realisation hitting both animal and man with devastating clarity. -Because that's all we've ever done.-
The truth of it staggers Milton, nearly bringing him to his knees. Years of deliberate cruelty flash before his eyes, each dismissive comment, each time he'd undermined her authority, each moment he'd pretended she was invisible. All to deny the pull he'd felt since she was sixteen and he was twenty-one, a connection his human pride couldn't accept.
"I've been such a fool," he whispers to the night air, his voice rough with self-recrimination.
What neither of them knew was that Peter had gone after both of them, not quite on the same path; he knew better than best friend or not, Milton’s wolf would be ready to kill any male that got close to her before him.
Peter moves swiftly but cautiously through the forest, careful to keep downwind of Milton. He knows his friend's wolf will be in a frenzy to find Clover, and the last thing he wants is to trigger Milton's territorial instincts. Still, concern drives him forward, concern for both of them.
"What a mess," he mutters, ducking under a low-hanging branch. Years of complicated feelings swirl within him: his genuine friendship with Milton warring with his secret longing for Clover, all tangled with guilt over how he's treated her.
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