Claiming my Fated Mate

Chapter Three

Kira's Point of View

Pain. Everything was painful.

I wanted to moan, but my lips wouldn’t part. My body felt stiff and sore like every muscle had been turned to stone. I tried to move, but the weight was unbearable like the very air was too thick to push through. My eyelids, too heavy to lift, refused to open, though I could hear voices murmuring around me—unfamiliar voices.

"Is she waking up?"

"No, not yet. I'm watching over her."

"Mom is so anxious. She's been praying nonstop."

"I'm excited too. I never thought this day would come."

"Me neither, but I'm happy it's finally here."

Who are these people? And what are they talking about? The last thing I remember is running away from the pack in the dead of night. Did they find me and drag me back? The thought made my heart plummet. I didn’t want to see any of their faces again. They were the reason for my misery, and I would rather die than face them again.

"Oh, look! She's opening her eyes!" one voice called out, bringing me back to the present.

With a Herculean effort, I finally managed to c***k my eyes open. I needed to see who had brought me here. The first thing I noticed was a white ceiling with intricate gold patterns. The luxury of it took me by surprise—this wasn’t the rundown pack house I had fled. Even the Alpha’s quarters at Bright Shine weren’t this elegant. I turned my head slowly to the side, and my gaze met the face of a beautiful woman, smiling down at me.

"Are you okay? Do you feel pain anywhere?" she asked, her voice soft and melodic.

"I..." I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat.

She noticed my struggle and smiled sympathetically. "Your throat must be dry. Let me get you some water," she said, standing up gracefully. Moments later, she returned with a glass of water, which she held out to me.

"Here, drink this. It’ll help you relax."

I took the glass and sipped the water. It soothed my parched throat, making it easier to swallow and, after a moment, I felt a bit of relief. How long had it been since I’d last spoken?

"Do you want more?" she asked.

I shook my head, and she took the glass, placing it gently on the side table.

"You’ve been asleep for a long time. Your body must be stiff and sore. Now that you’re awake, you need to eat and regain your strength."

I looked at her, confused. "How long... How long have I been...?"

"Oh, you’ve been asleep for a month."

A month? My eyes widened in shock. I had been unconscious for a whole month? How did I get here? What had happened to me?

"How did you find me?" I managed to ask.

The woman smiled warmly. "Our pack guards found you lying unconscious in the forest. They were patrolling the area, and it was a fortunate coincidence for both of us."

So those voices I had heard before passing out had been the guards. She was right—I was lucky it was them who had found me and not someone else. I didn’t want to imagine what could have happened otherwise.

"Thank you for saving me," I whispered.

"There’s no need to thank us," she replied. "We were fortunate to find you, and we’ve been searching for you for years. It was finally worth it."

Her words puzzled me. Searching for me for years? What was she talking about?

Before I could ask her more, the door swung open, and several people hurried into the room. One of them was an elderly woman, her age hidden behind a graceful elegance. Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at me. Behind her stood two men, one older and one younger, both radiating strength and authority. But what struck me the most were their eyes—deep, vibrant purple, the rarest and most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

"How are you, dear?" the elderly woman asked, her voice gentle and soothing, pulling me out of my daze.

"I... I'm fine," I replied, though my mind was spinning. Her gaze was warm, filled with the kind of maternal love I had only ever seen my adoptive mother give to Reese. But she had never looked at me that way.

"I'm so grateful you're okay," she said, her voice breaking as she sobbed quietly. The older man stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Why are you crying? She's here, safe and sound," he said, his voice full of warmth.

The woman nodded, wiping her tears away before sitting down on the edge of my bed. She took my hand gently, and I felt a strange, warm energy flow through me.

"I'm so sorry for everything, dear. Because of our carelessness, you’ve suffered so much. I curse myself for it every day," she said, her voice thick with guilt.

I frowned in confusion. "What do you mean... Aunt?"

Her smile faltered slightly before she shook her head. "No, dear, I’m not your aunt. Our bond is much stronger than that."

I stared at her, trying to make sense of her words. What is she talking about? I had never seen these people before, but there was something about them that felt oddly familiar.

"What do you mean?" I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity.

"Do you know who you really are?" she asked gently.

"My name is Kira, and I lived in the Bright Shine Pack," I replied, still unsure of what she was getting at.

The woman smiled again, but this time it was tinged with sadness. "Kira is not your real name, my dear."

My heart skipped a beat. Not my real name? How could that be? Has everything I believed about myself been a lie?

Before I could voice my confusion, the younger man stepped forward, his purple eyes blazing with intensity. "You were never truly part of that pack, Kira. Everything they told you was a lie."

My heart pounded in my chest. What is all this? In a single moment, my name and identity were both being questioned.

The older man spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "We never visited you because we didn’t know you were living with the Bright Shine Pack. If we had known, we would have come for you immediately. You don’t belong there."

I shook my head, trying to process everything. "I don’t understand... I can’t understand any of this."

The elderly woman squeezed my hand gently. "Years ago, when you were six, there was a fire in our pack. It was a tragic night, and many of our people lost their lives. We had placed you in a safe place, away from the flames, but when we returned, you were gone. We searched everywhere for you, but you had vanished."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. A fire? I was taken? My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of my past.

"We searched for you for years, but we never found a trace," the elderly man added. "Not until a month ago when our guards found you in the forest. We didn’t know it was you, but we hoped."

"But how can you be so sure it’s me?" I asked, desperate for answers.

The woman smiled again, that same sad smile. "Our clan is unique. We have something that sets us apart from the others."

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling a strange mix of fear and hope.

"The reason you were unconscious for so long is because you exceeded your average power and awakened your wolf," she explained softly.

My heart skipped a beat. My wolf? Back at the Bright Shine Pack, everyone had already transformed, but I had never been able to. They mocked me, calling me weak because I couldn’t shift.

"But... I’ve never transformed before," I whispered, the memories of their taunts still fresh in my mind.

"Our kind doesn’t transform until we’re eighteen," the older man explained. "It’s in our blood, and the later transformation makes us stronger than normal wolves."

His words left me reeling. So that’s why I couldn’t transform before.

"But there are two things that make us even more unique," the woman continued. "After our first transformation, we bear a special marking on our backs, and our eyes turn purple—the only ones of their kind in the entire wolf world."

Purple eyes. I looked at the men again, their violet orbs shimmering with an ethereal light. My breath caught in my throat.

"Here," the young woman handed me a mirror, and with trembling hands, I took it. When I looked at my reflection, I nearly dropped the mirror in shock. My eyes... they were purple.

The truth hit me like a tidal wave, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I had found my true identity—my real family. I looked up at them, their warm smiles filling me with a sense of belonging I had never known before.

"I am your mother, Astrea," the elderly woman said, her voice trembling with emotion. "This is your father, Micah, your brother, Devak, and your sister-in-law, Tanea."

I looked at each of them, their faces filled with love and hope. Though I had just met them, my heart swelled with a warmth I had never felt before. Is this what it feels like to belong?

Astrea pulled me into a gentle embrace, her tears mixing with mine. "Welcome home, my sweet child."

Home. For the first time in my life, the word didn’t feel hollow. I had a family—a real family—and I was home.

But even as I embraced this newfound joy, a nagging thought crept into my mind. What happened to the Bright Shine Pack? What about Reese?

My thoughts must have shown on my face because Devak spoke up. "Don’t worry about them. We’ll deal with the Bright Shine Pack."

Micah nodded. "We’ve already taken steps to ensure they won’t harm you or anyone else."

I was grateful for their protection, but a part of me still felt uneasy. Could they keep me safe from Reese and the others? I pushed the thought aside, determined to trust my new family. For the first time, I felt safe—truly safe.

But even as I embraced this new reality, a lingering sense of dread remained. What would happen if Reese found out the truth about me? The thought was terrifying, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the love and warmth surrounding me. For now, that was enough.

As I drifted off to sleep, surrounded by my new family, I felt a deep sense of peace. I was no longer alone—I had a family, a home, and a future filled with hope.

But in the back of my mind, I knew this was just the beginning. My past might be behind me, but the challenges ahead were far from over. For now, though, I would rest, heal, and embrace my new life. Whatever came next, I knew I wouldn’t face it alone.