Claiming my Fated Mate

Chapter Two

Kira's Point of View

Is this the price we pay for companionship? Pain, loneliness, and despair? I've always wondered who invented this bond, this connection that's supposed to be so sacred. Why am I destined to endure such agony while others revel in joy behind my back?

They say your mate is your other half.

That’s what I’ve been told my whole life. But what now? Where’s the proof? Does someone who is supposed to be your other half abandon you just because you can't shift into your wolf form? Is that what a mate does?

A sharp pain seared through my chest, making it hard to breathe. I clutched my heart as if it were slipping away. I can't stay here any longer. I don’t want to go back to the pack, not when my mind is this clouded. Lost in my thoughts, I stumbled into something solid.

I recoiled instinctively.

"Kira? What happened to you?" a familiar voice called out. "Why are you..."

Ben’s eyes widened as he took in my appearance, shock evident on his face. "Kira, you..."

“Step back,” I almost growled. I didn’t recognize the roughness in my voice, but it was there, a raw edge to my words.

Ben retreated, his gaze never leaving me.

“Go ask your beloved Alpha,” I spat, “who’s busy with my so-called stepsister. If you hurry, you might catch them in the act or even join in their fun.”

Normally, I would never curse. Words like that don’t even cross my mind. But today, everything felt different—darker.

"Kira, you... you... you're..."

“Shut up!” I shouted. “Don’t say my name. This filthy place doesn’t deserve it.”

The pain in my chest intensified, spreading like wildfire through my veins. I felt like I was burning from the inside out. Is this what rejection feels like? I couldn’t understand it.

Without another thought, I turned and bolted towards the pack’s border.

“Kira, stop! Where are you going?” Ben’s voice echoed behind me, but I didn’t look back.

I glanced over my shoulder. “I dare you to follow me,” I warned before leaving the Bright Shine Pack behind.

The pack’s territory bordered a valley, with a dense forest on one side. No one from the pack ever ventured into those woods. It was said to belong to a powerful pack, one that even Bright Shine didn’t dare to cross. If I wanted to escape the pack’s territory, I had to go into the forest. Once I entered, I would become a rogue—no home, no family, no pack. But at this point, that was exactly what I wanted.

I had lived in the Bright Shine Pack for years, but not a single day had I received any respect from the pack members. Other than Ben, there wasn’t a single soul who acknowledged my existence. I was invisible to them.

Why was that?

Why was I the only one in the pack who couldn’t shift into my wolf form? Most werewolves change at sixteen, but not me. It gave them plenty of reasons to mock me.

I tolerated it all, and swallowed my pride, thinking that once I became Luna, they might accept me. But today, I realized it was all just a dream.

Why? Why is reality so much harsher than fantasy? In an instant, all my hopes, dreams, and love shattered like fragile glass slipping through my fingers.

The pain in my body grew unbearable. My limbs felt heavy, my body numb. I dragged myself towards the forest, each step more painful than the last. As soon as I crossed into the woods, it would be over. I would no longer be a member of the Bright Shine Pack. And that was what I truly wanted now.

To sever all ties. I had no real connection with them anyway. They weren’t my blood, and after all these years of humiliation, I had paid my dues.

The dark forest loomed ahead, silent and eerie. It felt like I was stepping into a world of deathly quiet, where no one would find me, no matter how hard they tried. And I knew they would try. To them, I was still useful, so they wouldn’t let me go so easily. If the situation weren’t so shocking, they would never have let me escape like this. And I didn’t want to see their faces—now or ever.

The sun had already set, and darkness enveloped me as I entered the forest.

A faint light filtered through the branches, but my breathing grew labored as I struggled to move. It felt like my bones were breaking, and I couldn’t stay upright. I leaned against a tree, trying to catch my breath.

This pain was something I had never experienced before. Why was this happening so suddenly?

“Ah...” A sharp cry escaped my lips as a searing pain shot through my body. I slid off the tree and collapsed onto the ground.

I rolled in the dirt, writhing in agony, but there was no one to hear my cries. Why did I feel so much pain? Was I going to die here? Maybe that would be better.

My body went numb, and my mind began to shut down. I closed my eyes, weary and broken. The bones in my body felt like they were shattering from the inside. If I died here, it wouldn’t be worth it. I didn’t want to die like this. My senses started to fade into the darkness.

But then, faintly, I heard voices. Even though I wanted to open my eyes, I didn’t have the strength.

Footsteps rustled through the leaves, growing closer. I caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. I didn’t know when my sense of smell had become so keen, but I could distinguish the unfamiliar from the familiar.

“Oh... yes... it’s her...” “Silence.”

There was more than one person. They were talking to each other, and they had seen me.

“This isn’t our territory,” one of them said, their voice a hoarse whisper.

“Maybe she’s a rogue passing through,” another replied.

“But in this condition? I can’t believe it,” the first one repeated.

“This is strange. Is this her first time?”

What were they talking about? My first time? What condition was I in?

Even though I desperately wanted to know, I couldn’t do anything but lie there, motionless. No matter how hard I tried, my body wouldn’t move. And slowly, I felt my senses slipping into the void.

“We can’t leave her here.”

“Let’s take her with us. Maybe the Alpha can help.”

They whispered to each other, and then I felt myself being lifted. I didn’t know where they were taking me, but at this point, I had nothing left to lose. I would let fate decide where I ended up this time.

A Month Later...

In the Bright Shine Pack

Jade's Point of View

“Where is she?” I glared at the pack members standing before me, their heads bowed in shame.

“She’s been gone for a month, and you still can’t find a girl with no wolf powers? Useless,” I growled, slamming my fist on the table, breaking it in half.

“Young Alpha, we’ve tried, but she’s nowhere in the territory. No one saw her cross the border,” one of them stammered.

I clenched my fists, closing my eyes in frustration. “Get out. I don’t want to see your faces until you find her and bring her back.”

It had been a month since Kira left the pack. At first, I thought she was just angry and would return after cooling down. I had planned to convince her to come back, but I never expected her to leave the pack entirely.

Our relationship had been strained, and I knew my affair with Reese would hurt her, but I never imagined it would push her this far. Despite everything, we were mates, and the bond we shared was supposed to be unbreakable. Losing your mate, especially when you’re on the verge of becoming Alpha, was a devastating blow. Reese was attractive and had captured my attention, but Kira was my destined mate, the one who gave me strength and support.

That night, after she rejected me, the pain in my chest was unbearable. I would have burned from the inside if my father hadn’t given me the healing pill in time. I never thought Kira would reject me as her mate, let alone leave the pack.

Despite everything, I never wanted to lose my mate. Without your true mate, you can’t ascend to the title of Alpha. But why did she leave? Didn’t I promise to take responsibility for her? I wanted to give her all the rights of a Luna, even if she wouldn’t hold the title.

But she refused.

“Any news of her?” I turned to see Reese standing in the doorway, worry etched on her face.

I shook my head. She gave me a small smile before walking over to me.

“If it weren’t for me, she’d still be here. I think I pushed our relationship too far.”

I grimaced. “You don’t have to say that. She’s just angry and hiding somewhere.”

“But she rejected you.” I closed my eyes. That was something I didn’t want to hear.

“You should go. I have work to do,” I told her.

Her face paled. “Jade, I know you’re worried about Kira. She’s been missing for a month, and I’m worried too. After all, she’s my sister. Even though we’re not related by blood, we grew up together, and that’s something we can’t forget.”

I sighed, rubbing my temple. “Go. I’ll call you later.”

Once she left, I ran my hand through my hair, letting out a deep breath.

A month had passed, and I was beginning to fear the worst. Without Kira, I couldn’t become Alpha, and without an Alpha, the pack would fall into chaos. My father’s health was declining, and I had to step up soon.

But without my mate, I was powerless.

No one in the pack could figure out how she had left without a trace. The surveillance cameras showed her crossing the border, but after that, she disappeared. No one knew where she had gone.

And that was what worried me the most. If she had crossed into another pack’s territory, she could be in danger. The other packs wouldn’t hesitate to kill a rogue on sight, especially one as defenceless as Kira. But deep down, I had a feeling she was still alive. The mate bond wasn’t completely severed; I could still feel her presence faintly as if she were just out of reach.

“Find her, no matter what,” I ordered my men. “Search every corner of the forest, every nearby pack’s territory. I want her back here, alive and unharmed.”

As they left, I stared out the window, my heart heavy with regret.

Where are you, Kira? Why did you leave me?