Arriving at his tall mansion that stood in the centre of the woods, Mac casually placed the umbrella on the stand, his thoughts still consumed by the meeting he had just concluded.
However, before he could take another step, a familiar voice pierced the air, cutting through the silence. "So, how did it go with her?"
Without breaking his stride, Mac continued toward the staircase. He didn't spare a single glance at his mother, Lucy, who was sitting on the couch. His voice was composed as he replied, "You are asking as if you are not aware of how she is."
Shaking her head, Lucy took a deep, steadying breath before speaking, her voice laced with concern. "Mac, what you have done isn't wise at all. You're fully aware of how rejected mates are treated within the pack, especially when you hold the position of an alpha Lycan. Poor Leyla needs to bear the stain of being rejected all her life. Are you willing to let her suffer?"
Halting his steps, he turned to face her, his expression guarded. His words were a mix of defence and frustration. "She should have thought about it before doubting me and accusing me wrongly. And…" He sighed deeply before adding, "I didn't reject her. "
Raising a sceptical eyebrow, his mother's gaze held him. "Are you sure about that?"
Mac's hand rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "As she doesn't believe my words and trusts me at all, I've accepted the reality that we're not destined as mates. It's not a rejection. It is just omitting the mistake."
"Really? Then what about the aroma of mate you got from her?"
He looked away, signalling that he didn't want to continue that conversation.
However, Lucy was still not done. So, she continued, "Remember, mates are creations of the Moon Goddess. You can't simply disregard that truth."
An unexpected voice chimed in, breaking their conversation. "But rejecting a mate is also within the rights granted by the Moon Goddess."
Both Mac and his mother turned to find his younger sister, Martha, standing there, her gaze fixed on Mac with a mix of understanding and support.
Folding her arms across her chest, Lucy glared at her. "Don't you dare take his side even after knowing he is wrong."
Walking over, Martha gently looped her arm through her brother's, a show of solidarity. "He's right, you know. Trust is the foundation of any relationship. Without it, everything else crumbles."
A frustrated sigh escaped Lucy. "If only we could have a direct line to the Moon Goddess and tell her to knock some wisdom into these stubborn minds!"
Mac's steps carried him further down the hallway, his destination, his room. However, Martha's determined presence trailed him like a shadow. Just as he reached his door, she began her inquisition.
"Have you seen that human again, brother?" Her voice held a mix of curiosity and excitement, making her intentions clear.
Suspicion clouded his gaze as he turned to her. "Why this sudden interest in humans?"
A sudden panic replaced Martha's enthusiasm. Clearing her throat and avoiding direct eye contact, she stammered, "Oh, no, it's not like that. I just thought... you know..."
His narrowed gaze intensified, a clear signal of his suspicion. "Remember, our kind's fascination with humans is forbidden."
Martha's face turned slightly pink, her words stumbling out. "Fascination? Oh, no, not at all. It's just that... I wondered if your encounters with that human might open doors to reconciling with your mate."
He raised an eyebrow, still sceptical. "Weren't you the one supporting my decision to break things off with her?"
A quick defensiveness overtook her. "I was just being supportive! Sibling bond you know?" she said with a sheepish smile, hoping to defuse the situation with a touch of humour.
Pointing an accusatory finger at her, he attempted to shoo her away. "Why do I feel like you are going to be the one to create a scandal with humans? I am telling you, Martha, if that..."
Before he could complete his reprimand, Lucy's hurried approach caught his attention. His irritation was momentarily forgotten as he turned toward her, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Mac!" Lucy's voice carried a hint of urgency and panic.
But ignoring them, he assumed that his mother was perhaps attempting to interfere again, so he prepared to enter his room to avoid the upcoming confrontation. Yet, Lucy's next words caused him to freeze in his tracks.
"I just received news that Leyla was seen entering the forbidden human woods."
The shock that reverberated through him was palpable, his disbelief clear in his widened eyes. He turned to Lucy, almost questioning the veracity of her statement.
"The guards brought this information," Lucy added, her words cementing the credibility of the unsettling news.
Gritting his teeth and clenching his fist, he dashed out of the house, his heart pounding in a mix of frustration and disbelief.
"No, no, no! Leyla, you can't be this reckless!" His muttering carried a note of desperation as he reached the porch.
In one fluid motion, he leaped over the edge. His body rippled and reshaped, fur sprouting to cover his form. His limbs stretched and contorted, and in a moment he landed gracefully on all fours in the yard below.
The moon's light danced on his silver fur when he ran towards the woods like a magnificent creature, like an alpha Lycan.
Emerging into the woods, the scent of damp earth and foliage filled his heightened senses. The surroundings seemed almost surreal in the moon's gentle glow. His determined strides came to an abrupt halt as his sharp eyes detected something awry among the shadows.
There, ensnared in one of the cruel traps set by humans in the wild, was Leyla. His heart clenched as he took in the sight. Her once-beautiful form, now in her wolf shape with gleaming white fur, was marred by blood and distress, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
He approached her, sniffing her form, nudging her gently with his nose in a desperate attempt to rouse her. When she didn't respond, a haunting howl of pain escaped his throat, echoing through the night. He howled, pouring his heartache and loss into the night sky. Several mournful howls followed.
His transformation from wolf to human was swift. Kneeling beside her lifeless body, he cradled her in his arms, his anguish breaking through in heart-wrenching sobs. The blood staining his body was forgotten in his grief, his world consumed by the tragedy before him. The moon witnessed his pain, casting a silver glow over the sorrowful scene.
Yet, amidst the stillness of the night, a familiar scent rose on the breeze, awakening his senses. He stiffened, his gaze snapping towards the darkness behind him. The one responsible for Leyla's death was near. The agony of loss turned into a fierce resolve for vengeance. Without hesitation, he stepped into the shadows, driven by a thirst for justice.
When Beth neared Lyela, she was unaware that the wolf lying lifeless was the one who slapped her a while ago. When she was trying to collect herself with the shock, he emerged through the dark in his wolf from a guardian of fury. His eyes bore into her, brimming with the intent of harm.
But before his intentions could take form, her figure wavered, and she collapsed. Reacting with instinctive urgency, he shifted back to human form, his hands reaching out to grasp her wrist and draw her close.
Cradling her unconscious form against him, his eyes traced the curve of her face, illuminated by the moonlight. A hint of his earlier obsession with her flickered, a feeling he was yet to fully comprehend. But in that moment, as he held her fragile form, his heart felt a strange connection, an unexplainable pull that defied reason.