My wolf stirred the moment I stepped into the room where my mate was staying. The place didn't feel like somewhere anyone should live. Thoughts started to form in my mind, but I shook them off – now wasn't the time for bloodshed.
My legs moved on their own, pulling me toward my mate. But before I could reach her, Ryder had already rushed ahead, lifting her into his arms. A soft, warm smile appeared on his face as he cupped her cheek, trying to wake her. She didn't move.
His smile slowly faded. He brushed his finger over the tip of her nose, almost absentmindedly. I didn't realize why until he froze, then let out a long, agonizing howl that sent chills through me. My heart pounded in my chest.
I stepped closer, and as I looked down at her lifeless body, my wolf whimpered. Our eyes shifted to gold and blue, reflecting the immense pain we both felt.
"No, you can't leave without our permission," Ryder whispered, pressing a chaste kiss on her pale face. Tears stained her cheeks, and her long lashes were still wet from crying.
I gently took her from Ryder's arms, cradling her as if she might break, and laid her carefully on the worn-out bed.
"What are you doing?" Ryder asked, stepping closer.
"She's just sleeping. Let her rest for a while," I said, refusing to accept the truth. I couldn't let myself believe she was gone.
I remembered her smile; the way her eyes lit up with surprise when we discovered we were mates. I remembered the sound of her breathing, the rapid thud of her heart filled with excitement. But now… nothing. No breath, no heartbeat. The silence pressed down on me, thick and suffocating.
My heart lodged in my throat as I stared at her still body. She was supposed to complete me, yet now she lay there unmoving.
I placed my palm gently on her forehead, hoping to feel something warmth, pain, anything that would prove she was still alive somehow.
Lucas's POV
"Lucas, she is dea—" Ryder began, but I couldn't hear him. His words faded, and I was glad he didn't finish. I couldn't bear to hear it. My heart refused to accept that my mate was gone.
We had just found her after all these years only to lose her in the blink of an eye. Who could accept something like that so easily?
Tears poured down my face, blurring everything around me. I couldn't stop them. I shouldn't have let her go at the park house. I should have held her tighter, kept her with me.
Ryder's POV
I stood there, watching my cold, distant brother break down in front of me. In twenty our twenty four years, I had never seen him like this.
Lucas wasn't the type to cry, even when we lost our grandparents. He had stood there silently, eyes clouded with grief, but not a single tear had fallen.
But now… he wept like a child. And I wasn't handling it well either.
The weight of our mate's lifeless body felt like a fatal blow on me. The room was too quiet, the kind of silence that felt like it was swallowing everything.
Then, something strange caught my eye. I wasn't even paying attention at first—until I noticed it. Tears from Lucas's face landed on our mate's hand and it slowly slid inside her skin.I stared, frozen in place.
"What the…!" I gasped loudly, breaking the silence in the quiet room
Lucas lifted his head, his gaze following mine to where his tear had just fallen. His eyes widened in the same shock I felt.
Another tear slid down his face, landing on her arm. This time, something happened. A faint blue light shimmered around her for barely a second before vanishing. It was so brief I almost doubted I saw it at all—until she moved, just slightly.
My breath caught. I could feel it—faint, but unmistakable. She was breathing.
Lucas didn't waste a second. He lifted her and rushed straight to the Pack infirmary, moving like a storm. I followed closely, calling for our best pack doctors. Some of the less experienced healers from the Lunarbane Pack were already tending to her, but we didn't trust them with her life.
We stood over her, watching every move they made like hawks.
"If you don't stop shaking and make her whimper even a bit," Lucas growled at one of the trembling doctors, "your head will be the dish your family eats tonight."
The doctor's hands trembled even more as he carefully inserted the needle into her wrist. Neither of us dared to breathe, watching her every second.
Lucas's POV:
It had been three days since our little mate fell unconscious. Ryder and I barely left her side, afraid she might slip away the moment we turned our backs.
Today, we made sure to care for her ourselves. She was breathtaking. Her long curly hair, round nose, and those full, irresistible lips,she was perfect. I couldn't stop staring. I even noticed that when the warm water touched her soft brown skin, it seemed to glow.
'"Alpha, I'm back," Nike mind-linked, his voice calm but urgent. He was waiting for us in the small room near the infirmary. We chose to meet there since it was right next to our mate's room, making it easy to return to her quickly if needed.
"Alpha, they all confirmed Alpha Maximus's words,but I think there's something fishy about it" Nike said the moment I stepped into the room.
After seeing how worn out our mate looked, Ryder and I had consulted Alpha Maximus about her life here after we made him sit on a cold floor without any clothes for a day. She looked as if she had been working endlessly for years. Maximus told us the room we found her in belonged to her late mother – a secret place she often retreated to when she felt down. Apparently, whenever they couldn't find her, that was the first place they'd check.
I didn't fully trust Maximus, but there wasn't much we could do. He had played a role in raising her after her parents passed.
"Let's leave it at that," Ryder chimed in with a grin. "We've already taught him a lesson."
I snorted and glanced at him, face twisting in mock disgust. "Clever fool," I muttered under my breath.
"Thanks for the compliment, bro," Ryder replied, flashing a smug smile. Of course, he heard me. Being powerful wolves, our senses were far sharper than normal wolves.
Ryder reached out to pat my shoulder, but I slapped his hand away before he could touch me.
"Ouch! How could you do this to your only beloved brother?" he whined dramatically, clutching his chest as if I had wounded him. "My heart! It's broken into pieces… I'm dying!" he continued, acting like a complete fool.
I clenched my jaw, tempted to knock one of his teeth out. But I held back, not wanting our mate to wake up and get scared of me if this chatterbox tell her.
"That'd actually be a relief. Then I wouldn't have to look at your stupid face anymore," I shot back casually.
Ryder gasped, staggering backward like I had truly stabbed him. His antics were ridiculous, but I had to admit—it was keeping the mood light.
"Aww," Ryder groaned dramatically. "Can you stop calling this handsome, sexy, and fabulous face stupid?" He grinned, winking as he leaned closer to me. "Love, you're me and I'm y…"
I flicked his forehead before he could finish.
"Ow! How could you?" Ryder winced, rubbing the spot with a pained expression.
Serves him right, I thought, smirking at his pitiful state.
Just then, one of the guards stepped into the room. "Alpha, the Luna has woken up," he announced.
Before I could process the words, I was already at her door. I didn't even remember how I got there so fast.
The old doctor from our pack stepped out just as I arrived, her kind eyes meeting mine. She smiled warmly, and Ryder and I returned the gesture.
"She's feeling much better now. I gave her some food, and it seems to have helped," the doctor said gently.
"When did she wake up?" I asked, keeping my voice calm despite the storm of emotions building inside me.
"About thirty minutes ago," she replied.
I turned to Ryder, glaring daggers at him. If it weren't for his ridiculous antics, we could have been here sooner—to witness our mate waking up.
I thanked the doctor, and she nodded before walking away. Without wasting another second, I pushed open the door and stepped inside.
There she was, our little mate.
Her delicate face came into view, and my heart pounded wildly in my chest. She was breathtaking, more than I remembered.
Her eyes found mine, and in that moment, I wanted nothing more than for her to keep looking at us forever.