Titan POV
I sipped from my warm cup, listening to Liam's words as they sank in. He needed someone now more than ever, and I vowed to be there for him, no matter what. But my silent resolve was interrupted when Claudine's voice echoed through my mind link.
"Titan, you have to come. It's Haylie."
My heart jolted, and I set my cup down on the coffee table, rising abruptly from the sofa. "My love, what is it? Where are you? Is Haylie okay?" I asked, my voice filled with worry through the link.
Her response came, trembling and panicked. "Haylie is dead, Titan. She's not moving. Someone has her... he is running with her body, and he won't let us take her."
Her words drained the blood from my face. My chest tightened, and I felt like the world had stopped spinning. Liam noticed my sudden change, lowering his mug to the table as concern etched into his features.
I couldn't speak. The weight of what I'd just heard crushed me. How could I tell my best friend that the woman he loved was gone?
My wolf, Skull, let out a mournful whimper in my mind. The sound deepened the ache in my chest, and unbidden tears blurred my vision. Haylie might have been my ex, but she was still a part of me, a memory etched into my soul.
"He's your best friend. You have to tell him," Skull urged softly.
I could feel Liam's gaze burning into me. "Who mind-linked you, Titan?" he demanded, his voice sharp with worry. "I know you got news. I can feel it. What's going on?"
I backed away from him, unable to meet his eyes. My gaze drifted to the large windows, seeking solace in the distant view. But before I could gather myself, Claudine's voice broke through my mind link again, desperate and pleading.
"Titan, I need you. Please."
Her anguish tugged at me, and I took a shaky breath. Tears streamed down my face as I replied, my voice barely holding steady. "I'm coming, my love." I closed the link, severing the connection.
Behind me, Liam's voice cracked through the silence, raw with desperation. "Titan, tell me."
I wiped at my tears, though they wouldn't stop. Turning to face him, I tried to compose myself, but the grief in my chest made my voice husky as I forced the words out.
"It's Haylie. They've found her."
Liam's eyes widened, his lips parting as he processed my words. "Is she okay?" he asked, his voice trembling with hope.
I bit my lip hard, trying to stop the sob building in my throat. Tears rolled freely down my cheeks as I turned my head, unable to face him. But my silence and body language gave me away. Liam's expression shifted, his face crumpling in realization.
"No," he whispered, his voice broken.
The room fell into a suffocating silence. I turned back toward him, and his tear-streaked face mirrored the same raw pain clawing at my heart.
"Where did they find her?" he choked out, his voice heavy with emotion.
I swallowed hard, my throat thick with sorrow. His father's warning echoed in my mind—that Liam's heart was still healing from the black magic that had struck him, and he couldn't shift without risking himself.
"Liam, I can't tell you," I said, my voice firm but strained.
But Liam's grief ignited into anger, his face flushing red as tears continued to stream down. "Tell me where Haylie is!" he shouted, his voice shaking with a mix of fury and despair.
I shook my head, my answer firm but laced with heartbreak. Tears streamed down my face, unchecked, as I forced myself to speak.
"I can't tell you, Liam," I said, my voice cracking under the weight of the moment. "And even if I did, there's nothing you could do. She's already gone."
The words felt like a knife slicing through me, each syllable carving deeper into my soul. I saw the pain reflected in Liam's eyes, a storm of anguish and fury that only grew with each passing second. His emotions churned uncontrollably, a volatile mix of anger and sorrow.
I didn't blame him. How could I? The woman he loved was gone, and I was the bearer of that cruel truth. But even as his pain threatened to overwhelm him, I couldn't let him act on it. If he tried to shift now, with his heart still healing, the consequences could be catastrophic.
And if something happened to him—if his life slipped through my fingers—his blood would be on my hands.
"Liam, please," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I know this hurts. I know how much she meant to you, but you can't... you can't risk yourself. Not like this."
I clenched my fists, trying to hold myself together as I watched him struggle with the truth. Every fiber of my being ached to comfort him, but I knew there were no words that could heal the wound I had just inflicted.
Liam POV
My whole world was crashing down around me, a storm of despair and frustration that I couldn't escape. My wolf, Ace, was restless, a primal force awakened within me, surging with a desperate need to act.
His growls echoed in my mind, refusing to be silenced. He was tethered to the other wolves in the pack, reaching out through their bond, determined to find out where Haylie was.
How could I remain calm when everything inside me was breaking? My heart felt shattered, a jagged void where Haylie's presence used to be. I felt like I had lost myself along with her. For three agonizing months, I had been trying to unravel the mystery of her strange behavior, only to discover the cruel truth: it hadn't been Haylie at all—it was Melody, carrying my child.
And then I learned Haylie had been kidnapped, taken from me, and now... now she was gone.
"I won't just sit here!" I snarled, my voice raw with anguish as I glared at Titan. "The woman I love is out there, lying somewhere... dead. And you won't even tell me where her body is!"
Titan's silence was like a knife twisting in my chest. I could see the turmoil in his eyes, the battle he waged against himself not to tell me. But that wasn't enough. Nothing would be enough until I found Haylie.
Before I could say anything else, Ace surged forward, his voice resonating in my mind with unyielding determination.
"Hold on. We're going to get Haylie."
I barely had time to process his words before it began. The shift came fast and merciless, my bones cracking and realigning in a fiery storm of pain.
My heart felt like it was being torn apart with every snap of sinew and muscle as Ace forced his way to the surface.
In mere moments, my shredded clothes lay in tatters on the floor, and my wolf stood fully in control. Ace's glowing amber eyes locked onto Titan for a heartbeat before he lunged toward the door.
With a single powerful leap, we were outside, bolting toward the woods. Every fiber of Ace's being was focused on one thing: finding Haylie.
Ace was on a mission, his determination burning through me as he charged relentlessly through the trees. I could feel his fury, raw and uncontained, driving him forward like a storm.
"Ace, where are we going?" I asked, my voice trembling with unease as I tried to take control.
"Just hold on," Ace snapped, his tone sharp and unyielding.
My heart ached with every step, the pain pressing against my chest like a vice. My breathing grew heavy, labored, as though there wasn't enough room for my wolf and me to share the same body. Yet Ace refused to slow down.
Suddenly, he came to an abrupt halt, his growls rumbling louder and angrier. My vision sharpened through his eyes, and there she was—Haylie.
The woman I loved was cradled lifelessly in someone else's arms. My entire world seemed to stop as I took in the sight. The pain was unbearable, a raw, unrelenting wave of grief that crushed me from the inside.
But Ace wouldn't allow it to end there. His instincts flared with rage, his focus locked on the man holding Haylie's body. Without hesitation, he charged, his powerful frame lunging at the stranger—at JC.
My hatred for JC flared like an inferno. He had her. He had her, and she was gone.
Ace struck hard, his teeth sinking into JC's leg with unrelenting force. The man stumbled but held onto Haylie, struggling against Ace's relentless assault. Ace growled, his wrath boiling over as he clawed and bit, demanding that JC release her.
Then, with a guttural snarl, JC began to shift, his wolf emerging with ferocity. The two wolves collided, a whirlwind of teeth and claws, their snarls echoing through the forest.
Pain shot through me as JC's wolf bit into Ace's neck, the agony radiating like fire, searing into my heart.
With each strike, each bite, I felt my strength ebbing away. The pain wasn't just physical—it was the weight of my loss, my love for Haylie breaking me apart piece by piece.
Finally, Ace faltered, unable to keep fighting. He let out a pained growl and retreated, his body collapsing into mine as I shifted back into human form.
My body was in agony and my breathing was heavy as I lay in egg form on the ground. I was bleeding and broken, my breaths shallow and ragged.
My heart, heavy with grief and guilt, felt like it might stop altogether.
Through my blurred vision, I saw Haylie's lifeless body lying on the ground, still and pale. "I'm sorry, Liam, but your heart would give in if I continued," Ace murmured in my mind, his voice heavy with regret.
"It's okay, buddy. You tried your best," I replied weakly, my voice a faint whisper.
Pain flared through my body, the bite wounds from JC's wolf burning as blood trickled down my side.
But I couldn't let it stop me. Summoning the last remnants of my strength, I crawled across the dirt toward Haylie. My bare, battered body dragged through the soil, but I didn't care. I needed to reach her. I needed to be with the woman I loved.
Each breath felt heavier than the last as I inched closer.
Finally, I collapsed beside her, my trembling hands reaching out to touch her cold, lifeless skin. Tears streamed down my face as I took in the sight before me—her once radiant, lively presence was gone.
"Haylie..." I choked out, my voice breaking as the words barely escaped my lips. My hand found hers, and I clasped it tightly, though her touch was ice-cold, a stark contrast to the warmth I had known.
As my gaze fell on her neck, I saw my wolf's mark—the bond we shared etched into her skin. But something was missing. Her necklace, the one she always wore, was gone.
Sobs racked my body, and I felt myself breaking apart. I tried to move closer, desperate to hold her, to feel her one last time. But then JC returned, shifting back into his human form. His bloodied figure moved toward Haylie's body with measured steps.
Weak and broken, I struggled to push myself upright. My breaths came shallow and labored, but my eyes never left him.
Ace had hurt him—his wounds were evident, bleeding from several places. Yet JC still approached, his face a mask of conflicting emotions.
"I'm sorry, Liam," JC said, his voice low and strained as he knelt on one knee beside Haylie's body. "This wasn't me."
My eyes widened, the weight of his words hitting me like a blow. Tears continued to stream down my face, and my voice cracked, raw and broken as I spoke.
"She was my life... my fated mate. And you—you and your sister—took that from me."
JC's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing with a mix of sorrow and guilt. He reached out, his hands hovering over Haylie as though he intended to lift her.
But I wouldn't let him. Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I grabbed Haylie's arm, holding on with all I could muster.
"Don't you dare take her," I growled, my voice filled with rage and defiance despite my weakness. Anger radiated through me, stronger than the pain, stronger than the despair. She was mine, and I wouldn't let her go.
JC's dark eyes locked onto mine, a flicker of urgency and desperation in his gaze. "I could bring her back, Liam," he said, his voice low yet resolute. "There's a place in the mountains—a sacred place—where they can summon Haylie's wolf back to her body and bring her to life."
His words barely registered.
I didn't care about his promises or whatever hope he clung to. If only I could heal faster—if only I could take Haylie and get her home. But I was too weak. My body betrayed me, leaving me powerless as my heart broke all over again.
I turned my gaze back to her, to the woman who had been my world.
A strand of her hair had fallen across her pale face, and with trembling hands, I gently tucked it behind her ear. The motion brought a sudden flash of memory—Haylie laughing, her radiant smile lighting up her face as she tucked her hair behind her ear.
Her rosy cheeks, her soft pink lips, and those vibrant green eyes brimming with life filled my mind.
"I never thought I could love someone," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "But Haylie... she was the first. She stole my heart from the start, and I can't imagine loving anyone else the way I love her."
Sobs wracked my body as I stared at her lifeless face.
She looked so peaceful, her eyes closed as if she were simply sleeping, but the scent of death clung to her, undeniable and gut-wrenching.
It tore through me, confirming what my heart refused to accept—she was truly gone. The woman I loved, the only woman I would ever love, was no longer in this world.
"Melody pushed Haylie into the water," JC's voice broke through the silence, hoarse and laden with guilt. My gaze snapped to him, my vision blurred by tears.
"She pushed her and used her magic to keep Haylie from swimming back up. I went after her... I tried to save her, but by the time I reached her, it was already too late," JC admitted, his voice cracking as tears spilled from his own eyes.
Images flooded my mind—the dream I had before waking in the hospital. I had seen Haylie then, wearing this very dress, her body submerged beneath the water. But now I knew the truth—it hadn't been a dream. It was real. It was her.
My heart shattered further, and I heard Ace howling in anguish in the recesses of my mind. JC's voice broke through again, softer this time. "Let me help her, Liam. She didn't deserve this."
I looked down at Haylie, my vision swimming with tears.
Slowly, I leaned in, numb to everything around me. The scent of death overwhelmed me, but I didn't care.
I pressed one final kiss to her lips, my own trembling against her cold skin.
"I will always love you," I whispered, my tears falling onto her motionless form.
As I pulled back, the ground beneath me began to tremble. The faint rumble grew louder, signaling the pack closing in on us. Without a word, JC scooped Haylie into his arms and rose, cradling her as though she were made of glass.
I watched helplessly as the woman who held my heart was carried away by another man.
My body felt like it was breaking apart, my soul fracturing into pieces I could never hope to mend. Unable to speak, I simply gave JC a small, reluctant nod, acknowledging the inevitability of his actions.
I watched as he disappeared into the woods, taking Haylie with him.
Moments later, the pack reached me. My father's presence was among them, but all I could do was collapse into the dirt, my strength spent and my heart shattered beyond repair.