With a nod of my lupine head, we lunged forward, the chase in full swing. The thrill of the pursuit coursed through our veins, fueling our every movement.
The world blurred into a whirlwind of motion as we raced through the moonlit forest, our senses attuned to every subtle shift in the environment.
Watching Cassidy is beautiful, full of life amidst the deep night.
In a burst of primal agility, we pounced, our powerful jaws clamping down on the deer's neck. Our teeth tore through the flesh with graceful efficiency. Blood stained our muzzles, a testament to our transformation and the untamed power that now resided within us.
Her and me, against the world. Isn’t it wonderful?
“That was awesome!” Cassidy shifted, inhaling and exhaling as she pulled me into an embrace. “Thank you.” Her whisper is hoarse, voice thick as if she just woke up from a long dream. I wrapped my arms around her shoulder and planted a kiss on top of her head. “You’re welcome.”
Then a voice rang on the top of the mountain.
“Oh shit.” I closed my eyes and remembered Elliot. We looked up on the peak of the mountain.
“Hey! A thank you would be very much appreciated!” he screamed at us jokingly.
Cassidy and I looked at each other before we shared a hearty laugh. “Yeah, we should go and help our friend there,” she grinned.
***
I woke up with a start, beads of sweat clinging to my forehead as my heart continued to pound against my chest.
The dream had taken me once again, ensnaring me with its torturous grip.
My inner demon. Fucking inner demon.
I’ve been fighting him since the moment I was born in this world. Sometimes, he confuses me that there are things I’d doubt if it is still in my dream or if it is in the real world already.
I shift around my bedside. Cassidy, my beloved, was caught in the clutches of her deepest fears. Her world spinning in a maddening vortex. I could do nothing but bear witness to her anguish.
“Hey,” I whispered and pulled her into an embrace. We were so happy hunting last night, and now…”
I sighed. There’s always rain after sunshine after all.
Cassidy's dreams had always been vivid—a testament to the strength of her emotions. But lately, they had become increasingly intense, scary, tearing at the fabric of her soul.
She dreamed of her mate, Brandon, locked in a passionate embrace with another woman, Hestia. And each time she dreamt it, it was as if a thousand blades pierced her heart. I know. I just know it…
She could’ve been my mate. That was all just false hope then. Back before I met her, I was so focused on finding my mate in order to kill her. But now—
I can kill anyone for her. More especially if that ‘her’ is Cassidy.
I cannot honestly see myself praying to the Moon Goddess for a wish that seemed impossible to come true, that ‘please, just let her be my mate, please Moon Goddess’ kind of prayer.
I could feel her emotions, every soul-sucking feeling she’s trying to fight because my brother is having sex with his fiancé and not with his mate—which I am so glad.
I will never let that bastard walk away with his head still intact if he ever shove his deck inside my Cassidy.
I want to fucking kill him so much, if I could. But we still need him. He needs to reject Cassidy so I can have her. He needs to reject the mating bond between them so I can be her forever.
The pain Cassidy is experiencing was not merely emotional; it was tangible, a physical ache that consumed her entire being. She would wake up drenched in perspiration, her body trembling with the remnants of that dream's torment. Even when she wakes up.
I saw it firsthand, together with my best friend Elliot. Here. Now.
He has been finding a cure, but it was not enough. “There’s no cure, Zarion. She should reject his mate.” Elliot’s words echoed inside my head.
“She must reject him.” He nodded, even when my eyes are still swallowing the features of my beloved.
It was a cruel twist of fate. For in reality, Brandon's heart belonged to Hestia. Alone. Yet Cassidy’s subconscious mind conjured these nightmares, playing on her deepest insecurities and doubts.
I know Cassidy doesn’t love Brandon because she loves me.
It’s just the fucking mate bond.
Who the fuck created that shitty bond? I want to kill her, too, even if it’s the Moon Goddess or the goddamn witch.
As Cassidy’s lover, boyfriend, it tore at my soul to see her suffer. Every pain is felt in my bones despite the absence of a mating bond. I had sworn to protect and cherish her, to be her rock she can cling to in times when despair is drowning her.
But in the realm of dreams, I am powerless. All I could do was offer solace when she fluttered her eyes open, holding her close and whispering soothing words, hoping to calm the storm that raged within her.
Yet the dreams persisted, relentless in their assault on Cassidy's fragile being. I could sense the toll it was taking on her, the shadows of doubt clouding her once radiant spirit. Cassidy's dreams were a manifestation of her own insecurities as Brandon’s mate. A reflection of her subconscious doubts. It was just the fucking mate bond taking over. Nothing pure and nothing more.
Her heart will always belong to mine—and to mine only. I saw it the moment she followed me despite the harsh winter storm, where she collapsed in the midst of white snow all around her.
As I held Cassidy in my arms, her trembling slowly subsided. I pressed my lips to her forehead, imbuing each kiss with the reassurance she so desperately needed. And I willingly given.
“Zarion, this is going bad. I thought when she transforms into a werewolf, she’s going to be fine, but looking at her right now…” Elliot said and tapped my back. I didn’t notice him standing beside me until the moment he spoke.
I clenched my jaw hard. “We need to find Brandon.”
“And kill him?” He gave me a soft chuckle, but he instantly shook his head when I didn’t mirrored his amusement. “The question is, is he willing to reject her? You know your brother. He’s cunning.”
“And stubborn.” He nodded. “He will reject her. If not, I’m going to make him. Even if it takes to bleed him in the snow.”
“Okay, that’s good that you already have a plan. Come on, let me find the spot on her neck to put this.” I glanced at something in his palm. Some sort of herb, the aroma swallowing my sense of smell. “This will help.”
Elliot made his way to my position on the bed and applied the herb he made earlier. I stood there at the side of the bed, my heart heavy with a profound sense of helplessness. How many more times does Elliot have to wipe that herb? Ten? Fifty? A hundred?
Cassidy’s condition will never heal until Brandon is breathing and is still connected with her.
My gaze locked upon her, every fiber of my being yearning to be by her side, to shelter her from the storm that kept on swirling within. But I couldn't. I could only watch, and hope.
I could only look on, my hands empty and devoid of any power to offer solace. Only Elliot can give her temporary cure. In that moment, I felt nothing but the crushing weight of my own limitations. Of my helplessness.
She sat before me as Elliot finished, her eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and frustration. I could see the tears welling up, threatening to spill over onto her delicate cheeks. “Alpha Zarion…” she whispered weakly.
It tore at my very core, knowing that I was unable to wipe them away, unable to mend the wounds that plagued her essence. Her soul.
I took a step forward, my hand reaching out instinctively to soothe the waves of despair that crashed against her fragile frame. My fingers brushed against the soft strands of her hair, a feeble attempt to offer comfort. But it felt hollow.
How long must I keep on hunting for hope? How long must I keep searching for strength?
How could I ease her pain when I couldn't even grasp the source of it?
She leaned into my touch, seeking comfort in the simplest of gestures. It was as if she understood the depth of my longing, the ache that resonated with me. But her pain was not mine to bear, and my inability to do anything to alleviate it gnawed at my gut.
“You’re not fucking okay, Cass,” I whispered at her heartily.
“I know.” Her voice was laced with some sort of unexplainable emotion, as if she was on the verge of letting go.
“We will not give up.” I squeezed her hand. “Do not give up.”
“But how long?” Her throat bobbed with anger and hopelessness. “How long will I not give up?!”
I forced a smile. “As long as I am alive, as long as we’re in love, never ever give up.”
And with that, she somehow mirrored my smile. “Okay.”
“Okay.” My smile widened as her lips brushed mine.