Chapter 23%
Lucas’s POVE
The remnants of the dream clung to me like mist that memory, buried deep, now searing bright. The girl under the pear blossom tree… it wasn’t Maurine. It was Rebecca. My true mate. The truth hit me like a lightning strike.
I saw Maurine under the pear blossom tree before too and assumed she was the one. But I forgot that I met Rebecca first under the same tree. How could I forgot? Fuck!
For years, I’d been chasing shadows, protecting a woman who wasn’t the key, not my fated mate. The pieces were finally snapping into place. Rebecca was the one I was meant to find, the one I’d cast aside, the one I’d hurt without knowing
I sat up, running my hands through my hair. How did I forget? How had I been so blind? The weight of regret crushed me. All those times I pushed her away, all the coldness, the doubt. I swallowed hard, anger and sorrow tangled in my throat.
“Damn it,” I muttered.
I needed to know everything, needed to act fast. Reaching for the mind link, I called Reid.
“Reid,” I said, voice rough. “I just remembered… Rebecca was under the pear blossom tree when I was twelve. She’s my mate. Not fucking Maurine.”
There was silence on the other end, then Reid’s low voice. “Alpha…. that changes everything. But I’ve got bad news. The vampire clan- they’re moving. It’s like they know who’s the cure now.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. “Damn vampires. They’re faster than I thought.”
I clenched my fists. “I’m heading to the Aethon Pack. I need to talk to Alpha Rowan. When is Rebecca’s wedding?”
Tonight. Midnight” Reid said grimly.!!
My blood ran cold. “Tonight? I have to stop this. No way I’m letting my mate marry another–especially an alpha who’s barely awake.” “Alpha, be careful.”
I ended the link and stood abruptly, pacing the room. Everything felt like a storm, swirling and out of control.
I pulled on my clothes and headed out into the cold night. The moon was just beginning its climb, casting silver light over the land. I could feel the wolf rising inside me- fierce, relentless. I didn’t hesitate.
In seconds, I shifted the familiar rush of fur, muscle, and strength flooding through me. My senses sharpened. The cool night air filled my lungs, every scent and sound magnified.
The Thane Pack was miles away, but nothing could stop me.>
I sprinted through the woods, powerful limbs pounding the earth. Thoughts tore through my mind like wildfire.
Rebecca.. my fated mate… how did I lose you?!
I should have protected you, not ignored you.
I won’t lose you again. Not to anyone.
The wind whipped past my snout, and I let out a howla warning, a prayer, a desperate plea.
But time was against me.
The ache in my chest was deep – but my resolve was deeper.
As I strode through the woods, memories flooded me – her laughter, her strength, the way her wolf had howled in harmony with mine.
I wasn’t ready to give up. Not now, not ever.
The path ahead was dark, twisted with pain and danger. But I would run it all–cross every boundary, break every chain – to reclaim what
was mine.
Because mate or not, bond or no bond – Rebecca was my heart.
