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Mauve’s POV
I stiffened, “Mate?”
He nodded hut I shook my hand “Thaťa imeannikla Hasn’t
8.40 AM
The Scared Luna’s Rise From Ashes
He nodded, but I shook my head. “That’s impossible. It can’t be true!”
“I’ve known since the moment I met you. You’re mine.”
No matter how much I denied it, my wolf was howling inside me, recognizing him as our mate.
“He’s our mate. That’s why he smells very intoxicating. And he can recognize us!”
“No, that can’t be.” I said to my wolf.
Before I could wrestle with the storm inside me, a voice sliced through the air like a blade. It was an open
mindlink from the nurse.
“King Elias, Luna Mauve, Magnolia is awake!”
O
I saw Elias stiffen, his entire body going rigid. His eyes widened, hope flashing across his face before he bolted for the door. I stood frozen for a heartbeat before my feet moved on their own, carrying me after him.
When I reached the room, the sight before me felt like a punch to the gut. Elias knelt by Magnolia’s bedside, his
arms wrapped around her as though he were afraid she might disappear.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered, his voice trembling in a way I’d never heard before.
Magnolia smiled at him. “I missed you too, Elias. I could feel you there. You never gave up on me.”
I wanted to feel nothing but joy for her, for them. And I did–part of me did. But the rest of me… the rest of me felt jealousy seeping into the cracks of my heart. I hated it, hated myself for it.
Then Magnolia turned her gaze to me, her soft smile never wavering. “Mauve, come here.”
I hesitated. Every instinct screamed at me to stay where I was, to keep my distance. But her hand reached out,
and I couldn’t say no.
When I sat down, she pulled me into a hug. Her frailty was apparent, but the strength in her embrace caught me off guard.
“I heard you,” Magnolia whispered. “Every word you said. Your voice gave me hope when everything else was
dark.”
Tears blurred my vision. “I didn’t know if it would make a difference. I just… I couldn’t stop talking to you.”
“It made all the difference,” she said, pulling back just enough to meet my gaze. “But more than that, Mauve–you
healed me.”
me.”
I stared at her, my mind reeling. “What? That’s not possible.”
Magnolia took my trembling hands in hers, kissed them, and whispered, “Thank you, my dear sister. You saved
Her words shattered me. Tears poured down my face as I hugged her again, our sobs mingling. I didn’t know how long we stayed like that, but when she finally drifted to sleep, I left the room, my heart heavy and my thoughts in
chaos.
I barely made it to my own room before the tears came again. They fell hard and fast, shaking me to my core.
I couldn’t stay. Not now. Magnolia was awake, and my presence here would only complicate things. This pala couldn’t have two queens. Everybody would only see me as the bad omen.
Most importantly, Elias couldn’t have two mates.
A knock at the door startled me. I wiped my face quickly and opened it, only to find Elias standing there.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I said. “Go to your mate ”
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His presence was overwhelming, suffocating, making my knees
weak.
“I needed to see you,” he said.
6:41 AM
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*You are my mate too. Magnolia knew it even before she fell into the coma.”
His words left me breathless. “We can’t share you. I can’t do this. I’m tired of complications! Fucking tired, Elias! Just reject me, Elias. I’m begging you to reject me, please!!”
“I won’t reject you, Mauve. I can’t. I won’t!”
Before I could protest, he closed the distance between us, his lips crashing against mine. The shock of it froze me, but the warmth of his kiss, the pull I’d been fighting for so long, shattered my resolve. I kissed him back, my heart and mind at war, knowing this would only make everything worse.
But in the end, I submitted.
When morning came, I stood by the bed, staring at the half–packed bag on the floor. I couldn’t stay. Last night. had been a mistake–a beautiful, devastating mistake.
Now, I’m running again. I messed up, and I knew I had to leave before things got even more complicated. The memories of his touch lingered, but I had to go before my heart betrayed me further.
My wolf stirred within me. “You’re not running. You’re finding yourself again,
I clung to her words, letting them fill the hollow spaces inside me. “You’re right,” I whispered.
As I pulled my luggage off the floor, my phone rang, and I answered it, seeing Dr. Helen’s number,
She said, “The werewolf council had decided to return the Shadowfang Pack to you. Please return home as soon as possible.”
Again, I sobbed. This time, because of happiness. How the universe was on my side, bringing me back to where I truly belonged.
I left that morning without saying goodbye. I couldn’t face Elias or Magnolia. Not after everything.