It Only Hurts for a Few Minutes

Ella Holden POV

I sat on the floor, crying, begging Ria to leave me alone and not tell Marcus anything. I promised I’d do whatever she wanted, as long as she let me meet my mate. My mascara had smudged, my lipstick was ruined. I looked a mess. My hair was tangled like it hadn’t been brushed in days.

Ria threw me a mocking look from across the room, her voice sharp and cruel.

“What did you think, Ella? That you’d just refuse and I’d stay quiet? That I’d let you walk away? You’re stupid. You don’t think.”

“Why are you doing this? I’m your sister, not your enemy,” I said, my voice breaking with sadness.

“You’ve always been the reason for my pain. Pretty, tall, with curves in all the right places. Everyone wants you—even the Alpha King. But me? I was rejected by my mate.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, making her look small, fragile. I’d never seen her like that. Ria was always strong, proud, untouchable. But now, she was breaking, her tears falling like heavy winter rain.

I never understood that maybe she was jealous of me. To me, she was beautiful—hot even. She had that dazzling smile, the kind that lit up a room. Honestly, hers was the most stunning smile I had ever seen.

I opened my mouth to speak, but a loud knock on the door cut me off. Ria wiped her tears away quickly and hurried upstairs. I turned to the bathroom, washed my face, and tried to hide the swelling around my eyes. I pulled my hair back together and went to open the door.

It was Henry. My childhood friend. Two years older than me. He stepped inside, his face bright with a smile, and pinched my cheek playfully.

“Today’s the day, Ella. You’ll meet your wolf. And guess what? It’s your very first moon-bound shift. Tell me—how do you feel?” He winked at me.

I didn’t want to speak. My voice was too raw. He would notice. I stayed silent. Henry just scooped me up, spun me in the air, shouting with joy. Then he set me down and grinned at me.

“Don’t be scared. The shift isn’t that bad. It passes. You should be happy, Ella. Today’s your day!”

He took my hand and led me to the couch.

“I made pies this morning. They’re delicious. Woke up early, full of energy today.”

I looked at him, my heart swelling with gratitude. I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“You’re so sweet, Henry. I don’t know how I’ll manage once I leave.”

His face flushed red at my kiss. He turned, kissed my hand softly, and said,

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine with your mate. Maybe Ria’s hurting because she knows you’ll leave her behind. Maybe I am too. But you’ll be safe with him.”

His last words stuck with me. Was Ria really doing all this because she didn’t want me to leave her? No. That couldn’t be it. She just wanted me gone.

Henry’s voice pulled me back.

“You need to get ready. You’ll go to the forest tonight. The moon will shine on you during your first shift.”

Yes. I needed to wear white. Be in the clearing under the full moon. Enjoy my first shift. But still, fear clawed at me.

“How bad is it, Henry? Is it true? That it feels like every bone in your body is breaking? That your skin tears apart as fur takes over? That you’re left naked, crawling on all fours?”

“It only hurts for a few minutes,” Henry said, trying to calm me. “And then you’ll be free. You’ll run as a wolf, howl under the moon, and meet your true mate.”

“But what if I don’t? What if I end up like you, Henry, or rejected like Ria? I don’t think I could survive it.”

“Then you wait. A few years, maybe. And if you still don’t find him—you could choose me. We could be mates by choice. Not a bad option, right? I’m amazing, after all.” He winked again, his face heating with affection.

I knew he liked me. He always had. And maybe he was right—it wouldn’t be the worst choice. But doubts gnawed at me.

Would Ria and Marcus even let me go? Would I really meet my wolf tonight? Or would the Alpha King steal me away, make me his whore, kill my true mate before I could even touch him?

I tried to brush the thoughts away.

“I think you’ll be waiting a long time, Henry. But you’re a good man. I bet girls throw themselves at you, begging to be your mate.”

Henry laughed, squeezing my hand.

“Jealous already, Ella? Don’t worry. I’ll wait for the prettiest girl of them all. Now, go get ready. Tonight, I’ll be there, watching your shift. I can’t wait to see your wolf.”

His words gave me a little peace. Enough to push me upstairs to Ria’s room. Maybe, just maybe, if I begged, her heart would soften. Maybe she’d let me go, let me be with my mate. I’d work day and night for her. Give her anything. Just don’t sell me to Marcus. Don’t hand me over to that monster.

I pushed the door open gently—and froze. Ria was on the phone. Her voice low, cold, dripping with venom.

I shouldn’t have listened. But I did. And when I heard her last words, my heart stopped. My body shook. It felt like my chest would explode.