4

Liam Hendrix

“Reah,” my wolf said in urgency, as if warning me of an impending danger.

My hand hung in the air, and the stone I was about to throw into the lake dropped to the floor like my heart, which sank into my stomach when a phantom blade pierced through my chest, delivering a message to my soul.

I rose from the rock, snapping my gaze over my shoulder at the route she had angrily stormed into.

“Liam!” Her voice broke through the air, causing my heart to gallop back to my chest.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I charged into the woods, feeling the wind which had the smell of fresh grass and wood intertwined in it as it rushed into my nose, slapping me in the face.

I followed the scent of Reah's blood and fear, my heart racing with every step. Dread caged my heart. Why could I sniff her blood? I ran faster, trying not to think of worst-case scenarios.

As I burst into the clearing, a gruesome scene unfolded before my eyes. A girl with wicked and soulless eyes crouched beside Reah, her fists clenched on Reah's chest.

My nostrils flared, and I bellowed, "Hey, what are you doing to her?!"

The girl's head jerked up, her gaze locking onto mine with a glance before she sprang up, yanking a dagger from Reah's chest. With a swift motion, she dashed into the woods.

My heart shattered into a million pieces as I rushed to Reah's side, her fragile body limp and covered in dirt and blood.

"No, no, no!" I panted, cradling her in my arms, my eyes frantically searching her pale face for any sign of life. But her skin was cold, her pulse weak, and her jugular vein slit.

I was paralyzed with grief, unable to pursue the murderer as I desperately tried to heal Reah's wounds by placing my palm on her forehead. But it was too late.

“No, don't do this to me. Reah!” I shook her body, desperately trying to wake her up. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you upset. Please.”

My breathing hitched as I frantically morphed my fingers into claws and used it to slit my wrist. I placed my wrist over her blue lips, trying to get some of my blood on her tongue, but her body turned cold and blue in my hands.

My body trembled in misery, my limbs shaking with a mix of rage and sorrow. I tilted my head back and a deafening scream of agony and loss flew out of my mouth, my voice echoing through the forest. But, with a gasp, my eyes snapped open to a thick veil of darkness. I was back in my bedroom.

"It was just a nightmare," I muttered, trying to calm myself down as I took in deep breaths, hand nursing my chest to keep my heart intact.

The memory still haunted me every night in the form of nightmares, reminding me of how unfortunate I was, reminding me of how I let her die because I allowed my anger to blind me. My chest heaved, and sweat glistened on my forehead, trickling down my neck and soaking my sheets.

I took deep breaths, raking my fingers through my hair as I sat up in bed. I reached for my bedside table, turning on the lamp to cast a warm, yellow glow over my large bedroom. The light helped to chase away the lingering fears of the nightmare.

I pushed myself up, sitting back against the headboard, my face buried in my clammy palms. The memory of the nightmare still sent shivers down my spine. "When will this stop plaguing me?" I asked aloud, my voice barely above a whisper.

Just then, my wolf spoke up, "How about we go for a quick run? Maybe it would assist us in calming our nerves and burning out the fear."

I nodded, agreeing with the suggestion. I threw off the covers and got out of bed, picking up a gray shirt from beside me. A run in the woods was just what I needed to clear my head and shake off the remnants of the nightmare.

Tugging on the shirt, I willed my legs to my windows and unlatched the seal, pulling them open. The scent of nature slid into my nostrils, driving a rush of equanimity into my veins. Heaving myself, I jumped out of it and sprinted into the woods.

The loud thumping of my feet disturbed the quietude of the woods as I threw one leg and the other out, zooming past trees with tears brimming in my eyes as everything reminded me of how she died.

“Liam!” Her voice echoed in my head, causing my heart to painfully constrict in my chest as a loud thunder clap cut through the air like a whiplash.

I ran faster, tightening my dental bone as my eyes grew darker with sorrow. The sky released its acrimony in the form of painful balls of water that fell from the clouds as if in anger, lashing onto my skin from over my pajamas.

I increased my speed, hoping to wear myself out, but I halted to an abrupt stop when a thick branch kissed my shoulder and pushed its way into my shirt.

A hiss slipped out of my lips as I felt it grazing my skin. I solemnly wondered if this was nature's way of stopping me.

“What is that?” My wolf asked as I gently pulled away from the branch. “What is that gracious scent?”

I sniffed the air, feeling my heart pick its pace at the scent of honeysuckle and pansies that tickled their way into my nostrils.

My wolf went crazy with excitement, saying, “I never thought we would perceive this again after her.”

“Is that our…” I trailed off, forehead puckering. Shaking my head in dismay, I dispelled the thoughts. “I can not possibly have a mate. Mine died two years ago.” I cut my wolf's joy short.

“What if the goddess gave us a second chance?” My wolf asked, and my breathing hitched, he might be right.

Immediately, I followed the trail of the scent and arrived at a place where there were bushes tall enough to brush my shoulders.

My eyes flitted around the place, desperately searching for where the strong scent came from.

Just then, my eyes caught the form of a body on the ground with rain aggressively falling on it. Leaves gathered around her as if to mourn her demise, and the bird cried, flapping their wings and flying from one tree to the other.

“Mate!” My wolf exclaimed, and adrenaline coursed down my veins.

My legs developed a mind of their own and dashed to where she was. Her caramel skin was covered in dirt and blood. My wolf howled, feeling abject pain at the sad sight in front of us.

“What in the moon goddess happened here?” I asked, reducing myself to a crouch beside her body, and staring intently at her as the rain fell harder, turning the surrounding around us gray.

My heart sank, and the urgent need to protect her filled my heart. “I will not let you die.”

Extending my arms to lift her, I retracted them immediately, and a sick feeling gnawed in my stomach.

My eyebrows knitted into a frown, and my nose wrinkled in distaste as I sensed a fetus in her womb.

“Why is she pregnant with another man's baby?” Bile rushed up my throat at the thought of her infidelity.

I sprang up, chest heaving, accompanied with a horrible pain that felt like I was breathing in the broken pieces of a glass.

“Save her, her heartbeat is reducing,” My wolf stated, and pain dripped down his voice at our mate's betrayal.

Reluctantly, I carried her in my arms and charged into the woods, running as fast as I could with my heart in my mouth.

As I approached the palace, my guards rushed to my side, attempting to carefully take her from my arms. But I growled with my brows drawn into a deep frown of displeasure, my voice low and menacing, "Do not touch her!" I didn't want anyone near her, not even my loyal guards. The thought of someone else touching my mate, even in her betrayal, was unbearable.

"Get the sage, immediately!" I barked, my eyes blazing with urgency.

The guards juddered back, quickly retreating to give me space, while two of them sprinted off towards the sage's chambers.

Before I could rain fire and brimstone on them for not using their initiatives, another guard hastened to open the door to my room. I strode in, my long strides eating up the distance, and I gently laid her on the bed. The soft yellow lights of my chamber illuminated her golden skin, highlighting her delicate features.

My breathing stopped for a moment as I gazed at her, my mind reeling with thoughts of how strikingly beautiful she was. Her small, pointed nose sat atop pale, plump lips which were slightly parted. My eyes drifted to her chest, which rose and fell in an irregular rhythm. But my reverie was interrupted by a guard's hesitant voice, "Alpha, what should we do?"

Before I could respond, the sage burst into the room, worry etched on her aged face. I stepped back, allowing her to approach my mate's still form.

The sage rummaged through her knitted bag, producing several bottles and a small vial of ointment. With aging hands, she applied the ointment to my mate's stomach, her eyes locked on mine with a reassuring glance.

I rocked back and forth on the heels of my feet with ceaseless thoughts scattered around my head.

“What if she dies?” I asked my wolf.

Here's an elongated version of the text:

"We can't afford to lose our mate for the second time," my wolf whispered, offering me a glimmer of hope and comfort. "Let's keep our fingers crossed."

But the sage's next words shattered my hopes into shards of glasses. "She has wolfsbane in her blood," she gasped, her eyes wide with alarm.

I jerked my head towards her, my eyes narrowing in disbelief. "What?" My heart sank, feeling like it was plummeting into an abyss.

What had kept my

My mind raced, my thoughts spinning wildly. "What do we do? What is the remedy?" I demanded, my eyes fixed on my mate's unconscious form on the bed. Her chest rose and fell with an irregular rhythm, and her skin was deathly pale.

The sage's next words were like a lifeline. "Your blood," she said, her eyes locked on mine. I stretched out my hands, urgency coursing through my veins. "Take it," I said, my voice low and husky. "Take it all if you have to. I don't want to lose my mate again, not for the second time."

Even if she carried another man's child, I couldn't bear the thought of losing her.