Five

The bond shattered, and Yasmin felt the warmth replaced by a cold, searing pain that tore through her very soul. She gasped, her knees buckling as she fell to the ground, her hands clutching at her chest as if she could somehow hold the pieces of her heart together. The agony was unlike anything she had ever felt—like something inside her was being ripped apart, leaving her hollow and broken.

Laughter echoed around her, cruel and mocking, as she struggled to breathe. She looked up, her vision blurred with tears, and saw Ian’s face—guilt etched into his features. But he didn’t reach out to her, didn’t offer her a hand. He simply shook his head, turned away, and walked off with his friends, leaving her there on the ground.

"Look at the runt," someone sneered. "Thinking she could be mated to someone like Ian."

"Pathetic," another voice added, and Yasmin heard the laughter grow louder, their cruel words cutting into her like knives.

Yasmin felt her heart shatter, the pieces scattering beyond her reach. She stayed there for a moment, the world spinning around her, the laughter and whispers tearing at her. Then, with a sob that tore from her throat, she pushed herself up. She couldn't stay there, couldn't let them see her like this.

"Yasmin, wait!" someone called, but she ignored them, her vision swimming with tears. She turned and ran, her feet carrying her away from the square, away from the laughter and the cruel eyes. She ran until her legs gave out, until the forest swallowed her whole, and she collapsed to the ground, her tears soaking the earth beneath her.

The pain in her chest was unbearable, and she pressed her hands against her heart, as if she could somehow piece herself back together. She had dared to hope, dared to dream that tonight would be different, that she would finally have someone who saw her, who valued her. But that hope had been torn away, leaving nothing but emptiness behind.

~~~~

Zaid had just witnessed a pathetic scene—a she-wolf getting rejected in the Moonbeam Pack's square. He had watched as she fell to the ground, broken and humiliated, her sobs echoing through the gathered crowd. It was a display he had seen many times before, but something about the rawness of it struck him. When she finally got up and ran off, he felt a pang of something he couldn’t quite place. Pity? No. He wasn’t one for sentimentality.

Afterward, he decided he needed a run. The Red Moon had always made his blood run hot, and the night’s events had left him restless. He shifted into his wolf form and bounded into the woods, letting the forest blur around him. He needed the release—the freedom of the wind rushing past his fur, the earth beneath his paws.

But then, he heard it. The sound of quiet, anguished sobs. His ears perked, and he came to a stop, his senses on high alert. He padded closer, curious, until he saw her. The rejected girl was curled up at the base of a tree, her slender form shaking with sobs. She looked utterly defeated, her tears streaming down her milky pale cheeks, her long hair tangled around her.

He shifted to his human form, his first instinct was to turn around and leave. He had no business getting involved in her misery. But then she lifted her head, and Zaid froze. Even with her face marred by tears, she was beautiful. Strikingly so. Her skin glowed in the moonlight—milky and flawless. Her figure, though hidden beneath her worn dress, was slender yet curvy. Her lips, full and pink, trembled as she wiped her tears, and her eyes—enchanting green eyes framed by lush lashes—gazed at the ground in such despair that something in him stirred.

His wolf, normally indifferent to anything but power, reared its head, intrigued. Interested. Zaid found himself stepping forward, drawn by something primal and inexplicable. He realized too late that she had noticed him. Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise. She scrambled to her feet, her fingers fumbling to tidy her disheveled dress. She bowed her head quickly, apologizing in a broken voice.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just- I. . ."

He merely stared at her, unable to look away. There was a vulnerability to her, a rawness that called to something deep within him. His gaze traced her features, drinking in the delicate lines of her face, the softness of her lips, the brightness of her eyes despite the tears.

She flushed under his scrutiny, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that made her look even more enchanting. Zaid found himself stepping closer, his body moving before his mind had time to catch up. The girl looked up at him, startled, and he saw the flicker of confusion and... something else in her eyes. Desire, maybe. It matched the pull he felt toward her, the tension tightening in his chest.

"The young soldier," he said, his voice a low rumble, "is clearly an idiot to reject a goddess like you."

Her eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. "A... goddess?" she echoed, as if she couldn't believe he was speaking to her that way.

Zaid stepped closer, so close that he could feel her warmth, their bodies almost touching. She was looking up at him, her gaze searching his. He lifted a hand, letting his fingers skim over her cheek, her skin soft beneath his touch. She shivered, but she didn’t pull away.

"Yes," he murmured, his voice thick with something he couldn't quite name. "A goddess."

She flushed again, her eyes fluttering closed as his fingers traced her features. Her lips parted, a small sigh escaping them, and he felt his body tense with need. There was something about her—something fragile, something pure—that made him want to protect her, to claim her.

She melted into his hand, leaning into his touch, but then her body stiffened. She pulled back, her eyes snapping open, a flicker of fear and doubt crossing her face.

"I—I can't," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I shouldn't."

But Zaid wasn’t about to let her go. He leaned in, his breath brushing against her ear as he spoke. "One night," he said, his voice a low growl. "Just one night to forget all the pain."

He watched as she struggled, the conflict clear in her eyes. She wanted to refuse, he could see that, but there was also a desperation there—a need to escape, even if only for a moment. She bit her lip, her gaze flickering to his, and for a long moment, they simply stared at each other.

Then, slowly, she nodded. "Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

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