Chapter 6: Fated

CASSIAN'S POV

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I had just stepped out of the shower.

I wrapped a towel around my waist and used another to dry the remaining droplets of water from my skin.

As I looked down patting myself dry, something caught my attention.

A shadow.

Someone was peeking through the slightly opened door.

I lifted my head up.

Elara.

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. she hadn't noticed I had seen her by the door.

Deciding to ease the awkwardness, I spoke.

"Are you planning on standing there all morning?"

Before I could say another word, she turned around and bolted down the hallway.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

She reminded me of a child who had just been caught doing something wrong.

Shaking my head with an amused smile, I returned my attention to drying myself and thought nothing more of it.

---

The following day, after spending nearly three weeks confined to the mansion, I was beginning to feel suffocated.

The endless meetings.

The responsibilities.

The constant expectations.

It was all becoming too much.

I needed to clear my head.

More importantly, Leon needed to run.

Leon—my wolf—was just like me.

Carefree.

Spontaneous.

Always chasing the thrill of freedom.

We both hated feeling trapped.

I made my way toward the forest near the pack territory.

Once I was deep enough among the towering trees, I allowed Leon to take over.

My body shifted effortlessly into my wolf.

The next second, I was sprinting through the forest, weaving between the trees as the cool wind rushed through my fur.

Freedom.

That's what this felt like.

No responsibilities.

No expectations.

Just the endless wilderness stretching before me.

Then...

Leon abruptly slowed.

His ears twitched.

Someone was nearby.

I lifted my nose, drawing in a deep breath.

A scent drifted toward us.

It wasn't unfamiliar.

But it wasn't ordinary either.

There was something different about it.

Something impossible to describe.

It called to us.

Without thinking, I quickened my pace, following the intoxicating scent as it drifted through the forest.

With every step I took, it grew stronger.

Closer.

Clearer.

Until finally...

I stopped.

The scent was no longer moving.

It was here.

Leon became restless, pacing within me with growing anticipation.

Whoever was nearby had completely captured his attention.

Slowly, I stepped forward.

Then I saw her.

A wolf with beautiful light-brown fur stood among the trees, her coat glowing beneath the scattered rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Her amber eyes shimmered like stars against the night sky.

I knew that wolf.

Paige.

Elara's wolf.

For a brief moment, the entire world fell silent.

She looked at me.

Then our eyes met.

Time seemed to stop.

A powerful surge rushed through my entire body, stealing the air from my lungs.

It felt as though something deep within me had finally awakened.

A connection.

Ancient.

Primal.

Unbreakable.

The bond.

My heart pounded violently.

Every instinct inside me screamed the same truth.

Mate.

She was my mate.

Elara...

She was my fated mate.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The strange pull I had felt ever since returning.

The way my thoughts constantly drifted toward her.

The way her touch had unraveled every ounce of self-control I possessed.

It had never been simple attraction.

It had always been fate leading me to her.

Paige never looked away.

Neither did I.

There was so much emotion in her eyes.

Disbelief.

Wonder.

Longing.

She had felt it too.

The bond had awakened within both of us.

Leon erupted with overwhelming joy.

Unable to contain himself, he threw back his head and released a deep, triumphant howl that echoed through the entire forest.

It was a declaration.

A celebration.

He had found his mate.

Paige responded by slowly circling around me.

Her movements were graceful, cautious, and calculated.

She studied me as though she were trying to memorize every part of me.

Yet she never let me out of her sight.

My heartbeat grew faster with every step she took.

The space between us seemed charged with an invisible force, drawing us irresistibly closer.

Her golden eyes never left mine.

They were filled with curiosity...

Affection...

And an undeniable longing neither of us could ignore.

She finally stopped directly in front of me.

For seconds, neither of us moved.

Then, with remarkable gentleness, she leaned forward.

Her head brushed softly against my neck.

The simple gesture sent warmth coursing through every part of me.

Leon melted beneath her touch, nuzzling her in return as though he had known her his entire life.

Neither of us spoke.

We didn't need to.

The mate bond had already said everything words never could.

And then just as we had both gotten almost lost in the moment.

she pulled back as if she being startled by something. I could not understand why.

but the next second she bolted. her wolf in full speed.

Leon ached for her.