Chapter 5: He is my mate

Elara pov:

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The next day.

I was alone in my room, yet my thoughts were anything but quiet.

They drifted back to the embarrassing realization that Cassian had caught me staring at him while he was half-naked.

My cheeks flushed at the mere memory.

For some inexplicable reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about how handsome he had looked in that moment—or how perfectly defined his physique had been.

And that was the part that embarrassed me the most.

Because in those few seconds, my mind had wandered into thoughts it had no business entertaining.

The moment Cassian caught me staring, I had been rendered completely breathless.

My hands trembled.

My heartbeat accelerated.

And a wave of embarrassment washed over me.

I knew then that I had crossed a line.

Not an imaginary one.

A real one.

I knew exactly what I had been doing when I stood there staring at him.

And that realization made me feel even worse.

I didn’t know if I could face him again, let alone what he might say the next time our paths crossed.

Would he tease me about it?

Would he pretend it never happened?

Or would he look at me with that same knowing expression and make me painfully aware of what I had done?

I groaned softly and buried my face in my hands.

I needed to stop thinking about it.

With my mind hopelessly clouded by thoughts I couldn't seem to control, I finally left my room.

Perhaps a walk around the pack territory would clear my head.

At the very least, I needed some distance from it all.

I walked deeper into the forest in the pack territory, hoping the solitude would quiet the chaos in my mind.

The moment I was far enough from the pack grounds, I allowed my wolf to surface.

My body shifted, bones rearranging as fur covered my skin. Within seconds, I stood on four paws, no longer Elara, but Paige.

I had named her Paige.

She was fierce, courageous, and beautiful. Whenever I became her, I felt an inexplicable sense of power—as though nothing in the world could possibly overpower me.

As though I could conquer anything that stood in my way.

And that was exactly what I needed at that moment.

I needed to feel in control.

I needed to feel like myself again.

Paige and I moved through the forest, the familiar scent of damp earth and the fast wind on the fur.

For the first time since Cassians arrival, my thoughts began to settle.

Then—

Paige stopped.

Her ears perked up sharply.

Something had changed.

Someone was nearby.

I froze, immediately becoming alert.

Then I smelled it.

A familiar scent.

One that struck my wolf with such overwhelming intensity that Paige nearly lost control.

My instincts surged to the surface.

There was someone close.

I stood perfectly still, trying to determine where the scent was coming from.

But the longer I breathed it in, the more intoxicating it became.

Paige couldn't resist.

A powerful howl tore from my throat, echoing through the forest.

The moment the sound faded into the distance, I heard something.

A rustle.

Then the unmistakable sound of paws moving quickly through the trees.

Someone- was approaching.

My body tensed.

I didn't know whether I was about to encounter danger or something else entirely.

But there was one thing I knew with absolute certainty.

Paige wanted whoever was coming.

She ached for them.

The closer the unfamiliar presence came, the more restless she became.

Paige paced anxiously practically begging me to move toward the approaching wolf.

“Calm down,” I whispered internally.

But she wouldn't listen.

Her instincts were stronger than my reasoning.

Then I saw him.

A wolf emerged from between the trees.

My heart seemed to stop.

I knew that wolf.

There was no mistaking him.

Cassian.

My eyes widened as realization struck me.

He was the one.

The wolf whose scent had driven Paige into such a frenzy.

He was the reason my wolf had reacted so differently.

Cassian slowly approached.

Neither of us moved.

Then his gaze met mine.

And everything changed.

Something inside me snapped into place.

A powerful sensation surged through my entire body, leaving me breathless.

The connection was instantaneous.

Undeniable.

Present,

The bond.

My eyes widened as the truth settled over me.

Cassian was my mate.

My fated mate.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't think.

I simply stared at him, trying to comprehend the revelation that had just shattered everything I thought I knew about my life.

Cassian.

Kieran's younger brother.

My childhood friend.

My boyfriend's brother.

My mate.

It was impossible.

And yet, somehow, it made perfect sense.

Suddenly, everything became clearer.

The strange attraction.

The inexplicable pull.

The way my body reacted whenever he was near.

The way his touch had affected me.

The way I couldn't stop thinking about him even when I knew I shouldn't.

It all made sense now.

It had never been something I could simply control.

It had been fate.

My heart pounded violently against my chest.

Paige was practically celebrating, circling around, overwhelmed by the realization that the wolf standing before us belonged to her.

Then Cassian's eyes widened.

I knew immediately.

He felt it too.

The bond had reached him.

His head lifted toward the sky, and a powerful howl erupted from him.

It echoed throughout the forest, raw and desperate , carrying an emotion so intense that it sent another shiver through me.

My mate.

Cassian was my mate.

And somehow, the one person I was never supposed to want was the very person fate had chosen for me. Fate had played a cruel Joke on me.