CHAPTER 2

RAINE

My body trembled. Not from fear. Not from pain. But from something far stranger, something deeper. Ever since Killian appeared, something within me had awakened. Something that rattled my bones, pushing to break free from beneath my skin. It burned, like a wild surge of energy flooding from my stomach to my chest... then up to my throat.

My breathing grew heavier. My nose caught a foreign scent, a mix of forest, rain, and smoldering embers. A scent that sent shivers down my spine.

My wolf... she was rising. Or more precisely, she was responding to something.

My heart pounded faster. I shut my eyes, forcing down the sudden urge to shift. No. Not now. I wasn’t ready. I had never felt this before. But I knew exactly what this reaction meant. This wasn’t just emotion… this was instinct. The instinct of a wolf who had just recognized the presence of her mate.

No way.

That’s impossible…

Then Killian’s voice rang out, “Everyone, leave.”

His voice was low, but carried an undeniable power.

Silence fell instantly. Even Jax, who was still sprawled on the ground, scrambled to his feet, head bowed, and dragged himself off the field. No one said a word. They just... vanished.

Within seconds, it was just me and Killian left standing in the dark field.

I tried to stand, but my knees buckled. My legs gave way, and I nearly collapsed again, barely catching myself with one hand.

Killian’s footsteps approached.

My breath hitched. Every step he took echoed like thunder in my chest. I wanted to run, to get away from that scent... the scent that made my wolf thrash to break free. But I couldn’t move.

Killian stopped in front of me and crouched down. His face was just inches from mine. His eyes sharp, yet filled with something else. Tension. An unfamiliar pull. A gaze that wasn’t scorn, nor hate, but not kindness either.

Just... complicated.

“Don’t make trouble by hurting yourself,” he said flatly. His voice was cold, but not mocking. “They’re no match for you. You just don’t know how to fight yet.”

I glared at him. “Oh, so now you care to me?” My voice rose. “Why? Didn’t you enjoy watching me get beaten? Didn’t you want me to lose? To suffer? To die right there in the field? That would’ve been fun for you, wouldn’t it?”

Killian said nothing. His jaw tightened. His eyes bore into me, like he was holding something back.

And I was sick of his silence.

With what strength I had left, I stood. My knees shook, but I refused to show weakness.

“Since when... does a spoiled heir like you care about a cursed mutt like me?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Tch. I don’t need your pity. Save it for someone who deserves it!”

Still, Killian said nothing. He just looked at me, so intense, like he was stripping away every wall I had ever built.

Then he took a step forward.

And…my heart thundered in my chest.

I thought he’d yell. Or maybe... kill me. My words should’ve been enough to trigger his rage. But there was no fury on his face.

I backed away, breath uneven, until I hit the cold wooden fence at the edge of the dark field.

Then his hand rose. His strong fingers grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His touch wasn’t gentle—but it wasn’t violent either.

“Since I was eighteen,” he whispered, voice hoarse and low, “every time I got near you, I smelled this scent, and I knew you were my mate.”

My eyes widened in shock!

“I’ve held it back all this time... this craving, this instinct.” His breath brushed my cheek. “I’ve tried to stop myself from claiming you because you hated me, and because I hated you too.”

My body trembled.

Heat spread from within me, seeping into every pore. My breathing was ragged, and inside me—my wolf stirred. She wanted out. She wanted to join him.

As if answering her call, Killian’s eyes glowed silver. A primal light possessed only by true Alphas.

And in a heartbeat that shattered my awareness, the world spun.

My bones twisted. My breath caught. In an instant, my body stretched, morphing into soft, silver-white fur that shimmered under the moonlight.

I had shifted into a wolf!

Before me, Killian—now in the form of a towering, pitch black wolf, radiated a powerful aura of dominance. His eyes... recognized me. Accepted me. Wanted me.

We drew closer, slowly. No words were spoken, but he nuzzled me with heat, and… instinct took over, showing how wolves loved.

Our noses touched, our bodies circled one another, and a gentle vibration passed between us. This wasn’t just physical. It went far deeper, like our souls were merging.

For the first time in my life, I felt whole.

A soft growl escaped my throat, answered by Killian’s deeper, heavier howl. The sound of two souls finding home in each other.

And as the bond peaked, Killian bit my neck—not hard, just enough to leave a mark.

A mark of acknowledgment.

A mark of claim.

A mark that I was his fated mate.

Then, it was over in three minutes, and the night breeze returned as everything settled.

My body trembled softly, exhaustion wrapping every muscle that had just shifted. The fur vanished, my form returning to that of a human.

I crouched on the ground, still panting, my skin hot and damp with sweat. Beside me, Killian shifted too.

We were naked. Shit… This is embarrassing!

No words were spoken. No movements made. Just our heavy, uneven breaths.

I looked down, hugging my knees, unable to meet his gaze.

Then he stood. He stared at me for a second longer… and ran into the house like the wind, and without saying a single word.

I stayed there, frozen, trying to steady my breath, trying to calm the loud pounding in my chest.

What just happened? Was this real?

Could it be true… that my stepbrother and I were fated mates?