Is it a Dream?

Wayne wakes up with a groan. His head is pounding. The light from the bars chandeliers greets him, as well as the scent of stale bear and wood foolish. Across him, his friend Mason sits talking about his upcoming mating ceremony.

“Wayne, can you believe it?” Mason says, his tone laced with  joy, practically glowing. “One more week and I’ll be tied to my mate. She’s perfect, man. Absolutely perfect.” he squeals.

Wayne nods absentmindedly.  How did he end up here? He tries to recollect his self, but the last thing he remembers, is nothing. Terrified, he finishes his drink in one gulp, and stands abruptly.

“You alright?" Mason frowns, noticing the shift in his friends demeanor. “Come on man, sit." He gestures back to the seat, Wayne was seating on. “You look like you've seen a ghost." Mason chuckles.

“Yeah, I just… need some air,” Wayne mutters, rubbing his temples.

He walks outside, barely unable to keep his balance. The morning sunlight greets him, causing pain to his eyes. He shields his face with his hand, to protect himself from the light. He reaches out for his phone and calls for a cab.

When the cab driver reaches, he asks for Wayne's destination. Wayne blurts out his father's address and a chill runs through him as he recalls that he hadn't been there in years. Never has, he has always managed to stay away from the place because the hostile old man had nothing to do with him, or so he claims.

The cab moves through familiar streets, but halfway to the destination, Wayne’s head begins to ache. Fragmented images flash in his mind. A woman denying him, her voice trembling, the next moment, she’s bleeding, her life slipping away. The memories are sharp and hurting. Overwhelmed by the pain and need to get more air, he asks the driver to stop.

Dream? But it felt so damn vivid.

Wayne steps out of the car and begins walking. He feels a pull, something drawing him to go home. Pushing off the bad energy, he calls another cab and continues his journey to his father's house. The maid who answers the door greets him with a cold demeanor, her clipped tone matching the frigid atmosphere inside. He walks in and goes through the familiar halls, each step heavy with an unshakable sense feeling wrong. The silence is broken when a woman walks pass him. Her dark air sways as she walks confidently pass him, and turns towards the corridor. Something about her presence bothers him.

“Wait!” he decides to call out to her,  running towards her. She doesn't answer, nor turn back. As reaches the corner, she's gone. Wayne feels confused. He swears he saw someone walk pass him.

 “Looking for me?”

Wayne turns around in a beat. Her voice sounds familiar, thought he can't detect how or from where. “Miss Elena," a young lady, in a maid's dress calls out to the stranger that stands before him.

The immediately triggers a huge block of memories. Wayne's head begins to ache again, as broken pieces of his memories starts coming back to him. Tori rejecting him, blood spilling onto the floor, Elena standing beside Wade with a chilling smile. The pain becomes unbearable, and he staggers, clutching his head.

“Was it a dream?” he mutters, his voice trembling.

Elena stands watching, with a knowing smirk. Her gaze makes him nervous. She turns and walks away as Wayne struggles to restore his balance.

“Where did she go?” he demands asking the maid.

“Miss Elena went to see Mr. Wade,” she replies, her tone curt and devoid of emotion.

Wayne’s jaw clenches as he makes his way to Wade’s room. The sound of hushed whispers stop him as he reaches Wade's room. Wayne, curious,  presses his ear against the door. He hears Elena's voice first.

“You have to make sure the plan works,” she says. “Accept Tori as your mate. She’ll believe you.”

Wade murmurs something in agreement, and the sound of a kiss follows. Wayne steps back, his stomach turning with confusion. The headache that had subsided returns, his wolf howling in his mind, a mournful cry of a woman.

The sound of his phone buzzing, wakes him up from the chaos that was unfolding.

 “Hey, man! Don’t forget about the underground party tonight. It’s a once-a-year thing, and you’ve been talking about it for weeks. Don’t go missing on me now.”

“What day is it?” Wayne asks, his voice serious.

“What day? It’s the 12th. Why?”

Wayne's blood freezes. The date sounds familiar to him. The 12th. That's the day, Wade proposed to her, the pretty red head. His wolf cries, each sound bringing in more memories. He scrolls through his calendar, his hands trembling.

How does he manage to know all of these though?

He matches every single memory with the pains in his head. The fragmented pieces of memories.

 “It’s the same day. How am I alive?” he chest tightens. What was happening to him? Why is he here? This day. The realisation dawns on him that he wasn't present, the day Wade had accepted Tori as his mate. Wayne's mind stirred in both confusion and determination to find out what was happening. If this truly is a second chance, he must act. Wayne thinks out to himself. As he checks the time, Wayne realizes there are three hours left until the proposal. He steels himself, his resolve firm.

The drive to her place is filled  with memories flooding  back to him. Wayne thinks about Tori. He prays to the goddess that this is his second chance and that he will meet Tori. But that day, Tori was killed too. Could she be back as well? Or did he simply go into the past to save her? She died in front of him in the future, the moon goddess must have given him another chance to prove himself and save her life.

Wayne's mind whirled. Whatever the situation, he promises to save her from the cursed fate of losing her life while he got his chance.

As he reaches, Tori's place, Wayne is allowed in without resistance from the pack guards. They allow him in without questioning him. Having seen this, Wayne feels fear surge to him. He wasn't known by Tori's father, so why did they let him in? Without further thinking, walks in praying to the moon goddess that this was her helping him.

As he steps inside, the voices from the living room echo in his ears. He moves closer, his heart hammering in anticipation.

“After our kiss last night, I knew. You’re my mate,” Wade’s voice says, smooth and persuasive.

Wayne stands in the doorway, the tension in the room palable. His eyes are locked on Tori as Wade speaks, his voice smooth, persuasive and filled with lies. Wayne's wolf cries inside of him, urging him to silence Wade.

Wayne ignores, calming his wolf as he studies Tori closely. Her face betrays her inner turmoil. He can sense it— the confusion, weakness, and a deep, unresolved pain etched into every feature. It stirs something primal in him, a connection he had once wished she acknowlged before her demjse.

His wolf senses it too: Tori’s wolf is in agony, its emotions is filled with anger, confusion, and pain. The connection is so powerful that it feels as though her wolf is calling out to his.

Without hesitation, Wayne steps forward. His voice is calm but commanding, cutting through the tense atmosphere. “Tori,” he says, his tone steady and sure. “You’re my mate.”