MATE!!

My birthday came and went in the blink of an eye, but the weight of turning nineteen without shifting was beginning to take its toll.

I could tell Maron was worried too, though we never talked about it. Or rather, I always avoided the conversation. I couldn’t let her worry about me—I just couldn’t.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice Maron approaching until Ria, my wolf, alerted me.

Ria had been my companion for the past year, growing closer to me even though my shift never came. I often asked her why I hadn't shifted yet, but her answer was always the same:

"A shift isn’t the only way to realize or achieve your potential, Rex."

She had said it so many times that I started to believe it. But it still didn’t stop me from wishing I was normal.

Maron’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“My dear, I think we should go hunting tonight. It’s been months since we had a good old-fashioned hunt, hasn’t it?”

I sighed. “Ma, I’m not really in the mood tonight. How about we go tomorrow?” I tried to sound convincing.

But she wasn’t having it.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been distracted lately. This should help clear your mind,” she said, crossing her arms.

I huffed. “Alright, alright, I’ll come. Before you start playing the ‘I’m not a good daughter’ card.” A tiny smile played on my lips.

Her face lit up at my agreement, and she left to prepare.

Two hours later, we were deep in the forest.

“What do you think we’ll find tonight?” Maron asked from behind me. “The forest is unusually quiet.”

I grinned. “Worst case, we settle for squirrels. At least it’s meat.”

She didn’t laugh. That’s when I noticed her focus had shifted to something ahead.

I crept closer and whispered, “What are you looking at, Ma?”

She pointed toward an antelope hidden behind some bushes, and I nodded in realization.

But before we could act, an uneasy feeling crept over me.

We’re not alone.

Ria’s voice was sharp in my mind, her presence suddenly tense.

I followed her senses, shifting my focus to a different part of the bushes. There. I could feel them—two, maybe three men watching us.

Were they waiting for us?

I didn’t have time to process the thought because, in the next instant, one of them stepped out of hiding.

“Wolves roaming this part of the forest? Now, that’s a rare sight,” the man mused, his smirk casual but his posture anything but relaxed.

He looked human. Smelled human too.

Maron instantly stepped in front of me, shielding me from his gaze. Then, so softly I almost missed it, she whispered, “On my count, you run, Rex.”

Two more men emerged, joining the first. One of them grinned, drawing a gun from his side.

My stomach dropped. Silver.

The same thing that had killed Maron’s mate.

The man twirled the weapon idly. “Silver bullets. Deadly to your kind.” He smirked. “So, I’d suggest you choose your next move wisely.”

I felt Maron stiffen beside me.

I clenched my fists. No one was going to hurt her. Not while I was here.

A surge of power rushed through me, the same overwhelming force I had felt during my failed shift a year ago. Ria channeled it straight into me, fueling my resolve.

I stepped forward, moving Maron gently behind me.

“I don’t know what you want, but I suggest you leave. We aren’t looking for trouble.”

One of the men chuckled and muttered to the others, “Kill the old lady. But leave the girl for me—she’s just my type.”

Laughter followed.

And then, something inside me snapped.

How dare he?

Before I even realized it, I was moving.

Maron tried to grab me, but I was already gone, walking toward them with a fury I didn’t know I possessed.

Nobody—nobody—threatens me and my family and gets away with it.

The man in the middle raised his gun, but before he could aim, I instinctively stretched out my hand

And all that power inside me exploded.

A blinding green light sparked from my fingertips, sending the three men flying. They hit the ground hard, their bodies motionless, blood pooling beneath their heads.

“Dead,” Ria whispered before retreating into the back of my mind, leaving me in stunned silence.

Maron rushed toward me, but the moment our eyes met, she froze.

“Ma?” I called, trying to mask my fear.

Her eyes widened slightly before she whispered, “Your eyes, Rex.”

“What about them?” My voice was barely a whisper.

“They’re green.”

I blinked. “What? That’s not possible. My eyes have always been blue.”

Maron seemed to shake off her initial shock. “Forget about that for now. We need to go. They might not have been alone.”

I didn’t argue. My legs felt shaky as we rushed home.

Back at the cabin, Maron sat me down, her expression unreadable.

“Rex,” she said carefully, “what happened out there?”

I swallowed hard. “I… I don’t know. I felt a surge of energy, and then—” I stopped, remembering the bodies on the ground. “It just happened.”

As I spoke, the power flared up again. I could feel it surging back.

Maron stood abruptly, murmuring something under her breath, but I couldn’t focus. My vision blurred as the energy built inside me—

And then, it exploded again.

Green light pulsed from my body, flinging everything around me into the air. Furniture crashed, walls trembled.

Maron had managed to move away just in time.

I collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

Maron rushed to me, pulling me into a hug. “It’s okay, love. You’re fine.”

Her voice was calm, but I could feel her heart racing.

After what felt like forever, she pulled back.

“I think I know what’s happening,” she said, her expression shifting from worry to determination.

I looked at her desperately. “What am I, Ma?”

“You’re special, Rex. A special wolf.” Her voice was filled with pride.

Tears burned in my eyes. “I almost killed you.”

“No, my dear,” she soothed. “This happened because you don’t know how to control your power yet. But I don’t blame you, and you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

I exhaled shakily. “How do I fix this?”

Maron hesitated before speaking. “I’ve heard of a book—a special book. It contains the history of all supernatural creatures that have ever existed. If we can find it, we might learn what you truly are.”

I sat up, hope flickering inside me. “Where is it?”

Maron met my gaze.

“The Blue Crescent Pack.”

Leaving the safety of the forest wasn’t an easy choice. Maron had been my only family, and the forest had been my sanctuary.

But I knew I couldn’t stay hidden forever.

I had to find out who I was. I had to learn to control this power.

Maron gave me her blessing, and with a tearful goodbye, I packed my things and left.

My search for the book led me through dangerous forests and unfamiliar territories. The Blue Crescent Pack was the most powerful in California, and their library held the answers I needed.

But entering pack territory as a rogue? That was a death sentence.

Still, I had no choice.

I crossed the border, knowing I might not make it out alive.

My plan was simple: get in, find the book, and get out.

But before I could even begin my search, exhaustion overtook me, and I let myself rest for just a moment. And that’s when it happened.

A scent so intoxicating, so overwhelming, hit me like a bolt of lightning.

My breath caught in my throat.

Mate.