CHAPTER 21: CHAPTER 21: THE DIFFICULT CHOICE

"What if I just kill you instead?!"

A furious growl rumbles from Alpha Torrin’s throat as he wolfs-out and lunges at the multi-eyed seer, tearing off his face mask.

But,...

The seer only smirks at him, calm and unbothered. She then shifts to another position, her body flickering out of reach.

Alpha Torrin crashes into the cabinets, making the items rattle on the shelves or fall to the floor.

He tries to lunge at her again, but the seer merely waves her arm, and a burst of invisible force slams into him, hurling him back as if the air itself attacked him.

By the time I turn my gaze away from the seer, the world changes in a blink - we’re back in the middle of the woods while the golden home and the seer are both gone.

I rush to Alpha Torrin, who’s wheezing for air.

"Why did you do that?" I ask, frustration slipping into my voice coz there’s still so much I wanted to ask the seer.

"If she didn’t grant Damian’s request, none of this would’ve happened! Plus..." He pauses, angling his clenched eyes away from me. "I don’t think you’re capable of killing Damian, so maybe killing her would return everything as how it’s supposed to be."

My breath hitches. I can neither deny nor confirm it.

When I stay silent, the disappointment on his face deepens as he pushes himself to his paws.

"Finding out I have to rely on someone else instead of myself to save myself... s.ucks!" he snaps.

Did he really call me someone else?!

"You’re not the only one who finds all of this difficult! So don’t act like it!" I snap back.

I expect some kind of apology, but he only shrugs off my frustration. Then he marches forward, leaving me behind.

Out of pride, I turn and walk in the opposite direction without even glancing at him.

Does he also forget how to be tender and thoughtful about my feelings? Instead of understanding my situation the way I try to understand his, he only cares about his own! This isn’t the Alpha Torrin I know!

Or maybe... this is him, and he only hid it from me to win me.

All of a sudden,...

My thoughts bust when a growling nonshifter, grizzly bear lands in front of me.

I quickly wolf-out to defend myself. Though I’m faster, its attacks are much heavier. Its paw and claws slash across my torso, tearing skin and drawing blood.

I stumble to the ground, barely able to move, as the bear lunges again.

Thankfully,...

Alpha Torrin bursts through the bushes and blocks the bear’s fatal strike. He leaps onto the bear’s back and sinks his canines into its neck until it collapses to the ground.

But,...

Instead of relief, fear grips me like a vice.

Alpha Torrin keeps furiously ripping into the bear’s neck even after it’s dead. When he finally spits out its blood, remorse shadows his face.

"Let’s go. I’ll escort you back before Atticus or Damian notice you’re missing," he says, without glancing at me.

But after limping only a few steps, he suddenly collapses too while groaning in pain.

I rush to his side, and see blood profusely pouring from his torso.

"Torrin!" I yell anxiously.

We both shift back to our human forms so we can trudge toward the nearest cave when the rain starts pouring.

I gather leaves and herbs to treat his wound and stop the bleeding, then try to lean him against the wall so he can rest.

But instead,...

He pulls me close and rests his head against my chest, and guides my arms around his body, like he’s allowing me to own him.

"I didn’t mean to be mean to you earlier. I’m sorry," he murmurs. "You don’t have to kill Damian for me if you can’t. I don’t want you to regret it. I’ll try to overcome the elixir’s effects on my own, and kill him myself."

I tighten my arms around him, his warmth easing the chill of the rain.

Maybe accepting his claim over me would weaken the elixir’s hold on him and... of course may kill Damian.

I take a deep breath and try to push past my doubt and guilt for Damian’s well-being.

"I, Harleigh Hale, accept you, Torrin Chandler, as my only fated mate."

After a few moments, all I hear is his soft snoring as he’s fallen asleep.

And when he wakes an hour later, he still doesn’t remember anything, which means my acceptance didn’t work.

Sadness settles over me, along with amplified guilt for possibly putting Damian at risk.

"I plan to return to the Frostveil Pack by dawn. Would you escort me to my pack’s territory to collect some books first?" I ask.

He smiles warmly, the one I’ve missed so much. "Of course. I’d love to spend more time with you. Maybe it’ll help me regain the connection I’ve lost."

I hold his hand. Though he’s still uncomfortable, he ends up holding mine tighter than I hold his.

We ride another taxi until we reach the ruined territory of the Shadowfang Pack.

The once vibrant rainforest and the scattered man-made cities are now devastated and wasted. The houses are unlivable, full of cobwebs and insects, and the buildings look ready to collapse even under a weak earthquake.

The heartbreaking scene drags me back to the horrifying night of the ambush: the howls, the blood, the fear.

My knees weaken and my chest tightens as we go deeper.

"Are you okay?" Alpha Torrin asks, pulling me close by the waist.

I force a nod, refusing to let trauma stop me from fully embracing my roots.

Inside the library, most books are decrepit, some already decaying. We search for anything about ShadowBind. I’m sure there used to be a couple, but we can’t find a single one.

"Do you think they were stolen by those who ambushed your pack?" he asks.

"That’s possible, since Philip and his Dunebourne council, and now Atticus want to use our gift for their greedy ambition," I reply.

Suddenly,...

A raucous noise echoes behind the rubble. A wolf’s shadow darts past, too fast for me to see its features or even its fur color.

Alpha Torrin and I wolf-out and sprint through the tall, overgrown grass. But the wolf’s speed is unmatched, and it disappears before we glimpse it.

"I don’t think it’s dangerous, ’cause if it was... it would’ve attacked us," Alpha Torrin says.

That makes sense, but something deep inside me says that whoever that wolf is cannot be completely ignored.

Dawn arrives, but we still haven’t found the books.

"I should escort you back now. I’ll check different libraries for those books. Maybe they were hidden somewhere away from here," Alpha Torrin says.

With no other choice, we return to the Frostveil Pack’s western border where the Gammas greet us warmly, which is a relief, coz it means none of them are loyal to Atticus.

Bidding Torrin goodbye is the hardest part. I’m not sure when we’ll see each other again.

Part of me wants him to feel the effect of our separation, to know his bond with me still exists somehow. But another part of me doesn’t want him weakened or worried.

We face each other, awkwardly waiting for one of us to speak.

He then lowers his head and kisses my cheek.

It’s a sweet gesture, though I wish he’d kissed my lips instead.

"See you soon," he whispers before turning away.

As he shrinks from my sight, an urge to chase after him floods me. But I stop myself.

My body weakens a bit when his presence and scent completely fades.

We can’t be together peacefully until these are all resolved.

Now my goal is to perfect the ShadowBind, and to find the courage and the ruthlessness to kill Damian.

My wolf growls at me in disagreement about killing Damian, which only reinforces my doubt and guilt.

Still, I have to fulfill this difficult choice as I don’t wanna live the rest of life teetering between two fated mates. There can only be one.

Two Gammas safely and discreetly escort me back into the Alpha’s mansion in a car that drives through the back gates.

"Ms. Hale, I’m Eric and this is George. You can trust us if you or Alpha Torrin need anything," one of them says.

Both of them look genuine and determined, so I nod with a small smile.

"First, gather all the warriors who are loyal to Alpha Torrin and not to Atticus or Damian. We’ll need them once everything is ready. Second, find out who can’t be trusted. And lastly, give me your contact numbers so I can communicate with you properly."

They hand me their calling cards without hesitation.

They then leave when I successfully climb the wall that leads directly to my bedroom window.

Inside my bedroom, I head straight to the shower to wash out the white-blonde dye from my hair, then change into a pair of pajamas.

Just as I’m ready to collapse into bed, a knock echoes at the door.

I open it, and Damian towers over me.

The memories of our interrupted intimate moment, plus the multi-eyed seer’s warning, hit my chest all at once, making me anxious.

"Good morning," he says with a smile. "I was told you didn’t eat last night. I came to check on you, but you didn’t answer and the door was locked. So I decided not to disturb you. But maybe now we can have breakfast together. We can eat here if you don’t want to join dad."

I wanna decline, but I can’t risk making him angry.

But,...

The moment I let him inside, he locks the door, pulls me close and lifts me from the floor, forcing my legs to wrap around his hips. He presses me against the door, grinding his throbbing c.rotch between my legs, drawing unwilling moans from me.

"I don’t know how long you’re going to make me wait. But if I can’t wait anymore, I hope you won’t hate me," he murmurs between his own pleasured moans.

Then,...

He slams his lips onto mine, sliding his tongue into my mouth with desperate hunger.

My mind screams at me to stop him, but my heart reacts differently, and my wolf responds with delight.

While Damian is absorbed in kissing me, and while I still have enough control over our bond, I protrude my claws and silently aim them toward his neck.

This is my chance! I must kill him now!