Chapter Text
The cool autumn air whipped through your bedroom, stirring the pastel wind chimes, as you tore your dresser apart, trying to find the perfect outfit. After coming back from a jog around the territory this morning, you found a neatly folded piece of paper in front of your bedroom door. You gingerly took the note in your hands, opening it. The words written across the page made your heart flutter.
“Meet me at our spot at 11:30 pm,” the letter read, with a cute heart next to the time and Malakai’s name signed at the bottom. Your fingers had danced across the page, a soft smile spreading across your lips.
You’re honestly not sure how you survived the wait the entire day. You were practically humming with excitement, counting down the hours, but now anxiety was wracking your body. Of course, now that it was only an hour away from 11:30, everything in your closet felt inadequate. You haven’t seen Kai in a few weeks and couldn’t fathom the idea of not looking your best for the sudden occasion.
You’ve known Kai for pretty much all of your life. As an infant, you were abandoned in the woods, when a lady, Dina, belonging to the pack found you and took you in. It wasn’t heard of for shifters, let alone for the Twilight Pack, the most powerful pack in the country, to take in humans but Dina vouched for you, taking guardianship of you from then on. Although the other wolves were a bit apprehensive, they warmed up in no time, fully accepting and immersing you in their culture and ways.
That didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any more hiccups, though.
It was one particular day, during recess of elementary school, that some kids cornered you. They hurled endless taunts at you, berating you with insults: “You don’t belong here,” “You’ll never be one of us,” “You’re just a weak human,” but it all suddenly stopped. Wiping your tear streaked face, you saw him for the first time, Malakai. He fearlessly stood up for and comforted you. And from there, the rest was pretty much history.
You and Kai became fast friends, always causing hijinks in and out of the classroom, and spending your free time together. However, that came to a bit of a halt around when Kai turned 19 and you 18. A wolf’s age of maturity is 18 so it had already been a year since he fully manifested his abilities when he began his training since he was the next-in-line Alpha. As the Alpha’s son, and grandchild of one of the pack’s most influential Elders, he was destined to become the next leader.
It was during this time that his bright disposition was muted by harsh responsibilities and strenuous training, and sadly the quality time you used to spend with him began to dwindle. Even though the Elders drew a harsh line in where they stood with you distracting Kai from his studies, you would always try to make it a point to sneak off and see him as much as you could. Be it during training or lessons, you would always try to be in his vicinity, silently letting him know he was never alone. The stress of it all never lessened from his shoulders, but he appreciated your presence and always looked forward to seeing your smiling face. It made him feel not so alone.
By the time your clock struck 11 pm, you decided on wearing a flowy front tie top and a matching skirt, opting to ditch your shoes. Walking around barefoot was the usual way you’d find most in the pack and was a custom you were raised on, as you were taught that it allows you to connect and ground yourself with the earth.
The words on the letter practically sang in your head as you bound out of your room and down the steps, offering Dina a rushed goodbye as she sat in her chair by the fireplace.
Our spot, the simple phrase had you grinning so hard your cheeks started to hurt.
Many hours had been spent there at the lake. Whenever you were able to persuade Kai to sneak out, you would always lead him there, having found it on one of your many runs through the forest. However, this past year, it’s been him that’s been dragging you there.
Since you never had any particular abilities of your own that people sensed, you always figured you were human, and you were perfectly okay with that. But lately you’ve been healing faster than normal from your weekly spars and even smelling different than usual. You didn’t think much of this until people slowly started distancing themselves from you. Dina always urged you to pay them no mind, claiming they were scared of their own shadows, but how could you? These were people who you looked to for advice, took care of you when Dina was gone, who you trusted like family, but were not leaving you to fend for yourself when you most needed their love.
You were sure Kai was going to react the same and began secluding yourself, opting to stop seeing him for fear of his rejection. But it was when he came to your house, dragging you out to the lake to talk, that you came to realize he never could judge you. What you failed to realize was that you and your happiness were the most important things to him.
As you stepped outside, you inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy autumn scents before starting down a path towards the forest. The trek to the lake wasn’t entirely a long one, but going there always made you feel a little nervous since it sat a few minutes beyond the territory. However, tonight you didn’t feel too concerned with anticipation buzzing through every one of your nerves. And honestly you knew that after all of the intense training that Kai’s undertaken he could protect you from just about anything. The thought of his sculpted arms, wrapping around your form, sent a rush of warmth to your cheeks. You shook the thought free from your mind as you ventured further between the trees.
Something in your chest twinged as you crossed into a clearing, adding an extra pep to your steps.
The sensation began manifesting a couple months ago, right along when you started experiencing those changes. At first it started every time you would touch Kai, with a mere brushing of your arm against his triggering the feeling. By now, you get the feeling just from being close to him, with it growing into an almost compass-like navigator, always pointing you to Kai. Ever since you first learned about mates, you always hoped Kai would be yours, particularly that this peculiar feeling was a hint to that, or even, against all odds, your true mate. You know that the odds of you finding your true mate is kinda’ sorta’ slim, but hey, a girl can dream, right?
That tugging in your chest blossomed as you came upon the lake.
The peaking full moon’s light glistened across the water’s surface, like stars were kissing the rapids. Your gaze landed on Kai’s as he turned to see you. He wore a beautiful grin that instantly warmed your heart. All of your excitement skyrocketed as you closed the distance. Kai opened his arms, taking you into a hug. His warm, oaky scent enveloped you, causing you to instinctively relax into his arms.
“So you got the letter?”
“Yeah.” You tried (and failed) to sound nonchalant. You turned your face a little more out of his sight so he couldn’t see your goofy smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” You say the last part more so to yourself but you’re sure he was able to hear you with his heightened senses. You mentally kick yourself for letting that slip out.
Kai still smiled nonetheless, beaming a bit brighter to your words. He was happy you didn’t have heightened hearing or you would be teasing him about how fast his heart was beating right now.
“Do you want to sit with me?”
You looked past him to find a cozy blanket spread across the grass with your favorite snacks, a few lit candles, and pillows placed sporadically about. You were at a loss for words at the gesture, only being able to muster an eager nod as you sat beside him.
A moment of silence settled between the two of you. It felt as though there was so much to be said since it’s been so long since you’ve seen one another, but not enough words in the dictionary to actually execute them.
A pink hue spread across his face. “Do you like it?”
“Oh my gosh, yes, Kai.” You gasp, hoping you didn’t come off as rude by not saying it initially.
You twiddle your thumbs a bit, trying not to get your hopes up. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that you’ve been crushing on Kai for forever. You’ve been dropping hints to Kai but he’s remained radio silent, it sucked but you didn’t really take it to heart. You were sure that with everything going on in his life he just hasn’t noticed. But this set up is making you start to think otherwise. Maybe he has been noticing? Does he feel the same? Rapid thoughts fired across your mind.
The feeling of his fingers interlocking with yours pulled you from the clouds you were stuck in. You looked down from your connected hands to his face. His ivory eyes were twinkling at yours.
He cleared his throat, straightening his posture when he said, “Y/N, you mean everything to me. Every moment that we share together is like a piece of our own paradise, and every time I see you smile and hear you laugh, it makes my world a little brighter. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my girlfriend, my mate.”
You were speechless. Did you actually hear him right or were you caught in another daydream? The sensation of Kai swiping his thumb across the back of your hand grounded you, proving that this wasn’t a joke or a dream. He really just asked you to be his.
Your body reacted before your brain could as you launched yourself onto him, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Yes, Kai! A thousand times yes!”
His chest rumbled with a laugh as he wrapped his arms around your waist, embracing you. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your hair, marveling at you. “You kinda’ gave me a scare for a moment.”
“I’m sorry, I was just surprised.” You answer, not really wanting to tell him you thought this was another one of your many daydreams. “But I’m so happy.”
“Me too, babe.”
That singular word nearly made your heart burst with joy. You kicked your feet, dissolving into a bubbly mess.
You prompted him to call you babe again before shifting your weight off of his chest. You nestled yourself in his lap, leaning your head back into him as you popped some candy into your mouth. The conversations you had with Kai were lighthearted and easy, like only you two existed. Eventually, your words died down, swallowed by the beauty of the full moon’s peak. You and Kai dissolved into a state of peaceful tranquility as you sat in each other’s arms, stargazing. I don’t ever want this to end, you thought.
Everything was going magically until Kai’s body language changed. He stiffened, turning his head in either of your directions. You tilted your head upwards to find him viewing the perimeter, something clearly having caught his attention.
“Is something wrong, Kai?” You didn’t doubt he could pick up on the quickened thrumming of your heart.
“No, I just thought I heard something.”
A distinct crack echoed through the woods, now garnering your attention. If that was loud enough for me to notice, then whatever it is must be close. You rose to a stand with Kai. He turned towards the northern region, facing where Twilight’s territory ends.
He stepped in front of you, assuming a defensive position. “If things get bad, you need to run.”
Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest. “What? No, Kai, I’m staying with you.”
“No, Y/N, I can handle my own. You’ve only just started training. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt.” He spoke matter-of-factly, but his eyes told a different story, sadness and worry overflowing from them.
“Fine.” You conceded, but you promised yourself that if he couldn’t handle his own, you’d intervene. Not only did he just become your mate not even an hour ago, but he’s the successor of the Twilight Pack. There isn’t any comparison of the value of his life against yours when the betterment and safety of his people, and the greater wolf population ride on his back.
The sound of footsteps soon trickled in from the same direction of the snapping heard prior, but it sounded too quick for it to be a person. Was it a wolf?
To your horror, a large brown wolf jumped from a nearby clearing, barreling straight at you and Kai. Kai wasted no time, swapping his human form for his jet black wolf one in a fluid motion, his clothes ripping to shreds in the process.
Barring his teeth, he let out a piercing howl and lunged at the wolf. Their bodies blurred into a violent mess of paws, bodies colliding, and gnashing teeth. You felt nauseous just watching on the sidelines as they swiped at each other, the rich, metallic scent of blood hitting your nose.
Kai dove for the wolf’s neck, but not before it ducked from his grasp, shoving him hard in his side. Without hesitating, the wolf pivoted, running straight for you. Your body jolted with adrenaline as you dove out of the way.
A deep growl radiated from your chest, shocking yourself in the process. You’re not sure where all of this is coming from but instead of questioning it you lean into the sudden force thrumming within you. You lurched forward, tackling the beast to the ground in a fury. Cuts and scratches marred your arms, but were healing nearly as quickly as they were appearing, not even phasing you until the wolf bit down into your side. You let out a blood curdling scream as it threw you against a tree’s hull. Your vision doubled and became blurry, as you tried to breath through the pain. You tried to push up to your feet but to no avail, all of the strength leaving your muscles as soon as it had come.
Before the wolf could stalk closer to you, Kai came crashing into its side, resuming the bloody battle.
It took everything out of you to stay awake. You couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Kai to fend for himself.
Suddenly, a yelp was heard from beyond a thicket with the air thick with a coppery scent. Words fell from your lips as you said a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess, pleading that Kai was okay. You heard footsteps entering back into the clearing and nearly cried tears of joy to see Kai’s wolf approaching you. A slight wheezing sound was coming from him, and he had a bad limp in his left hind leg, but he’s alive. That’s all that matters.
You crawled over to him, holding your side but still managed to pull his exhausted wolf into your lap. As you ran your hand down his black fur, your heart plummeted. A warm, wet substance coated your fingers. Your mouth went dry as you held your hand in the moonlight, seeing the crimson paint your fingertips. Frantically, you searched his body for the cause, coming across three enormous gashes that ran along his side, extending to his stomach. Blood flowed freely from the wounds.
“Shit, shit, shit,” you cursed, tearing the sleeve off of your shirt and pressing it into his wounds.
Your own scratches were screaming at you from the strain you were putting on your body, but that pain was dull in comparison to the pain in your heart.
Gradually, Kai shifted back into his human form, lying naked and curled into your lap. Tears welled in your eyes at the sight. His skin took on a pallored hue and his breaths came in so excruciatingly shallow. You didn’t want to admit it but deep down, you knew he didn’t have much time left. You wanted to scream, to cry, to do anything but be forced to watch the one you love, your mate, slowly fade in your arms.
“Don’t cry,” Kai said, his voice lacking the intensity it once possessed. “It’s okay—”
“It’s not fucking okay.” You hiccuped.
“It is.” He smiled weakly, raising his hand to cup my cheek, your hand gravitating to hold it. With what strength he had, he wiped a stray tear from your face. “Today was the best day ever. You want to know why?”
More tears flowed from your eyes. “Why?”
“Because you agreed to be my mate.”
It felt like your heart shattered into a million pieces.
“I’ll find you in every lifetime, Y/N.”
“And I you, Kai. I love you.”
“I love you so much,” was the last words he uttered before closing his eyes.
His hand slackened against your face but you only tightened it in yours, letting a sob wrack through your entire body.
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You aren’t sure how long you’ve been sitting there, but the sound of approaching footsteps and voices startled you. You don’t want to leave him, but if that’s the pack coming you don’t know what you’re going to do. What do you even fucking say? The Alpha’s son and Elder’s grandchild is dead, all because he was protecting you. As much as it pained you, you know deep down that you didn’t belong in the Twilight Pack anymore. Even if you somehow, against all odds, did go back, you weren’t sure if you’d even accept it.
Your whole reason to breathe is now gone.
Sniffling, you gingerly rested Kai’s body on the ground, placing a kiss on his forehead. As you pushed onto your feet, the glimmer of something on his body caught your eye. Resting on his right ring finger sat his moonstone encrusted ring he’d gotten at his coming-of-age ceremony. Another tear fell from your eye as you slipped the ring off his finger and onto your index. At least you’ll always have a piece of him to carry with you now.
The gashes in your side have already halfway healed but you still rip a part of your skirt off and tie it around your waist, cinching it hard to stop the rest of the bleeding. As you rise to your feet, you lay your eyes on Kai one last time before you take off into the night, bidding everything that you once called home farewell.