Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Five armed men stroll inside behind him.

I’m frozen in place, my find racing a million miles per second and my heart leaping but the only thing I can think properly is complete bullshit;

He’s gorgeous.

I want to kick myself. I have a mate! I shouldn’t be thinking that about a random stranger who just ruined my wedding.

Then why are you so relieved?

The man with stormy blue eyes doesn’t look so appealing anymore when his lips curl in a murderous snarl, his eyes turn darker when they settle on Ethan and me. People part before him like the red sea as he storms towards us.

“Get away from her,” his voice vibrates through the church

“Alpha Supreme,” the priest steps in front of him despite his trembling “This is holy—

“Out of my way,” his dark eyes narrow

Ethan pushes me behind himself and I feel a prick of annoyance. What is he doing? This is about me!

“Stop this blasphemy,” Ethan growls, I see his fingers start to elongate, ready to shift if necessary “She’s not your mate, Winters. Everyone knows it.”

“I will give you one moment to save your miserable life, Parks.” A rough voice says, a shiver races down my spine at

the seriousness in it

“This is my territory, you cant—

And suddenly Ethan has ripped away from in front of me. that man, the Alpha supreme, shoves him aside as if he’s a rag doll. I take a step back, eyes darting in every direction to find an escape.

When the Alpha Supreme turns his eyes to me, I can't believe the change on his face. The feral expression gives way

to the worry, the dark rage recedes, and stormy blue stares at me as if I’m a gush of fresh air, a bag of gold, a starry sky.

Or maybe a good enough person to blame something on.

“Hazel,” his voice is so soft, it steals my breath

That word. That name. I know it, it’s so familiar, important. Before I can dig deeper in my head, he’s in front of me, warm arms wrap around me in a secure hold.

“Hazel, I’m here,” he puts his forehead against mine “I’m sorry I took so long, Mia Regia, but I’m here now.”

My eyes dart between both of his. They’re so tender when they look at me and I feel myself being drawn towards them. Hazy muddles images and words swirl in my head but I can't remember, I can't remember anything.

I take his hands off myself, averting my gaze at the confused expression on his face.

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly “Who are you?”

Alpha Supreme stares at me, pain itched on each angular line of his face “Hazel, stop it. I’m here now, you don’t need to be afraid of anything.”

“I told you,” I say calmly, firmly “I don’t know you.”

“Impossible!” I flinch at his harsh voice, he seems to snap out of his anger to hold my face, cradling it carefully in his rough palms

His eyes are desperate when they look between both of mine, searching.

“Hazel, it's me,” He says, quietly “Elise, how could you possibly forget me?”

It pains me to take his hands off my face, it hurts even more to see the defeated look that crosses his features.

He reaches out to me again “Hazel—

I step back, out of his reach “That’s not my name.”

Tension stills his frame, black seeps into his stormy blue gaze, shielding the pain in a wave of rage.

He whirls around, chest rising and falling rapidly, fur sprouting on his clawed hands.

“What have you done to her?” he charges at Ethan, grabbing him by the shirt front

“Whatever it is, it’s none of your concern,” Ethan wretches himself free of his hold “She was your partner for the

Hunt, and that’s over. Now see yourself out of my wedding. Elise—

I gasp as I take another step away from them. Alpha Supreme’s hand is digging in Ethan’s face, blood trickling down and dropping on his wedding suit.

“Don’t say her name,” He growls lowly

Ethan’s pack warriors shoot up from their places, his beta rushes forward but then my view is blocked by the warriors

flanking me, mom’s face comes in view.

“Come on,” she’s tugging at my arm “We need to get out of here.”

“Mom, who is that?” I ask her in a frantic whisper

“Alpha Luke Winters,” Mom casts him a disappointed look “You accompanied him on the Hunt. I didn’t know he was going to fall low like this.”

Luke. Luke Winters. My partner.

My head is about to explode with the weight on it. There’s a crash as we leave the church, loud growls ring in the air.

“He said he’s my mate,” I can feel my heart thundering in my ears as we rush forward, warriors all around us “Why would he say that?”

“I don’t know,” Mom says “But we need to go to a safe place, the pack manor maybe. We—

Loud growl rings in my ears, the warriors brace themselves, shifting around us and charging forward.

“Go!” one of them says

My mind is still spinning when Mom nods and starts forward again. I turn my face to look back but all I can see are

Lycans, jaws snapping, lips curled, growls echoing in the air.

We reach the pack manor, empty since the whole pack was in the church, Mom bolts the main doors, and the next moment they rattle horribly.

Mom stumbles back as the door rattles again, she turns to me, her face pale but determined.

“Hide,”

“I’m not leaving you here,” I say as the door rattles again, the heavy oak wood creaking

Mom shrugs off the shawl from her shoulders, I see a resolve on her face that I don’t remember seeing before.

“I’ve lost Elijah,” she says, moving her neck on one side and then the other “I won't lose you.”

I hesitate, then nod. I’ll keep close, if he tries to hurt her, he’ll have to face me.

Whatever that’s worth, I think as I run around the corridor and grab a heavy vase on my way.

Just as my back pressed against the wall, I hear the sound of thunder crash as the wood turns to splinters.

“Where is she?” A low growl reverberates through the still air

“Far away from you,” Mom’s growl positively surprises me “Why are you after my daughter?”

There’s a beat of silence, I hear someone taking deep breaths.

“I know you can hear me, Hazel.”

I suck in a sharp breath, shift on my feet, gauging my options.

“Your daughter is my mate,” A deep, hard voice is saying “I want her to come with me.”

“We’ve been living in your pack for years,” Mom’s voice is stern “You two have crossed paths before. What you say is a white lie.”

“If you let me explain—

He stops talking just as his eyes swim to mine. I’m aware of my heart leaping madly in my chest. His shirt is soaked red with blood, his lip is bleeding, so is his arm but he doesn’t seem to care.

“Elise,” he instantly starts towards me but mom steps in his way, black flashes in his eyes but he holds back “Hazel,

what has he done? Has he blackmailed you? Threatened you?”

“If you are my mate,” I ask, ignoring his questions “Why can't I feel it? why is there no connection?”

“Hazel, You know why.”

That was a test question. He was supposed to be confused, my wolf is asleep. I wouldn’t feel anything right now. But he doesn’t know that.

“That only means one thing,” I lift my chin, meeting his intense gaze with my steady one “I’m not your mate.”

Dark, obsidian eyes flash with raw possession and anger. In an instant, Luke has gone around mom, just in front of me. I stumble back from surprise and fear, my back hits the wall. I hold my hands up instinctively, eyes closed tightly.

This is it. I’m about to die.

Warm, callous fingers graze mine and I flinch, very away from the tremble in my limbs.

Only silence follows. Hesitantly, I open my eyes, they land on mom first, standing just behind him, a heavy metal showpiece in her hand but she looks less certain now.

My gaze swims to the nightmare towering in front of me.

He closes the distance between us carefully and leans down, so we see eye to eye.

“Elise,” he says softly, his voice almost fragile “Please Hazel, it’s me, Luke.”

His finger grazes my cheek like I’m made of glass. My head is swimming, my heart is pounding hard against my chest.

“I don’t remember you.”

This time he flinches, as if his finger singed by touching me. I cant see his pupils anymore, I swallow thickly. Oh, dear moon.

But Luke only leans forward. I close my eyes, holding my breath. Something warm and soft pressed against my forehead.

“Stay here, Hazel. I’ll be right back to get you.”

He turns around and I do what comes to me instinctively. I grab his hand, his skin is scorching. His head snaps back to mine, I try to withdraw my hand, he doesn’t let go.

“Where are you going?” This cant be my voice, so timid

He keeps looking at me for a few moments, he looks primal. Animalistic.

“Didn’t I tell you, Mia Regia?” He says calmly— too calmly “I will never let anyone take you from me.”

He holds up my hand and brushes a kiss to my knuckles, his dark gaze never leaving mine.

And he’s gone, leaving my mind a jumbling mess.

Even if you don’t come back, I will always find you. It was his voice. I hold my head as pain cracks through my

skull, my backsliding against the wall as I sink to the floor.

“Elise,” Mom is by my side “Sweetie, what’s wrong? What’s happening?”

But I can't speak. I feel like a fish out of water. I clench my eyes shut and look for his face, for that name, for those wild obsidian eyes.

Someone has dropped a bucket of ice water on me.

I’m gasping and freezing and everything is flooding in my head.

Hazel, wake up.

What we always do, find a way out.

My little idealist.

As long as I have breath in my lungs, I will protect you.

I love you.

Don’t give up on us.

“Mom,” I’m gasping, grabbing onto her for support “Mom, Luke is going to kill Ethan.”

I try to stand up but she holds me back “You are not risking your life! I can't lose you too!”

“He’s my mate!” I stand up, panic rising in my throbbing head “Luke is my mate.”

“What?” Mom breaths out, eyebrows knitted together

“I need to find him,” I’m already rushing ahead, through the broken door

Please. Please. Please.

I see Casper, a breath of relief enters my paralyzed lungs. He’s cradling an arm, the fight around the area seems to have ended, everyone is shifting back to human forms, rough spun clothes enchanted on their bodies.

“Luna,” he sees me first “What the hell is happening here? Just as Luke and Ethan started the brawl, everyone just—

what’s going on?”

“Where’s Luke?” I asked, marveling at the steadiness of my voice despite the clamor in my head

A look of panic crosses his face “It's best if you don’t ask.”

I hold up my chin and level him with my most authoritative glance “I’m your Luna. Where is Luke?”

Casper swallows, then he bobs his head towards the trees ahead.

Right. Just as I step forward, he grabs me by the arms, holding me back.

“Hey, let go!” I glare at him

“Elise, Luna, I’ve called reinforcements,” he’s saying “Just please, it's not safe for you to go. Parks has warriors to hold him off, everything—

“I can't wait for reinforcements to stop this when I can!” I try to wrench myself free of his hold

“Elise, stop it!” Casper gives me a shake “You don’t understand the gravity of the situation! Luke is not himself right now. He was dangerous before, but now, when he has the power of the Alpha Supreme, he’s lethal! I can't let you go there!”

I hold my head in my hands. On the moon, oh my moon, what have I done?

Just then, three SUVs skids to a halt in the clearing. Men dressed in black filter out of them and Casper instantly walks towards them. They exchange a few rapid words before all of their march towards the forest, shifting mid-way.

Twelve Lycans against one.

My heart pounds madly in my chest, my fingers clench into fists. No, I refuse to stand here and let them deal with my mate and my problems.

I take a sniff of the air and stride forward. The bushes catch in the soft tulle of the long gown, cursing, I let it tear off, tearing off the remains myself, making it more of a knee-length dress.

Curse these shoes! Why did I decide to wear them?

Loud growls ring in the air and the smell of blood hit me hard. I push past the forestry to have a view of a clearing ahead. My eyes take in the scene in one glance. A few men are scattered by the outskirts, bleeding and groaning.

A Lycan scrapes against the earth and hits the back of a tree not far from where I’m standing, the tree breaks off and falls with an enormous thud! The Lycan shifts back to the human state.

Loud growls are tearing through the air. I can see four Lycans cornering one notably bigger than them.

In a distance I see men crouching in the bushes, Casper among them, snipers in their hands. They’re going to tranquilize him.

Before I can even blink, several swooshing sounds ring in the air and I see injectors fly towards him and—

A tree blocks them and swings two Lycans towards the shooters, the big oak truck tearing at the other trees, causing a riot to rise from there.

I caught sight of him, fur ragged, muzzle bloodied and eyes pits of endless rage. He charges at another Lycan, clawing and tearing. Then another Lycan tackles him down, the bloodied Lycan shifts back, bleeding profusely.

The remaining two Lycans look to be a heap of claws, blood, and fur. Then the bigger one knocks off the other, picks him up, and throws him harshly against the earth, his battered body shifts back. To my horror, Ethan backs away from him, breathing harshly, bleeding badly. The beast stalks towards him, growling menacingly.

“Luke!”

Everything stops. The air, the sounds, the fight. Obsidian eyes snap to mine.

I march into the battlefield, swallowing the fear springing inside me, I near the beast. Not a beast. Not to me.

Ethan makes his death wish by says;

“Elise, go back. You—

Luke’s gaze snaps to him again, his lips pull back to give a glance at the blooded canines.

Then time itself seems to stop. I see Ethan’s eyes widen, Luke’s claws lunging for his throat. My feet are moving, my mind is not. My heart is working, my lungs are not. My arms are open, my eyes are not.

Silence.

Absolute, utter, suffocating silence.

Slowly, my eyes open. Two clawed hands bare centimeters away from me.

Obsidian eyes stare at me, livid that I should protect another man. They would thank me later.

“Luke?” I carefully move past his clawed hands, closer to him

He gives me no response. He’s still. Like a predator about to pounce.

“Wolfie?”

His ears twitch, just once. Slowly, cautiously, I close the distance between us. Despite the heels, I have to stand on my

toes to reach his bloodied muzzle.

“I’m sorry,” Little Words, so heavy

Carefully, I wrap my arms around his thick neck. Seconds come and go, he stays still in my hold, finally, he lowers himself so I can hug him properly. I almost smile.

“I’m sorry I took so long,” I say in his ear “But I remember now. I remember the man I love, I remember. Please come back to me.”

Slowly, I feel his form shrinking, the coarse hair disappearing to give way to smooth, burning skin.

Two very familiar hands cradle my face in a careful hold.

“72 hours,” Luke puts his forehead against mine “I leave you alone for 72 hours and you almost get married.”

“What can I say, Winters?” I exhale a laugh “I like to keep you on your toes.”

I glance sideways as two vans near the place, healers quickly start their work, the sun is rising, its buttery glow lights up the sky.

I turn to Luke again, reach into my hair and tug off the heavy veil, holding it up for him.

“But for now,” I grin, “Let's think about getting some clothes enchanted on you.”

…