Page 70 of My Fated Mate

I rush into the moonlit woods, the ethereal light filtering between the branches in a mosaic of silver and shadow. Every fiber of my being searches for Elowen with a desperation I didn't know I had.

Finally, I spot her, a lone figure bathed in the light of a clearing. Tears stream down her face, staining her cheeks silver, her voice ragged as she moans and softly calls out to the night sky.

As I draw closer, a primal growl escapes my throat. Her scent, intoxicating and thick, fills the air - the undeniable signature of ashe-wolf in heat. Shame and desire wash over me like a wave of fire tinged with a desperate need to protect her.

"Elowen," I call softly.

She spins around, her eyes wide.

"Thorne," she breathes, her voice shaky. "You shouldn't be here."

"I felt..." I trail off, unable to articulate the mix of emotions that had drawn me to her. "I felt you…" I take a deep breath. “You’re in heat.”

"It's nothing," she says quickly, her gaze darting away from mine. "You should leave."

But the tremor in her voice, the raw vulnerability etched on her face, speak louder than words. In that moment, I know the full moon isn't the only thing driving her emotions to a peak.

I shake my head. "I can't leave you like this."

Another wave of desire wracks her body, and she crumbles to the ground, crying softly. Desire clenches my body tight.

She takes a hesitant step towards me, then another, the moonlight highlighting the vulnerability in her eyes. "I need…" she starts, then stops, biting her lip. The air crackles with unspoken desire, a desperate plea masked by her pride.

A war rages within me. My heart aches to offer her solace, to fulfill the bond we once shared. But the memory of her words, the sting of rejection, is still fresh.

"This isn't a good idea, Elowen," I say gruffly.

"Isn't it? Isn't this what you wanted? An alpha staking his claim?"

The bitterness in her words stings, but it also holds a sliver of truth. I betrayed her trust, and there are consequences.

Taking a deep breath, I meet her gaze. "I… I want you, Elowen," I admit. "But I also want… more."

Her eyes narrow for a moment and then soften. "More? There's nomore, Thorne."

But her defiance is brittle. And that's when I notice it—the Mendshore Bloom—the very same one I'd given her weeks ago, clutched tightly in her hand.

"You're in heat, Elowen," I state, realization dawning on me. "And you need me."

Shame flickers across her face before she meets my gaze defiantly, lifting the Mendshore Bloom in her hand. "If—if the flower can mend bonds, I want it for this night only. The bond… allows for temporary mending. Just to quell the heat. Nothing more."

It feels like a gut punch.Temporarymending? A one-night reprieve from the pain of her betrayal? The humiliation stings, yet the primal urge to protect her, to be the one to ease her suffering, roars louder.

A soft moan escapes her lips when I don't reply. "It's just for tonight, Thorne," she whispers.

I stare at her, hurt and anger warring within me. Can I do this? Can I be with her, even for a single night, knowing that come morning, the wall between us will be back in place?

But as I see the raw pain in her eyes, the primal instinct of my wolf within propels me forward. "Alright—for tonight."

A single tear traces a path down her cheek. It's the only response I get before she reaches out, her hand trembling slightly as she opens her palm.

The Mendshore Bloom lies there, a silent plea for a connection neither of us fully understands.

With a deep breath, I reach out and take the flower, its petals cool and soft against my skin. The moment our fingers touch, a surge of energy courses through me, a reconnection that's both exhilarating and terrifying.

The bond is back but fractured—fragile like the moonlight filtering through the leaves. Yet, for tonight, it's enough. We stand in the silent forest, the heat of the bond and the heat within her blurring the lines between need and desire.

Forget the morning. For now, in the cool embrace of night, all that matters is the woman before me.

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