Page 48 of My Fated Mate

The initial wave of pain has dulled to a throbbing ache, but my body still feels heavy and sluggish. Elara sits beside me with a concerned frown etched on her kind face.

"How are you feeling?" she asks gently.

"Sore," I croak. "But alive. Thank you for taking care of me."

Elara smiles. "You're welcome, child. Now, there's a lot to explain."

Taking a deep breath, she launches into a detailed account of the events leading up to my arrival.

I learn that Thorne found me unconscious in the forest, my body ravaged by wounds. He brought me back to the Silver Crescent Pack, claiming me as his mate, to everyone's surprise.

Elara pauses. "He… well, he made a mistake," she continues hesitantly. "He rejected you, believing you weren't his fated mate. But then, when you were injured…"

My mind races back to the moment the searing pain erupted on my back just as Thorne rejected me.

Instinctively, I reach around, and my fingers brush against the tender skin below my shoulder. Memory of the sharp pain floods back.

"The marks," Elara whispers, confirming my suspicion. "When you were hurt, the Moon Mark and the Wolf Mark appeared on your back. That's when Thorne realized his mistake."

My heart hammers against my ribs. So, the pain, the searing agony I felt—it wasn't just heartbreak. It was the physical manifestation of the broken bond, the rejection of the fated mate bond.

A bitter laugh escapes my lips, a humorless sound. "The fated mate bond," I scoff. "Sounds more like a cruel joke to me."

Elara's expression softens. "I know this is a lot to take in," she says gently. "But the bond is real, Elowen. It's a powerful connection, a reason why Thorne was so desperate to find his mate."

"Find his mate?" I repeat, my voice laced with suspicion. "Or find someone who could help him with his… prophecy?"

Elara hesitates, then nods slowly. "Yes. There's a prophecy—an ancient one that speaks of a darkness rising, threatening to consume the werewolf world. The prophecy also speaks of afated mate marked by the moon and the wolf, who will stand beside the Alpha and fight this darkness."

Her words echo, each syllable carrying the weight of a monumental truth. I, Elowen, the rejected, the heartbroken—I was supposedly the key to saving their world?

"What did Grace mean?" I ask, the fiery red-haired woman's earlier statements coming back into my mind. "About the prophecy, about saving everyone?"

Elara sighs. "Grace… she's the pack seer. She has visions—glimpses of the future. The prophecy is… well, it's not a happy one. It speaks of a great war, of unimaginable destruction. You and Thorne…" she trails off, her voice heavy with apprehension. "You are destined to be at the heart of it all."

My mind reels in disbelief and dawning fear. This was all too much. Prophecies, fated mates, saving the world—it sounded like something out of a fantasy, not my reality.

"But… I don't understand," I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why me? I'm just a girl from a small village. I don't know anything about fighting or saving the world."

Elara reaches out, taking my hand in hers. Her touch is warm and reassuring.

"But why reject me then?" I ask.

Elara's lips press into a thin line. "He… he was worried," she says hesitantly. "Worried that mating with someone who wasn't his true mate would weaken him, make him vulnerable to this darkness."

Her explanation feels hollow.

Part of me wants to believe it, to see some shred of decency in Thorne's actions. But the memory of his cold rejection, the way he tossed me aside like yesterday's news, still burns brightly in my mind.

"And now?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "Now that the marks are there, proving I'm his mate, what happens?"

Elara's gaze softens. "Now, my dear—you have a decision to make."

My mind races.

Do I believe Thorne's explanation?

Can I ever forgive him for the pain he caused me? More importantly, am I ready to become entangled in a world of prophesies, darkness, and fated mates?

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