Page 2 of Savior Mate

“I’m not. I don't know. It's… I have never been with a man before, so this must be some...” He murmured and let me go.

“And the moon goddess is not so perfect with her bond, after all. Anyway, I’m not surprised. I'll take care of it before tomorrow.” I shrugged and sighed before I walked away.

“You’re not a wolf blood,” I heard behind me and halted. “Why do you come to the run?” He asked. Was it worth it? Telling him? Because at the end, his decision would remain the same.

“Nothing!” I turned toward him and shrugged.

“Come on, you don't have to be like that.”

“How could you possibly understand when the first thing that crosses your mind is to say this is a mistake? The mate bond never mattered to me at all until tonight, until I felt what it was like. I come to the full moon run because whenever I see these shifters find their mates; it gives me hope that one day I'd get to feel that ardent love. But I guess it's not happening because I'm not worth it.” I’ve never been this flustered my entire life, and I couldn’t even keep my voice bold as I said those words.

“I never said that.”

“Go home and sleep it off. By morning, you won't feel a thing. I'll make sure of that.” I gave him a forced smile and walked away.

I never thought it would be this heart wrenching. I never thought I would cry for someone, not even once in my entire life. But as I sauntered away, tears pooled from my eyes, and I fought so hard to keep them back. I didn't even know him at all, but why did it feel this painful. I thought maybe I'd have a good testimony about this thing, but I was wrong. The bond was just a manipulation used by the moon goddess against her people. Now, somehow, I had become entangled in her stupid game.

I stomped my way back to the clearing without looking back or stopping at all. The first thing I would do was go home and cast a spell that would block this stupid feeling. It would take a lot of magic because of the god-like power, but I was better off that way.

I made my way through the forest until I got to the witch’s side of the pack. Since I was of age, I was living alone and that gave me the privacy which I loved so much. I walked into my home, slamming the door and heading straight into the living room. I groaned in pain and screamed, causing the light bulbs in the parlor to explode. The candles on the sconces came to life, reigniting the lights in the room. Slumping to the floor, I felt the unbearable torture weigh down my chest. I hated this. I hated this! Why did it have to be me? Of all the witches in the pack. It was me. I had been through a lot and now this. Why should I have to suffer this way? Still on the floor, as my shoulders quivered and pain coursed through me, I swallowed hard. I thought I could handle this. I thought it would just slide. But it didn't, and it hurt so much.

The feeling of pain exacerbated as tears strung from my eyes, and I tried so hard to bury it deep down. But I couldn't. My fear worsened when blood dripped from my nose. Now I had to deal with the intolerable pain of the mate bond and my greatest fear — my episodes.

2

Denzel

Surprised it's me, right? Well, the last thing I ever imagined was having a second chance mate after all these years. I didn't know what kind of game the moon goddess was playing, but pairing me with Marion. That must be a wrong move. I wasn't expecting any of this, dealing with reestablishing a new mating bond. But here it was, and I didn't know what to do with it. I remembered from the night at the hospital where I was so close to him I felt his heated gaze and the sound of his heart thumping, beating in sync with mine. For a long time, I had never felt what I felt that night and thought it would just pass. I had spent the past weeks thinking about that encounter and when the moon goddess’s bond showed up out of nowhere. She cut me off guard. Maybe I would have gone for him even without the bond, but I still needed time to figure out things for myself and what I was feeling. Considering that my first mate left me broken-hearted after I gave all my love to her. I wasn't sure I was ready to fall into love’s ensnare again.

As wolf bloods said, the moon goddess always has a reason for the mating bond. For my daughter and her mate, it was for the unification of wolf shifters. What could Diana possibly want from me? What was I willing to offer to the witch?

These questions preoccupied my headspace after Marion had left. I had to ponder on the actions I had taken and his words. I had never heard such honesty from anyone in a long time. Damn, I should have dealt with this like an adult and I just sent him off like a whining child. The last thing I wanted was to hurt him or break his heart. I mean, for someone whose first mate didn't care about or give any of her love to. I couldn't let that happen to anyone else. I couldn't cause that unbearable pain to an innocent man.

I was supposed to return to my home and rest for the night, but the thoughts of the encounter I've had with the young witch couldn't leave my head. He was all that occupied my thoughts. The way he spoke, the light in his brown eyes, or the feel of his dark brown skin on my body. I never thought I'd see a man this way, but in every way, the young witch was perfection. Instead of returning home for the night, I headed for the witch’s side of the pack, hoping I'd find him and set things straight. I just wanted him not to tamper with the mating bond and apologize to him for what I had said earlier.

I used the power of the bond to find his home and was walking down the gravel path when I heard a scream. I didn't waste anytime to barge into his house uninvited. By the time I had walked down the foyer and entered the living room, I saw him lying on the floor, immobile. I knelt in front of him and raised his feeble body. He wasn't breathing. He just lay there, lifeless. I put my hands on his chest and pumped his chest and breathed into his nose to revive him. It wasn't working. It wasn't… What had I done? What if what I had said had caused this mishap? How could I have been so stupid to hurt him when he hadn't even wronged me in any way? “Marion, wake up!” I tapped his cheeks, hoping to stir him back to consciousness. “Come on, buddy. You need to wake up.” I called, but he didn't respond.

The last resort I could think of was taking him to the healer's enclave and letting the nurses do their magic. There was still a faint heartbeat, and I had to rely that he'd use the strength left in him to fight. I lifted his almost lifeless body from the floor and hurried out of his house. I took the nearest path that led to the hospital, and when I arrived, I passed him to the nurses. They took him away from me and administered him into a ward, asking me to fill some forms at the nurse's station, which I did. I had never been this frustrated all my life, and it showed as I scribbled the requirements in the patient's form.

After I finished, I called on Agatha because she was the only witch in the pack with enough experience to figure out what was happening to him if it didn't relate to my stupid act of rejection. I didn't even know this man. But why do I feel this way, this regret for letting him walk away, for not promising him all my love? How can I even feel this way? Damn it, I was so confused and in need of some clarity.

I was pacing the hallway with all these thoughts buzzing in my head. I just couldn't clear my head or even concentrate. I let out a frustrated groan, just when I felt Agatha’s hand on my shoulder. “I came as soon as you called.”

“I don't know what happened to him. Maybe it's my fault. I should never have said those things to him.” I was saying, trying to keep my voice bold and not let the sadness weigh me down.

“You need to calm down, Denzel. First, we need to get feedback from the nurses, ok?” She was reassuring me just when the nurses approached us.

“Is he still alive?” I questioned with urgency.

“He’s stable now, but resting.”

“Is it ok if I see him?” I inquired.

“Yes, sure, but only for a few minutes. He needs rest, but will start taking regular visits by morning.”

“Alright. Thank you so much. I'll be quick.”

I hurried into the ward, with Agatha right behind me. He was lying on the bed, and his chest was rising and falling as he inhaled oxygen. He looked so peaceful, and the thought filled me with instant regret. Maybe if I hadn't sent him away; this wouldn't have happened to him. I had said that my former mate was responsible for my loveless relationship, but seeing what I had done to this man. It was me. It had always been me. Because I said and did the wrong things without thinking.

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