Page 24 of Missing

"Mine," he growled, his brown eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race. "You're my mate."

"Wha-what the fuck?" I stammered, my face heating up with embarrassment and disbelief. This was definitely not what I'd expected when I decided to go for a run this morning. The sheer absurdity of the situation had my mind spinning like a carousel on overdrive.

"Harper, listen—" Dante started, but I cut him off, my words tumbling out in a panicked rush.

"Wait, wait. Just hold on a fucking second. You're telling me that you're a werewolf, and now you're claiming I'm your...mate?!" I couldn't wrap my head around it. It was just too much to process.

"Look, I know it's a lot," Dante said, his tone softening as he tried to approach me. But instinct took over, and I scrambled backward, putting some distance between us.

"Stay back!" I warned, my heart pounding in my chest. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but I need time to think."

"Harper, please," Dante pleaded, his voice laced with desperation. But I couldn't handle it anymore. The world seemed to close in around me as I struggled to catch my breath, my thoughts a tangled mess of confusion and fear.

"Fuck this," I whispered, turning on my heels and sprinting back towards the school, desperate to escape the madness.

"Harper, it's okay! Don't run!" Dante called after me, but his words only fuelled my panic. I pushed myself to run faster, my breath coming in ragged gasps as the school came into view. The wind whipped through my hair as I weaved through the trees, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted back at him, but when I spared a glance over my shoulder, I saw that he'd shifted back into a wolf and was now chasing me. Fear coursed through my veins like ice water, and I found myself wishing with every fibre of my being that I could just be back in the safety of my room.

"Please, just let me go!" I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. But Dante didn't relent. If anything, his pursuit grew more determined.

"Fuck you, Dante!" I screamed, anger and frustration bubbling up inside me. And then, in a flash of desperation, I closed my eyes and wished with all my might to be back in my room.

That's when it happened. A strange sensation washed over me like my entire body was being pulled apart and put back together again in an instant. My surroundings changed in the blink of an eye, the moment my feet touched the floor of my room, I tripped forward, arms flailing as I tried to steady myself. But it was too late; I fell face-first onto the carpet, my heart pounding in my chest and a million thoughts racing through my mind.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, pushing myself up from the floor, still trying to process what had just happened. "How the hell did I get here?"

I scrambled to my feet, my legs shaky as I stumbled towards the door. I needed answers, and I knew Melody was the only person who could help me make sense of this supernatural mess. Bursting out into the hallway, I made a beeline for her door, knocking frantically until she answered.

"Harper!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what just happened!" I blurted out, walking straight into her room without waiting for an invitation. "I was running, and then I was in my room, and I think I transported myself there, but I don't know how! Dante was there, he was a wolf, but then he was naked and said I was his mate or something, oh my god, I'm so confused, Mel! I don't know what to do!"

"Hey, hey," Melody said gently, placing her hands on my shoulders to steady me. "Take a breath, Harper. Calm down. Everything's going to be alright. We'll work it out, okay?"

I nodded, taking a deep breath as I tried to regain control over my emotions. The mix of fear, confusion, and desire that had been churning inside me slowly began to settle as Melody spoke.

"Okay," I whispered, looking into her understanding eyes. "Let's figure this out."

"First things first," she said, guiding me to sit down on her bed. "Tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning. And don't leave anything out."

So I did. I recounted every detail of my encounter with Dante, from the moment I saw him as a wolf to the terrifying chase back to the school and finally, my sudden teleportation into my room. As I spoke, Melody listened intently, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Okay," she said once I'd finished. "It sounds like you just experienced your first taste of your teleportation abilities. You used your powers and successfully I might add. And as for Dante..."

I couldn't hold back my question any longer, "Should I avoid him then?"

Melody let out a deep sigh before answering, "If he has claimed you as his mate, you are likely meant to be together. As I mentioned last night, wolves have a strong intuition when it comes to finding their mates. And considering the boys have formed a group, it's possible that you are mated with all of them, or that mating with Dante could potentially break up the group."

I groaned in frustration, "Oh for fuck's sake. So within three days, I've discovered that I am a powerful being with four supernatural abilities, my mother is also supernatural, my father abandoned us because he didn't want my mother, and now I have one or possibly three mates and could potentially tear apart a group?"

"That about sums it up," Melody replied with sympathy in her eyes. "I'm sorry.”

Chapter 22

Dante Heed

Iwoke up early that morning, something stirring me from sleep. I glanced over at the clock, groaning as I saw it was barely dawn. Maybe it was my damn wolf, restless and itching to stretch its legs. I reluctantly got out of bed, throwing on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. My body craved the thrill of running through the woods, feeling the wind against my fur, tasting the earthy scents of the forest. Fuck it, why not? It's been too long since I let the beast run free.

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