Page 52 of Shattered Soulmates

As the new female gently caresses the other male’s arm and smiles flirtatiously at him, she whispers in his ear. Giggling, she continues her touches, and with each advance, the other male becomes more captivated by her, being enticed away from our shared bond. Hesmiles down at her, slipping off with her, irreparably severing the connection.

The female, still holding my hand, is devastated by the male’s abandonment and collapses to the ground, clutching her chest. I watch in horror, unable to move or comfort her.

“Save me!” She cries, her voice raw with pain. “Help me!”

“How?” I ask, my voice filled with desperation.

“True love’s kiss,” answers the disembodied voice.

I wake with a jolt, gasping, sitting upright in my bed. I search the dark room around me, finding nothing amiss. The scene from my vision is slowly fading, leaving an ache in my chest over my heart. I press my palm to it and look down. Under my hand is a new tattoo: a shattered eclipsed moon. I stare at it, wondering:What’s going on? What is this? What does “true love’s kiss” mean?

Knight

We’re currently on our way to the Talons & Claws MC compound. We left our Gamma, Cress Sartz, in charge of the pack while we’re gone. Cress is a skilledfemale warrior; we’re confident she can manage things in our absence.

A vigilante-style trial has been called for Marissa. It seems she’s joined the Talons & Claws MC, where she’s been hiding. Thankfully, she stayed away from Paisley until recently. Now, Marissa has made some serious claims, accusing Paisley of supplying drugs to teens, which ultimately led to Paisley’s kidnapping. We all know how Marissa loves to stir up trouble for her. The Talons & Claws, however, are notorious for taking out the scum of society—those involved in drug dealing and trafficking. Because of their “services,” Alpha Commander turns a blind eye to their morally gray activities.

They take loyalty to their club very seriously. Because Marissa lied and tried to frame Paisley for her own selfish reasons, the club is more than a little angry. This is especially true since Marissa’s vendetta against Paisley is personal, while Paisley is innocent.

We’re about an hour away from the motorcycle club headquarters. Alpha Stone is in the passenger seat, and I’m driving. Miles is in the back with Rachel, our medical tech, who wants to check on Paisley. She’s concerned because Paisley hasn’t had her Amra since the kidnapping.

I’m concerned about Paisley, just like everyone else in the vehicle, but the closer I get to the MC headquarters, the more my wolf is acting up. He’s pacing in my head, chanting, “Mate, mate, mate.” It’s bizarre because up until now, he’s had a strong interest in Paisley—so much so that I concluded we were mates—but he’s never been this agitated.

Miles is acting a little jumpy, too. I can see him in the rear-view mirror, and his eyes reveal that his wolf is eagerly scanning the forest outside the windows, almost as if he’s tracking prey. I’d think something else was bothering our wolves, mine and Miles’ if it weren’t for Alpha Stone and Rachel. They look calm and collected, as if nothing is triggering their animals.

As we continue the drive, my wolf grows more insistent, pushing me while chanting repeatedly, “Mate, mate, mate.” I shake my head to clear it and try to exert a little more control over him. “Settle!” I order silently, and for a moment, it works. He stops his antics.

Miles

I can feel something in the wind tonight. Since the surgery, my bond with Marissa has been severed, and it’s like I’m finally free. For the first time in years, my mind is clear and not haunted by thoughts of her.

But I’m still plagued by memories of my time with Paisley. Like a warm summer day, Paisley brings a soft caress of color to my life. Calm, beautiful, effortless, rare. Everything is more real, peaceful, and content with her.

Marissa, on the other hand, is an adrenaline rush, and like a junkie, I craved the intense, addictive chaos. The highs were thrilling, but the lows were draining. It was like being swept up in a violent, exciting, but damaging storm. Now, I see my relationship with her for what it really was: a toxic, destructive cycle.

My wolf is pushing me forward. Despite the moon mother’s words, I feel my bond with Paisley even stronger now. Although it hangs by only a few frayed threads, it’s a tapestry of colors connecting us, pulsing and strengthening the closer we get to the MC compound. For the first time since my bachelor party, I feel hopeful.

Rolling the window down, I stick my head out and feel my wolf coming forward, scenting the air. Even though we’re still miles away, I swear I can smell her sweet wildflowers and honey aroma. I close my eyes and recall her on the eve of our bonding ceremony, entwined in my arms, looking up at me with those adoring doe-brown eyes, her long blonde hair curling down her curvybody. That last kiss we shared, so full of promise and love, makes my heart ache with loss.

Looking forward, I whisper, “I’m coming, Paisley. It isn’t too late for us. I promise forever this time.”

Lynsey

It’s my turn to sit with Paisley. Although she’s still unconscious, I can see that her physical state is changing. For one, she’s running a fever, her skin is hot to the touch, and her body is drenched in sweat, so much so that it almost looks like steam is rising from her skin. I’m not sure if it’s magic at play or something else, but her condition is definitely worsening.

About an hour ago, she started talking in her delirium, her words frantic. She keeps repeating over and over.

“Save me!” She whimpers. “True love’s kiss.”

I don’t know what it means, and Sawbones is at a loss as to how to help her. We continue to bathe her with cool towels, and Sawbones has started an IV drip to administer fluids into her system. It doesn’t look good.

Chapter 24 – Quasi-Tribunal

Drágon

After that dream last night, I had trouble getting back to sleep, and now I’m fighting exhaustion. It doesn’t help that flashes of it keep bombarding me, even while I’m awake. I can’t get that beautiful female’s face out of my mind—the devastation she suffered and how she kept begging me to save her. The unseen voice whispered that I could do so with ‘true love’s kiss.’ What am I supposed to do with that?

And the ache I’m left with, the lingering feeling that I know all three of those shifters. I felt the betrayal of the other male deep within my soul, and the deceit of the other female still fills me with anger. I gasp as the realization hits me. The other female was Joyride. Did I know Joyride previously? The voice called it a memory,“From before time began.”

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