Chapter 82
Chapter 82
All I could do was watch, powerless, as Brooke raised her hand in defiance, silencing Kieran with a single gesture. Mateo’s gaze locked onto her, every instinct sharpened by the sweet, irresistible scent of blood. A savage growl rumbled through the clearing as Mateo lunged, his predatory instincts unleashed. But just as he closed in, the forest erupted—wolves loyal to my brother burst forth, answering Brooke’s desperate cries for help. Kieran lunged, too, trying to shield Brooke’s fallen form.
Chaos exploded all around: snarls, bodies colliding, teeth flashing. Brooke crumpled to the ground in a silent heap as the wolves piled onto Mateo, dragging him back. I fought to move, desperate to join the battle, but the Moon Goddess’s mystical grip held me fast—paralyzed, helpless. Why was she stopping me? Mateo’s terror flooded my veins as he struggled against the onslaught, and I could only bear witness to his fear and pain. Then, the Moon Goddess’s vision shimmered before my eyes, her husky voice echoing in my mind:
“Today isn’t your day. The unnatural shall be eliminated, and the true path will follow.”
Understanding crashed over me—she wanted my Mate dead so Kieran could remain king. Fury and helplessness warred inside me. No matter how I struggled, I was trapped, unable to transform, unable to scream. All I could do was watch as my Mate was torn apart, powerless to save him.
Suddenly, Mateo’s massive form crashed to the ground with a heart-shattering thud. In the same instant, white-hot fire ripped through my veins, burning away every ounce of hope. I tried to scream, but the agony stole my voice—only a silent wail escaped as I writhed on the forest floor, hidden by the bush that covered me, the Mate bond snapping inside me like a broken string. My Mate was gone. Mateo was dead. Grief swallowed me whole. Not my Mateo—not when we’d barely had a chance to truly be together.
Kieran, exhausted and smeared with blood, staggered from the fight and shifted painfully back to his human form. He collapsed beside Brooke’s motionless body, trembling hands gently brushing the hair from her face, baring her neck to the chill. I watched in silence as he searched desperately for a pulse, for any sign of life. But there was nothing. Even from where I lay, I could feel the emptiness—her heartbeat had faded into nothingness.
"Help!" Kieran cried, his voice raw with desperation as he looked up at his comrades, eyes wild with pleading.
The clearing fell eerily silent the moment Mateo was slain. His body lay crumpled on the forest floor, and all I could do was stare, trapped in a daze of heartbreak. Our bond was gone—the mindlink severed, the world suddenly emptier. My love for him hadn’t faded, but all I wanted now was to curl up at his side, to follow him wherever he’d gone. But vengeance burned hotter than grief. I needed the Moon Goddess to release me, to let me fight back. How dare they take my Mate? They would all pay. They had unleashed a new kind of hell.
Two warriors—Marco and Drago—knelt beside Kieran in silent solidarity, their faces shadowed by shared grief as Kieran frantically clawed at Brooke’s lifeless body, refusing to let go. Desperation radiated from him, his every movement a plea against fate.
“She’s gone, boss,” Marco whispered, his voice rough with heartbreak. “It’s time to let her go.”
“No! She’s Elena’s closest friend—I can’t leave her! I promised Elena I’d keep her safe. Please, help me. We can bring her back, I know it. I can feel it!”
Drago gave a silent nod and moved in, urgency etched into every line of his body. Together, they gently unfastened the buttons on Brooke’s dress, exposing her chest so Kieran could begin CPR. His hands shook but pressed with determined rhythm, his face a mask of hope and despair. He paused only long enough to breathe air into her still lips, willing her to return. Time stretched unbearably thin—then, at last, I heard it: a faint heartbeat, fragile but real, pulsing back to life in Brooke’s chest. Relief and disbelief warred inside me. NO!
“She’s back!” Kieran choked out, exhilaration flooding his face. “Drago, Marco—help me! We need to get her to the healers now. She’s still got fight left in her, I know it!”