Chapter 162
Dorothy's POV
When I woke from my deep sleep, sunlight was already flooding the entire tent.
I rubbed my eyes and instinctively reached beside me—the space was empty. Kane wasn't there.
Strange. Wasn't there supposed to be an expedition today? He should have woken me long ago. I remembered him saying last night that they'd depart at dawn to eliminate that band of rogues raiding the eastern territories. That was the test Flint had set for us—only by completing this mission would the Stone Ridge Pack even consider sheltering us.
Yet now the tent held only me, and I heard no sounds of departure preparations outside.
I sat up, feeling a slight dizziness wash over me. Not the uncomfortable kind, but something... difficult to describe. As if something within me had awakened, making my senses sharper than ever before.
I blinked, and the pile of clutter in the tent's corner became unnaturally clear—I could even make out every individual fiber on that worn blanket. This wasn't right. I'd never had vision this keen.
And my body felt lighter, as though I'd shed some heavy shackle. I clenched my fist, feeling an unfamiliar surge of power in my fingertips.
"What's happening..." I murmured to myself, my heartbeat accelerating.
That's when a voice spoke in my mind.
"Finally awake."
I froze. The voice was so clear it sounded like someone standing right beside me, yet the tent clearly held no one else.
"Don't be afraid, Dorothy. It's me."
"Who... who's speaking?" I glanced around warily, my heart pounding.
"I'm Willow, your wolf spirit."
My breath caught.
Wolf spirit? My wolf spirit?
Impossible. I'd waited so many years, from age ten to eighteen—eight full years without any sign. Everyone said I might never awaken, and even I had nearly abandoned hope. But now...
"Yes, right now," the voice—Willow—seemed to hear my thoughts. "I've been waiting for the right moment. And last night, you were finally ready."
My hand trembled as it moved to my chest. "You... you're really my wolf?"
"Of course. We've always been one, Dorothy."
Tears came without warning. I covered my mouth, afraid I might sob aloud. All those years of waiting, all that loneliness and self-doubt, those days of being mocked that I'd "never awaken"... it turned out she wasn't absent at all. She'd just been waiting for me.
"Stop crying," Willow's voice carried gentle exasperation. "We have more important things to do."
"What things?" I wiped my tears, taking a deep breath to steady myself.
"I smell your mate's scent."
I stared blankly. "Mate? You mean..."
"Have you already found the one you're meant to spend your life with?" Willow's voice held curiosity.
My face burned hot. "I... I didn't have a wolf before, how could I possibly recognize a fated mate..."
"But you're covered in his scent now," Willow interrupted. "That bone-deep mark only a fated mate can leave. Dorothy, did you really not know?"
I sat there dazed, images from last night flooding my mind—the cake Kane had made for me, his gentle kiss, the entire night we'd spent sleeping in each other's arms in this tent. Those touches, that warmth...
It hadn't just been him comforting me.
We'd been destined from the very beginning.
"Kane..." I whispered. "He's my fated mate."
"Seems you finally understand," Willow sounded satisfied. "So now, we should go find him."
I leaped up and rushed out of the tent. The camp outside was nearly deserted, only a few elderly and children remaining behind. I spotted Leah tending to the wounded and ran straight to her.
"Leah! Where's Kane?"
Leah looked up, exhaustion showing in her smile. "They left long ago. The Alpha specifically told me not to wake you—he said this was his responsibility, didn't want you taking risks."
My heart sank. "They went to fight the rogues?"
"Yes, left before dawn." Leah sighed. "Dorothy, don't worry. Kane is strong. He'll be fine."
But I knew that wasn't true.
I'd overheard their conversation yesterday—that rogue band had over twenty members, all militarily trained elites. And Kane had only taken thirteen people. This was nothing short of a suicide mission.
Why hadn't he woken me? Why did he have to shoulder everything alone?
"Because he wants to protect you," Willow said softly, "but that doesn't mean you should stand by and do nothing."
"You're right." I clenched my jaw. "Protecting the Lightning Wolf Pack can't possibly be his responsibility alone."
"Then let's go," Willow's voice filled with battle-ready determination. "Let's save our mate."
I turned to run toward the camp's edge when a voice stopped me.
"Dorothy, wait."
I looked back to see Grandma Faye standing nearby, leaning on her cane, her aged face wearing a kind smile.
"Grandma..." My voice caught.
"Come here, child." She beckoned to me.
I walked over, and Faye reached out her wrinkled hand to gently stroke my face. Her eyes grew moist.
"It came, didn't it?" she asked softly.
I nodded, tears welling up again. "Yes, Grandma. It came."
"Good that it came," Faye's voice trembled. "Good that it came."
She stepped back, her gaze full of anticipation. "Let me see it, child. Let me see your wolf."
"I can't wait to meet her!" Willow said excitedly in my mind.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I could feel Willow surging within me, that power so strong, so real. I stopped resisting and opened my heart, letting it release completely.
A wave of heat burst from my chest, sweeping through my entire body. My bones reorganized, muscles tore and regenerated, skin became covered in soft fur. The process should have been agonizing, but all I felt was an indescribable exhilaration—like a caged bird finally spreading its wings to fly.
When I opened my eyes again, the world had transformed.
I looked down to see my own powerful limbs, cream-colored soft fur gleaming in the sunlight. I swished my tail, feeling the power surging within.
"We're beautiful, aren't we?" Willow said proudly.
I lifted my head to see Grandma Faye watching me with tears and a smile. Her trembling hand reached out to gently stroke my head.
"So beautiful..." she murmured. "Just like your mother."
I nuzzled her palm with my nose, then turned toward the direction Kane had gone and began to run.
"We're coming, my mate," Willow growled in my heart. "Wait for us."
My four limbs flew across the ground, wind roaring past my ears. I could smell the scent trail Kane had left behind, that familiar scent belonging to my fated mate. It was like an invisible thread, pulling me forward.
I didn't know what awaited me ahead, but I knew Kane needed me.
And I would never let him face it alone.