Chapter 36 His Friendship
Phoebe
“You did, Mathews.”
Zion’s words made me think of my dream again. Me, with four handsome men, each with different personalities, all wanting me as their mate. My fate was beyond comprehension.
A part of me wanted to enjoy the thrill of it, but I was still too shy to be honest with myself. Maybe I needed to ask someone more experienced about this. But who?
The Moon Goddess wasn’t someone I could just summon whenever I wanted. She had countless werewolves to look after, not just me. And Persephone—my wolf—was just as unreliable. She appeared whenever she wanted and disappeared the moment I actually needed her.
“You’re zoning out again. Do I not exist to you?”
“Why are you always so dramatic, Zion?”
“I already told you, there should be no secrets between us. Did you forget?”
“Fine. I was thinking about my fate. Having four mates at once makes me feel like a greedy and… wild she-wolf.”
“We’re half-beasts, after all. What’s wrong with being wild? Women always make simple things complicated. All you have to do is enjoy our touch and carry our offspring. Pleasure and duty.”
“By the Moon Goddess. You men always find a way to turn everything into something sexual.”
“It’s instinct. Don’t blame me—blame the Moon Goddess. Though if you do, you’ll probably get burned to a crisp in the middle of the savanna.”
I rolled my eyes as Zion chuckled. Spending my break in Coach Cooper’s office with Zion was oddly entertaining. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore his constant teasing.
We returned to the training room to continue our session with other heroes in the Pool that we hadn’t gotten to earlier. Zion, as always, took the game seriously, while I tried to keep up with his pace.
"Phoebe, you need to read the enemy’s movements faster!" he shouted when I almost lost a one-on-one fight.
I groaned in frustration and refocused. "I’m trying, Zion. Give me a break."
He just laughed. "If I give you a break, we’ll lose."
We kept playing until practice finally ended. I stretched my neck, feeling a bit sore, then grabbed a bottle of water from the table. Just as I was about to pack up my things, Finley appeared in front of me.
"Phoebe, can you come with me for a second?" His voice was more serious than usual.
I frowned. "Why? Did something happen?"
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he motioned for me to follow him. Curiosity and a slight sense of unease filled me as I trailed behind him to his room. Once we arrived, Finley closed the door and let out a deep breath.
"There’s something I need to tell you—something I’ve never told anyone before," he said, his voice trembling. "It’s about Adonis."
I immediately sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for him to continue. Finley looked at me briefly before shifting his gaze to the floor, as if trying to find the right words.
"His first shift happened when he was thirteen. We were in the woods, just the two of us. It was supposed to be a simple training session, but… something inside him snapped."
I held my breath, not wanting to interrupt.
"Adonis… he lost control completely. He went primal. His eyes turned a deep amber, his fangs extended, his claws dug into the ground. I could feel his aura pressing down on me so hard I could barely breathe. He wasn’t the friend I knew anymore." Finley swallowed hard. "He attacked me before I even had the chance to shift."
I gasped. "What?"
"I tried to calm him down, but he was too far gone. He lunged at me, and I almost died that day. I could only run, trying to dodge his attacks. But he was faster, stronger. I tripped, and before I knew it, his claws were at my throat."
Finley pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a faint scar near his collarbone. "This is what he left behind. If he hadn’t snapped out of it at the last second… I wouldn’t be here right now."
A wave of sympathy washed over me. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like—to be attacked by your own best friend, someone you trusted. I reached out, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it gently.
"You’re incredibly strong, Finley. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must’ve been like, but you survived. Did Adonis regret it?"
He gave me a small, sad smile. "Yeah, he did. He swore he’d never let it happen again. But I always wonder… what if he loses control again? What if, next time, he hurts someone weaker than me?"
I tightened my grip on his hand. "I believe in him. And I believe in you, Finley. By the way… Zion already told me about this. Maybe it’s an Alpha’s instinct, but he said Adonis would never hurt me."
Finley stared at me for a long moment before finally nodding. "Thank you, Phoebe. You’re a lot kinder than I expected."
I smiled and stood up. "I should head back to my room. We have school tomorrow, and there’s still practice."
He nodded, walking me to the door. As I made my way back to my room, Finley’s story replayed in my mind. I never expected Adonis to have such a dark past. I wanted to talk to him—to hear his side of things and make sure he was truly in control now.
But my steps faltered as I passed Hayden’s room.
His door was slightly open, and inside, I saw something that made my heart drop.
Hayden was kissing another girl.
I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to move. My eyes widened as I recognized the girl—Lily, she-wolf from Hayden’s pack. They stood so close, as if the world belonged to just the two of them.
I wanted to look away, to turn around and leave as quickly as possible. But my body refused to move. All I could do was stand there, watching something I was never meant to see.
As if sensing my gaze, Hayden opened his eyes and turned toward the door. Our eyes met, and I saw the shock in his expression. He immediately pulled away from Lily, but it was already too late.
I bit my lip, trying to suppress the sudden wave of emotions crashing into my chest. I didn’t even understand why I felt like that. I didn’t even know what this feeling was.
"Phoebe…" Hayden’s voice was hesitant.
I didn’t respond. Without another word, I turned around and walked away, leaving him standing in his room with a guilty look on his face.
My heart ached. It felt strange, painful—like something sharp had pierced right through it without warning.
And for the first time, I felt like my already chaotic fate was becoming even harder to understand.