Chapter 53: My Mate

Azura’s POV

We walked back to the horses in silence.The path twisted through the trees like it wanted to keep us trapped in this dark place. The forest was quiet around us, just the sound of our boots on dead leaves and birds calling somewhere far away. But inside my head, it was deafeningly loud.

’The hook is set. The line is pulled. And you, little wolf, are already drowning.’

The witch’s words kept echoing in my mind, twisting and turning like a riddle I couldn’t solve, no matter how hard I tried. What did she mean? What hook? What line? And why did she look at me with that strange mixture of pity and knowledge, as if she knew exactly how my life was going to end?

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to shake off the deep chill that had settled into my bones, a chill that had nothing to do with the cold air and everything to do with fear.

"You’re quiet."

I blinked, pulled out of my frantic thoughts, and looked up. Torin was walking beside me, his expression soft, concerned, and entirely too gentle for this situation.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, trying to give me space while still showing he cared.

I forced a small, brittle smile, hoping it looked convincing. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

"About what the witch said?"

I hesitated, looking at his warm brown eyes, and then nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was weird, right?"

Torin shrugged, his easy, reassuring grin returning, trying to make the terrifying prophecy sound like nothing.

"Don’t worry about it. Witches love being cryptic. Makes them feel important and keeps people coming back. It’s probably just nonsense."

Despite everything, despite the fear gripping my chest, I smiled. He really knew how to lighten someone’s mood, how to make the impossible seem manageable. I appreciated it more than I could say.

Then Rhydor spoke, his voice cutting through the quiet like a blade, cold and sharp.

"Once we get back to the pack, we’ll start preparing," he said, not looking at either of us, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "We leave the day after tomorrow. No delays."

I turned to look at him, at the rigid line of his back, the way he carried himself with such cold authority. His face was a mask of coldness, just like always.

We reached the horses a moment later. They were still tied to the low-hanging branch where we had left them, pawing impatiently at the dirt and flicking their tails to get rid of imaginary flies.

Torin walked over to his gray mare, running a gentle hand down her neck, calming her. "How many warriors are we taking? It’s not going to be easy."

Rhydor started untying the rope from his horse’s reins, his movements fast and precise. "Not many. Just the strongest. The others stay to protect the pack."

I watched him as he worked, his hands moving quickly, efficiently, tending to the horse with a care he never showed to anyone else. And that’s when I noticed it.

He didn’t even look in my direction, ignoring me completely.

Which meant he wasn’t planning on taking me along with them to the Wraithfen.

My chest tightened, a wave of indignation and fear washing over me.

"I’m coming with you guys," I said, my voice firm, trying to inject some authority into it.

Rhydor stopped what he was doing. He didn’t turn around, nor did he look at me. He just paused, his back stiffening.

"No," he said flatly, the word final.

I stepped forward, my temper flaring, refusing to be sidelined. "You don’t get to decide that, Rhydor. I’m coming. Those are my people, too."

He turned then, slowly, deliberately, his amber eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me want to look away, but I refused. "If you come, you’ll drag us back. Slow us down. You have no idea what you’re facing. We’ll go and get the children ourselves."

Heat flared in my chest, a burning anger at his arrogance. "I’m going. That’s final."

His jaw tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek. "Do you think you get to have any finals, Azura? Do you think this is a game?"

I let out a bitter, harsh laugh. "Then what’s the point of giving me a title? If I don’t get a say in anything, if I’m just a decoration, what am I even doing here?"

Torin looked at both of us, trying to understand what I meant, his eyes moving from my angry face to Rhydor’s frozen expression.

Rhydor’s expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his eyes, something raw and pained, before it was immediately hidden again. "This is for your own safety, Azura. The Wraithfen is not a place for you."

"My safety?" I took another step forward, my voice rising, bringing me closer to him, ignoring the danger radiating off him. "That’s rich. You’ve made it clear you don’t want me near you, you don’t trust me, so this will be perfect for you. If I go into that forest, maybe I won’t come back. Problem solved, right?"

His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. The leather reins in his grip creaked under the pressure, threatened to snap. His jaw was so tight I thought his teeth might crack.

But he didn’t lash out. Didn’t yell.

He just stared at me, fury simmering beneath the surface, a dangerous energy that felt like a coiled snake.

I took a breath, trying to control my shaking, my voice steadier now. "Whatever happens, I’m going. If I die, it’s not your fault. I’m choosing this. I’m dying for those children if I have to."

For a long, agonizing moment, he said nothing, just looking at me with those burning amber eyes.

Then, quietly, coldly: "No."

I stepped back, my hands shaking violently now. I looked at him and I didn’t know what I saw anymore. Anger? Fear? Possessiveness? I couldn’t tell.

He turned back to his horse and began adjusting the saddle, ending the conversation, ignoring me completely. "Come. We’re leaving."

I shook my head, my jaw set. "No. I’m riding with Torin."

His hands stilled on the leather. The air around us seemed to freeze, making it hard to breathe.

Slowly, he turned to face me, his movements unnatural. His expression was dark and dangerous.

"We don’t have time for this, Azura," he warned, his voice low and threatening.

Before I could respond, Torin stepped in front of me, his body a solid wall between us, his usual easygoing demeanor gone.

"If the lady wants to ride with me, let her," Torin said, his tone light but his eyes deadly serious. "What’s the big deal, Rhydor?"

Rhydor’s gaze snapped to him, cold and murderous. "This doesn’t concern you, Torin. Stay out of it."

Torin crossed his arms, not moving an inch. "Yeah, that’s not happening. She’s my friend too."

Rhydor took a step forward, menacing. "Move, Torin."

Torin didn’t budge. "Make me."

The tension crackled like lightning about to strike, the air heavy with the promise of violence.

Then Rhydor moved, too fast for me to follow.

His hands went behind his back, and when they came forward again, there were two axes in his grip. One in each hand. The blades gleamed in the fading light, sharp, deadly, and ready to shed blood.

He looked at me, his voice low and dangerous, a whisper of death. "If you won’t do this the easy way, then somebody has to bleed for it."

My heart dropped into my stomach, a cold dread washing over me.

Torin didn’t flinch. Instead, he reached behind his back and pulled out two daggers, spinning them once in his hands before gripping them firmly, looking entirely too thrilled.

He grinned. "Oh, I’m ready for that, little brother. So ready."

"Stop!" I shouted, stepping between them, pushing my hands against Rhydor’s chest, feeling the raw power beneath his shirt. "Both of you, stop right now!" Then I turned to face Rhydor, looking directly into his eyes. "It’s not a big deal! I just want to ride with Torin! Why are you acting like a lunatic?!"

Torin glanced at me, then back at Rhydor, his eyes amused. "Seriously, man. It’s just a horse ride. Why are you overreacting?" he added, trying to bring the tension down. "You don’t even like her, so chill out, lil bro."

That’s when I saw it. The change.

Rhydor’s eyes.

They weren’t amber anymore.

They were red.

Bright, burning, furious red.

My breath caught in my throat, a gasp escaping my lips.

His voice was low, rough, barely controlled, vibrating with a power I didn’t understand.

"She’s my mate. And I decide who carries her."

The world stopped.

I froze, the words slammed in my mind.

Torin froze, his smirk vanished instantly.

Even the wind seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the explosion.

I stared at him, my mind racing, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs, the sheer weight of his words crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

His mate.

He just called me his mate.

Torin’s daggers lowered slowly, his arms falling to his sides. He looked at me, then at Rhydor, realization dawning on his face, followed by something that looked like horror.

"You’re..." He trailed off, his eyes widening. "She’s the Luna. She’s... your mate."

Rhydor didn’t answer. Didn’t move. Just stood there, his chest heaving, eyes still burning red, staring at me as if he had just torn open a wound he didn’t know how to close, a mixture of rage and desperation in his gaze.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t think.

All I could do was stare back at him, terrified and overwhelmed, the weight of his words crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

She’s my mate.

His mate.

The reality of it was a terrifying, suffocating pressure in the air between us.

Rhydor took a step toward me, the axes still gripped in his hands, his gaze never leaving mine.

"Get on the horse, Azura."