-Adrian-
By the time Doc Matthews knocks on my door ten minutes later, I'm pacing the bedroom, naked and furious, the pain almost unbearable.
"Jesus Christ," Matthews says when he sees the state of me. He's an older wolf, our pack physician for thirty years, and not much surprises him anymore. But this—this has him looking genuinely alarmed.
"Can you fix it?" I ask through gritted teeth.
He sets his medical bag on the bed and pulls out a pair of gloves. "I need to examine you first."
As he works, checking the blisters and taking notes, his expression grows increasingly puzzled.
"Alpha, I need to know exactly what happened," Matthews says, applying a cooling salve that provides minimal relief.
I give him the bare minimum details—Jasmine sneaking into my shower, her tongue on my cock, the immediate burning sensation.
Matthews pulls out a jar of cream with a knowing look that makes me want to punch something. "So where is she?"
"Who?" I growl, not in the mood for twenty questions while my dick feels like it's being seared with a blowtorch.
Matthews rolls his eyes. "Our Luna." He gestures to my inflamed cock with a latex-covered hand. "The woman made this possible."
"Jasmine is not my fucking luna," I snap, wincing as he applies the cream. "And if you ever suggest that again, I'll—"
"That," he interrupts, pointing at my blistered dick, "is more than evident. I'm talking about the woman who's clearly marked you as hers, whether you realize it or not."
I stare at him, the pieces slowly clicking together. "What are you talking about?"
Matthews removes his gloves with a snap and sits on the edge of the bed, looking at me like I'm a particularly dense student. "Alpha, what do you know about true mates?"
The question throws me. "The same as everyone else. They're rare. Fated mates are common enough—the Moon Goddess binds two compatible souls together. But true mates are different. One soul split in two."
"Exactly," Matthews nods. "And do you know what happens when a wolf who has found their true mate—even if they haven't completed the bond—is intimate with someone else?"
My blood runs cold. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that what you're experiencing isn't poison, Alpha. It's a reaction. When someone who isn't your true mate touches you intimately after you've been with your true mate, their touch becomes toxic to you. Your body is literally rejecting anyone who isn't her."
I stare at him, disbelief warring with a strange, wild hope in my chest. "That's impossible. I would know if I'd found my true mate."
Would you? Nox challenges. You've been fighting your instincts since the moment you met her.
Matthews shrugs. "Not necessarily. The bond doesn't fully activate if one party is resistant or unaware. But your soul knows, even if your thick skull hasn't caught up yet."
"You're telling me that Little W—" I catch myself. "That the woman I was with is my true mate? And that's why Jasmine's touch burned me?"
"It's the most likely explanation," Matthews confirms. "I've only seen this reaction once, when I was barely a med student. It's rare because true mates are rare, and even rarer for a wolf to be stupid enough to be intimate with someone else after finding their true mate." The judgment in his tone is unmistakable.
I sit heavily on the edge of the tub, mind reeling. "How do I fix this?" I gesture to my blistered cock.
"Time. And staying away from anyone who isn't your true mate," Matthews says simply. "Your healing will take care of it eventually, but it'll be painful for a day or two. Consider it the Moon Goddess's way of slapping some sense into you."
As he packs up his supplies, he gives me a pointed look. "You know, Alpha, there's a reason the Moon Goddess creates true mates. Separate, you can find fated mates and be happy enough. But together, true mates form the strongest bond possible. They bring strength to their pack, stability. They balance each other."
I rake a hand through my damp hair. "Yeah, but at what cost? If she dies—"
"If she dies, you die," Matthews finishes bluntly. "That's what you're afraid of, isn't it? The vulnerability?"
My jaw clenches. "How is that a benefit for either me or the pack?"
Matthews sighs, his expression softening. "The question isn't whether it benefits the pack, Adrian. It's whether you're brave enough to accept what the Goddess has given you." He closes his medical bag with a decisive click. "I'm not going to give you all the answers. Read your mother's research. She knew more about true mates than anyone."
I look up sharply. "My mother?"
"They were true mates, you know," Matthews says quietly. "Your father and mother."
The revelation hits me like a physical blow. "I didn't know that. I was so young when..." I clear my throat, fighting back the sudden tightness. "When that monster ruined everything."
Matthews nods, understanding in his eyes. "Most packs fear true mate bonds because of the risk. Your parents understood they were a blessing. So did the elders of this pack, once upon a time."
I look away, unable to meet his gaze. "The woman—my mate—I don't know her name or what pack she belongs to. It was just supposed to be a weekend fling." The admission tastes bitter on my tongue. "I tried to find her through her friend, but she's not exactly being helpful."
Matthews chuckles, the sound unexpected in the heavy atmosphere. "I think after a week or two, finding our Luna won't be such a hard task anymore."
I frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He smiles enigmatically and heads for the door. "Nuh-uh. Read your mother's journals, Adrian. You know where to find them."
Despite everything, I find myself smiling at the informality from my oldest family friend. "You're no help, old man!" I call after his retreating back. "You can't drop a bomb like that and not back it up!"
The only response is the soft click of the door closing behind him.
She's your true mate, Nox says, his voice filled with awe and a hint of I-told-you-so. Our little wolf is our true mate.
After Matthews leaves, I lie back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. The pain is still there, throbbing with each heartbeat, but it's nothing compared to the storm of emotions raging inside me.
My little wolf—the woman whose name I don't even know—is my true mate. The other half of my soul. And I walked away from her.
We have to find her, Nox urges. Now.
How? I ask, though I'm already reaching for my phone. We don't know her name, where she lives, anything about her.
We know her friend's number. We start there.
I pull up the contact I saved from her friend's phone and stare at it. Breaking my promise to stay away feels wrong, but the alternative—living without my true mate when I've finally found her—feels infinitely worse.
What if she doesn't want me? The thought surfaces before I can stop it. What if she's glad I walked away?
She's our true mate, Nox says with absolute certainty. She feels the pull just like we do, even if she doesn't understand it.
I take a deep breath and type out a message:
Adrian: I need to find her. Please. It's important.
I hit send before I can talk myself out of it, then throw the phone down beside me on the bed. The waiting will be excruciating, but for her—for my true mate—I'd wait forever if I had to.
We're coming for you, little wolf, Nox promises. This time, we're not walking away.