ral ground and rent a cabin for the night so I could recover. Now, driving through the park lands, all I could think about was my mate. What's happening to her? and who is she? I closed my eyes, rea

." Aunty Linda, Vanessa's mom, tried to support Vanessa's wishful thinking , but my mom shut her down with a firm look. "My son will not reject his mate for Vanessa. He's meant to be with his true mate, and that's all there is to it." As they talked, I got distracted by a familiar chocolate and vanilla scent wafting from inside the pack house. I followed it, my curiosity piqued... I followed the scent, my heart racing with anticipation, not knowing where it would lead me. The scent led me to the storage room, my heart racing. "Storm, is this...?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Sofia's room," Storm confirmed. "Mate scent." I felt like I'd been punched. Sofia's our mate?" I demanded, but before Storm could answer, a searing pain hit me like a truck. I dropped to my knees, gritting my teeth. I groaned, clutching my chest. "What's happening?" I asked Storm. "Mate's in trouble. We need to shift and get to school," Storm replied, his voice urgent. Josh and Mark rushed to my side, trying to hold me up. "Damian what's going on?" Josh asked. I looked at them, my eyes wild. Sofia's in trouble. We need to go." They exchanged confused glances, but didn't hesitate. The three of us shifted into our wolves and took off, running out of the pack house. My parents shouted after us, but I didn't look back. We tore through the forest, our paws pounding the earth. I could feel Sofia's distress, and it was driving me crazy. What was happening to her? As I entered the school ground, the students' heads snapped down in unison, recognizing my Alpha aura. I sniffed the air, my heart racing with anticipation, and caught a whiff of the scent. But something was off. The scent was mixed with something else, blood. My heart sank, and I took off, following the scent to the school bathroom. I could feel Sofia's pain, and it was tearing me apart. I burst through the door, shifting back into my human form as I entered. The sight before me was like a nightmare. Sofia lay on the floor, a pool of crimson spreading beneath her. Her eyes were closed, her skin deathly pale. I felt like I'd been ripped apart. "No...no, no, no!" I rushed to her side, scooping her into my arms. I glared at Vanessa, who was trying to approach me. My growl sent her falling to her knees, a