After My Mate Chose Her, I Found My True Mate

The ceremony hall felt cavernous and cold as I stood alone before the pack elders, the empty space beside me a gaping wound. I'd completed the mate ceremony without Evan—a first in Moonveil history—but I'd protected what mattered: my dignity and my discovery. The whispers followed me like shadows as I left the Pack House, but I kept my head high. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

Hours later, as twilight settled over the pack grounds, my phone buzzed with an urgent message from the healer's quarters. A code red medical emergency. My instincts kicked in immediately. Whatever had happened between Evan and me, I was still the pack's senior healer.

I hurried across the moonlit grounds, my footsteps echoing against the stone paths. The healer's quarters were dimly lit, smelling of antiseptic and herbs. I pushed open the heavy wooden door, expecting to find an injured pack member.

Instead, I found Evan and Selena.

Selena was sprawled dramatically across the examination table, her face contorted in what appeared to be agony. The Luna dress—my Luna dress—still clung to her frame, though now it was stained with what looked like tears. Evan stood beside her, his face a mask of concern that might have fooled me yesterday.

'Eve,' he said, his voice tight with relief. 'Thank the Moon Goddess you're here. Selena's condition has worsened. She needs your help. She needs your healing essence. Now. It's the only thing that can save her.'

Selena's performance was flawless. She let out a soft whimper, then struggled to sit up, her hands trembling as she reached toward me. 'Please, Eve. I know I've hurt you, but this isn't about that. I'm dying.'

I stepped closer, my healer's mind already cataloging inconsistencies. Her pupils were dilated, but not in the way a wolf in distress would react. Her breathing was too controlled, too measured. And the scent—there was no scent of illness, only the lingering musk of Evan's mark.

'What symptoms are you experiencing?' I asked, my voice clinical and detached.

'Pain,' she whispered, pressing a hand to her chest. 'Burning. Like my wolf is being consumed from within.'

I crossed my arms. 'A true wolf illness would present with fever, not this controlled temperature. Your pulse is steady, not erratic. And your wolf's aura shows no signs of distress.'

Evan's face darkened. 'Are you refusing to help her? After what she's been through?'

'What she's been through?' I laughed, the sound brittle in the sterile air. 'You mean the ceremony she ruined? Or the mate she stole?'

Evan stepped closer, his charm slipping. 'Eve, we don't have time for this. Give me your field journal. Give me the formula for your healing essence.'

'No.' The word came out sharp, final. 'My research is not yours to command. Not for her.'

His eyes flashed dangerously. 'It's not a request.'

I turned toward the door, my hand on the knob. 'Then I'm not participating.'

The sound of his footsteps was the only warning I got. Suddenly, his body slammed into mine, pinning me against the glass cabinets. Pain shot through my back as the shelves dug into my spine. His arm pressed against my throat, not quite choking but making his dominance clear.

'You will help her,' he growled, his Alpha tone vibrating through the room. 'You will extract the essence now. Or I will take it from you.'

I clawed at his arm, my breath coming in short gasps. 'You're hurting me, Evan.'

'Answer me!' His voice rose, the Alpha command hammering against my will. 'Will you save her?'

I met his gaze, finding strength in the fury burning inside me. 'Never.'