Despair

Malik

Pain.

Not my own. But hers.

It struck like lightning, searing through my chest, my head, my very soul. I woke up screaming, my body convulsing, my wolf thrashing inside of me—his agony merging with mine, a chaotic storm of grief and desperation. He was trying to take over, but something was wrong. He was weak, disoriented. His fortitude crumbling. But emotionally? He was a force of nature—wild, frantic, and completely shattered. The bedroom door slammed open. "Malik!" My mother's panicked voice cut through my suffering. "What's wrong?" She was beside me in an instant, her hands framing my face, her fingers gently wiping away the tears I hadn't realized were falling. My breaths were ragged, uneven. My chest heaved, sweat slicking my body as I struggled to breathe past the agony. "I—I don't know," I gasped. "It's—it's not my pain. But it's—" MATE! DEAD! My wolf's howl of despair nearly shattered my mind. I choked on my own breath, my lungs squeezing painfully. "Sh—she's gone," I whimpered, the words burning as they left my lips. No. No, it couldn't be. My mother's grip on my face tightened. "Malik, sweetheart, breathe. What do you mean, she's gone?" The bed dipped as my father sat beside me, his large hand pressing firmly over mine. His grip was strong—grounding, but nothing could hold me together right now. I clenched my jaw, willing my body to stop shaking, but the truth was eating me alive. "My wolf… he—" My voice broke, and I squeezed my eyes shut. "He felt it. The connection—our bond—it severed." The moment the words left my mouth, my body gave out. I went numb. Empty. A hollow, broken shell. I barely registered my mother's sharp inhale, the way her fingers trembled against my skin. My father's silence was even worse. He understood. He knew what that meant. The only way a mate bond breaks is if one of them dies. I was too late. Cassidy was supposed to get to Acheron's territory today. She was supposed to bring Audra back. Back to me. She was supposed to be safe. Not dead. Not dead. The words rung out in my head, I felt defeated, my will to fight diminished. The hours blurred. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't feel anything except the black hole swallowing me whole. People came in and out of my room. Voices. Faces. I barely acknowledged them. Until I felt the bed shift beside me. A warm, trembling body pressed against my back, arms wrapping around me, holding me like she could somehow piece me back together. Isla. She was sobbing. Her entire body shook as she clung to me, her grief mixing with mine. "I'm so sorry," she whispered against my shoulder, her breath shaky and wet. "This should never have happened." She hiccupped, pulling me closer, squeezing so tightly it almost hurt. "If we didn't push you to ask her to the dance, none of this would have happened." Her words barely registered, but I felt the dampness of her tears soaking into my shirt. Ajax stood at the foot of the bed, his usual calm and composed demeanor cracked. His face was pale, his jaw locked, but the redness of his eyes and the streaks of dried tears on his cheeks told me everything. Even he had broken. And yet, he tried to be strong for me. For all of us. I let them grieve. Let them cry. Days passed; I didn't cry. Not anymore. Because something inside of me snapped. I could sit here and mourn. I could waste away in hopelessness and regret. Or— I could find out what the hell happened. The numbness vanished, replaced by a firestorm of rage. I sat up abruptly reaching for my phone with hands that were now steady. I pulled up Cassidy's number, my heart thundering as I brought the phone to my ear. She picked up shortly. Her voice humming over the line. "Cassidy," I said, my voice cold. Steady. Dangerous. "Change of plans."