Lina's fingers played with the edge of the bed. She hasn't moved from her spot since they arrived back at the pack house. Her eyes were fixated on her mate, who laid in a hospital bed unmoving.

Lina was in a whirlwind of emotions. Not only was her mate on the brink of death, her brother was also losing his mind. She had been too late, the war ended before she even got to be a part of it. The pride leader was dead, but she couldn't even be happy about it. Not when her mate was in this condition.

Lina couldn't stand the thought of losing her mate. The mate she had been through so much with. The mate she cherished undeniably. The mate she was pregnant for.

It was too much to bear. Too much to think about. Too much to lose.

Avan had lost everything-his powers, his pride, the fire in his chest that once made him feel like more than human. Now he was just...empty. A man in a skin that no longer fit. And worse? He was scared. A single word could cut deeper than a blade now.

Avan blamed himself. Again and again, he replayed every moment, every choice, convinced that if only he had been stronger, he could have stopped what happened. The weight of that failure crushed him, leaving him fractured and hollow. Pain clung to him like a second skin- hurt, broken, and drowning in a darkness he couldn't escape.

And as if the wounds weren't deep enough, the betrayal of his so‑called mate carved an even deeper emptiness inside him, turning sorrow into something colder, sharper.

Trust had been shattered. Love had become a wound. Reality was permanent.

Marcus, along with his fellow members, was back at their abode. They had won the war, and they haven't lost anyone in the process. It was a bittersweet feeling. This was just one threat down, and another will be rising. For now, Marcus had to focus on the little people he called family.

Clyde stared into the woods, his face unreadable. As a lone wolf, he'd never considered joining a pack- never needed one. But now, there was no one left. His parents were gone. And now his brother, the one he'd spent years resenting, was dead too. He didn't feel anger. Just emptiness. The kind that crept in when you realized there was no one left to fight with, or for.

Clyde had always tried to knock some sense into his brother Dane. He loved him, but Dane's envy and jealousy couldn't go unnoticed. Clyde didn't know what hate was until his mother was murdered, at the hands of his own brother. It wasn't something that one could forgive. Now, Dane was gone and he wasn't coming back.

Clyde was now truly alone.

The wind was calm, the birds and insects were noisy but not unpleasant. Jay perched himself on a fallen tree, seemingly lost in thought. He had lost the only guardian in his life. Hilda was a mother to him, her love for him couldn't be compared.

After being abandoned by his parents, Jay was left alone to fend for himself. He spent the last five years trying to figure out why they left him. He wasn't a curse, sure he was different but he had no bad bone in his body. At the age of thirteen, he was found by Hilda, wandering around in the woods. She took him in and gave him a place called home.

And now she was gone.

And she wasn't coming back.

Jay sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping with the weight of everything around him. Everything felt like a big mess, nothing seemed to be going right. The Alpha was still in critical condition, fighting just to stay alive. Avan wasn't the same anymore; something had changed inside him, and Jay could see the pain in his eyes. Lina barely spoke, wrapped up in her own sadness, completely lost in depression.

The whole pack was quiet, heavy with grief and worry. No one knew when or if things would ever go back to how they used to be. For now, all Jay could do was hold on and try to keep the pieces together, even if it felt impossible.

A hand was placed on Jay's shoulder. A smile graced his lips as he looked up at his mate.

"Are you okay?", Dezin asked before perching himself beside Jay.

Jay shrugged. "I'm not. Everything's just too much to take in. No one is okay."

Dezin took his mate hand in his. "Everything will be back to normal soon. It just takes time."

"What is even normal anymore? We are always on alert for danger. It's hard living like this", Jay replied, sorrow lacing his voice.

Dezin looked at his mate. He didn't know what to say. Being a part of the supernatural world meant that danger is always lurking in the shadows. It was always about fighting back and protecting the ones they loved.

The ones who were left.

"Atleast we have each other. That's all that matters", Dezin responded.

Jay smiled. "That's true. And I have you, my big bad wolf."

Dezin grinned before pulling Jay unto his lap. He kissed him, caressing his sides in the process. Jay pulled away before resting his head on Dezin's shoulder.

"Have you ever thought you'd be mated to a guy...I mean at all?", Jay asked as he gazed up at his mate.

Dezin paused, like he was really thinking about it. Then he shook his head slowly. "Not really. I've never dated a guy before. Never really had feelings for a them or even thought about it. It was... surprising, yeah. But I don't regret meeting you."

Jay smiled a little, watching Dezin's face closely. There was no hesitation in his voice, no doubt in his eyes. He meant it. Every word.

Jay stared into his mate's eyes. He could see it all there- honesty, comfort, the pull of something deeper than just attraction. There was love. Real love. And it made Jay's chest feel tight, but in a good way.

Being mated to someone... it had always sounded like a big thing. Like something meant for other people. But now that he had it, it didn't feel overwhelming. It just felt right.

"I love you", Jay said, wrapping his arms around Dezin.

Dezin held him back, his grip firm and steady. "I love you more", he said softly.

Jay rested his head against Dezin's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. It was calming

"You make me feel like I matter", Jay said quietly. "Like I'm not just...drifting through life."

"You do matter", Dezin replied without missing a beat. "You always have. I just get to be the one who reminds you of that."

They sat there for a while, not saying much. The silence between them wasn't awkward. It was full of understanding. Full of peace.

Jay let out a breath and smiled to himself. "I never thought I'd end up here. With you."

Dezin chuckled softly. "Me neither. But I"m glad we did."

Jay nod slowly. "All thanks to Lina."

Dezin grinned, his lips pressing unto Jay's forhead.

Whatever came next, they will face it together.

>>>><<<<