47 - Meeting his mate

*Nemesia's POV*

The forest was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves as a light breeze stirred them. The cool air felt refreshing against my skin, but it did little to calm the storm brewing within me. My thoughts were a tangled mess, racing with the confusion and frustration that had built up over the past days. I had pushed everyone away, needing the space to think, to process. But no matter how far I tried to distance myself from my emotions, they clung to me like a shadow... and Evar... well he was always the one I'd let in... And now...

I had been walking around aimlessly for what felt like hours when I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

"Nemesia!"

I stiffened, recognizing Evar's voice immediately. Part of me wanted to ignore him, to keep walking and pretend I hadn't heard, but another part of me—a smaller, quieter part—was relieved that he had found me - just like Athena who wagged her tail lightly. Still, I kept my guard up, my expression carefully controlled as I turned to face him.

"Athena don't be happy... he's coming to brag about his mate for sure." I felt my lycan sister whine at these words and instantly felt bad for talking this way to her.

"What is it, Evar?" I asked, my tone deliberately cool, keeping the distance between us. "Shouldn't you be with your mate?"

His footsteps slowed as he approached, but his eyes never wavered from mine. There was something in his gaze, something that made my heart beat just a little faster, though I refused to acknowledge it.

Evar hesitated for a moment as if considering his words carefully. "I wanted to see you," he said simply, his voice steady. "I needed to talk to you."

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "Why? Don't you have someone else to talk to now? Someone who's supposed to be your other half?"

I hated how harsh my words sounded, but I couldn't help it. The idea of Evar finding his fated mate had gnawed at me ever since it happened, even though I had no right to feel this way. I had no claim on him, no reason to feel possessive, but the thought of losing him to someone else—of losing the connection we had—made something twist painfully inside me.

Evar's expression softened, but he didn't look away. "You've got it wrong, Nemesia."

I frowned, my confusion growing. "What do you mean?"

He took a step closer, and despite my resolve to keep him at a distance, I found myself rooted to the spot. "I'll explain," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "But you need to hear me out."

Before I could respond, before I could push him away or demand answers, Evar spoke the words I couldn't believe I would hear.

*Evar's POV – Earlier*

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the clearing where the rebels were celebrating their friends' victory and safe return. Laughter and cheers filled the air, a stark contrast to the turmoil that churned inside me. I had kept my distance from the festivities, my mind too preoccupied with thoughts of Nemesia, of everything that had happened on that island and her feelings after speaking to David. It even made me feel jealous...

It was in the midst of this inner turmoil that... and the conversation with Murphey... when I heard an excited voice.

"Mate!"

I turned just in time to see her—a young woman, barely out of her teens, with bright eyes and a smile that lit up her entire face. She was running towards me, her joy palpable in the air. Around us, a few of the rebels who had noticed her approach began to whistle and cheer, adding to the festive atmosphere.

"Mate!" she called out again, her voice full of happiness as she reached me. Her scent hit me like a wave—sweet and intoxicating, a fragrance reminding me of pine and earth that made my wolf, Ragnar, stir within me.

She stopped in front of me, breathless but beaming, her eyes shining with a mixture of awe and delight. "I found you," she breathed, as if the words themselves were a miracle.

I forced a smile, trying to ignore the unease that settled in my chest. "Yeah… I guess you did."

She laughed a musical sound that drew the attention of more onlookers. "I've been waiting for this moment for my whole life," she confessed, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "I can't believe it's finally happening!"

Ragnar growled softly in my mind, a sound that wasn't entirely approving. He acknowledged the bond, felt the pull towards this woman, but there was something… hesitant about it. Something that didn't sit right with either of us.

"She's… sweet," I admitted to Ragnar, trying to make sense of my own feelings. "But…"

"Not strong," Ragnar responded in his simple, direct way. "Not like Nem... Not like Athena."

I winced at his words, guilt gnawing at me. Here was this young woman, my supposed fated mate, standing before me with nothing but love and hope in her eyes, and all I could think about was how she wasn't Nemesia. How her scent, her smile, her presence—none of it could compare to the fiery, unyielding spirit that I had come to admire and care for in Nemesia.

"Ragnar," I murmured internally knowing that fated mates were everything to our wolves, "is this really it? Is this who we're supposed to be with?"

My wolf was silent for a moment, his primal instincts warring with the bond we had formed with Nemesia and Athena. Finally, he answered, his voice gruff and determined. "Not for us. Nemesia is strong. We promised her."

I felt a wave of relief and conflict wash over me at his words although it was weird for me that a wolf could back away from their fated mate. Relief because I wasn't alone in my doubts, and conflict because I knew what I had to do. This woman in front of me was innocent in all of this, and yet I was about to break her heart.

"Hey," I began gently, my voice low as I took her hands in mine feeling the sparks where our skin touched. The cheers around us quieted as people noticed the shift in the mood. "I… I need to talk to you."

Her smile faltered slightly, confusion flickering in her eyes. "What is it?"

"I can't… I can't do this," I said, forcing the words out even as they threatened to choke me. "I'm sorry, but… I can't be with you."

Her eyes widened in shock, her hands trembling in mine. "But… we're fated. I've been waiting for this…"

"I know," I interrupted, my heart aching at the pain I was causing her. "And I'm so sorry. But there's someone else—someone I've already given my heart to."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and I hated myself for being the cause of them. "But… we're meant to be together… The Moon Goddess..."

I shook my head, my grip tightening on her hands as I tried to make her understand. "Fate doesn't always get it right," I said softly. "I can't give you the love you deserve. My heart… it belongs to someone else... Even if she'd never have me..."

Ragnar growled in agreement, his voice resonating with the finality of our decision. "Nem and Athena. Only them. They need us."

The young woman looked at me, searching my eyes for something—anything—that could give her hope. But there was nothing I could offer her. I had made my choice long ago, even if I hadn't fully realized it until this moment.

"I'm sorry," I whispered again, my voice thick with regret. "But I can't be with you."

She pulled her hands away from mine, her tears finally spilling over. "I… I understand," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I just… I wish…"

The girl didn't finish the sentence. Instead, she nodded her head as if to urge me to go on with it. "My name is Nina," she whispered trying to hold back her tears.

"I, Evar, a rouge wolf allied with the rebels reject you as my mate, Nina..." I said feeling pain gnawing at my heart.

"I... accept your rejection," when she finished those words we both fell to the ground feeling pain in our hearts as the line of fate between us snapped and disappeared.

Some people came to help her up and away, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The festive atmosphere around us had dissolved into a tense, uncomfortable silence as those who had witnessed the scene processed what had just happened.

I kneeled there for a long moment, my heart heavy with guilt and sorrow, not only pain. But there was also a sense of clarity—a sense of knowing that I had made the right choice, painful as it was.

"Ragnar," I thought, seeking reassurance from my wolf. "You really ok with this?"

"Yes," Ragnar rumbled, his voice firm. "Nem is our pack. Athena is my leader. Only them."

With a deep breath, I stood and turned away from the clearing and made my way through the forest, my thoughts consumed with Nemesia. I had to find her, had to tell her what had happened. She needed to know that no matter what, I had chosen her.