CHAPTER 7

Rayne POV

The darkness pressed in around us as I stood frozen on a spot, my heartbeat echoing in my ears like the drum of the full moon night. The stranger's voice lingered in the air like dark smoke, chilling me to my core.

Mateo's hand tightened around mine, his grip grounding me, but I could feel the tension in him, his unease thick and palpable. His words still echoed in my mind, like the promise of my late mother

"This power… it's consuming you."

But as I looked out into the trees, I knew one thing for sure. I couldn't let this stranger take everything from me, even my weakness.

A deep, gravelly voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Enjoying the gift, little wolf?"

I whipped around, and there he was. The stranger stepped out of the shadows, his eyes gleaming with a sick sort of pleasure. My blood ran cold as he took a step forward to my own standing spot, his presence casting an unnatural silence over the forest.

"What do you want from me, this time?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and calm, even as the pulse of dark power within me seemed to reach for him, drawn like a magnetic field.

His lips curled into a dark smile that sent a chill down my spine at almost same second.

"Oh, it's not what I want, Rayne. It's what you actually want for yourself."

I narrowed my eyes, my hands curling into fists and my eyes filled with fury.

"I never asked for this power you gave to me, or for any of it. You forced this on me."

He laughed harder like never before, a sound like shattering glass.

"Did I? Or did I simply unlock what was already buried inside you? You've tasted the strength, the freedom it brings your table. There's no going back now."

Mateo's body tensed beside me, and he stepped between us, his stance protective and his word Strong.

"Leave her alone," he growled, his voice laced with anger and defiance.

The stranger's eyes flicked to Mateo, a flash of disdain crossing his face.

"Ah, the loyal Alpha Matteo. How touching of you." He looked back at me, his gaze penetrating inti my own eyes.

"But he can't protect you from whom I say you are, Rayne."

I felt a flicker of doubt, a flash of anger at his own words. But I forced myself to stay focused and react low key, to not let him get in my head and gain full control of myself.

"You think I'm afraid of you?" I spat, summoning every ounce of courage I had left behind due to fear.

"You're nothing but a Manipulative shadow."

He smirked, amusement gleaming in his eyes.

. "We'll see about that sooner or later, rayne"

Before I could react to his statement, he extended his hand, and the air around me seemed to tighten, pulling me toward of himself. The dark power inside me surged in response, hungry and alive, battling my instincts to resist. It was like I was caught between two forces, each one trying to claim me and have full access.

Mateo grabbed my arm, his voice urgent and quick.

"Rayne! Don't let him in. Fight it!"

I could feel the stranger's grip on me loosening as Mateo's voice cut through the haze that rose up within of myself. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to focus and think, to push back against the pull of the darkness. With a final, desperate effort, I tore myself free, stumbling back into Mateo's arms, with an heavy breathe.

The stranger's face twisted with anger and deceit, his calm veneer cracking.

"You're stronger than I thought of you," he murmured, his tone laced with frustration and anger. "But strength is fleeting, little wolf. And soon, you'll realize you can't resist forever, since you are already mine."

His words hung in the air, a dark promise, before he melted back into the shadows where he had always belong, disappearing as suddenly as he'd appeared.

I sagged against Mateo, my body trembling from the strain. He held me close, his arms wrapped around me like a shield, which made me less comfortable.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, his voice soft and filled with worry and pity towards me .

I nodded to his words, though I wasn't sure I believed it myself. The power still throbbed within me, an unwanted reminder of what I'd just faced.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, Mateo," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

"He's in my head, whispering things I can't ignore and control."

Mateo's gaze was fierce as he looked down at me.

"Then let's get as far from him as we can. There are places he won't dare follow us into. I know of a safe haven, somewhere he can't touch you nor penetrate into"

For a moment, the thought of running, of leaving behind the pain and darkness, seemed like salvation for myself. But a part of me hesitated, the memory of the stranger's words lingering in my mind. There's no going back now.

Mateo's grip tightened on myself, his voice cutting through my thoughts.

"We can beat him, Rayne. Together as friends."

I looked up at him, the desperation in his eyes mirroring my own at same time.

"Alright," I whispered, though doubt gnawed at me at almost same period.

"Let's go."

The trek through the forest was swift, Mateo leading us with a determined urgency. The trees loomed overhead, their shadows stretching long and eerie in the dark moonlight. But as we moved slowly, a new sensation tugged at me—a strange pull, almost like a compass pointing in a direction I couldn't see with my mere eyes.

"Do you feel that?" I asked, the unease prickling at my skin

Mateo glanced at me, frowning to my words.

"Feel what?"

I shook my head, confused.

"It's… hard to actually explain. Like something's drawing me closer, calling me."

Before he could respond to me, a figure appeared ahead of us, stepping into the clearing, bathed in moonlight.

He was tall, his silhouette strong and commanding, his eyes glowing with an intensity that made my breath catch up inside of my throat. His scent hit me first—wild, earthy, and electric.

My wolf stirred, recognizing something in him that sent a shiver down my spine.

Mateo's grip on my arm tightened as he took a defensive step in front of me like a real Alpha.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The stranger's gaze didn't falter, his eyes locked on mine, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"I'm not here to harm her or do anything silly, Alpha," he said calmly, his voice a low, steady rumble.

"I'm here because fate wills it to be so."

The air grew thick, tension crackling between us both.

The stranger's presence was magnetic, drawing me in despite myself.

My wolf stirred again, a fierce yearning that both frightened and exhilarated me.

He took a step closer, and I could see him more clearly now.

His dark hair, his Crystal piercing eyes, and the way he held himself—all of it spoke of strength, of confidence, of power. But there was something else, too, something familiar yet entirely new.

He looked at me, his gaze unwavering and my heart racing.

"Rayne," he said, his voice a soft command that sent chills down my spine. "We were meant to meet on this spot. I am your second chance at love."

The words hung in the air, heavy and electric. Mateo bristled, a low growl escaping his throat.

"Stay back, you imposter," he warned, his posture protective, his eyes flashing with territorial fury.

But the stranger didn't flinch a bit, his gaze never leaving mine.

"You felt it, didn't you?" he said, his voice a murmur that seemed to resonate in my bones. "The pull from within. The strong bond. I was drawn here, just as you were also."

I took a shaky breath, my mind reeling. This wasn't possible. After everything, after the rejection, the pain, the darkness—another bond? Another mate? I'd barely begun to piece myself back together, and now fate was throwing this at me, at the time when I never expected it to happen?

"Rayne, don't listen to him," Mateo hissed, his voice urgent and sharp. "This isn't real. He's manipulating you. He works for him."

But something inside me said otherwise of what my ex mate said. The pull I felt, the fire sparking in my chest, wasn't something that could be faked or unreal. It was raw, undeniable, and terrifyingly powerful.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could form the words, the stranger held out his hand, his eyes searching mine.

"Come with me, Rayne. Let me help you find the strength you've been searching for, for a very long time. You don't have to face this alone in this wild."

My heart thundered, my gaze shifting between him and Mateo. Torn between the bond I'd shared, the betrayal I'd endured, and the strange, intoxicating connection that stood before me.

"Rayne," Mateo's voice broke through, pained and pleading, with regret in his eyes.

"Choose wisely."

I was frozen, caught between two worlds, two destinies. And I knew, no matter what I decided, nothing would ever be the same for me and my life, but still it was hard to pick.