AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Estella was not like normal shifters. She had been separated from her wolf when Tamra killed her. She was essentially split into two different beings, her human half and her animal side. Since she was fully human, could she bond with her mate in the usual way? Would Deacon be able to get what he needed without a traditional bond? There was no way of knowing, and it hurt my heart to picture him without the mate bond like Pearl and I had.
Now was not the time to be wondering about that though. When the time came, I would do everything in my power to help the two of them. Their bond might not have been normal, but neither was mine and Pearl’s. We just had to cross that bridge when we got to it.
Judging by the look on Deacon’s face, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but like me, he was strong and ready for whatever obstacles were in his way.
“Tamra is older than me. She was bright, talented, and smart. I remember growing up, admiring her and hoping that I’d be just like her.” A sad smile lifted the corners of Estella’s lips, and I understood that look all too well. “Everything changed when she met her mate, who was a rogue passing through the valley. He didn’t want a mate and rejected her. Tamra took the rejection hard. She withdrew into herself, finding solace in her own mind instead of reality.
“I remember going to visit her and overhearing her talking to someone. At first, I thought it was her wolf, but she was speaking out loud. I thought it strange but ignored it, telling myself this was all part of the healing process. She grew more and more distant as time went on. My parents worried that her mate’s rejection would be the end of her. There was nothing we could do but wait, hope, and pray.
“One day, a man around her age stopped by our home to pick up something from my father. It was the alpha’s second son, Bear. He was strapping, capable, and gorgeous. There was a magnetic aura around him that appealed to both humans and wolves. There were many females who had a crush on him, me included. He was nice and easy to talk to. I remember feeling envious of whoever his mate would turn out to be.
“Unknowingly, that day, Bear had caught the attention of my sister. She returned from whatever dark place she had been in. There was vibrancy back in her eyes, and I thought her depression was good and truly over. Until her infatuation became an obsession. She was determined to win his heart by being the very best alpha female who could stand at a strong alpha’s side.
“It worked for a time, but Bear’s attention would wander, always searching for his mate. Then, one day, he found her.”
“Faela,” Pearl breathed, totally enraptured by the story.
“Yes. She was the Alpha Seeker and protected by her family. She had never been revealed to the packs, but when she turned eighteen, it was time. Both families were overjoyed that they were mates. Bear would become the next great alpha, with Faela by his side. When Tamra heard of this, she became so angry.”
“I can understand that. She’d convinced herself that Bear was her mate,” Deacon interjected, while Pearl and I nodded our agreement.
“Tamra became… volatile,” Estella whispered, squeezing her eyes shut like it had just happened yesterday.
“That’s an understatement,” I grumbled, remembering the research I had done into Faela and her history.
“To this day, I’m still not sure how she was able to nearly erase Faela from memory. I know Faela was sent to prison and her family died from mysterious circumstances. Bear was grief stricken, but there wasn’t much he could do. Through it all, Tamra was there for him, biding her time.
“Tamra became edgy and violent. She wouldn’t leave Bear’s side, and that’s when things went downhill. Bear’s older brother, Wolf, wasn’t nearly powerful enough to overthrow his father. On the day Wolf issued the challenge, my sister revealed that she was pregnant. The whole pack’s attention landed on my sister, and our parents demanded that they mate. With great reluctance, Bear took my sister as his mate.”
“This is the opposite of a romantic story,” Pearl grumbled, and I had to agree with her. Manipulation and coercion were not a good foundation for mating.
“Shush,” Ledger hissed, but it didn’t have his normal attitude behind it.
“The pregnancy was a lie,” Estella revealed. “Tamra reached out to me and asked for my help. I loved my sister, so I agreed. We staged a fake miscarriage, which messed with Bear’s mind. He became suspicious and demanding. He was obsessed with the thought of having a child, to the point where he was ready to partition the pack for a second mate. That’s when my sister lost her sanity.”
“Can’t blame her.” I didn’t want to feel sympathy toward my aunt, but I could empathize with her pain. I’d lose my mind if Pearl went to someone else for her needs. The thought alone had red hot fury coursing through my veins.
“Worried about my sister and wanting to help, I went to the Cage and visited Faela. She was in good spirits, regardless of her incarceration. She was kind and felt pity for my sister, who just wanted someone to love her. I vowed to help my sister anyway I could. So, I offered Bear and Tamra my body. I’d carry a child for them with the hope that it would heal their damaged hearts and bring them together again.”
“My sister didn’t appreciate my offer. She became jealous and overbearing, even cruel. She refused my offer then tried to manipulate those around her, so she had support when she approached her mate and the alpha, asking them to banish me.”
“It was too much. I withdrew my offer and hid away, hoping that by staying out of sight, my presence wouldn’t insight her ire. I was wrong though. My absence seemed to further push her toward madness.
“Tamra came to me one night, asking for assistance. Like a fool, I followed her without question. She led me to a rocky area high up in the mountains. There was no moon in the sky, which should have been a hint, but I was so desperate to have my sister back that I ignored the warning signs until it was too late.”
The chains still restraining my cousin clinked together as he sat forward, his greenish eyes, much like mine, never leaving Estella’s face.
“Tamra attacked me with no provocation. I collapsed, and my wolf did everything she could to heal the wound, but it was too severe. My sister had stabbed my heart. We fought for our life, but then Tamra called on the darkness and it answered her. She offered me as a sacrifice to the darkness in order to gain enough power to conquer every wolf, every pack. The darkness lapped at my blood, using the Moon Spirit’s power flowing through my veins to transform. A wolf made entirely of shadows manifested before us, its eyes empty of emotion but full of malice.
“I remember my sister watching without remorse as the wolf tore open my chest and ate my heart. During my last breaths, the Moon Spirit entered my mind, blocking out the pain and fear. She asked us not to fight but to instead trust her. With no other option, we surrendered to the Moon Spirit, not the Shadow Wolf that had been born that night. I was sent to the Between, a place of limbo where you are neither living nor dead, to wait for the right time to return and help destroy my sister. My wolf remained here, watching and waiting for the correct moment.
“The Moon Spirit kept her promise. I returned to this life and have been reunited with my wolf, but we are not the same and never will be again.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Pearl
My heart ached for Estella and her wolf. She’d been through something horrific all while trying to help her ungrateful sister. I couldn’t imagine what she must have felt during those final moments, but I was happy that the Moon Spirit intervened. She didn’t deserve any of what happened. All to heal her sister’s heart, who then took hers and gave it to an evil entity.
