Chapter 9
Fuck, I feel like I slept for a week. Sitting up in bed, I ask Jareth, “What happened?”
“There was a landslide. You missed the trail closure signs and ended up in the river when the cliffside of the ravine gave way under you. You’ve been in a coma ever since the resort staff fished you out of the water.”
A coma? “How long was I out?”
“Three days.”
My throat suddenly feels like it’s going to close up as I realize I missed the wedding. “The wedding. What happened with the wedding?”
Do I sound panicked? I hope not.
Jareth grins and says, “It went off without a hitch.”
Closing my eyes doesn’t help the pain that rips through me at his words.
So that’s it, then, I’ve lost him for good.
My wolf howls mournfully in my mind and pushes to get out.
The walls feel like they’re closing in, and the overwhelming urge to escape, to run, takes over.
Throwing off the blankets, I leap to my feet and head for the door.
Jareth yells from behind me, “Rex, wait! Where are you going?”
I ignore his words as fur begins to sprout on my arms. Forcing myself outside, I push through the pain of my heart and soul being ripped apart by the loss long enough to make it into the woods before my wolf takes over fully.
Breaking into a run, I head deeper into the forest. No amount of running is going to take away the pain, but I have to get away.
I don’t know how long I run for, just that when I finally come to a stop, I’m exhausted.
In the middle of a clearing with the full moon over my head, I look up to the sky and let out a howl.
One full of all the sorrow and pain I’ve felt.
I howl and howl and howl for who knows how long.
I’m still howling when the sound of someone running into the clearing reaches my ears.
Arms wrap around me, and the scent of Jareth reaches my nose.
He always smells like pina coladas and apples, but I can’t take comfort in it anymore. He’s not mine.
The thought has me letting out another mournful howl. Jareth asks, “What’s wrong, Rex? Why are you acting this way? Shift and talk to me so I can help you, please. I can’t stand seeing you look so dejected.”
I continue to howl. There’s no point in talking anymore. I don’t want to be human when I can’t have the one person meant to be mine. I barely register Jareth calling Doc, too lost in my pain to pay attention.
When another pair of footsteps enters the clearing, Jareth asks, “Doc, what’s wrong with him?”
Doc takes my furry face between his hands and looks me in the eyes. I’m sure he can see all my emotions reflected back when he says, “How long has he been like this?”
“I don’t know. It took me a while to find him when he ran off, and when I did, he was already howling like this.”
Doc looks over my head at Jareth. “He took off?”
“Yeah, as soon as he woke up. We were talking about the wedding, and all of a sudden he bolted.”
Doc’s expression hardens. “What exactly did you say?”
“That the wedding went off without a hitch. Why? Is that why he bolted?”
Doc nods. “I believe it triggered him.”
“Why would it trigger him?”
“He’s showing classic signs of mate-sickness.
It’s what happens when shifters meet their fated mates but can’t claim them for whatever reason.
The malnourishment makes sense now. If his wolf’s been pining away for a while, then his appetite was probably nonexistent.
The howling he’s doing now is in despair. He’s mourning the loss of his mate.”
“So what does that mean for him?”
Doc sighs and says, “It’s not good, Jareth.
The fact of the matter is, he’s dying. I can call Alpha Declan to offer him the comforting presence of an alpha as he passes on, but that’s about it.
Unless by some divine miracle his mate shows up and accepts their bond, there’s nothing I or anyone can do for him. ”
Jareth cries, “What? No! That can’t be right! Tell me it’s a lie! He can’t die!”
Doc sighs heavily, like the weight of the world has landed on his shoulders, and says, “I can’t. I’m sorry, Jareth. I wish I could do something, anything to help, but I simply can’t. It’s out of our hands now. I’m going to go make the call to Declan and give you some time with him.”
Jareth’s tears soak into my fur as Doc walks away to make his call. Jareth kisses the top of my head and says, “I’m sorry, Rex. I’m so sorry you lost your mate. But you still have your family. And you still have me. Don’t give up. You have so much to live for. Please, Rex.”
I don’t have you, though.
“You have to fight it, Rex. Don’t lose yourself. You deserve to be happy, Rex.”
I can’t be happy without you.
“Let me make you happy.”
Wait, what?
“I should’ve told you this a long time ago. I love you, Rex. My heart has always belonged to you, but I never said anything because I was afraid I’d eventually lose you to your fated mate since I wasn’t yours. I’d rather have you as a friend than be with you and lose you to someone else.”
With a derisive snort, I feel him shake his head when he continues, “It’s why I habitually dated, because I knew if I was single for long enough, I’d give in. I couldn’t risk that. Even though the relationships never lasted because my heart wasn’t in it, I kept repeating the cycle.”
Then what about Ashley? You married her.
As if he can read my thoughts, he answers, “I only got this far with Ashley because her heart belonged to someone else too. After what happened to you, we both decided we’d regret it if we never took a chance on the people we love.”
With a laugh, he says while stroking my fur, “I didn’t expect her to up and marry the guy, so all our efforts on the wedding planning didn’t go to waste, but it was fun being her man of honor over FaceTime, since I refused to leave your side.
Please let me make you happy, Rex. I may not be your fated mate, but I’ll be your bond mate.
I swear I’ll remain loyal to you for as long as I live.
You won’t regret choosing me, so please, please fight, Rex. Come back for me. I’m begging you.”
As his words soak in, joy and hope spread through me.
He didn’t marry her. He wants me. I let out an excited yip before wiggling in his arms to get him to give me some room.
Letting my shift to human form come over me, I take Jareth’s face between my hands, ignoring the fact that I’m naked. “You didn’t marry her?”
Jareth shakes his head. “No, Rex, I didn’t.”
“How? You said the wedding went off without a hitch.”
“It did, but with someone else as the groom.”
“I’m confused.”
Jareth laughs. “Ashley has been in love with her father’s best friend for a long time.
He’s twenty years her senior, but the heart wants what it wants.
Neither of us thought our feelings would ever be returned, so we hid them.
We were kindred spirits in that way, so that’s why we got together.
We bonded over our unrequited loves and thought even if we weren’t in love with each other, we could still be happy enough together.
However, your near-death experience woke us up.
We decided to take the risk and admit our feelings no matter the result, because life’s too short not to at least try. ”
Sagging with relief, I rest my forehead against his and say, “Thank the gods you did,” then I do the one thing I’ve wanted to do for years: claim his lips with a kiss.
The teenage boy inside of me is squealing in delight because I’m finally kissing Jareth. His hands fist my short hair as his tongue forces its way between my lips. Groaning, I wrap my arms around him in an effort to pull him closer than he already is.
A throat clearing behind us has us separating like two teenagers dancing too close on prom night.
Looking over my shoulder, I see Doc staring down at us with a raised eyebrow. “I see your situation has suddenly changed.”
Clearing my throat, I nod. “It has.”
Doc grins. “Good. I’m glad. I’ll call to tell Declan the good news on my way back to my room and leave you both to it. I’m sure there are things you need to talk about.”
He definitely knows the truth. Anyone with common sense would know you can’t suddenly bring a wolf back from the brink like that unless you’re that wolf’s mate.
I just hope Jareth doesn’t reject me over this.
I wouldn’t be able to handle losing him again.
Once Doc has disappeared from sight, I turn back to Jareth and say, “I have something to tell you.”