Delta

UNKNOWN

She always found it hard to visit this pack, so she did her best to avoid it. The last time she'd been here was three years ago, after another attack.

That was the last time she'd seen him. He hadn’t even looked her way—the arrogant, heartless jerk.

All the pain they'd both endured over the years was his fault.

She could have moved on, like everyone suggested, but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. Not until she could forget him.

The unfairness of it all still stung, even after all these years.

He'd completed their bond, then tossed her aside like she was nothing. Less than nothing—garbage. That’s how she'd felt for a long time after his rejection, a rejection she still refused to accept.

Having to see him every few years was torture, at least for her. He, however, seemed indifferent to her. He never spoke to her, not even out of courtesy.

Their packs had been allies for centuries, promising to always help each other in times of need.

When one pack was attacked, the other would send warriors and medical help. That’s how it had always been, despite their personal history.

And that’s what they were doing now.

She entered the territory right behind her pack’s doctor and got to work.

His pack hadn’t suffered too much damage, so there wasn’t much for them to do except assist and lighten the load for the pack’s doctor and nurses.

Despite her lingering anger and knowing he was the strongest warrior (he was the beta, after all), she found herself looking for him among the injured wolves.

Not that he would ever let her near him, even if she was the only one who could save him, but her foolish wolf was still in love with him.

Still hoping he would take back his rejection.

She hoped that since there weren’t many injured, they could finish their work and leave without seeing him. But she was never that lucky.

Especially not when it came to him.

The alpha called them just as they were about to leave, and the first person to “welcome” them into the pack house was the beta. Of course.

His face was blank as his eyes briefly met hers, and he quickly led them to the alpha’s office.

After they discussed the condition of the injured, she thought they could finally leave. But she was wrong.

“There’s another reason I called you here,” the alpha said.

Out of respect, they all stayed silent, waiting for the alpha to continue.

“About a year and a half ago, we found a human near our borders. She was sleeping in the forest, looking lost and very… sad.

“Eric, here, was the one who found her and suggested we take her in after she fainted, until we could find her family.

“I agreed because the forest isn’t safe with rogues around, especially for a human woman.

“When Eric woke her up, she wasn’t scared of him, and she smelled like a wolf, so he thought she knew about our kind.

“Eric thought she might be a spy for another pack, so we decided to keep an eye on her. When we asked for her name, she said we could call her Liz.

“She admitted that wasn’t her real name and begged us to deny we’d seen her if anyone asked.”

The alpha paused, frowning.

“Alpha.” The doctor cleared her throat. “With all due respect, how does this involve us?”

“Well, when she first stayed here, we thought she was just depressed. She never asked about our pack, and we never caught her snooping or watching the training.

“She mostly stayed in her room and kept to herself. Then, about six months later, she started screaming at night.

“The first time it happened, we thought we were being invaded, but it was just Liz. It was scary. And heartbreaking, considering what we saw when we got to her room.

“Anyway, when this kept happening, my luna tried to talk to her about it.

“Liz told her that sometimes she felt immense pain in her sleep, like she was being stabbed repeatedly.

“She also said she felt a burning sensation sometimes.

“With a little more pressure, she admitted that she was deeply in love with one of our kind, but he found his mate, and she had to leave him.”

“Oh, Goddess, that’s sad,” the doctor said, but Delta stayed silent, waiting to hear more because she had a feeling there was more. Much more.

“It is, yes.” The alpha sighed. “But there’s more. The human is getting sick. It’s been happening slowly since we took her in, but recently, it’s gotten much worse.

“Liz hasn’t been out of bed in days, and when she needs to use the bathroom, she needs help. So, there’s always a pack member nearby.

“She’s also lost her appetite. Our doctor ran some tests and even took the samples to a human hospital for advice, but her results were clear. She’s not sick, but she is. She’s dying.”

“I take it you want me to examine her as well,” the doctor said.

“Yes. You’re older and more experienced. Not that I don’t trust our doctor, but your knowledge is greater, and I’d like your opinion.

“If you could help save her, that would be great.”

“Why do you care so much about her?”

“She’s under my protection, and she’s young. Plus, my luna is fond of her, and she does have a family somewhere.

“I want to return her to them once she tells us where she’s from.”

The doctor nodded, and without another word, she asked the alpha to lead her to the human. Delta offered to help, but she was told it wasn’t necessary.

So, she stayed put with the alpha and the other one who made a big deal of ignoring her, as if everyone didn’t already know his feelings for her.

The alpha’s understanding gaze didn’t do much to comfort her, but she tried to push it out of her mind.

A bit later, the doctor emerged from the human’s room, a grim expression on her face. Delta had never seen her look so worried.

When the doctor noticed she was being watched, she shook her head gravely, and Delta knew this was bad. Really bad.

Something about this didn’t sit right with her.

“So, what’s wrong with her?” the alpha asked, his impatience clear.

“There’s a lot wrong with her.” The doctor sighed, sounding exhausted.

“Give me the bottom line,” Eric demanded.

Delta had to fight back a smirk. He never cared about the little details that mattered. Never. That’s how they ended up in this mess.

“The bottom line is, she’s dying,” the doctor said, her voice flat.

“Why?” the alpha asked, shooting a stern look at his beta.

“Her wolf is killing her. Not on purpose, but it’s happening.”

“Hold on, are you saying she has a dormant wolf?”

“Yes. Which only happens when a human is mated to a werewolf.”

“I don’t get it. She never said anything about having a mate.”

“But you mentioned she was in love with one of our kind, right?” the doctor reminded him.

She didn’t know why, but Delta’s heart started pounding as she began to put the pieces together.

“Yes. But if she knew what he was, she would know that she was his mate.”

“It’s not that straightforward. Mating with humans is extremely rare these days, as we all know.

“And for humans, the shifting process is ten times more painful than for a born werewolf, and they’re much more likely not to survive.

“My guess is that, for some reason, her mate didn’t tell her the truth. Maybe he was trying to take things slow, which is strange.”

“Why?”

“The damage is too severe. The only thing keeping her alive is her strong human will, because her wolf is already too full of despair to go on without their mate.

“So, she’s causing the human to suffer until the end.”

“You’re saying her wolf shouldn’t be this powerful?”

“Not before she’s marked, which would give her the ability to shift. Her wolf has been there for years, trying to manifest itself while she was unaware of its existence.

“This can only mean that Liz has been around her mate for a very long time.”

“How long?” the alpha asked.

“I can’t give an exact estimate, but definitely long enough for a deep bond to form between them and stir her wolf before it was supposed to awaken.”

“She can’t communicate with her wolf?” Eric asked.

“No. She doesn’t even know she has one. She thinks she’s human, which she basically is. That’s why you couldn’t recognize her scent.”

“But how could she end up like this overnight?”

She was surprised to hear a hint of concern in the beta’s voice. She had never known him to be a caring man, and yet, he sounded like he cared for this little human.

A pang of jealousy hit her, but she refused to acknowledge it.

“You, of all people, should understand her situation better,” the doctor replied gently, glancing at Delta.

“No, I don’t,” Eric said coldly. “Please explain.”

“Well then, if I must. He betrayed her with another woman. Or at least he tried to.”

“But she isn’t marked?” Delta interjected. “And she’s a human.”

“A human with a wolf, dear,” the doctor corrected her.

“Still. She shouldn’t feel it like we do, should she?”

“How much mates feel depends on the strength and depth of the bond. In most cases, the bond is strong in terms of attraction, but it takes time to deepen and stabilize.

“This isn’t just about marking or even mating. It’s more about how the mated pair feels about each other.

“That determines the severity of the damage that can be inflicted through the bond, and this is why you and Eric aren’t dead with what you’ve been doing to each other for years.

“Despite the fact that you’ve completed the mating by marking each other, your bond never really deepened, and that’s what’s been keeping you both alive.”

For the first time, they had the same reaction. They both tensed up but didn’t try to deny the truth the doctor had just spoken.

In fact, they didn’t say anything at all, but the uneasy feeling in Delta’s stomach was getting worse.

What if…?

No, it couldn’t be.

It couldn’t. It was just a coincidence. But there was only one way to find out.

Did she even want to?

She had to.

She wrung her sweaty hands together as she tried to make a decision.

“I want to see her,” she mumbled.

“What was that, dear?” The doctor frowned.

“I want to see the human,” she said louder. “I need to.”

She expected the doctor to object, to tell her that her diagnosis was final, that she was just a nurse and not a doctor.

But she didn’t say any of those things. She just gave her a strange look and stepped aside to let her pass.

She didn’t want to turn the doorknob, but her hand moved on its own, twisting it open. After that, she had no choice but to step into the room.

It was brighter than she had expected, which was somewhat comforting. She always imagined people dying in dark rooms.

It took her a few moments to gather the courage to look at the human lying on the bed.

When she did, it felt like a knife had been plunged into her heart. Strange way to feel about someone you never cared about before.

But in her defense, she never thought it would come to this. She didn’t realize the damage her actions had caused beyond the obvious: tearing two destined mates apart.

Her hair was silvery white and she was nothing but skin and bones. She was wearing a gray T-shirt that hung loosely on her skeletal frame, and her eyes were closed.

“Estella?” she called out gently, moving a few steps closer to the bed.

Gasps echoed from behind her. She’d left the door ajar, but it didn’t matter. The truth was bound to come out.

From the moment she’d set foot in this territory, she’d been on a collision course with this moment. It was fate’s cruel way of showing her just how badly she’d screwed up.

The girl’s eyes fluttered open slowly. She squinted, struggling to focus. Poor eyesight: a common human weakness.

Under different circumstances, she might have scoffed, but not now. Not when she was the one responsible for the girl’s current state.

“Estella?” She said the name again, realizing it was the first time she’d spoken it with such care and tenderness.

“My Max’s mate,” she whispered.

A low growl echoed from behind her, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Of course, he’d be possessive of a woman he’d discarded. Or maybe it was just his wolf.

She knelt beside the bed, reaching out to touch Estella’s hand, but the girl recoiled, her eyes flashing silver and narrowing in suspicion. Her wolf didn’t trust her. No surprise there.

“I’m sorry,” Estella murmured. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

“You’re sick,” Delta replied, swallowing hard.

“I figured as much. Is Max with you?”

“No,” she said. “He’s not.”

“That’s probably for the best. I wouldn’t want him to see me like this.”

“He misses you. A lot.”

“But he has you now.” Estella closed her eyes, wincing in pain. “I’m sure he’s happy.”

“He’s not as happy as you might think,” Delta retorted, her voice choked with emotion.

And guilt.

“You two were meant to be, Delta. Just take care of him, okay?”

“I’m trying. But he needs more. He needs you.”

Estella shook her head, denying the one truth Delta had spoken.

“How are the others?” she asked, and Delta knew she was asking about her friends.

“They’re okay. They’re all okay, and they’re still looking for you.”

“I’ve been meaning to talk to them, but I wasn’t ready, and now I’m so weak. I think I’m dying.”

“No, you’re not.”

“You’re kind,” Estella said, a faint smile on her lips. “But I’ve seen the look on the doctor’s face. On both their faces.”

“They’re wrong. Both of them. You’re not going to die. I’ll make sure of it.”

It was a promise.

But Estella closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Delta bolted from the room, ignoring the three confused faces staring at her. She wouldn’t answer their questions, and she couldn’t meet their eyes.

She had one thing she needed to do before she could fix everything.

Scream.

And she did, once she reached the woods.

She screamed and wailed and cried.

“What have I done?” she sobbed, collapsing to her knees.

It wasn’t the punishment she feared. It was the person she’d become.

“This was your doing, wasn’t it?” a voice called from behind her.

He was the last person she’d expected to follow her out here.

“Yes.”

“You fucking bitch,” he spat. “You’ll never change.”

“Fuck you, Eric,” she hissed. “You never bothered to get to know me, so you don’t get to judge me.”

“I know you ruin everything you touch.” He took a step closer.

She rose from the ground, standing tall.

“So do you.” She smirked, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “Maybe that’s why the Goddess paired us.”