Chương 15: Matteo

I decided against questioning him, as his eyes looked sunken and not in the mood for any of my usual retorts. It was hard not to feel sorry for him in that moment, and a twinge of pity crept in.

Bidding Sabrina and her grandma goodbye, I followed Zane out. He was walking rather briskly, and didn't turn around once to check if I was still behind him.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, fiddling with my fingers.

No answer.

"What happened to the Malefica?" I tried once more, yearning to know what had happened to her since my bone chilling encounter with her.

No answer.

"Your brooding is part of the charm anyway," I attempted to joke, and he let out a snort, startling me. He came to an abrupt halt, pivoting on his heels to direct his gaze squarely at me, a small smile playing upon his lips.

"Indeed," He uttered, and continued walking.

Did he just smile?

I still harbored a strong dislike for him; hate felt like an extreme word, yet loathe seemed fitting.

He was cruel and bloody. He had yanked the Malefica's hand like it was no more than a twig and reminded me so much of the wolves from Nightfang, especially Ramsey. So why did my heart flutter a little when he smiled at me? Damn that infuriating mate bond.

"She has been probed thoroughly for answers on why she attacked, and why she went straight for you," He revealed.

"And for your second question we're going to the North border. Our guardians have caught a wolf roaming about there, and we think you might know who it is;" He explained and my breath hitched. A Nightfang wolf? Here?

The possibility both excited and terrified me, leaving my mind in a whirlwind of thoughts. Zane led me to a distant wooden gate, far from Elder Tali's hut, where five guardians were gathered. They surrounded something, prodding it cautiously with their spears.

Anxiety began to grip my heart, taking root. Although I could barely see it from a distance, the creature before them had a thick coat of fur, mottled white in color.

As we approached, the guardians ceased their prodding, sensing the presence of their Alpha. They all lowered their heads in a bow, their eyes cast downward.

"This is it," Zane gestured, stepping aside to grant me a clear view of the injured wolf.

The creature's hind legs bled profusely, and its tail was matted with crimson. A silver chain was cruelly wrapped around its jaw and feet, and my heart ached for the wolves who had suffered such cruel treatment after unintentionally straying into Zane's territory.

A whimper escaped the wolf's throat when it set its gaze on me, jolting and trying to wiggle out of the chains. A guardian immediately appeared with a syringe, and I covered my mouth in horror when I realized its content. Wolfsbane.

The wolf had peculiar golden brown eyes, and I couldn't help but feel like I had come across it before. A pair of eyes with metallic look. The mottled white fur also struck a chord, and I racked my brain in search of answers.

"Matteo?" I asked, uncertain if my guess was correct. The wolf bore a striking resemblance to Matteo's wolf form and had the same color of eyes.

"Is that his name?" Zane asked, his eyebrows furrowed in a deep frown.

"I'm not sure," I answered, and to my horror, the wolf suddenly whimpered, its body contorting with painful cracks and shifts. It was transforming into its human self.

Ravenna and her brothers had always briefed me on how painful a transformation could be when the body had been weakened by a deterrent of some kind. In some ways, I had been grateful that I couldn't transform, because it always looked so painful.

In a few seconds, a naked human male was sprawled on the floor, with golden-brown hair and a broad body.

"Matteo!" I yelled, crouching beside him and using the coat I had on to wrap him, trying to provide some modesty and warmth as his disoriented gaze met mine.

His breaths were labored, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he winced in pain. It was clear that the transformation, along with the wolfsbane, had taken a toll on his already injured body.

"Matteo, can you hear me?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern. Memories of him flooded my mind—he was one of Theo's friends in Nightfang, one of the few who had treated me normally. He had once claimed to be Ravenna's mate before Fenrir had intervened, pushing him out of the picture.

It was nice seeing someone familiar and yet heartbreaking seeing he was in such a state.

He groaned in response, his eyelids fluttering as he struggled to regain his bearings.

I glanced over at the guardians, who were still standing by, their heads slightly bowed in deference to Zane. "We need to get him to the pack hospital," I declared, my tone leaving no room for argument.

"What makes you think you're in charge here?" Zane maliciously spat, yanking me from Matteo's body with a force that almost broke my neck in two.

"I am your mate, and that also makes me in charge," I dropped the bombshell, a smile curving my lips as the guardians gasped, their eyes widening in surprise. I didn't mean to let it slip this way, since I had preferred not being known as his mate. But he left me no choice.

Zane's eyes gleamed with unleashed fury, his breath huffing, and he grabbed my throat.

"Don't think you can do as you like because I let you be, and don't think that smile changes a thing," He hissed in my ears, his grip on my throat tightening to the point where I struggled to breathe.

A pitch-black-haired guardian intervened, diverting Zane's attention.

"Alpha, what should we do?" the guardian asked urgently, breaking the tense moment.

"Hospital. Now," Zane ordered, taking me by surprise as he released his grip on my throat, his nails leaving a temporary dent. I coughed, gasping for breath, while he stood behind me, emanating a pissed-off aura.

I turned my attention to Matteo as two guardians lifted him up, and we began walking towards the pack hospital. Matteo's eyes fluttered, his body still weak from the transformation.

"Luna, stay back," the same black-haired guardian said, his voice laced with a hint of disgust, as if he couldn't stand the thought of me being near them despite my announcement.

They had reacted calmly, a big contrast to how I had expected them to.

"Don't call her that," Zane countered, taking him aback.

"I'm capable of defending myself," I snapped. The air was heavy with tension and a number of unspoken words flowed between us as we headed towards the hospital.

Hang on, Matteo!