The Alpha Mate

Chapter 37

[POV: Atlas]

My breath caught, panic rising swiftly in my chest, crushing my lungs until I felt like I couldn't breathe again. With a struggle, I abruptly got to my feet, my legs still shaking beneath me, threatening to give out at any moment. The world tilted dangerously, but I forced myself to stay upright.

"I— I don't know what you mean," I lied desperately, pulling back as far as I could, unable to look him in the eyes. My voice came out thin, trembling. "It's not like that. Of course I've shifted before—"

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Draven shouted, his voice sharp and thunderous, echoing through the quiet forest. His fingers dug painfully into my shoulders, forcing me to face him. The strength in his grip was immense, unyielding. "Do you think this is a joke? You almost died out here tonight, Atlas!"

Fear surged higher, overwhelming and violent, threatening to drown me completely. "Draven, please—"

"Tell me the truth, for once!" he demanded, shaking me roughly once, forcing a terrified gasp from my lips. His eyes were wild, furious, flashing dangerously in the moonlight as he leaned closer, his face mere inches from mine.

I could feel the heat radiating off him, could see the barely controlled rage in every line of his body. "What else are you hiding?!"

My entire body trembled, a sob choking in my throat as panic clawed through me once again, raw and frantic. Desperately, I pushed at his chest with both hands, but I couldn't break free from his iron grip. He was too strong. I was too weak. The disparity between us had never felt more terrifying.

"How do you expect me to tell you the truth," I screamed back at him, my voice cracking with desperation, "when all you do is scare me?"

My words stunned him. He pulled back as if I'd slapped him across the face, his eyes widening slightly, mouth falling open in shock. The fury drained from his expression, replaced by something I couldn't quite read—something that looked almost like guilt.

The silence between us felt raw, painful, heavy with unspoken things. Finally, he let out a long breath, his shoulders dropping as he visibly swallowed back whatever emotion had surfaced in him. When he spoke again, his voice had softened completely, the harsh edges smoothed away like water over stone.

"I need to know, Atlas," he murmured gently, his grip on my shoulders loosening but not releasing. "This is important—for your own sake. Please. Just answer me honestly."

I stared at him, feeling utterly exposed, stripped bare under the intensity of his gaze. My throat tightened painfully, and I forced myself to nod. There was no point in lying anymore. He already knew. He'd known from the moment he found me.

"Yes," I whispered, the admission barely audible even to my own ears. "It's true. I've never shifted."

Draven exhaled sharply, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath that I couldn't catch. "I must have thought so…"

But before I could ask what he meant—pain exploded violently inside me. It came so suddenly I couldn't even scream at first, the air stolen from my lungs by the sheer intensity of it. Fire tore through my veins, burning me from the inside out, setting every nerve ending ablaze.

My knees buckled instantly, legs collapsing beneath me like they'd been cut from under me. But Draven caught me quickly, his strong arms guiding me gently to the ground as agony ripped through every muscle and nerve in my body. He held me steady, kept me from falling face-first into the dirt.

It felt like my bones were cracking sharply, one after another, reshaping themselves into something new. Muscles twisted violently beneath my skin, contorting in ways that shouldn't be possible. My vision blurred red-hot with pain, lungs seizing as I tried desperately to breathe through it.

"What's— happening to me?" My voice was raw, broken, torn apart by the agony consuming every inch of me.

"Your wolf—he's finally coming forward," Draven said firmly, calmly—like he'd been expecting this all along. "Atlas, you're shifting. This is your first transformation."

My skin felt like molten fire, ripping apart at the seams, reforming into something else entirely. Another bone cracked, louder, deeper, and I finally screamed, the sound raw with agony and terror, echoing through the trees.

"Shh, breathe, Atlas," Draven urged softly, his voice steady and unwavering, anchoring me to reality. "Stay with him. Let your wolf take control. Trust him."

I closed my eyes tight, mind spinning wildly, barely able to hold onto his voice through the roaring in my ears. I reached inward, searching desperately for Hyde. And I felt him clearly for the first time—his strength, his courage, his fierce eagerness flooding through me like a tidal wave, carrying me forward, guiding me through the pain.

Then suddenly—it was over. Everything stilled. The agony ceased abruptly, and I opened my eyes slowly, breath heavy and ragged, heart pounding fiercely in my chest. I blinked.

Everything was sharper, clearer—alive with scents and sounds I'd never noticed before. The forest was a symphony of information, every rustle and heartbeat singing to my newly awakened senses. My body felt strange, strong, different. Powerful.

Where my human form had been moments ago, now stood a wolf with silver-white fur that gleamed in the moonlight. Powerful limbs trembled slightly beneath me as I adjusted to this new form, but strength radiated from every muscle. I was Hyde. He was me. We were finally one.

Joy surged through me—Hyde's presence filled my mind completely, overflowing with giddy energy, eager to run, hunt, explore every part of this new body and the land around us. For the first time in my life, I felt whole.

I turned my head sharply, eyes locking onto Draven, who was slowly rising to his feet, watching me with an expression of wonder and admiration that sent warmth rippling through my entire being.

He moved cautiously toward me, as though approaching something rare and precious. "You're magnificent," he murmured softly, awe clear in his deep voice.

My pulse quickened, Hyde and I reacting together, warmth spreading beneath my fur. Draven reached out slowly, brushing his fingertips gently through the thick silver-white fur on my head, sliding down along my neck and scruff. I shivered involuntarily at the contact, but not from fear.

Not this time. This was something else entirely. Draven smiled—a real smile, one that transformed his usually stern features into something breathtaking. His eyes glinted with gentle amusement. "You like that?" he teased softly, his voice deepening slightly, filled with a warmth I'd never heard from him before.

I tilted my wolf's head slightly, pressing gently into his touch, savoring every second of the sensation. The tenderness in the gesture made something inside me shift further, tugging at my chest in a way that both excited and frightened me. Hyde rumbled contentedly in my mind.

A mischievous glint entered Draven's dark eyes as he pulled back, grinning at me with a playfulness I wouldn't have thought possible from the fearsome Alpha. "Come on," he said, his eyes blazing with excitement. "Let's run."