(Author’s POV)

The rhythmic sound of their shoes scarping against the asphalt and their breathing was the only thing audible in the otherwise quiet surroundings. Without the warmth of the sun, the cool night breeze danced around them like a silken ribbon, ready to wrap them in its embrace. It felt awkward, yet there was something strangely romantic about it. Like two lovers, ambling together.

Brave matched Myra’s pace perfectly so he could walk alongside her.

’Why isn’t he saying anything?’ Myra thought as they were strolling aimlessly. It has been almost five minutes since they started their walk, but neither of them has breathed a single word out.

As she was deeply engrossed in her thoughts, the dorsal side of their hands brushed against each other, making her tingle and shudder all over. She lifted her eyelids ever so slightly to take a peek at his reaction and was startled to see he was doing the same thing.

Their eyes met as both of them averted their gaze at the same time. Myra could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Before it would go out of her hands, she took a few deep breaths and finally decided to break the deadlocking silence, "Brave~ ... ummm~ .... didn’t you say you wanted to talk about something to me?" She was soft spoken.

"Yes, I did," he answered as his steps halted midway and turned to come face to face with her. "Myr~ahh~ ...." He voiced her name with subtle huskiness. The way her name rolled off his tongue made her hold her breath. "Actually~ .... first of all. I want to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" Myra queried with confusion.

"For saving my life," he added, sincerity dripping from every word he said.

’Saying his life? Didn’t he save mine?’

Before Myra could get more confused, he continued, "I know it’s a year too late, but please accept my heartfelt thank you. You saved my life and woke my wolf from his deep slumber."

With his words, the light bulb in her mind immediately lit up. Licking her lips, she replied, "I played no part in that." Her voice came out unconsciously hard. She recalled the dreadful night when Raw chased her like a bloodthirsty monster, which made her react like this.

"You did. You are the reason Raw~ ... my wolf woke up again," he asserted.

Myra’s eyelashes fluttered with puzzlement, "Your wolf, I don’t understand what you are trying to say."

With two steps, Brave bridged the narrow gap between them. Looking in her hazel eyes, he said, "Raw is the name of my wolf. For some reason, he had fallen into a deep, long sleep for more than a year. My family and I did everything in our power to talk to him, to wake him up, but our efforts remain futile. He showed no sign of waking up and remained profoundly stuporous. I even thought that he had disappeared completely from this world and left me. I seriously thought that. Until you came~"

Myra’s eyes flickered as she tried to piece his words into meaning.

Meanwhile, he continued, "In the werewolf community, not having an active wolf is seen as a curse, a bane. And I, who is not an ordinary werewolf, but a descendant of a Lycan Alpha, a son of the two most powerful and prominent figures in the werewolf world, not having a wolf was a catastrophic blow. More than that, I, who lost my dear friend, my companion, fell into a state of depression and loneliness. But you~ ...." Putting a gentle yet firm hand on her shoulder, he added, "Myra, you did the unthinkable. You did what no one could. You managed to wake Raw up."

"But I~ .... I am just a regular human being. How could I do something like that? You must be mistaken," Myra spoke, bewildered by his claims. Because from what she recalled, his wolf, the moment he had ’woken up’, had attacked her. If not for Alaric intervening, she would have been shredded to pieces mercilessly.

"That’s what I wanted to talk about," Brave stated, his hand travelling down her arm. Holding her hands in his, he said, "That is what I want to know." With a slight pause, he posed a question, "Do you know what a mate for a werewolf is?"

Pursing her lips together, Myra denied instantly. This word, ’mate’, this dreadful word again. At some point, all the Everests brothers have used this word, calling her their mate. She had a rough idea, thinking it was some prank, but she was not fully aware of its meaning.

"A mate is a destined person for a werewolf chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. For the past two centuries, no one had been granted the blessing of having a fated mate or a bond. The concept seemed to have died out. So, people, for their convenience and legacy, chose their mates on their own," he explained.

"Why are you telling me all this? You think we are destined mates or something? How are you sure about it? You said that no werewolf has had a fated mate in over two hundred years," Myra went on the defensive.

Brave was expecting this reaction. After all, she was a human and didn’t know anything about the werewolf world. She must be really confused. He remained unfazed. To ease her nerves, he rubbed his thumbs in a circular motion delicately and replied in a calm manner, "That’s true. No one had been blessed but~ .... by the grace of the moon goddess, I~ .... Brave Everests have been privileged enough to be blessed with a fated mate." He confessed.

Myra’s heart raced erratically. She was afraid that with his strong werewolf hearing, he might hear the thumping. Now, even the cool breeze wasn’t enough to soothe the heat she was feeling. Her mind was instantly filled with the erotic dream. She was sure it was a confession.

But his next words became the weapon of shattering Myra’s mirror of illusions. "Her name~ ... was Hannah, Hannah Elingworth."

To Be Continued . . . . . . . .