(Author’s POV)

"Her name was~ .... Hannah Elingworth," Brave told her. His words were like a sucker punch for her sensual thoughts that were ready to run wild at any moment.

"Huhh?" She was taken aback, blindsided by the sudden mention of an unknown girl. She noticed that there was a glint of something deeper in Brave’s sharp brown eyes when he vocalised that name. There was happiness, and yet there was a hint of sorrow as well.

He continued, "Hannah and I, we shared a mate bond. She wasn’t just a mate given to me by the moon goddess, but that person~ ... was also the love of my life. The person I wanted to spend the rest of my years with. She was my sun, and I was her shadow. She was like autumn’s morning breeze in my life. I couldn’t imagine even a day without her. We were even about to marry."

Myra remained still, very still. But her mind was spiralling. Her stomach started to churn.

His words should have made her feel relieved. ’Isn’t that what I wanted? To get rid of these stupid, stupid thoughts? To keep a safe distance from him? So, why does my heart~ ... why does it ache so much when Brave is confessing his love for another girl? What is this stifling feeling? What is it?’

She could feel his hands trembling as he went on, his voice sounded heavy, "But~ .... one evening changed everything." He went on to give a gist to Myra about what happened to Hannah. Although he tried to control himself, his occasional chokes were enough to tell the heartbreaking tale. Hannah’s disappearance was a sensitive topic, and he had never really talked about it so openly to anyone, except Alaric.

"And that night~ .... I lost her. She vanished right in front of my eyes, yet I couldn’t do any~thing about it. I~ .... wasn’t able to save her. I wasn’t able to~ .... save our bond. If I hadn’t left her alone~ .... she would have been~ ..." Brave’s voice was gravelly now.

Seeing him like this, so grief-stricken, a surge of emotion rushed through Myra. Before she could understand, her body reacted on its own as she minimised the distance to zero and hugged him tightly. Her hands travelled to his back, as she patted soothingly, "It’s alright, Brave. It’s alright. Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault. I wasn’t your fault." A lump settled in her throat as she said this.

Brave leaned in, embracing her closely. They were literally glued to each other.

This was not in his plan. He didn’t want to expose his vulnerable side in front of Myra. He intended to only talk and know whether Myra was really his mate or not. But this was strangely comforting. Her arms wrapped around him, her warm, soothing embrace, the sound of her breathing. It felt like home to him.

Now that they were locked in such close proximity, neither he nor his wolf wanted to let go. He wanted to stay like this. This feeling~ ... it was like a quiet sanctuary where one’s soul unknots itself.

Her face was buried in his chest, her breathing fanning against his exposed skin, making his hair stand on end. Her intoxicating scent of citrus mixed with a flowery tone, it was as clear as daylight. Now he could decipher what this mysterious fragrance actually was. It was the scent of Orange Jasmine. This was the very first time he could whiff her natural, clean odour so clearly.

Seeking something more, he tightened the grip a bit, nuzzling his head in the crook of her neck, his moist lips came in contact with her bare skin. That’s what snapped Myra back and woke her up to reality. She quickly pulled away, her face flushed red, matching the peonies nearby, her heart somersaulting in her chest.

Creating some distance between Brave and herself, Myra cleared her throat and said, "I am sorry to hear what happened with your girlfriend. But~ ... why are you telling me all this? What has it got to do with me?"

Coming back to his senses, Brave also regained his composure, his voice even, "Why am I telling you this, you ask. Because~ .... Raw recognised you as our mate."

"Raw, as in your wolf?" Myra muttered.

"Yes. That night, with your touch, when the opal pendant broke, and he woke up, do you remember the first words that came out of his mouth??

Myra remembered the whole scene as if it had happened yesterday.

"He called you~ .... Mate," Brave gazed into her eyes and spoke.

"He~ ... he can be mistaken. In your words, your wolf had been sleeping for a while. So, it is very much possible that he must have been confused. Maybe in his mind, he mistook me with the other person. And also, you~ .... you already have a fated person or whatever you call her, so how can we be~ .... How can we be, that?" Myra’s voice held an edge, her brows creasing together. Her brain was a chaotic mess.

"I know you must be really confused by the sudden unravelling. At first, I didn’t believe it either. But the night you were kidnapped by those abductors, Raw said it, loud and clear. He called you our mate," Brave confessed. "After Hannah, I never thought I would get~ .... a second chance mate, Myra. But I guess I did," saying this, he tried to get her close.

"But~ .... how is this even possible? You and I, we can’t be mates," Myra shook her head strongly. "You and Hannah are werewolves, so you can be mates. But I~ .... I am not a werewolf. I am just an ordinary human being. So, us being mates is~ ... it’s impossible. There is~ ... NO WAY," she denied.

"Myra~ .... Myra~ ... listen to me. I understand everything you say. But what I tell you there is a way to know whether we really are fated mates or not." Brave, once again, took a step closer, but Myra stepped back. "What is it?"

Brave pursed his lips, hesitating. He didn’t know how to disclose it to her.

’Rave, do it. Tell her. I am dead sure she is our second chance mate. But for her as well as your satisfaction, you should go for it,’ Raw encouraged him. Of course, he wanted the mate bond to be confirmed. He wanted his mate.

"To confirm whether the mate bond is true or not, we need to share~ ...." He paused, his throat getting dry as he gulped down, "We need to share a~ ... kiss."

To Be Continued . . . . . . . .