Chapter 63: All at Once

Chapter 63: All at Once Zane~ "MATE. MINE." Red’s voice thundered through my mind like a force of nature, raw and absolute. My entire body locked up as those words echoed, rattling inside me like an undeniable truth. No. That wasn’t possible. I was certain Natalie was my chosen mate—not my fated mate. I had made peace with that. But now? Red’s declaration made my heart slam against my ribs like a caged beast, my breath catching in my throat as realization set in. Natalie was my fated mate. This couldn’t be happening. Marking a chosen mate didn’t do this. There was never a bond—no spiritual ties, no electric sparks, nothing but a connection created by a simple choice. But this? This was something else entirely. My hands trembled as I pulled away, my teeth retracting from her soft skin. I could still taste her—warm, intoxicating, undeniably mine. A rush of emotions flooded me—fear, exhilaration, confusion. And then I felt it. The bond. The unmistakable, undeniable tether that snapped into place between us like a cord tying our souls together. It hit me like a truck, knocking the breath from my lungs. My hands, still holding her, felt the sudden surge of sparks—tiny, electric jolts racing up my arms, sending a shiver down my spine. This was real. The bond was real. "Natalie," I rasped, my voice shaking as I looked down at her. Her eyes fluttered—then suddenly, her body went limp in my arms. Panic crashed over me. "Natalie?!" I tightened my grip on her, shaking her gently. "No, no, no, come on, sweetheart. Open your eyes!" Nothing. Her breathing was steady, but she wasn’t responding. My heart nearly stopped. I had marked her, and now she was unconscious. What the hell had I done? A rustling sound broke through my rising panic, and I snapped my head up just as two figures appeared—Jacob and Tiger. Jacob’s usual playful expression was gone, replaced by shock and something dangerously close to alarm. His eyes flickered between me and Natalie’s motionless form. Tiger stood beside him, silent and unmoving, his sharp green eyes assessing the situation. "What the actual hell did you do?" Jacob’s voice was sharp, but I barely registered it. "I—I don’t know," I admitted, my voice raw. "She just—she fainted. I didn’t mean to—Red—he just—" Jacob strode forward, reaching for Natalie. "Give her to me. I’ll take care of her." Red’s possessiveness exploded inside me. A guttural growl ripped from my throat before I even realized what I was doing. I tightened my hold on Natalie, my stance shifting into something purely primal. "Don’t. Touch. Her." My voice was deep, rough, dangerous. Jacob froze, eyes widening for a split second before narrowing in irritation. "Oh, for mother’s sake—Zane, she needs help!" "She’s mine," I snarled. Jacob exchanged a glance with Tiger, something silent passing between them before Tiger suddenly moved. Before I could react, a powerful force yanked Natalie from my arms, and she was suddenly cradled in Tiger’s hold. A deafening snarl tore from my throat, my wolf on the verge of taking over, but before I could make a move—Jacob’s fingers pressed against my forehead. A sharp pulse of energy shot through me, like a cold gust of wind sweeping through my mind. Then—Red went silent. It was like someone had flipped a switch. The possessive rage, the deafening growls, the overwhelming desire to protect Natalie—sixty percent of it vanished in an instant. I stumbled back, disoriented, my head spinning. "What—what the hell did you do?!" I snapped, gripping my skull. Jacob sighed, crossing his arms. "Relax, drama queen. I just put your overgrown mutt to sleep for a bit." I stared at him in horror. "You what?" Jacob rolled his eyes. "Red wasn’t letting you think straight. You were acting purely on instinct, and that’s dangerous. So, I knocked him out for a little while—just until we figure this out." "You—You put my wolf to sleep?! Do you have any idea what that means?!" "Yes, Zane," Jacob deadpanned. "I do. And you’ll thank me later. Now, pull yourself together before you start hyperventilating like a teenage girl at a boy band concert." I wanted to strangle him. Tiger, still holding Natalie with surprising gentleness, gave me a pointed look. His silent presence alone was enough to make me pause. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. I had to trust them. Jacob and Tiger had been by our side for a while now. One thing I was certain about was that they wouldn’t hurt her. But Red’s silence was wrong. Just like what had happened the day I came in search of Natalie, my wolf wasn’t there—no low growls, no whispers in the back of my mind. Just an unsettling emptiness where his presence should have been. "How long will he be out?" I asked through gritted teeth. Jacob waved a dismissive hand. "Not long. Just enough time for you to get your head on straight. Right now, we need to focus on Natalie." I looked at her again, limp in Tiger’s arms, her face peaceful yet far too still. Guilt gnawed at my insides. I had done this. I had let Red take control. I had marked her without thinking, without asking. What if she hated me for it? What if she woke up and wanted nothing to do with me? A deep ache settled in my chest at the thought. "She’s going to be fine," Jacob said, softer this time, as if sensing my turmoil. "But Zane, this changes everything." No kidding. I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling shakily. I had come into this night thinking Natalie was simply my chosen mate—someone I cared for deeply, someone I wanted to protect. But now? Now, I had a bond with her. A spiritual one. One that I hadn’t expected, hadn’t prepared for. And if it was broken... I would feel it. Forever. I glanced back at Natalie, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. I had to fix this. I had to make sure she wouldn’t regret this. *********** Jacob and Tiger had taken Natalie out of the forest, back to her room to rest. I could still hear Jacob’s last words ringing in my head. "There’s no problem, Zane. You’ll understand everything soon." Understand what? The air in the room was filled with something strange—an energy I couldn’t quite place. Jacob and his brothers surrounded Natalie, who lay motionless on the bed, her face relaxed as if she were only sleeping. I stood back, watching them carefully, every nerve in my body on edge. They were talking. I could hear every word, but I couldn’t understand a damn thing. Fox’s voice cut through the silence first. "Why is the transformation starting so early?" Transformation? Bubble frowned, arms crossed over his chest. "It wasn’t supposed to begin until she turned twenty, right?" Eagle, who had been silent until now, tilted his head slightly, his silver eyes narrowing in thought. "Natalie’s nineteenth birthday was seven months ago." Tiger gave a firm nod, his green eyes sharp. "Exactly. That means we still had five more months until the transformation should’ve begun." Fox’s fiery red hair seemed to shimmer as he ran a hand through it. "So why the hell is it starting now?" Jacob, standing at the foot of the bed, was deep in thought. Then, almost like a switch flipped, his eyes widened in realization. "It has to be Zane’s mark." Every single one of them turned to stare at me. I blinked. "What does that mean? What did my mark do?" Jacob ignored me, his voice growing more certain. "His mark activated the process early. Mother must have decided to push the transformation forward." His jaw clenched. "She definitely had a hand in this." Mother? Transformation? What the hell were they talking about? I stepped forward, no longer willing to let them carry on like I wasn’t standing right there. "Would someone explain what’s happening?" My voice came out harsher than I intended, but honestly, I didn’t care. "What transformation? Who is this ’Mother’ you keep mentioning? And most importantly—" I glanced at Natalie, my heart aching. "Is she okay?" Jacob turned to me, his expression flat for a moment before a slow smile spread across his lips. "Natalie is perfectly fine, Zane." That should have reassured me. It didn’t. "But, she will be different when she wakes up. I hope you will be able to handle it." Jacob added like an after thought. "What?" My voice felt tight. "What do you mean she’d be different when she wakes up?" Jacob’s smile deepened, damn near smug. "You’ll understand soon." I clenched my fists. "Jacob—" "I’m not allowed to tell you more than that." His tone was final. Fox groaned dramatically. "I hate keeping secrets." Bubble smirked. "Yet, you have to keep them." Fox shot him a glare, but before he could reply, Jacob straightened. "Alright, let’s give Natalie some rest. Since the transformation has started earlier than expected, we have a lot of work to do." The brothers nodded, one by one filing out of the room. I stepped forward, blocking their path. "Wait—" Tiger, ever silent, gave me a small nod before walking past. Eagle’s piercing gaze landed on me, plain, before he followed. Bubble winked before closing the door behind them. I was left standing there, feeling like the only fool in the room. I let out a slow breath, turning back to Natalie. She looked peaceful, almost fragile. I sat beside her on the edge of the bed and hesitated before reaching for her hand. The moment my fingers brushed against hers—sparks. I sucked in a breath, my grip tightening slightly. I had only ever felt this before with one person. Emma. Red stirred in the back of my mind, finally awake, thankfully. "That bastard put me to sleep like some kind of dog." "Red," I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. "Not now." "Not now?!" He growled. "Do you realize what’s happening?!" "No, actually, I don’t," I snapped. "Because no one will tell me a damn thing." Red went quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. "I don’t know what’s happening to us, Zane. But listen to me when I say this—" his voice rumbled in my chest, deep and certain, "—Natalie is our mate." I stared down at her hand, still laced with mine. Sparks. Red was never wrong about things like this. But how? I swallowed hard, my emotions tangled in ways I couldn’t untangle. I needed to talk to someone. I reached into my pocket, pulling out my phone to call Sebastian, but before I could dial— My mind link snapped open. "Zane!" My father’s voice. My blood ran cold. My father never contacted me unless it was important. "The Celestial Princess has been found!" His voice was almost giddy with excitement. I stiffened. "What?" "As we speak, Nathan is on his way to France to find her. Her name is Amelia Louis." France? My father continued, "I have to commend you, son. Getting to Paris first before Nathan was a brilliant move. Now I understand why you moved there." I frowned. So he knew where I was all this time? "I didn’t move to Paris for—" "It all makes sense now!" My father interrupted. "You must have sensed her presence before anyone else." I pressed a hand to my temple, feeling a headache coming on. "Father, I—" "I’m proud of you, Zane. This is a huge step for us all." Then the link went silent. I sat there, staring at the wall like it had personally offended me. "The Celestial Princess has been found." My father’s words echoed in my head, a drumbeat I couldn’t shake. Amelia Louis. France. Nathan was already on his way to find her. I ran a hand through my hair, gripping the strands like that would somehow keep my thoughts from spiraling. What the hell was happening? One minute, I was just trying to figure out why Natalie was unconscious in bed with these cryptic bastards refusing to tell me anything, and the next—this. It was too much. Way too much. I let out a slow, shaky breath, glancing back at Natalie. She hadn’t moved an inch. Her breathing was steady, peaceful. Unlike me. I felt like someone had set my brain on fire and told me to just deal with it. Red was pacing in the back of my mind, his agitation matching mine. "This timing is suspicious, Zane." "No kidding," I muttered under my breath. My phone was still clutched in my hand, my father’s voice a lingering ghost. My peaceful life—if I could even call it that—was suddenly flipped upside down. Why was everything happening at once? Why now? I was drowning in questions, and no one was throwing me a damn lifeline. I exhaled sharply, pushing away from the bed and pacing the room. My footsteps echoed, the wooden floor creaking under my weight. My mind was running in circles, and I was about to lose it— My phone vibrated violently in my hand. I nearly jumped. The screen flashed: Sebastian. I stared at it. I had wanted to call Sebastian before but after my father’s mind call, I wasn’t sure I was ready for whatever fresh insanity Sebastian was about to dump on me, but ignoring Sebastian was never a good idea. I sighed and answered. "Seb—" "ZANE!" I physically jerked the phone away from my ear. "Jesus, are you trying to make me deaf?" I grumbled, rubbing my temple. Sebastian ignored me, his voice sharp and urgent. "Where the hell are you?" I blinked at the ceiling. "Where else? My villa in Paris, of course." "Good. Stay put. We need to meet. ASAP." I frowned. "Why? What’s going on?" "Not over the phone." "Seb—" "I said not over the phone, Zane." His voice was edged with something unusual. Concern? Frustration? Maybe both. My stomach dropped. If Sebastian was this serious, it wasn’t good. "Where are you?" I asked. "Also Paris." "You’re joking." "Do I sound like I’m in a joking mood?" I pinched the bridge of my nose. "When did you even—" "Not important. We need to meet now." I sighed heavily. "Fine. Where?" "Texting you the location now. Be there in twenty." The call ended before I could say anything else. I stared at my phone again, then at Natalie. Then at my phone. Then back at Natalie. I had a very, very bad feeling about this. And I was never wrong.