EMILY'S POV
"Alright, Mom. I'll let you know once I get there," I said while stepping out through the front door.
"And keep your phone on, Emmy!" my mom shouted from her home office.
"Sure, Mom! Gotta go. Love you!" I called back.
"We love you, baby!" both my parents replied in unison.
I flagged down a taxi, slid into the backseat, and gave the driver my destination. As we pulled into the busy morning traffic, I stared out the window, thinking about my trip to Grandma's.
She had recently fallen ill, and since Mom and Dad were overwhelmed with work—and school was on break—I was the only one available to take care of her. Honestly, it didn't sound too bad.
Give her meds, make sure she sleeps on time, serve her meals… easy enough.
Well, except for the fact that she lived in a remote village with the worst network connection ever. Just my luck.
---
At some point during the long drive, I drifted off and woke up drenched in sweat, my heart pounding violently.
"Hey, lady… you okay back there?" the taxi driver asked, concern showing in the rearview mirror.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a bad dream," I lied with a small, forced smile.
But it wasn't just a bad dream.
It was the same dream I'd been having for a year now.
A wolf.
A massive black wolf with fur like midnight and piercing yellow eyes that felt like they were staring straight into my soul. Beautiful… but dangerous.
I always woke up running from it — because who in their right mind sees a wolf and stands still?
---
The car suddenly jerked violently, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Um… what's going on?" I asked, gripping the seat as the entire vehicle shook.
"I—I don't know! The car's losing control, madam. Brace yourself!" the driver shouted, fighting with the steering wheel.
"You've got to be kidding me. On a freaking bridge?!" I yelled, panic rising in my throat.
Everything happened too fast.
The car swerved, smashed through the guardrail, and plunged into the river below.
Right before I hit my head against the window, I saw him—
A tall, broad-shouldered man with dark hair and striking features, running toward the bridge.
Then everything went black.
---
TYLER'S POV
"I've made up my mind, Mason. I have to find her," I said, voice strained. "I can't keep living like this. Every single day feels empty. I'm just… existing."
Mason sighed. "Tyler, I know this is hard but—"
"No, you don't!" I snapped. "You found your mate. You get to be happy. Of course it's easy for you to say."
I immediately regretted my tone.
"Sorry… I just need to find her, Mason. I'm losing myself."
He placed a steadying hand on my shoulder. "Alright. I'm with you. Always."
We packed quickly for the long journey.
"So where exactly are we supposed to find her?" Mason asked.
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "But every dream shows her standing near a bridge. Isolated. Quiet. So we start with bridges."
Mason raised an eyebrow. "So we're just going to… drive around looking for random bridges?"
"If you don't want to help—"
"Relax. I'm coming. I just need to explain to Ria."
Mason had met Ria ten years ago at a carnival. They'd been inseparable since. They didn't even have kids yet because they didn't want anything to distract them from each other. Their love made me jealous… and hopeful.
---
Two days into the trip, the road grew darker and quieter.
"You know," Mason muttered, "we could've used our super speed instead of sitting in this car like humans."
"We need to blend in sometimes," I laughed.
"That's the problem. We're not normal."
Before I could reply, a familiar structure appeared ahead.
A bridge.
My heart lurched.
"That's it," I whispered.
As we got closer, a car on the bridge swerved wildly.
"Tyler…?" Mason said, noticing my panicked breathing.
"She's in there," I said. "I can feel her."
The car crashed through the guardrail and plunged into the river.
I ran.
Mason grabbed my arm. "Tyler, that current is too strong! You could get swept away!"
"Would you stand there and watch your mate drown?" I asked, voice shaking.
He sighed painfully. "Fine. I'll meet you downstream."
Before he finished, I dived in.
The current was brutal, but I forced my way to the sinking car, ripped the door off with ease, and pulled her out. She was unconscious, pale, and freezing in my arms.
Mason dragged us onto the riverbank and immediately began pumping her chest. She started coughing up water before passing out again.
I rushed back and rescued the taxi driver too—barely.
"We need to get them to a hospital," I said.
Mason nodded and we sped off.
"She's… human," I muttered.
Mason went silent.
Of all the possibilities…
My mate was human.
What kind of cruel joke was this?
---
At the hospital, we signed statements and watched them get admitted.
"Okay," I said finally, turning to leave.
Mason grabbed me. "We came all this way for your mate. And now that you've found her, you're leaving?"
"What do you want me to do? Tell her what I am? You know it could end badly for a human."
"You won't even try?"
"No. I won't risk it," I murmured, walking toward the car.
He followed silently.
We drove away.