Crowned by Fate Chapter 107

Skye's POV

"A pack of outcasts and rejects, led by an Alpha with delusions of grandeur," Leon continued, his blue eyes fixed on me with uncomfortable intensity. "Is that truly where you belong, Skye?"

"Alpha Leon," Ethan began, "I was just—"

"I heard," Leon cut him off. "And let me make something perfectly clear. Frostshadow would never accept a traitor back into its ranks. No matter what."

Before I could respond, a curvaceous woman in a dress that left little to the imagination sidled up to Leon. Her red lips curved into a seductive smile as she placed a hand on his chest.

"I've been noticing you for a while, Alpha," she purred, leaning closer. "Buy a girl a drink?"

To my surprise, Leon didn't rebuff her. Instead, his arm slipped around her waist, pulling her against his side. Without another word to us, he led her toward the bar, her giggling laughter trailing behind them.

"What was that?" I demanded, turning back to Ethan. "Leon's acting like he doesn't even have a mate. He rejected me for shooting him, but he's okay with picking up random women in bars?"

Ethan's expression grew serious. "That's just it, Skye. Leon hasn't found another mate since you left. There's been no one."

"What? But it's been four years!" I protested, watching Leon whisper something in the woman's ear that made her laugh. "He acts like he doesn't care at all."

"That's just it—he acts," Ethan replied quietly. "Leon hasn't been the same since you left. He's harder, colder. Throws himself into training and pack duties."

I decided to change the subject. "Tell me more about Mom and Dad. How are they really doing? You said Mom's been gardening?"

As Ethan began sharing more details about our parents' lives, I glanced toward the bar. Leon and the woman were already gone.

I tried to focus on Ethan's stories about Dad's new fishing boat and Mom's prizewinning roses, but a part of my mind kept wandering.

After a while, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through my chest. I gasped, pressing my hand against my sternum.

"Skye? What's wrong?" Ethan's concerned voice reached me as another wave of pain washed over me, stealing my breath.

Something was wrong.

I clutched at my sternum, feeling as though invisible claws were tearing at something deep inside me.

"Skye!" Ethan's voice sounded distant despite his proximity. His hands gripped my shoulders as I doubled over. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," I gasped, the words barely escaping through gritted teeth.

"I'm taking you to our room. We brought our pack doctor with us for the competition—he can examine you."

I shook my head, trying to straighten despite the waves of pain crashing through my body. "No, I should go back to my own hotel. I'm not part of Frostshadow anymore."

"This isn't the time to worry about pack loyalties," Ethan insisted, his voice firm but gentle. "The first trial starts tomorrow. You might not be competing, but Alpha Adrian will need his Beta at full strength. You can't let him face the Guardian Beast while worrying about you."

The mention of Adrian made me hesitate. I couldn't let personal discomfort interfere with our purpose here. After a moment's consideration, I nodded reluctantly.

"Fine. But just a quick examination."

Without warning, Ethan scooped me into his arms as though I weighed nothing. The sudden movement sent another shaft of pain through my chest, and I bit back a cry.

"Sorry," he murmured, adjusting his hold to support me more comfortably.

When we reached Ethan's room, he carefully deposited me on the bed. The moment I crossed the threshold, something strange happened—the pain in my chest intensified dramatically.

"It's worse," I gasped, curling onto my side. "Why is it worse?"

Ethan's brow furrowed with concern. "The doctor will be here any minute," he promised, sitting beside me and taking my hand. "Just hold on."

True to his word, a sharp knock sounded at the door less than five minutes later. Ethan admitted a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and intelligent eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses.

"This is Dr. Kingsley," Ethan introduced. “Do you still remember him?”

I nodded.

The doctor approached with a professional smile, setting his medical bag on the nightstand. "Ms. Anderson, I understand you're experiencing some chest pain. Can you describe the sensation for me?"

I did my best to explain the tearing, burning feeling centered directly behind my sternum. Dr. Kingsley listened attentively, occasionally nodding as he checked my pulse and examined my eyes.

"No fever," he noted, removing the stethoscope from my chest. "Heart rate is elevated but not dangerously so. Breathing sounds clear." He continued his examination methodically, testing my reflexes and palpating gently around the painful area.

After several minutes of careful assessment, he sat back with a puzzled expression. "Physically, everything seems normal. No signs of poisoning or injury that I can detect."

"But the pain is real," I insisted. "It feels like something's breaking inside me."

Dr. Kingsley's expression shifted to one of careful consideration. "Ms. Anderson, where is your mate at the moment?"

The question caught me off guard. "I don't have one," I replied automatically. "Well, I mean, I'm seeing someone currently, but he's not my mate."

The doctor's eyebrows rose significantly. "Not your mate? Are you certain?"

"Of course I'm certain," I said, somewhat defensively. "Leon rejected me years ago, you know."

Dr. Kingsley frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "This is most unusual. The symptoms you're describing are classic signs of mate-bond distress, typically triggered when one's mate is being unfaithful or forming an intimate connection with another."

"That's impossible," I insisted. "Like I said, I don't have a mate."

"Could your partner be your true mate without your knowledge?" the doctor pressed. "Sometimes the bond forms gradually, especially in cases where there's been previous trauma to the mating instinct."

I shook my head firmly. "No, Adrian and I both know we're not mates. We've discussed it explicitly."

Dr. Kingsley's frown deepened. "Then I'm at a loss to explain your symptoms. There's nothing physically wrong with you—no poison, no injury, no illness. Yet your body is reacting exactly as if your mate bond is being violated."

A troubling thought suddenly occurred to me. "Is it... could it be possible to have a second mate?" I asked hesitantly. "A second chance after rejection?"

The doctor's eyes widened slightly. "It's rare, but not unheard of. The Moon Goddess occasionally grants a second mate to those who have suffered rejection." He studied me with renewed interest. "Ms. Anderson, is it possible your second chance mate is here, at the Alpha King election?"

The possibility hit me like a physical blow. In all our preparations for the competition, I had worried about Adrian potentially meeting his true mate among the gathered packs.

Not once had I considered that I might find my own second chance mate here.