Blue & Red | MXM |

Chapter 5 | Decision 💭

-Shadow's POV-

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| NOTE : Shadow's inner wolf's name is also shadow, so to avoid confusion for some people. I'm using Bold, for inner wolf shadow. |

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"Zach."

The name fell from his lips simply, yet it resonated within me, stirring something primal. "Zach," I repeated in my mind, nodding slightly to acknowledge him. Instinctively, I sniffed the air, drawing in his scent, which filled me with an unexpected warmth. The scent was unique—potent and somehow intoxicating. It tugged at the very essence of my being, appealing directly to Shadow, my inner wolf.

Shadow stirred within me, more awake and alert than he had been in a long time. He pushed at my consciousness, urgently conveying a message that resonated through every fiber of my being—Zach was my mate. The realization hit me with the force of a thunderbolt, electrifying and disorienting.

Carefully, I studied Zach, trying to gauge his reaction to this profound connection our wolves sensed. "Do you feel it as well?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper, laden with the weight of our newfound bond.

Zach looked away, a huff escaping him as his eyes darkened—a mirror of my own reaction. The air around us seemed charged, thick with the scent of our mingling pheromones. Both of us, perhaps unknowingly, emitted these potent signals, our scents intertwining and creating a palpable tension.

His response, or lack thereof, left me grappling with a surge of emotions. Was he denying the bond, or was he as overwhelmed by it as I was? The silence stretched on, each second a testament to the complexity of what lay between us. I waited, my heart pounding in my ears, for him to acknowledge our connection or to reject it outright.

Shadow's mind whirled with the possibilities, the potential pain of rejection looming ominously. I had long ago resigned myself to the possibility that my mate might never appear, the years of searching turning into a dead end. Yet, now that I had found Zach, the sudden resurgence of hope was as startling as it was intense.

The fact that Zach was an omega, a male, and a rogue mattered little to me now. Initially, the shock had been palpable, a jolt to my expectations and preconceptions. But as the reality settled in, those details faded into insignificance against the overwhelming fact of our bond. He was my mate, the other half of my soul, and nothing else mattered.

However, understanding my own acceptance and readiness did not alleviate the uncertainty of Zach's feelings. Would he see past the layers of his own defenses to recognize the bond for what it was—a chance for mutual completion and understanding? Or would he see it as an unwanted chain, a threat.

As I watched him, his body tense and his gaze averted, I prepared myself for all possibilities. The fear of rejection clawed at me, a visceral dread that he might turn away from what I felt so profoundly. Yet, there was also a quiet determination within me. If he was willing, I would show him that being mates didn't mean losing one's self but rather, finding a deeper, truer existence together.

In the thick silence, every breath Zach took seemed amplified, each exhale stirring the leaves around us. My heart pounded with a mixture of hope and fear, waiting for him to break the quiet.