After being rejected by his mate years ago, Alpha Tristan is forced to face the truth: his heart still belongs to Selene. Now, a threat looms over their pack, and when Selene returns to help with the danger, the bond between them is undeniable once more. But can they overcome the scars of the past, or is their second chance doomed to repeat the same mistakes? As danger grows and secrets are revealed, Tristan and Selene must decide if their love is strong enough to heal old wounds and protect the future of their pack.
Chapter 1 1
Alpha Tristan stood at the edge of the cliff, his sharp gaze piercing the darkened horizon. The wind tugged at his hair and carried the scent of the forest beneath him, but no matter how many breaths he took, it could not erase the gnawing feeling that had lodged itself deep within his chest.
A threat had surfaced on the outskirts of his territory-rogue wolves, dangerous and unpredictable, making their presence known with growing frequency. His pack, the Midnight Ridge Pack, had always been strong. But even the strongest could fall if they underestimated their enemies.
The thought of having to fight for his pack again was not what troubled him the most. No, it was the weight of the past that pressed heavily on his shoulders. Every decision he made seemed to be stained by the memory of a love he had lost, a bond he had never fully recovered from.
Selene. The name lingered in his thoughts like a whisper in the night.
Her rejection still stung after all these years, the pain of it a raw scar that never seemed to heal. He had been ready to claim her, to make her his mate for life, but she had left him. No explanation, no closure-just an abrupt departure that had shattered him. In her wake, she had taken a part of him he had never been able to reclaim.
Tristan clenched his fists, his claws extending slightly as his wolf growled within him. He wanted to move on, to be free of the agony of unrequited love. But the moment he allowed himself to think about Selene, that ache returned, and the memories of their brief time together resurfaced.
A sharp scent on the wind caught his attention, one that made his heart race-familiar, hauntingly so. His body went still, his heightened senses locking onto the smell.
Selene... She was back.
His instincts screamed at him to turn, to face her, but something held him in place, a mixture of dread and anticipation. He had told himself, over and over, that he would never let her hurt him again. Yet, here he was, battling with a turmoil he thought he had long since buried.
Footsteps broke through the silence, approaching from behind. He didn't need to look to know who it was. The scent gave her away, but it was the sound of her breath, the steady rhythm of it, that made him freeze.
"I didn't think you would come back." His voice was gruff, low, holding an edge that even he could hear.
There was no response for a long moment, just the sound of the night and the distant howls of wolves echoing through the woods. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer than he remembered, the same familiar warmth that once made him feel as though the entire world belonged to them. But the coldness in her words now sent a shiver through him.
"I never wanted to leave, Tristan," Selene said, her voice carrying a sorrow that matched the heaviness in his chest. "But I had no choice."
The words struck him like a physical blow. He forced himself to turn and face her, his eyes scanning her face. She looked almost the same-strong, determined, and as beautiful as ever-but there was something in her gaze that he didn't recognize. It was the same hollow look he had seen in his own reflection too many times to count.
"Then why? Why did you leave me?" Tristan demanded, his voice cracking with frustration. "You never even gave me a reason. I was your mate, Selene. You were supposed to be by my side, always."
"I know." Her shoulders sagged as if the weight of the years was too much to bear. "I know I hurt you, and I'll never be able to take that back. But I thought I was protecting you."
His brows furrowed. "Protecting me? From what?"
Selene's eyes flickered to the ground for a brief moment, before she looked back at him, her expression filled with pain. "From the curse."
The words hit him like a thunderclap, freezing him in place. He had heard of curses in his time-ancient, dark things that could destroy a person, could tear apart bonds and lives. He had heard of mates being bound to each other with an undeniable force that couldn't be broken, no matter the circumstances. But a curse? That was new.
"What curse?" Tristan asked, his voice growing soft. He could feel the tension in his chest tightening further, the weight of her secret pressing against him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't risk it, Tristan. I didn't want to drag you into the madness that comes with it. I thought if I left, if I severed the bond, it would be better for both of us."
He shook his head. "You can't just leave me without any explanation, Selene. We were supposed to face everything together. But you abandoned me."
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I was trying to protect you. My wolf... was unstable. The curse affected me in ways I couldn't control. I feared I would hurt you, or worse, destroy everything we built."
The truth hung in the air between them like a fog, thick and suffocating. Tristan didn't know what to say, how to process the weight of her confession. His wolf raged within him, wanting to claim her, to take her in his arms and never let go. But his human side was confused, angry, betrayed.
"I could've handled it," he finally said, his voice quieter now, laced with both bitterness and longing. "We could've figured it out together."
"I didn't think so. I thought the curse would only tear us apart. I thought I was protecting you by leaving, Tristan." Her voice trembled with emotion, the vulnerability she had kept hidden for so long finally seeping through.
He ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "And now? Why come back now, after all this time?"
"I have no choice. The rogue wolves are growing bolder, and I can't sit by while my pack is in danger. I've learned to control the curse, but it's not something I can ignore anymore. I need your help, Tristan."
The plea in her voice was enough to shift something inside him. The part of him that had hardened with anger and hurt began to soften, and despite everything, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope.
"I'll do what I can to protect the pack," Tristan said, his voice steady, though his heart was in turmoil. "But you're not just going to walk back into my life after all this time and expect things to be the same."
"I don't expect anything from you, Tristan," she replied softly. "I only hope that we can find a way to move forward. Together, or apart, but I need you now."
Her words were a promise, a fragile thread of hope in the dark. Tristan looked at her, seeing the woman who had once been his world-the woman who had left him without a word, but now, had returned, bearing a heavy burden. The mate bond between them, though strained, was still there, waiting to be reignited.
He didn't know what the future would hold, but one thing was certain: Selene had returned, and the past they had shared was not so easily erased.
Chapter 1 1
22/11/2024
Chapter 2 2
22/11/2024
Chapter 3 3
22/11/2024
Chapter 4 4
22/11/2024
Chapter 5 5
22/11/2024
Chapter 6 6
22/11/2024
Chapter 7 7
22/11/2024
Chapter 8 8
22/11/2024
Chapter 9 9
22/11/2024
Chapter 10 10
22/11/2024
Chapter 11 11
22/11/2024
Chapter 12 12
22/11/2024
Chapter 13 13
22/11/2024
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