61. Alina

“I said something I shouldn’t have.”My frown deepened. “You mean about my fated mate?” I raised a brow in disbelief. “How’s that so? Nothing happened to you when you told Lucan about his mate.”She stared at me for a long time, long enough that the silence became uncomfortable. I waited for an answer, bracing myself for some complicated explanation—some mystical law, some loophole in fate.But none came.Alina’s lips parted slightly, then pressed together again. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh, the kind that carried more weight than exhaustion alone. “I should go. Thank you for not telling anyone about this.”Her words caught me off guard. It felt like a dismissal, a quiet attempt to escape the conversation entirely.“I was debating on it,” I admitted. “But knowing you, you’re the only one who knows about your condition.” I tried to sound casual, confident, but the worry seeped into my voice anyway. “Are you sure you’re okay?”“Yes.” She slid over my bed and stood up, smoothing her

62. It Has Always Been You

AlinaI shifted my weight, folding my arms loosely as if settling into my usual role — watcher, observer, detached presence at the edge of celebration.Yet my gaze kept returning to him.To the way the firelight softened his expression.To the way he endured the attention rather than encouraged it.To the way one of the females laughed again—too loud, too deliberate—and leaned closer, her hand brushing his arm as if she already had a claim over him.Something shifted within me.Subtle at first.Then sharp.Then undeniable.I have had it.This scene is certainly not for me.Before I could even fully understand what I was feeling—before I could rationalize it, suppress it, or bury it the way I always do—I turned on my heel and walked away from the clearing, slipping past the outer ring of trees and into the darker quiet of the woods.The moment I stepped away, the sounds of the bonfire dulled into distant echoes—laughter fading, music softening, the crackling flames becoming nothing mor

63. The Weight Of Her Choice

AlinaI woke to warmth.For a brief, fragile second, I did not remember why.The early light of dawn slipped quietly through the curtains of my cottage, pale and silver against the walls. The world outside was still. Peaceful. Unaware.Then I felt him.Julian.His arm was draped over my waist, heavy and protective even in sleep. Our bodies were tangled beneath the sheets, skin against skin, bare and unguarded. His breathing was slow, steady against the back of my shoulder.Memory returned in fragments.The forest.His confession.My jealousy.The way I kissed him first.The way I stopped thinking.My fingers tightened slightly against the bedsheet.We were naked in my bed.The reality of it settled gently—not like panic, not like dread.Just truth.I turned my head slightly to look at him.He looked younger in sleep. Softer. The lines of responsibility that usually sharpened his expression were gone. His dark blonde hair fell loosely across his forehead, his lips parted slightly as he

64. A Price Worth Paying

“Alina, what are you saying?”Her eyes then met mine.“I am pregnant.”The words hit like a physical blow.For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.Pregnant.My mind struggled to catch up, as if the world had shifted too suddenly for me to find my footing again.My pup.Our pup.The realization slammed into me with full force, sending a surge of emotions crashing through my chest all at once—shock, disbelief, something dangerously close to awe. It felt unreal. Impossible. And yet, standing in front of me, with that steady look in her eyes, Alina made it undeniable.A child.Mine.Ours.A future I had long convinced myself I might never have suddenly stood right in front of me, tangible and real.A family. The thought bloomed in my chest so fiercely it almost hurt.For a fleeting second, nothing else mattered. Not the past. Not the complications. Not even the uncertainty that had followed us since the beginning.Just… this.Her.Us.And the life we had created together.But just as quickly as

65. Welcome Back

Eighteen Years LaterCalebThere’s something about sitting beneath a tree after training—back against the bark, sweat cooling on skin, the scent of earth and leaves in the air—that forces memories to rise whether you invite them or not.I lay on my back beneath the old oak at the back of Blue Moon’s packhouse, one arm tucked behind my head, staring at the shifting light between branches.Every time I sit like this, I think of my friend.Of Blood Moon.Of the life I left behind.It had been years since I truly returned.I never went back after that day.I told myself it was easier that way.The only times I ever saw Rin were when she visited Blue Moon alongside Alpha Lucan.And whenever they arrived with their pups, I made myself scarce.If I heard laughter in the courtyard that sounded too familiar, I left the pack grounds entirely. Took patrols that lasted longer than necessary. Found excuses.It was pathetic.But it was survivable.It hurt, yes—but I learned how to place the pain so

66. Epilogue

“Caleb…” she breathed.I stepped out of the car slowly.“Hey,” I said.It felt hesitant. Insufficient. It felt too small for everything that stood between us.But she didn’t hesitate. She crossed the distance between us and pulled me into a tight embrace.“You idiot,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.My arms hesitated for only a second before wrapping around her. I pulled back slightly, meeting her gaze. There were tears in her eyes. But also relief.“You still look the same,” she added, attempting a smile.“And so do you,” I replied.She laughed softly. And just like that, some of the weight eased.Behind her, a familiar presence emerged.Alpha Lucan.He stood at the doorway, watching. His expression was unreadable. But his eyes—They were locked on me.Measuring.Judging.Protecting.And suddenly, everything became real again.Apollo was the first to move.The moment the car doors opened, he stepped out with an ease that reminded me painfully of Alpha Lucan in his younge