Caelia’s POV

The moment Cassian’s car crossed into his territory, my chest grew tight. The trees here whispered with an energy different from the woods I knew in Nightborne. The air smelled richer, like pine needles after a storm, but beneath it lingered something sharper, something that reminded me of history written in blood.

I saw the large signage: Wind Shadow Pack.

The very name made my wolf stir uneasily. They were the pack that had defeated Nightborne years ago, leaving scars that had never truly healed. I had grown up hearing stories of their cruelty, their strength, their merciless way of fighting. And now—here I was, willingly stepping into their land, carried by the Alpha himself.

Cassian parked outside a wide stone hall, the heart of his pack. My throat dried as wolves came forward, strong, broad-shouldered, some with eyes flashing gold, others gray. I braced myself for hostility, but to my surprise… smiles greeted me. A woman with auburn hair approached, cradling a basket of herbs.

“Alpha Cassian,” she said warmly before her gaze settled on me. “And who is this?”

His hand lingered at the small of my back. “An old friend. She’s under my protection.”

Her smile deepened, and she dipped her head toward me. “Welcome to Wind Shadow, sister. You’re safe here.”

Safe. The word felt foreign, like something spoken in a language I no longer trusted. Yet there was warmth in their voices, a kind of pack spirit I hadn’t felt in Nightborne for years. In Nightborne, every day had been heavy with suspicion, hierarchy, and silence. Here, laughter spilled through the halls. I saw pups darting between the legs of warriors, women chatting in groups as they prepared meals, warriors sparring but grinning even as they fought.

It unsettled me. Could the enemy of Nightborne truly be this… human?

Cassian led me through the corridors until we reached an office at the far end. The door shut behind us, and suddenly the weight of everything crashed down.

I turned on him. “Why are you doing this?” My voice cracked more than I wanted it to. “What do you want from me?”

His brows furrowed, and for a long moment, he didn’t answer. He just stood there, his broad frame leaning against the desk, his eyes studying me the way one studies a puzzle.

“You never asked that before,” he said finally, voice deep and measured.

“Because I had so much in my plate.” I wrapped my arms around myself, holding in the ache of what Nightborne had stripped from me. “I was too busy drowning in my own misery. But now I need to know. Why me, Cassian? Why take me out of Nightborne? You didn’t just stumble across me—you sought me out.”

His jaw tightened, his nostrils flaring slightly. “You think I dragged you here for some scheme?”

“Didn’t you?”

Silence stretched. His eyes softened in a way I hadn’t expected.

“Caelia,” he said quietly, “you were my childhood friend. Did you forget? We used to race down the riverbanks, train under your Alpha father. I know you can remember me, even at the hospital.”

I knew. I had forgotten some of those days—buried them beneath wars and betrayals. But yes… I did remember a boy with dark hair and mischievous eyes who used to call me ‘Fox’ because I was quick on my feet.

“I never forgot you,” he continued, stepping closer. “When I saw you at the hospital, broken and used, it burned me alive. That was not the life I imagined for you. You should have been happy, strong, free. Not…” He stopped himself, eyes darkening. “Not that shadow of yourself.”

I swallowed hard, my defenses threatening to crack. “So why bring me here? Pity?”

“No.” His voice hardened. “Because I need you. And because I can’t stand watching you suffer.”

My heart stuttered. “Need me? For what?”

But before he could answer, the office door burst open. Small footsteps pitter-pattered against the wooden floor, followed by giggles.

Two pups ran in, tumbling over each other. A boy and a girl, maybe no older than four, their cheeks flushed from play.

“Papa!” the girl squealed, her dark curls bouncing as she launched herself into Cassian’s arms.

Papa.

The word froze me.

Cassian bent to scoop her up easily, his large hands gentle against her tiny frame. The boy clung to his leg, eyes sparkling with the same gray flecks Cassian’s eyes held. The scent hit me then—warm, earthy, threaded with his wolf’s distinct power.

They smelled like him.

My breath caught. “Alpha…” I whispered, the air suddenly heavy around me. “You… you have children?”

He turned toward me, his expression unreadable as the little girl clung to his neck.

“Yes,” he said simply.

The room spun. My heart thudded in my chest, too fast, too loud. Of all the things I had expected—demands, manipulation, even betrayal—this, I hadn’t seen coming.

Caelia’s POV

I never expected my world to turn upside down twice in a matter of days. Leaving Nightborne Pack behind should have been the end of my suffering. But arriving here—at Wind Shadow Pack, the very pack that crushed ours in the war years ago—opened new wounds and raised more questions than I had the strength to answer.

Cassian had always been a shadow in the background of my memories. A childhood friend, a fleeting comfort from years ago, now standing before me as Alpha of the strongest pack in existence. His pack radiated warmth, strength, and unity. The air itself carried a different energy, pups laughed freely in the courtyard, warriors sparred without bitterness, and wolves greeted each other with affection I had never seen in Nightborne.

And yet, while everyone else treated me kindly, the thought gnawed at me: I was in enemy territory.

That night, Cassian asked me to meet him in his office.

I sat across from him, the fire crackling in the hearth casting his face in gold. His gaze lingered on me, quiet but piercing, as if he was waiting for me to say the words first.

Finally, I did. “Why?” My voice trembled despite how hard I tried to steady it. “Tell me what you want. I know you helped me not just because I was your childhood friend. You went to war against Nightborne. Against Lucien. Against everything I thought I belonged to. What do you want from me?”

The Alpha leaned back in his chair, his hands steepled. He didn’t say anything.

I narrowed my eyes, frustration rising. “I didn’t ask you to take me in. You appeared, like you always do, when everything was falling apart. And I was too tired to question it. But I’m asking now. Why?”

His eyes softened. “Because you’re not just anyone to me. As I have said, you were my childhood friend. I thought you’d be happy, Caelia. I wanted to believe you grew into the life you deserved. But what I found…” His jaw tightened, a flash of anger sharpening his features. “…What I found was you bleeding, broken, stripped of everything. And I couldn’t stand it. I told you already, right?”

The room fell silent except for the fire. I swallowed hard, my chest aching at the sincerity in his tone. I wasn’t used to anyone caring for me without a hidden agenda.

I tried to steady myself with logic. “What do you need my help for? You said that earlier. How could someone like me possibly help an Alpha like you? Does it has something to do with your children? The twins I saw?”

His gaze softened again, a shadow of grief crossing his expression. “Yes. My twins. Nathalia and Nathan. They’re my world. I need someone to stand as their mother figure.” He paused, his next words carrying a heavy weight. “…Their real mother, my fated mate, died the night they were born. That was years ago—the same time my pack claimed victory in the war.”

I felt the breath leave me. His fated mate. The bond every wolf dreamed of, severed so cruelly.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. And I meant it. Losing Lucien had hurt me, but I could only imagine the agony of losing a mate, the other half of your soul, and being left to carry on.

But before I could say more, Cassian’s nose flared. His head tilted, and a frown creased his brow. “Wait.” His voice was sharp now, demanding. “Why can I barely smell you? Your scent—it’s faint, almost fading. Caelia, what happened?”

I stiffened. My hands clenched in my lap. I hadn’t wanted to speak of it, but his question cut straight through me.

Finally, I lifted my chin, my voice breaking. “Because… my wolf core was taken from me.”

The room went still.

Cassian’s eyes darkened, his Alpha aura flaring like a storm breaking loose. His voice was low, dangerous, filled with barely restrained fury. “Who. Did. This.”

Tears pricked my eyes, but I forced the words out. “Alpha Lucien ordered it. They said I was selfish for refusing. They took my wolf core by force… to save her. Calista. His mistress. I was nothing but a tool to him.”

The fury in Cassian’s expression was like nothing I’d ever seen. His wolf surged, shadows flickering in the corners of the room as his power radiated outward. His hands trembled with rage as he held his children close.

“I will avenge you,” he swore, voice raw. “By the Moon, Caelia, I swear Nightborne Pack will pay for what they did. They ripped the heart out of a wolf without consent, and they will bleed for it.”

My lips trembled. I should have felt afraid of his wrath, but instead… I felt safe. For the first time in years, someone was angry for me. Not at me. For me.

That night, I retreated to the guest room Cassian had given me. I thought I would cry myself to sleep again, but fate had other plans.

A soft knock sounded at my door, followed by giggles. Before I could respond, the door creaked open and two small figures slipped inside.

“Nathalia? Nathan?” I whispered.

The twins grinned, tiptoeing toward my bed. “Papa’s still in his office,” Nathalia whispered conspiratorially. “Can we stay here with you?”

I blinked, startled. “Why… why me?”

Nathan climbed onto the bed with all the boldness of a young wolf. “Because you’re pretty. And you smell nice. Even if it’s a little weak.”

Nathalia nodded eagerly. “And… will you be our mama?”

My heart clenched. The question pierced deeper than any wound Lucien had left. I froze, unsure how to answer, unsure what my place in their lives could ever be.

“I…” The words caught in my throat. “I can’t promise that.”

They pouted but didn’t push. Instead, they wriggled under the blankets on either side of me, small hands clutching at my dress. “Then just stay with us tonight,” Nathalia murmured, her eyes already drifting shut.

I lay there stiffly at first, overwhelmed by the warmth of their tiny bodies beside me. But slowly, slowly, I relaxed. Their breathing evened, their little hands never letting go of me, as if I was already theirs.

And before I knew it, exhaustion claimed me too. For the first time in years, I fell asleep not to the sound of my own sobbing, but to the steady heartbeat of hope.

Caelia’s POV

Cassian was waiting for me in his office when I finally gathered enough courage to face him. His office was large, lined with shelves of old books and war maps that bore the scars of too many battles. A wolf’s skull hung above the fireplace—a symbol of strength, of victory, of survival.

He was sitting behind the desk, but his posture wasn’t one of authority today. He wasn’t leaning back in arrogance the way most alphas would. No, he looked… heavy. Like a man who carried not only the weight of a pack but the shadows of ghosts as well.

“Caelia,” he said as soon as I entered. His voice was steady, deep, but it carried a softness that only made my stomach twist more. “Sit.”

I did, though my instincts screamed to keep standing, to keep my walls high. I sat across from him, gripping my hands together so tightly my knuckles turned pale.

“I’m not going to waste your time,” Cassian began, locking his dark eyes with mine. “Aside from wanting you to be the mother figure or the twins, I realized I needed a Luna.”

I blinked. Of all the words I thought would come from his mouth, those were not it. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” His jaw flexed, but his gaze didn’t falter. “The elders are pressing harder than ever. They want balance restored to the pack. An Alpha cannot stand alone for long, not when he has children to raise and enemies watching for weakness.”

The mention of his children made my heart squeeze. Nathalia and Nathan, their laughter from last night still rang in my ears. The way they curled against me as though I’d been their mother all along. I swallowed hard. “So you think… I could be that Luna? For you? For them?”

“Yes.” His voice was unshaken, but his hand clenched the desk for a moment before he forced it to relax. “I didn’t plan this. Spirits know I didn’t expect to find you again, not like this. But when I saw you, Caelia… something inside me decided. I will not stand by and let you rot under the shadow of Lucien and his mistress. Not when I can give you strength again.”

I shifted in my seat, trying to breathe through the storm of emotions his words stirred in me.

His lips curved in something that wasn’t quite a smile. “So give me your hand as my Luna. Your presence at my side. Be the mother my pups need, and in return… I will see to it that you are made whole again. I will help you regain a wolf core.”

My heart lurched violently. Another core? I thought such a thing was impossible. I thought once stripped, once violated in that way, there was no path to restoration. “You can’t be serious,” I whispered. “You’re promising me something that can’t even—”

“It can,” Cassian cut me off firmly. “The spirits don’t leave a wolf abandoned forever. It’s rare, yes. It’s dangerous, yes. But it is possible. And I will help you avenge what was stolen from you. I will see Lucien and that leech Calista crawl for what they’ve done.”

His words should have lit a fire in me, but instead, they left me trembling. To be a Luna? To stand beside the Alpha of the strongest pack? To gain back the wolf core that had been ripped from me without mercy?

It was everything I thought I wanted. And yet, it terrified me.

“Cassian…” My voice cracked, and I quickly looked away. “I promised myself I would never be tied to an Alpha again. That I would never let my worth be measured by the title of Luna.”

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. His scent rolled over me, strong and grounding, cedar, smoke, and the faint sweetness of pine sap. “This isn’t about titles. It’s about survival. It’s about justice.”

My breath caught. He knew exactly where to strike. I had felt it too, that strange bond forming already with Nathalia and Nathan. They were innocent, yet they carried so much loss in their small eyes. And I had been weak, letting my heart melt the moment they asked me if I could be their mama.

I stood abruptly, my chair scraping the stone floor. “I… I need time to think.”

“Of course.” Cassian’s voice followed me, calm but heavy with meaning. “But Caelia… don’t take too long. The world doesn’t wait for broken wolves to mend themselves.”

---

That night, I sat in the chamber they had given me. The room was warm, more comfortable than any space I had ever known in Nightborne Pack. A soft fire burned in the hearth, and the walls were lined with tapestries that told stories of Wind Shadow’s victories. I pulled my knees to my chest on the bed, staring at the flames, my thoughts tearing me apart.

A Luna. His Luna. Could I?

Part of me screamed no. I had lost too much, bled too much, been betrayed too much. I didn’t belong in that role.

And yet… what choice did I have if I wanted vengeance? If I wanted my wolf core back?

I let my head fall to my knees. The fire crackled louder, echoing the storm inside me.

I thought of Lucien—his cold smile, his dismissive eyes, the way he had let them rip my wolf core from me as if I were nothing but a vessel to fuel his mistress. The humiliation, the agony, the endless silence of my wolf being gone. I wanted him to suffer. Goddess, I wanted him to beg.

But to do that, I would have to tie myself to Cassian.

My chest ached. I didn’t know if it was because I still mourned the wolf core and the baby I had lost, or if it was because I feared what standing beside Cassian would mean for my heart. He had once been my childhood friend. He had once made me laugh until my sides hurt.

Sleep came slowly, jagged and restless.

By morning, I didn’t even have the chance to settle my thoughts before a knock sounded at my door. One of Cassian’s guards handed me a sealed parchment.

A royal seal.

I broke it open with trembling hands. The words were simple but heavy as stone:

You are cordially invited to attend the Royal Gathering at Mooncrest Hall. Attendance is mandatory for Alphas and their Lunas.

My blood turned cold as I read the final line.

Alpha Lucien of Nightborne Pack is expected to attend. Accompanied by a chosen guest.

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. Of course. Of course fate would play such a cruel trick on me. After swearing I would never cross Lucien’s path again, the Moon Royals themselves demanded it.

Sooner than expected, I would see him again.

And this time… I wouldn’t be the same Caelia who once bowed her head to him.