Chapter 5: Blood and Memories
The forest reeked of iron and wolfsbane.
I moved silently beside Leo, my senses sharpened by years of survival instinct. The last time we’d fought together was before the rejection—back when I still believed we were fated.
Now? Now I just wanted this over with.
Leo signaled the warriors to fan out. His voice was a low growl. “They’re close.”
I didn’t need his warning. My nose caught the stench of rogue wolves—unwashed fur and venom-coated blades. The poisoners.
A twig snapped.
Then chaos erupted.
Rogues lunged from the shadows, their eyes wild, teeth bared. I dodged the first attack, driving my silver dagger into an attacker’s ribs. The scent of blood filled the air as Leo tore through them like a storm, his movements lethal grace.
For a heartbeat, time folded.
We were still in sync.
A rogue grabbed my arm from behind—
CRACK.
Leo’s jaws clamped around the rogue’s throat before he could hurt me. Hot blood sprayed my face as the body collapsed.
Our eyes met.
Something primal passed between us.
Then reality crashed back.
He doesn’t deserve your gratitude.
I wiped my cheek with a snarl. “I had that under control.”
Leo’s muzzle was still dripping red. “Liar.”
The Captive’s Secret
We dragged the sole surviving rogue back to camp.
Beta Ryan gripped the trembling wolf’s hair. “Who sent you?”
The rogue spat blood, laughing. “The Shadow Fang bids you hello.”
My breath caught. Shadow Fang. The rival pack Leo had warred with for years. The pack that had tried to assassinate him once before—when I was still Luna.
Leo’s claws unsheathed. “Why poison my people?”
The rogue’s gaze slid to me, smirking. “Ask your former Luna why she left you vulnerable.”
Leo’s punch sent the rogue sprawling. “Enough!”
But the damage was done.
Warriors were staring at me—accusingly.
Beta Ryan stepped forward, hesitant. “Selene… did you know about this?”
Leo’s growl cut through the tension. “She’s not the enemy.”
The protectiveness in his voice stunned me.
The rogue laughed again, coughing up blood. “Pathetic. You still want her, even after—”
Leo snapped his neck with one twist.
Silence fell.
The Unspoken Truth
Later, in the privacy of the Alpha’s tent, Leo finally turned on me.
“Who is Lily’s father?”
The question was a blade to my ribs.
I crossed my arms. “You know the answer.”
His fist slammed into the table, splitting the wood. “Say it.”
I didn’t flinch. “She’s yours. Conceived the night before you rejected me.”
The air left his lungs like he’d been gutted.
For the first time in years, Alpha Leo Knight looked broken.
“You should have told me.”
My laugh was bitter. “So you could force me to abort her? No thanks.”
He moved faster than I could react—caging me against the wall, his hands trembling where they braced beside my head.
“I would have protected her.” His breath was ragged. “Protected you.”
I shoved him back. “Funny way of showing it.”
Then I felt it—
A pull.
The mate bond.
Flickering back to life.
Leo felt it too. His eyes darkened with something dangerous.
“It never went away.”