The sleek black car sent by the Silverfang Pack pulled up to their sprawling estate as twilight descended. I clutched my single suitcase tighter, the blue silk bracelet burning a hole in my pocket. One week had passed since my father's announcement—one week since I'd given up fighting for a love that had never truly been mine.
"Welcome to your new home, Luna Harper." A tall, elegant woman with Alexander's same striking silver eyes approached as I stepped out. "I'm Seraphina Sterling, Alexander's sister and the pack's Beta."
Her smile seemed genuine, but I couldn't return it. What kind of welcome was this—to be mated to a man who might never wake, never know my name?
"The ceremony will begin shortly," Seraphina continued, gently taking my arm. "I'll show you to Alexander's chambers."
We walked through marble hallways adorned with paintings of fierce wolves and proud Alphas. Pack members stopped and stared as we passed, their expressions a mix of curiosity and pity. The wolfless bride for their comatose Alpha heir—what a tragic pair we made.
"He's been stable," Seraphina said softly as we approached a large oak door. "Elara, our healer, has kept constant watch. Sometimes... sometimes I swear his wolf responds when we speak to him."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. My heart hammered against my ribs as she pushed open the door.
The room was unexpectedly bright, with large windows overlooking a forest that seemed to stretch forever. Medical equipment hummed quietly beside a large bed where he lay—Alexander Sterling, the Alpha heir who had been frozen in time for five years.
He was beautiful. That was my first, traitorous thought. Even in his stillness, power radiated from him—broad shoulders, strong jawline, thick dark hair that someone had kept neatly trimmed. He didn't look like a man who'd been asleep for five years. He looked like he might open his eyes at any moment.
"We've prepared everything," Seraphina whispered, gesturing to where several pack elders had already gathered. An older woman—Elara, I presumed—stood closest to Alexander, checking something on one of the machines.
"Luna," my father's voice came from behind me. I hadn't even noticed him enter. "It's time."
The ceremony was brief and surreal. I stood beside Alexander's bed, reciting words that felt hollow, promising forever to a man who couldn't hear me. When the elder placed my hand on Alexander's and wrapped the ceremonial silver cord around our wrists, I felt nothing but emptiness.
"With this binding, you are now—" the elder began.
A gasp from Elara interrupted him. Alexander's fingers twitched beneath mine.
"It's just a reflex," someone whispered. "It happens sometimes."
But then his eyelids fluttered. The room fell silent, the air suddenly thick with tension. I tried to pull my hand away, but his fingers tightened around mine.
And then, impossibly, his eyes opened.
Deep silver eyes, clear and alert, locked onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath. Before anyone could react, he sat up with fluid grace, as if he hadn't spent the last five years motionless.
"Alpha!" Seraphina cried, rushing forward.
Alexander didn't look at her. His gaze remained fixed on me, his expression a mixture of wonder and profound relief. He reached out, his hand steady as it moved toward my face.
"Alexander," Elara cautioned. "You've been unconscious for—"
"Five years, two months, and sixteen days," he finished, his voice deep and smooth, showing no signs of disuse. "I heard everything."
His hand gently covered my eyes, the touch sending electric shivers down my spine. When he spoke again, his voice dropped to a rich, commanding Alpha tone that seemed to vibrate through my very bones.
"I finally found you, my mate."
I stumbled backward when he removed his hand, my mind reeling. This couldn't be happening. This man couldn't possibly know me. Couldn't possibly want me.
"You look confused," he said softly, a small smile playing on his lips. "Don't you recognize me, Luna?"
"We've never met," I managed to say, my voice barely audible.
Alexander's smile widened. "In this life, perhaps." He reached beneath his pillow and pulled out something that made my blood freeze in my veins.
A blue silk bracelet. Identical to the one in my pocket. Down to the very last knot.
"You wove this for me," he said, holding it up so the fading light caught the intricate pattern. "In our past life, before we were torn apart. You said each knot represented a year we'd known each other."
The room spun around me as I stared at the impossible bracelet in his hand. How could he know? How could he possibly have the same bracelet with the same words I'd spoken to Ryan?
"That's not possible," I whispered, backing away until I hit the wall.
Alexander's eyes never left mine as he slipped the bracelet onto his wrist. "Everything is possible when true mates find each other again, Luna. Even waking from a five-year sleep."
