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.
