Elara's Point of View
Some memories refuse to die.
They wait in silence, like ghosts, waiting for the perfect moment to tear open your scars again.
Mine came back the day a delegation from the Silver Ash Pack arrived at Crescent Moon.
They came for a trade discussion—simple enough. But one of them, Alpha Ronan, had once been an ally of the Redstone Pack.
And that meant he knew them.
He knew me.
The moment his eyes landed on me, something cold ran down my spine.
"Is that—?" he began, frowning slightly. "Elara Grey?"
My heart stopped.
I froze in the middle of the dining hall, the tray I was carrying nearly slipping from my hands. My wolf whimpered softly, urging me to hide, but Nolan's sharp gaze caught everything.
He was standing near the head of the table, discussing alliance terms with Kael.
At the sound of my name, his entire body went rigid.
Ronan tilted his head, lips curling into a smirk. "I remember you. Beta Grey's daughter. You vanished after that… incident. What was it again? Ah, yes. The rejection night."
A whisper rippled through the hall. My breath hitched.
Every muscle in me screamed to run—but before I could move, Nolan's deep voice cut through the room like thunder.
"That's enough."
The hall fell silent. His tone was calm, but dangerous—an Alpha's warning.
Ronan raised an eyebrow, smirking. "No offense meant, Alpha Nolan. Just curious about your… guest. I didn't know she belonged to your pack now."
"She does," Nolan said simply. "And that's all you need to know."
The air shifted—dominance rolling off him in waves. Even Ronan's wolves flinched.
I swallowed hard, lowering my gaze. The scent of my fear filled the room, and I hated it.
I hated how small I still felt. How easily the past could reduce me to that broken girl again.
When the meeting ended, I left quietly. Or tried to.
---
Nolan's Point of View
I caught her halfway down the corridor.
"Elara."
She stopped but didn't turn. Her shoulders were stiff, trembling slightly.
"He recognized you," I said softly. "Who is he?"
She hesitated, then finally turned, blue eyes stormy. "Someone who knows too much about what I left behind."
I stepped closer, my voice gentler. "You don't have to hide from me."
"I'm not hiding." Her jaw tightened. "I'm surviving."
That hit me harder than I expected.
"Elara," I murmured, "you're safe here. No one in this pack will ever use your past against you. I'll make sure of it."
Her lips trembled, and for a moment, I thought she'd let me in. But then the walls slammed back into place.
"You can't promise that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "People talk. They always do. And when they find out who I really am, they'll see me as the rejected mate who ran away."
I clenched my fists. "You're more than that."
She shook her head, tears threatening. "You don't know what it feels like to be unwanted by the one you trusted most."
And before I could stop her, she turned and walked away.
---
Elara's Point of View
I spent that night outside, under the stars.
The air was cold, but I didn't care. I hugged my knees to my chest, staring at the moon that once seemed so cruel.
I'd thought I could escape it all by leaving the Redstone Pack, by starting over. But pain has a way of finding you, no matter where you run.
When I closed my eyes, I could still hear Liam's voice.
"I, Liam Blackthorn, reject you…"
Even after everything, the echo still hurt.
"Still thinking about him?"
Nolan's voice startled me. He approached quietly, his scent wrapping around me like warmth against the cold.
I wiped my tears quickly. "Don't you ever sleep?"
"Not when my Luna is crying under the stars."
My heart stopped at the word. "I'm not your Luna."
"Not yet," he said softly, sitting beside me.
I looked away, but I could feel his eyes on me.
"Why do you keep doing this?" I asked. "Why care about someone who's broken?"
He leaned back, gaze on the moon. "Because I've seen what happens when people break and still choose to stand up again. You remind me of that strength."
I swallowed, unsure how to respond.
After a long silence, I said quietly, "He rejected me because I wasn't enough. Because he wanted freedom."
Nolan turned to me, eyes fierce. "Then he was a fool."
I blinked, startled.
"You're enough for an entire pack, Elara. You just don't see it yet."
My chest ached at the conviction in his voice. I opened my mouth to argue, but the way he was looking at me—steady, patient, unyielding—made my words die on my tongue.
"I should rest," I whispered, standing.
He nodded, but his eyes followed me all the way back to my cabin.
That night, I dreamt of warmth instead of fire.
---
Nolan's Point of View
After that night, something changed.
Elara didn't avoid me anymore. She still kept her walls, but she started showing up for morning drills again—stronger, faster, deadlier. Every time she fought, I saw a glimpse of who she used to be: proud, fierce, unstoppable.
It was mesmerizing.
But it also terrified me. Because the more I saw her strength, the more I realized how much I needed her.
---
A week later, Ronan requested a sparring session with our warriors.
I knew exactly what he was trying to do—provoke.
And when Elara volunteered to join, I nearly refused.
Until she looked me dead in the eyes and said, "I can handle him."
And she did.
The moment they stepped onto the training ground, the air crackled. Ronan smirked, circling her like a predator. "You've grown, Beta's girl. Let's see if you still fight as well as you used to."
Her eyes hardened. "Better."
What followed was poetry in motion.
Elara moved like the wind—swift, precise, deadly. Every strike was fueled by something deeper than anger—by the will to prove she wasn't weak anymore.
When she disarmed him with a single fluid motion, pinning him flat on the ground, even my wolf howled in pride.
The watching warriors erupted in cheers.
She stepped back, breathing heavily, blue eyes blazing. For a heartbeat, our gazes met across the field, and I knew—she was done hiding.
Ronan grunted, standing up and rubbing his jaw. "Didn't expect that from a broken little Beta."
Before I could react, Elara's fist connected with his face again.
The sound echoed.
"Call me broken again," she said coldly, "and you'll leave this pack with one less tooth."
The field went silent. Then Kael burst out laughing. "I like her."
I smiled faintly, pride swelling in my chest.
My Luna, whether she realized it yet or not, had just claimed her place among warriors.
---
Elara's Point of View
The moment I saw Nolan watching me from across the field, something shifted inside me.
For years, I had associated strength with pain. Fighting meant survival, not pride. But when his gaze met mine, I saw something else—admiration. Respect.
It made my heart stumble.
After the spar, I walked past him, brushing dust off my clothes.
"Not bad," he said. "You nearly broke his nose."
"Nearly?" I scoffed. "Guess I'm getting slow."
He chuckled, low and rough. "You're perfect."
I froze, my heart skipping. His eyes widened slightly, as if realizing what he said, but he didn't take it back.
We stood there, silence stretching, the world shrinking until it was just us. The bond hummed softly between us, not forceful or burning—but calm, patient. Healing.
And for the first time since my rejection, I didn't run from it.
---
That night, when I lay in bed, I whispered softly to the moon, "Maybe I can try again. Maybe… not all bonds are meant to hurt."
My wolf purred in agreement. "He's different. You know it."
And deep down, I did.
---
Nolan's Point of View
When I saw her walking through the training yard later that evening, head high, eyes bright, I felt something click inside me.
The broken girl I found at my border was gone.
In her place stood the Luna the Moon Goddess meant for me.
But I also knew—before she could be mine, she needed to fully reclaim herself.
So I made a silent promise that night, staring at her from my window under the glowing moonlight.
I'll wait, Elara. For as long as it takes.