Selena's point of view:
After three years I could still perceive James' scent from every corner of his old study room. I ran my fingers along the spines of his collection—history of wolf packs, treaties, journals he'd kept meticulously through his reign as Alpha.
The setting sun cast long shadows through the window, painting everything in shades of amber and gold. This had been his favorite time of day. That quiet moment between afternoon and evening, when the whole pack land felt peaceful. He used to stand right here, at this window, watching our territory with quiet pride, as if he could feel every wolf under his care.
I pressed my palm against the cool glass window, almost expecting to feel his warm hand covering mine like he had done so many times before.
But there was nothing. Just the cold glass... and the hollow pain that had become my constant companion.
"you would have known what to do if you were still here." I whispered to the empty room. "About Luna. About this boy she's so desperate for me to approve of. About everything.
My wolf moved inside me—only a little, like someone tuning in their sleep but not quite waking. She had been like this since James died, since the mate bond had been severed so violently that I had thought it would eventually kill me too. But after a few weeks after his death, I actually started wishing it had.
But I was Alpha. I had a pack to lead, a daughter to raise, responsibilities that didn't pause for grief. So I buried the pain deep, locked my wolf away in some dark corner of my soul where she couldn't feel the absence of her mate, and forced myself to keep moving forward.
For three years, I'd been half a person. But at least I'd been functional.
A soft knock at the door pulled me from my deep thoughts back to the present.
"Come in."
Marcus entered, his expression gentle with understanding. He has been James's Beta, his best friend, and in the years since the attack, he has become my anchor. The one person who understood the weight of leading while drowning in grief.
"The dinner preparations are nearly complete," he said quietly. "Luna's been in the kitchen for the past hour, adjusting place settings and asking the cook a thousand questions."
Even with everything weighing on me, I felt a small smile tug at my lips. "She's nervous."
"Terrified, Marcus said as he moved closer standing beside me at the window. " She wants this to go well very badly."
"That my luna when she's trying to be too much," I murmured. "I've read all her letters from the last six months. She always talks about this Kade constantly. But…" I paused, trying to explain the strange feeling in my chest. "Something feels off. it almost feels like she is forcing excitement she doesn't actually feel."
"You think he's not good for her?"
"No. From what we know, he seems honorable. Good reputation. Good bloodline. Strong Beta." I crossed my arms. "But the way she writes about him… it sounds like someone describing a decision, not a mate they have found. There is no joy. No wonder. Only… determination."
Marcus was quiet for a moment. "You think she's forcing it?"
"I think she's panicking," I said. "She's twenty-two years old, watching her friends find their mates and complete their bonds." I moved away from the window as I continued. She's Alpha blood—she feels the pressure to be perfect, to meet expectations. And if she can't be an Alpha herself, then she will be the perfect mate to a strong beta. Even if he's not her destined match."
"And if that's true, what will you do?"
"I'll tell her the truth," I said, meeting his eyes. "That choosing someone who is not your fated mate is a betrayal of everything our kind believes in. That she deserves real love, real connection—not just someone who is 'good enough.'"
"The pack is concerned," Marcus said carefully. "About having only a single Alpha. About stability."
"The pack is always concerned about something." I waved a dismissive hand. "We've been fine for three years. We'll continue to be fine."
"Selene." His voice dropped low. "You know I support you completely. But the Council has been making noises again. They want you to consider taking another mate, someone who could share the Alpha position, provide strength and stability—"
"I had my mate." The words came out sharp, final. "James was my mate. My bond. My soul. I will not dishonor his memory by replacing him like a broken piece of furniture."
"No one's suggesting...."
"That's exactly what they're suggesting." I turned away, anger flaring hot in my chest—the first real emotion I'd felt in days beyond the constant gray numbness. "They want me to choose some strong male, complete a political bonding, pretend that what James and I had was somehow transferable. But it doesn't work that way, Marcus. You know it doesn't."
He sighed, and I heard the weight of his own grief in it. He'd lost his best friend that night three years ago too.
"I know selene. I'm just worried about you. About Luna. About what happens if..."
"Don't." I held up a hand. "Whatever you're about to say, don't."
Because I knew what he was thinking. What everyone was thinking but too respectful to say out loud. What happens when I finally break? What happens if another threat arises and I'm too grief-hollowed to fight back? What happens to Crescent Moon Pack when their Alpha is only half-present, sleepwalking through leadership?
I'd been asking myself the same questions for three years.
"I should get ready," I said, changing the subject. "Luna will freak out if I'm not downstairs before her boyfriend arrives."
Marcus nodded, accepting the dismissal. He turned to leave but paused at the door.
"For what it's worth," he said softly, "I hope he really makes her happy. Not because of pressure or duty. But because she truly feels it."
After he left, I remained in James's study for a few more minutes, gathering my strength. These formal dinners were always a performance—Alpha Selene Whitmore, strong and controlled powerful leader. No one could see the cracks beneath the surface, the way I sometimes woke up reaching for a warm body that wasn't there, the way my wolf remained stubbornly dormant no matter how much I tried to rouse her.
Please, I thought, not even sure who I was speaking to. Just help me get through tonight.
I went to my room to get dressed. I put on the emerald-green dress Luna had chosen for me—beautiful, simple, and suitable for an Alpha. She had left it with a small note: You'll look beautiful, Mom. Thank you for doing this.
As if meeting her boyfriend was some great sacrifice on my part.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I was forty-two, but I felt older. My amber eyes used to be bright and full of life. Now they looked tired and ancient. I was still incredibly stunning and beautiful, but in a cold and distant way… like a statue.
At 6:50, I made my way downstairs. The dining room looked spectacular—Luna had outdone herself. Candles, fresh flowers, the good china that had been in the Whitmore family for generations. Everything was perfect and elegant.
Marcus was already there, looking uncomfortable in a formal suit. He gave me a slight nod as I entered.
"She's been checking the table every five minutes," he murmured. "I think she has rearranged the silverware about four times now."
"She wants this to be perfect."
"She wants you to be impressed."
I moved to stand at the head of the table—my position, the Alpha's seat that James used to occupy before his death. The place of power and judgment. From here, I would assess this Kade Frost, this Beta who thought he was good enough for my daughter.
But as I stood there I felt my wolf make a sudden unusual move inside.
Not the tiny, sleepy movement she'd made for the past three years. Not a weak shift.
She moved—awake, alert, every sense sharp and focused.
I froze, with my hand gripping the back of my chair.
My wolf's attention snapped toward the dining room doors. Waiting. Watching. Excited in a way I hadn't felt since..."
Since James.
"Selene?" Marcus called out to me, his voice now sounding far away. "Are you alright?"
I couldn't answer. Because suddenly a scent apart from the candle wax and flowers drifted through the air, making my wolf practically vibrate with excitement.
No. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be..."
"Mate," my wolf whispered, the first clear word she'd spoken in three years.
"That's impossible," I whispered to myself. "James was my mate. There are no second-chance mates."
Marcus was staring at me now, concern evident on his face. "Selene, what's wrong?"
But how could I explain this? How could I describe the feeling of my wolf—who had been silent, half-dead, locked away since James died—suddenly waking up and searching for someone?
It had to be my imagination. My mind was hurting from grief and playing tricks on me.
My wolf had been pushed down for so many years that she was confused. She caught some random scent and held onto it because she was desperate to feel anything again.
Yes. That had to be the reason. Just confusion. Nothing else.
I forced myself to breathe, to center my thoughts. I was Alpha Selene Whitmore. I am strong, calm and logical. I would not fall apart over a scent and a wolf who didn't know the difference between loneliness and destiny.
The dining room doors opened.
Luna walked in first. She looked bright and excited, but I could also see she was nervous.
She held a young man's hand—he was tall, broad, and had dark hair. His dark-charcoal suit fit him perfectly, and he moved with the calm, controlled confidence of a trained Beta.
He was handsome in that classic way, with a strong jaw and steady presence.
Exactly the kind of man I always thought Luna would choose.
But I barely registered any of that.
Because the moment he stepped inside, the scent—pine and storms—hit me so hard I had to hold onto the chair to stay standing.
My wolf didn't just wake up. She exploded.
"MATE!" The roar filled every corner of my consciousness, primal and absolute. "MATE. OURS. FINALLY. MATE."
No, I told her desperately. No, you're confused, you're wrong..."
"Mom," Luna's voice floated toward me, bright with nervous hope. "This is Kade. Kade Frost."
And then he looked at me.
his absolutely stunning Green-bright eyes—met mine across the dining room and world around me seemed to slow down.