Five years ago, Alpha Adrian Blackwell rejected me in front of his entire pack.

Tonight, he walked into the diner where I worked.

And my wolf whispered the one word I had spent five years trying to forget.

"Mate"

The rain pounded against the diner windows, drowning the city beneath a curtain of silver.

I tightened my grip around the cleaning cloth and forced myself to keep wiping the counter.

“Not tonight,” I whispered.

My chest burned.

It was the same pain that had haunted me for years—the ghost of a bond I had once believed would last forever.

I glanced toward the corner booth.

My four-year-old son, Derek, was curled beneath a thin jacket, sleeping peacefully with his cheek pressed against the table.

His unruly brown curls fell across his forehead.

My heart squeezed.

He had his father's hair.

A constant reminder of the man I had tried so desperately to forget.

I looked away.

I couldn't afford to think about Adrian tonight.

I had survived him once.

I could survive seeing him again.

At least, that was what I told myself.

Five Years Ago..

The pack gathering was alive with music, laughter, and the scent of roasted meat.

Firelight danced across hundreds of faces as wolves gathered beneath the full moon, waiting for the most important announcement of the night.

Their Alpha was going to choose his mate.

I was nineteen years old.

My fingers trembled around the cup in my hands as I stood among the crowd, trying not to look nervous.

Then I saw him.

Adrian Blackwell.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Dark curly hair framing a sharp, handsome face.

And those intense gray eyes that had once made my heart race whenever he looked at me.

Our eyes met.

For one beautiful second, he smiled.

I smiled back.

Then he looked away and walked past me.

My heart sank.

Still, I told myself not to worry.

The Moon Goddess had chosen us.

Nothing could change that.

Or so I believed.

Later that night, the entire pack gathered around the ceremonial fire.

Everyone waited for Adrian to announce his mate.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Then Adrian stepped forward.

He walked straight toward me.

Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

“Alpha Adrian is going to choose that weakling as his Luna.”

“How can someone like her lead this pack?”

“She doesn't even have a wolf.”

I lowered my eyes, pretending I couldn't hear them.

Adrian stopped in front of me.

For a moment, he simply stared.

Hope rose inside me.

Then he smiled.

But instead of reaching for me, he walked straight past.

My breath caught.

He stopped in front of Elena.

My half-sister.

She was the same age as me, but everything about her seemed to represent what I wasn't—beautiful, confident, powerful, and admired by everyone.

Adrian took her hands.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

I couldn't breathe.

Elena turned toward me with a satisfied smile.

She leaned closer.

“You really thought he would choose you?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“You're nothing but a worthless outcast, Sera. You don't belong here.”

She shoved past me.

I stumbled but caught myself.

Then Adrian turned.

Our eyes met.

Something flickered in his expression.

Pain.

Regret.

But it disappeared almost instantly.

“Sera,” he said quietly.

My lips trembled.

“Adrian…”

He took a breath.

“It is over.”

My heart stopped.

“No.”

He stepped closer, but he didn't touch me.

“I, Adrian Blackwell, Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, reject Seraphina Vale as my fated mate.”

The world went silent.

Then pain exploded through my chest.

I screamed.

My knees buckled as the mate bond tore through me.

It felt as though someone had reached inside my body and ripped my heart in half.

I clutched my chest.

Blood filled the corner of my mouth.

“You can't do this,” I gasped. “We're fated. The Moon Goddess chose us.”

Adrian's jaw tightened.

“Our pack needs a strong Luna,” he said coldly. “I cannot lead with someone everyone sees as weak.”

Every word cut deeper than the rejection itself.

“I won't choose a woman who cannot protect this pack.”

He turned his back on me.

And walked toward Elena.

She smiled triumphantly.

Adrian wrapped an arm around her waist.

Then he pressed a kiss against her cheek.

The crowd cheered.

My world shattered.

He looked over his shoulder at me.

“This is my chosen mate,” he announced. “Elena will be the Luna of the Blackwood Pack.”

Elena stepped forward proudly.

“I accept this bond,” she said.

The pack erupted into celebration.

I remained on the ground.

Broken.

Humiliated.

Alone.

Whispers surrounded me.

“She deserved it.”

“She was never Luna material.”

“Elena is the true Luna.”

I slowly wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.

Then I stood.

No one came after me.

Not Adrian.

Not my family.

Not even the people who had once called themselves my friends.

So I walked away.

Toward the forest.

And I never looked back.

Present Day

I had survived that night.

Barely.

I escaped the pack territory and disappeared into the human world.

For five years, I had worked hard to build a life where Adrian Blackwell could never find me.

I had convinced myself that the bond was dead.

That the pain was gone.

That I no longer cared.

Then the diner door opened.

The small bell above it jingled.

Two men dressed in black entered first.

They looked like bodyguards.

My stomach tightened.

Then the man behind them stepped inside.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dark curly hair.

An aura of power that made every wolf in the room instinctively lower its head.

I froze.

The cloth slipped from my fingers.

His scent hit me.

Peppermint.

Rain.

Morning dew.

My lungs stopped working.

My dormant wolf suddenly slammed against the walls of my mind.

Mate!

“No,” I whispered.

My entire body went cold.

It couldn't be.

Not him.

Not here.

I slowly turned around.

And there he stood.

Adrian Blackwell.

The man who had destroyed my heart.

The man who had rejected me.

The man I had spent five years running from.

He hadn't changed.

If anything, he looked more powerful than I remembered.

His gray eyes swept across the diner.

For one terrifying second, they passed over me.

He didn't recognize me.

Relief flooded through me.

Maybe I had changed enough.

Maybe the baseball cap, plain uniform, and years away from the pack had finally erased me from his memory.

I turned away quickly.

“Excuse me, ma'am.”

I froze.

Adrian's voice.

Deep.

Commanding.

Impossible to forget.

“I'd like to speak with your manager.”

I swallowed.

“Of course, sir.”

I forced myself to sound normal.

“I'll get her right away.”

I turned toward the kitchen.

Then I felt it.

His gaze.

Burning into my back.

I stopped.

Slowly, I looked over my shoulder.

Adrian was staring directly at me.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

He took one step toward me.

Then another.

I backed away.

One step.

Two.

Until my back struck the cold brick wall.

He stopped only a few feet away.

My breathing became shallow.

Does he remember me?

No.

He couldn't.

I lowered my head, desperately avoiding his eyes.

“Look at me.”

The command sent a shiver through my entire body.

My wolf whimpered.

I slowly raised my head.

Our eyes met.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then Adrian's expression changed.

His nostrils flared.

He inhaled sharply.

His eyes darkened.

He took another breath.

His gaze locked onto mine.

“You…”

He paused.

Something unreadable crossed his face.

“I know your scent.”

My blood ran cold.

I forced a nervous smile.

“You're mistaken, sir. I'm just a server here.”

His eyes narrowed.

“What can I offer you?”

Before he could answer, I slipped past him and hurried toward the counter.

I needed distance.

I needed air.

Most importantly, I needed to get Derek out of here.

I glanced toward the corner booth.

He was still sleeping.

Thank Goddess.

“Black coffee,” Adrian said.

I stopped.

“And a soda.”

“Yes, sir.”

My voice shook.

I hurried behind the counter and prepared the drinks.

A few minutes later, the manager came rushing out.

“I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. Blackwell.”

I froze.

Blackwell.

Hearing his name out loud made my stomach twist.

The manager continued speaking to him, completely unaware of the storm raging inside me.

I carried the drinks over and placed them on the table.

“Here you are.”

I turned to leave.

I made it one step.

Then—

A strong hand wrapped around my wrist.

I stopped breathing.

Adrian pulled me back.

I collided against his chest.

His scent surrounded me.

My wolf screamed inside my head.

MATE!

Adrian stared down at me.

And this time, there was no confusion in his eyes.

Only recognition.

His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.

“Sera?”

My heart shattered all over again.