Chapter 15

Liam’s POV

Waking up after a good night’s sleep felt strange.

Almost... wrong.

I laid there for a few seconds staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out why I felt so weird.

Then it hit me.

It was because I hadn't had any nightmares.

Normally, the second I closed my eyes, the nightmares would come.

The screams.

The blood.

Her face.

It all haunted me every single night without fail.

It had been that way for years now.

So waking up without any of that felt... strange.

Like something was missing.

I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands and groaned quietly.

I could feel the memories trying to creep up on me, like dark hands reaching out from the past.

I clenched my teeth and forced myself to push them away.

I didn’t want to go there.

Not this morning.

Not when I felt almost human for the first time in a long time.

I sat up in bed and swung my legs over the edge.

The wooden floor was cold against my bare feet but I welcomed it.

It grounded me.

Kept me here.

In the now.

I thought back to last night.

I had gone to bed expecting another night of hell.

I had braced myself for it, like I always did.

But instead... nothing.

Just peaceful, dreamless sleep.

A small voice whispered in the back of my mind, and I hated how sure it sounded.

It’s because she’s here.

I stood up quickly, almost angrily, and started pacing the room.

I ran a hand through my messy dark hair and let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

I didn’t want to believe it.

Couldn’t believe it.

The idea that her just being near me could silence the demons in my head felt... dangerous.

It made me feel weak.

Like I needed her.

And needing someone was a risk I couldn’t afford to take.

Still... deep down... I knew it was true.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

It wasn’t random.

It was her.

Lana.

Or whatever her real name was.

I stopped pacing and stared at the door, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.

I knew she lied to me yesterday.

The second she told me her name, I caught the small twitch in her voice, the way her eyes shifted to the floor.

It wasn’t the first time someone had lied to me.

And it probably wouldn’t be the last.

But it felt different coming from her.

It hurt.

I shouldn’t care.

We barely knew each other.

She didn’t owe me anything.

And maybe she had her reasons.

Reasons that had nothing to do with me.

But still...

It hurt more than it should have.

She was my mate.

The one the Moon Goddess had chosen for me.

The one person who was supposed to be mine.

And yet... she couldn’t even trust me with something as simple as her real name.

I sighed again, feeling the tightness in my chest grow.

I hated feeling like this.

Vulnerable.

Exposed.

I was an Alpha.

I couldn’t afford to be weak.

I moved to the window and pushed the curtains aside.

Sunlight poured into the room, lighting up the polished wooden floor and the dark furniture.

It was a beautiful day outside.

Clear blue skies.

A gentle breeze making the trees sway.

It felt wrong.

Like the world shouldn't look so perfect when I felt like such a mess inside.

I leaned my forehead against the cool glass and closed my eyes.

I could feel her.

Even now.

Like a soft tug in the back of my mind.

A constant pull.

My wolf was restless too, pacing inside me, whining softly.

He wanted her.

Needed her.

And as much as I wanted to deny it...

So did I.

But wanting her wasn’t enough.

I needed to know if she would stay.

If she would choose me.

But even if she did,

I wasn’t sure I could handle losing someone again.

The thought made my chest ache in a way that almost felt real, like someone had reached inside me and squeezed my heart tightly.

It was a pain I couldn’t ignore, no matter how much I wanted to.

I gritted my teeth and pushed myself away from the window roughly, my hands clenching into fists by my sides.

No.

I wasn’t going to think about it.

I wasn’t going to let myself go there.

Not now.

Not ever.

I had too much on my plate already.

I had a pack to lead, wolves depending on me, problems that needed fixing.

I couldn’t afford to fall apart because of a girl.

Even if that girl was my mate.

Even if she was the only person who had made my broken heart feel like it could beat properly again.

I ran a hand through my messy hair and blew out a breath, trying to calm myself down.

But it didn’t work.

It felt like a thousand bees were buzzing under my skin, making it impossible to stand still.

I needed a distraction.

Something to get her out of my head.

At least for a little while.

I decided a shower would help.

The hot water might clear my mind.

Or at least make me feel a little more human.

I told myself it was because I needed to get ready for the day ahead.

Not because I was scared of bumping into her again and making a fool of myself.

I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water, waiting until it was steaming before stepping under it.

The heat hit my skin and made my muscles relax a little, but it didn’t fix the chaos in my head.

I closed my eyes and leaned against the cold wall, letting the water pour down my face and chest.

I stayed there longer than I should have, hoping that when I stepped out, I’d be stronger.

That maybe I’d be able to ignore the pull I felt toward her.

That maybe the mate bond wouldn’t feel so strong today.

But deep down, I knew I was just lying to myself.

There was no way to ignore something that was a part of you.

Not when it lived inside your chest like a second heartbeat.

After a while, I finally turned the water off.

I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist without bothering to dry off completely.

Droplets of water slid down my chest and back as I pushed open the bathroom door with one hand.

I was thinking about what clothes I needed to put on.

I was planning my whole day in my head—pack meetings, patrol checks, paperwork, a million things I needed to do.

But all of those thoughts disappeared the second I stepped into my room.

Because someone was sitting on my bed.