The moment the door closed behind me, the silence was deafening. No footsteps echoing after me. No soft voice asking me to stay. No warmth of her presence pulling me back in. Just the chill of regret sinking into my bones like ice water. Axle hadn’t said a word since I left her apartment. It was like he’d turned his back on me completely. Not a growl. Not a snarl. Not even that low rumble of disapproval he always gives when I do something he doesn’t like. Nothing. And that silence from him hurt more than I expected. Because it wasn’t just disappointment—it was heartbreak. I knew the second I walked away from her I was making the wrong choice. Hell, I felt it in the way my chest clenched like I’d torn out my own damn heart and left it behind. But I’d convinced myself I was doing the right thing. That I was protecting her. That maybe if I gave her space, she’d be safer… from me, from this world she doesn’t even know exists yet. But every step away from her had felt like a betra
The silence was deafening.I stood in the middle of my apartment, staring at the front door Sebastian had walked out of not long ago, my chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. A sick, hollow ache twisted in my stomach, and the air around me felt too still—like even the walls knew something had changed.I didn’t want to cry, but the tears were already forming, burning behind my eyes like a dam about to break.How could he just leave like that? After everything we shared—the rawness, the honesty, the way he held me like I was the only thing that mattered. I thought… I thought we were building something real. Something worth holding on to. But now, he was gone.And I was here. Alone. Again.I wrapped my arms around myself, moving toward the couch like my legs had forgotten how to work properly. Everything felt numb. My skin, my thoughts… even my heart. It was like something had been torn from me and left a gaping wound that no amount of logic could stitch back together.I sank down
Sebastian POV I sat alone in my car outside Audrey’s apartment, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. The engine was off, the streetlight buzzed above me, and the only movement was the occasional passing car. But all I could think about was the look in her eyes when I left. She had kissed me like I was everything—and still, I walked away. Because I had to. Because if I didn’t, I would’ve told her everything. That I wasn’t just some guy falling hard for her. That I wasn’t even fully human. That she belonged to me in ways she couldn’t understand yet. That I’d already claimed her in every way that mattered, even if she didn’t know it. Fuck. I leaned back in the seat and let out a heavy breath, staring up through the windshield at the dark clouds slowly shifting across the sky. The moon was half-full tonight, glowing with just enough pull to make Axle stir restlessly inside me. “Go back to her,” he growled. “I can’t,” I muttered aloud. “She needs space.” “S
The park felt different now. Quieter, somehow. As if it had absorbed the lingering tension and hope we left behind on that weathered bench beneath the swaying tree limbs. I kept thinking about the way Sebastian had looked at me, as though I was the only person in the world who mattered. And I wanted—so badly—to believe that was true. But the moment we stepped back into the city’s rhythm, the spell started to fade. I walked slightly ahead of him on the way back to his car, not because I was trying to get away, but because I was afraid if I looked at him too long, I'd start asking questions I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear the answers to. What did he mean when he said there was more to him than I knew? Why did his touch always seem to burn deeper than anyone else's ever had? And why did a piece of me feel like I’d always been waiting for him? I hated feeling uncertain. The bakery, my little world of flour and butter and sugar, made sense. Ingredients followed rules. Heat transform
Sebastian POV This woman is going to be the death of me—my Mate. She stands beside me like she belongs here, that shy smile lighting up her face and the faint dimple only I seem to notice. I’ve tried to ignore it, tried not to think about her, but Axle—my wolf—won’t allow it. He knows she’s mine. Her scent, a mix of vanilla and honey, lingers in my mind, distracting me from everything else. I’m the Alpha of the Blue Moon pack, the largest and strongest in the States. For years, I thought I’d never find my Luna. Then I found her—and learned she’s human. That complicates everything. How will she take the truth? How do I tell her about the bond we share without scaring her away? When she slipped into my shower that night, Axle took over—fierce, possessive, jealous. Maybe it’s wrong to admit I’m glad I was her first. She’s mine, completely. Now, I just need a plan to tell her we’re meant for each other—and hope she feels the same. Audrey POV We stepped outside, the cool breeze brushin
After her mother left, Audrey took a shaky breath, the silence settling uncomfortably in the air. She glanced down at the counter, her hands trembling slightly as she reached for the tray of pastries she'd been arranging. She was trying to keep her composure, to shove down the feelings of inadequacy that her mother's words had unearthed. But Sebastian wasn't having it. He placed his hand over hers, stilling her movements, his touch warm and grounding. "Hey," he said gently. "You don't have to hide how that made you feel." Audrey blinked, glancing up at him, her defenses starting to crumble. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held her firm, his gaze steady and unwavering. "I've known you only a short time, Audrey, but I can already see you have a strength your mother can't see. And, I hate to break it to you, but she's wrong. About everything." She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's... it's just something I've gotten used to. Hearing things like that from her