The rain did not stop.
It had been falling for hours now—
slow at first, almost gentle… but now heavier, restless, relentless.
As if the sky itself had lost its calm.
Clouds gathered thick and low, swallowing every trace of light, pressing down upon the land like something unseen yet suffocating. Thunder rumbled in the distance—
not loud, but deep… like a warning no one fully understood.
It did not feel like ordinary rain.
It felt—
Disturbed.
As if nature itself was unsettled.
As if something that was never meant to happen…
Had already begun.
As if something ancient—
Had been provoked.
Leo's Side — A Mate He Could Feel, But Not Find
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Near the orphanage, beneath a half-sheltered stone ledge, three figures sat in silence.
Rain dripped steadily from the edges, forming a rhythmic sound against the ground. The scent of wet earth filled the air, blending with the faint traces of the pack's territory.
Leo sat still.
Too still.
His elbows rested on his knees, his fingers loosely clasped together—but they trembled slightly, betraying the storm raging within him.
His head was lowered, damp strands of hair falling over his eyes, hiding the raw emotion burning inside them.
Five years.
Five long, empty years.
Years of believing—
He was not chosen.
That the Moon Goddess had simply… overlooked him.
That he was not meant to have what every Alpha deserved.
A mate.
And now—
Now that same fate had played a cruel game.
She was here.
So close.
Close enough to breathe the same air.
Close enough to leave her scent in every corner of that orphanage.
Close enough to exist in his world—
Yet still…
Unreachable.
Leo let out a slow breath, but it came out uneven, almost breaking midway.
"…I was there," he muttered, his voice low, rough, almost hollow. "I was right there… and still couldn't find her…"
His chest tightened painfully.
Inside him, his wolf was restless—no, not restless—
Suffering.
A deep, aching pain that had been buried for years had now been awakened… only to be denied again.
Jimmy shifted beside him, glancing at Leo with concern. He wasn't joking now, wasn't teasing—because he could see it.
This wasn't frustration.
This was breaking.
"We'll find her," Jimmy said firmly, his tone steady despite the tension. "You've waited this long… you're not going to lose her now."
But Leo didn't respond.
Didn't even lift his head.
Because hope—
Was becoming painful.
Tez, standing slightly ahead of them, kept his gaze sharp, scanning their surroundings carefully. His body was relaxed, but his senses were alert.
Because right now—
They were not just friends.
They were intruders.
Enemies.
And Leo…
Was too lost to notice danger.
Tez exhaled quietly, then spoke without turning back.
"Keep your emotions under control," he said, his voice low but firm. "If you lose control here, you won't just lose your mate… you'll get her killed before you even meet her."
That—
That hit.
Leo's fingers tightened instantly.
His head lifted slowly.
His eyes, slightly red, finally focused again.
Danger.
His mate could be in danger.
And just like that—
His emotions didn't disappear.
But they changed.
From pain—
To fear.
The Luna's Side — A Bond Shattered
Inside the pack house…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Silence lingered in the hallway.
Heavy.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
The Luna stood there, unmoving.
Her hands hung weakly by her sides, fingers trembling as tears continued to fall without pause.
Her breathing was uneven, almost fragile—like each breath required effort.
Moments ago—
Her entire world had collapsed.
The man she loved.
The man she trusted.
Her mate.
Behind that door…
With another woman.
Not just physically.
But willingly.
At least—
That's what it looked like.
And sometimes—
What it looks like is enough to destroy everything.
Her nails dug slightly into her palms as she tried to hold herself together, but her body refused to obey.
"…Why…" she whispered, her voice breaking so softly it barely existed. "Why would you… do this to me…?"
There was no answer.
Only silence.
And that silence—
Was louder than anything.
The door creaked open.
Slowly.
The woman stepped out.
Elegant.
Composed.
Perfect.
As if nothing had happened.
As if she hadn't just walked through someone else's life and broken it without hesitation.
A faint smirk rested on her lips.
Satisfied.
Amused.
She walked closer.
Each step slow.
Measured.
Intentional.
Until she stood right in front of the Luna.
Looking at her.
Not with sympathy.
Not with guilt.
But with quiet cruelty.
"It's nice to meet you… Luna," she said softly.
A pause.
Then her eyes flickered slightly, mockingly.
"…Wait," she tilted her head just a little.
"Luna?"
Her lips curved more.
"Someone who can't even satisfy her own mate…"
She let out a soft, almost playful sigh.
"…Oops."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Did I hurt you?"
The Luna's body stiffened.
Her lips parted slightly—but no words came out.
Because what could she say?
What defense exists when your own reality betrays you?
The woman smiled wider.
"Well," she added lightly, "I'm sorry…"
A pause.
Then, coldly—
Mm?
"…but not really."
And with that—
She turned.
And left.
Leaving behind silence.
And something broken beyond repair.
The Alpha Awakens
Moments later—
The door opened again.
This time—
He stepped out.
But not the same man.
Not the same Alpha.
His steps were unsteady.
His breathing uneven.
His eyes—
Confused.
"…What…" he murmured, pressing his hand against his head as if trying to stop something from spinning inside.
Pain.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Like waking from something unnatural.
Then—
He noticed.
Marks.
On his skin.
On his neck.
His clothes—
Disordered.
And then—
His gaze lifted.
And landed on her.
The Luna.
Standing there.
Broken.
Tears still falling.
Looking at him like she didn't recognize him anymore.
And in that moment—
Everything came rushing back.
Fragments.
Images.
Pieces of something he did not control—
But still did.
His breath hitched.
"…No…" he whispered.
His body moved before his mind could think.
He dropped to his knees.
Right in front of her.
Like a man stripped of everything.
His pride.
His power.
His identity.
"…I didn't—" his voice broke completely. "I didn't want this…"
His hands trembled as he reached for her, clutching her feet as if they were the only thing keeping him from collapsing completely.
"Please…" he whispered, his voice cracking into something raw, desperate. "Please believe me… I didn't know… I wasn't in control…"
Tears—
Real ones—
Fell from his eyes.
The cruel Alpha of the Silver Pack—
Crying.
For the first time.
Not as a ruler.
Not as a leader.
But as a man who had just destroyed the only person he truly loved.
The Truth… and The Blame
Through broken words, trembling
breaths, and desperate explanations—
He told her everything.
The woman.
The strange feeling.
The lack of control.
The emptiness in his mind.
And then—
A realization.
"…That day…" he whispered slowly, his brows tightening as memory formed. "Lily…"
The Luna looked at him sharply.
"She went into the forest…" he continued. "That place… the forbidden part…"
His expression darkened.
"…If something followed her to here…"
Silence fell.
Both of them thinking.
Connecting.
Piece by piece.
And the answer—
Was forming.
"…A witch…" the Luna whispered.
And suddenly—
Everything made sense.
The Alpha's jaw tightened.
"It's because of her…" he said, anger slowly replacing guilt. "Everything started after her."
Lily.
The girl no one noticed.
Now—
At the center of everything.
The Accusation
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before either of them could speak further—
A voice interrupted.
"Alpha…"
A man stepped forward, bowing slightly, his expression tense.
"I apologize for disturbing you…"
His eyes flickered briefly toward the Luna—then back to the Alpha.
"But this matter cannot wait."
The Alpha straightened slightly, his expression hardening again.
"What is it?"
The man hesitated for a moment—
Then spoke.
"It's about Lily."
The air shifted.
"I have been observing her for the past few weeks," he continued carefully.
"Something about her movements… seemed unusual."
The Luna's gaze sharpened.
"What are you saying?"
The man swallowed.
"Some time ago… I saw her in the forest."
A pause.
"She was not alone."
The Alpha's eyes darkened.
"…Who was she with?"
The man's voice lowered.
"…A vampire."
Silence.
Heavy.
Deadly.
"But not just any vampire…" he added quickly. "It was him."
A breath.
"The Vampire King."
The room froze.
"I didn't act immediately because I wasn't certain," he continued. "But I gathered proof."
His voice hardened.
"She is involved with him."
A pause.
"She may be working for him."
The Alpha's expression turned cold.
Dangerously cold.
The Luna's pain—
Shifted.
From heartbreak—
To fury.
First a witch.
Now a vampire.
And at the center—
Lily.
And Lily…
Far away from all of this—
She stood in the garden.
Quietly working.
Adjusting leaves.
Fixing branches.
Her bracelet glimmering faintly under the dim light.
Her expression calm.
Unaware.
Completely unaware.
That her life—
Was about to change.
Not by her actions.
Not by her choices.
But by something far bigger than her.
Something darker.
Something already moving toward her.
Slowly.
Unstoppable.
—————————————
That my life—
Was about to change.
Not by my actions.
Not by my choices.