Bound By Moonlight

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The confrontation.

The clearing was deathly silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. Rowan stood at the edge, his eyes fixed on the figure before him. Caleb. Five years had passed, but the omega’s presence hit him like a blow to the chest. He wasn’t the same wolf Rowan had rejected. Caleb’s posture was unyielding, his expression sharp, and his eyes burned with a fury Rowan had never seen before.

“What do you want from me again, Rowan?” Caleb’s voice was calm, but the venom in his tone cut deep. “Haven’t you taken enough from me?”

Rowan stepped forward cautiously, but Caleb didn’t move. The wolves behind him—his pack, or what resembled one—watched in silence, their loyalty evident. Caleb’s command over them was undeniable. It made Rowan’s heart ache with a confusing mix of guilt and admiration. This was no fragile omega. This was a leader.

“I need your help,” Rowan said finally, hating the vulnerability in his voice. He wasn’t used to asking for aid, least of all from someone he’d hurt so deeply.

Caleb laughed, short and bitter. “My help? That’s rich coming from you. What was it you said the last time we spoke? ‘We’d destroy everything if we were together’? That’s funny, considering you’re the one who destroyed me.”

Rowan flinched. He’d carried the weight of his decision every day since rejecting Caleb, but hearing those words aloud was a different kind of pain. “I thought I was doing the right thing—”

“For who? You?” Caleb’s voice rose, his calm exterior cracking. “Because it sure as hell wasn’t for me! You decided I wasn’t worth the risk, and you walked away without a second thought. And now you want me to help you?”

“It wasn’t like that,” Rowan said, though the words felt hollow even to him. He took another step closer. “I thought I was protecting both our packs. The bond—our bond—it would’ve caused chaos.”

Caleb’s jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. “Do you think I care about your excuses? You didn’t just reject me, Rowan. You erased me. You made me believe I wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t worth enough to fight for.”

Rowan opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. Caleb’s pain, laid bare before him, was like a blade to the gut. And yet, there was strength in his voice, a power Rowan hadn’t expected. This wasn’t the timid, uncertain Caleb he remembered. This was a wolf who had rebuilt himself from ashes.

“I don’t need your pity,” Caleb said, his voice steady once more. “I’ve built something here—something that doesn’t depend on anyone deciding my worth. My people need me, and I won’t let them down the way you let me down.”

“Caleb…” Rowan’s voice was soft, his shoulders sagging under the weight of Caleb’s words. He looked around at the wolves gathered behind Caleb, their trust in him palpable. This was a wolf who had become a protector, a leader, someone who didn’t need anyone’s approval. Rowan realized with a pang that he’d never truly known Caleb—not like this.

“I’m sorry,” Rowan said at last. The words felt woefully inadequate, but they were all he had. “For everything. For hurting you, for underestimating you. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know that I regret—”

“Stop,” Caleb interrupted, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t want your apologies, Rowan. I want you to leave. Go back to your pack and deal with your mess on your own. I’m not your solution.”

Rowan hesitated, searching Caleb’s face for any trace of the omega he once knew. But all he found was a wall of anger and resolve. He nodded slowly, backing away toward the trees.

“I’ll leave,” Rowan said, his voice low. “But this isn’t just my mess. The rogues are a threat to everyone, Caleb. Even your people.”

“That’s my problem,” Caleb replied coldly. “Not yours.”

Rowan lingered for a moment longer, his chest heavy with unspoken words, before turning and disappearing into the forest. Behind him, Caleb watched, his heart pounding in his chest. He hated the way seeing Rowan again stirred old wounds, but he refused to let it show. He was no longer the omega who had been shattered by rejection.

And he would never let Rowan forget it.

Rowan moved through the dense forest, his head lowered in thought. Caleb’s words are replayed in his mind, each one sharper than a blade. "You erased me. You made me believe I wasn’t strong enough." He had come here seeking help, desperate for answers, but he hadn’t expected to be faced with the full weight of his mistakes.

The Caleb he remembered had been quiet, reserved, and gentle—a wolf who followed the rules and avoided conflict. Rowan had convinced himself that rejecting their bond was a mercy, sparing Caleb the fallout of their packs’ rivalry. Yet, the Caleb he had seen today was unrecognizable: commanding, confident, and utterly self-sufficient.

Rowan stopped, leaning against a tree as the forest pressed in around him. He couldn’t shake the image of Caleb standing tall among his people, wolves who had been discarded by society but now thrived under his leadership. Caleb wasn’t just strong; he was fierce. And Rowan realized with a pang of guilt that he had never allowed himself to see Caleb’s potential before.

For years, Rowan had told himself that his decision to reject Caleb was a sacrifice for the greater good. But was it really? Had it been about protecting their packs, or had it been about protecting himself?

Caleb’s Camp

Caleb exhaled slowly, his hands braced against the edge of a worn wooden table. The small hut served as his makeshift command center, cluttered with maps, supplies, and notes from his scouts. He tried to focus on the next steps for his community, but Rowan’s presence lingered in his mind like a storm cloud.

“Are you okay?” a soft voice asked.

Caleb glanced up to see Leah, a young wolf who had been with him since the beginning. Her dark eyes were filled with concern.

“I’m fine,” Caleb said, straightening.

Leah tilted her head, unconvinced. “That was him, wasn’t it? The alpha you told me about.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened, and he nodded. “He needs help with the rogue attacks.”

“And you said no.”

“I didn’t just say no,” Caleb said, his voice bitter. “I made it clear that he can’t just walk back into my life and expect me to forget everything he did.”

Leah hesitated. “But the rogues are dangerous, Caleb. If what he says is true, they’re getting stronger. If they come for us…”

“They won’t,” Caleb said firmly. “We can handle ourselves. We’ve always handled ourselves.”

Leah nodded, but there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Caleb felt it too, a nagging voice in the back of his mind. The rogues had been growing bolder, and while his pack was strong, they were still outnumbered. The thought of asking Rowan for help made Caleb’s stomach churn, but the alternative was risking the safety of his people.

Rowan’s Return to His Pack

By the time Rowan reached his pack’s territory, the sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest. His beta, Marcus, was waiting for him at the edge of the camp.

“Well?” Marcus asked, his arms crossed.

Rowan shook his head. “He won’t help.”

Marcus frowned. “Did you expect anything else? After what happened between you two…”

“I thought he’d at least consider it,” Rowan admitted, running a hand through his hair. “The rogues are a threat to everyone, not just us.”

Marcus sighed. “You need to stop thinking of Caleb as the omega you knew. He’s not your mate anymore, Rowan. He’s changed.”

“I know,” Rowan said quietly. “Believe me, I know.”