Chapter13
979 Words
A deep, commanding voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade.
“I see my presence has caught you all off guard.”
The air in the room shifted. Every head turned toward the doorway, where Jared, the Alpha, stood with an air of undeniable authority. His sharp, calculating gaze swept across the space before settling on Anna’s parents.
His arrival was unexpected.
Anna’s mother gasped, quickly straightening her dress as if that would make any difference. Her father cleared his throat, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Alpha Jared,” he said, bowing slightly. “What an honor.”
Beside the Alpha, dressed in a gown fit for royalty, was Serafina.
Georgia felt her stomach drop.
She hadn’t seen her sister in years, but she’d never forget that face, smug, flawless, and brimming with superiority. Serefina stood tall, her presence as dazzling as ever, as if she owned the very air in the room.
She had always wanted what Georgia had, even if it was nothing. And now… she was standing beside Jared.
The same Jared who had rejected Georgia five years ago.
The same Jared who had humiliated her in front of the entire pack when the Moon Goddess had chosen her as his mate.
The memory struck like a blade to her chest. The way he had looked at her with disgust, the way he had sneered at the very thought of her being bound to him.
You? My mate? he had spat. , I’d rather die than accept the Moon Goddess’s mistake.
Georgia had felt humiliated that night, broken and rejected. She had sworn never to return.
And yet, here she was.
Jared’s gaze swept the room again, pausing briefly on Georgia.
She felt the weight of it, the way it lingered for just a second too long before moving on.
For a moment, she thought he recognized her.
But no. There was nothing in his face except mild curiosity, like she was just another stranger in the room.
The thought sent an unexpected pang through her chest.
“Anna,” Anna’s mother whispered urgently, snapping her daughter’s wrist. “Stand properly. You must make a good impression.”
Anna gritted her teeth but obeyed, straightening her shoulders.
Serefina smirked at the exchange, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Such a charming little home,” she mused, running her fingers along the wooden table as if testing for dust. “I must say, it’s been years since I’ve been in a place so… simple.”
Georgia’s fists clenched. The same old Serefina. Always condescending, always cruel.
Jared stepped forward, his presence alone making the room shrink. “I came for a simple visit,” he said smoothly, his voice rich with authority. “No formalities necessary.”
Anna’s father nodded quickly. “Of course, Alpha. We are honored to have you in our home.”
Jared barely acknowledged the words, his gaze flickering back toward Georgia.
That unsettling feeling was back.
Something about her… something tugged at the back of his mind, an itch he couldn’t quite reach.
Why did she seem… familiar?
His wolf stirred, restless.
Georgia kept her expression blank, willing herself to disappear into the background.
Serefina, however, had no intention of letting that happen.
“Georgia?” she drawled, as if just noticing her. “What a surprise.”
Every muscle in Georgia’s body tightened.
“Serefina,” she said coolly.
Serefina’s smile widened, all sugar and poison. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
Georgia lifted her chin. “Likewise.”
Serefina let out a soft, amused hum, then turned to Jared. “Alpha, would you believe this is my dear little sister?”
Jared’s brow furrowed slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing as he looked at Georgia again.
“Sister?” he repeated.
Serefina’s lips curled. “The very same.”
A beat of silence.
Jared’s gaze darkened, something unreadable flickering in his expression.
Georgia forced herself to hold his stare, refusing to be the first to look away.
His wolf growled deep inside him, unsettled.
Why did her scent…
He took a slow breath, inhaling deeply.
Something was wrong.
Something didn’t make sense.
The scent was faint, buried beneath layers of distance and time, but it was there. It reached into him, clawed at something buried deep inside his soul.
Something primal.
Something he should have forgotten.
His chest tightened.
Serefina, oblivious, laughed lightly. “Oh, don’t tell me you don’t remember her. Then again, it has been five years. And my poor sister has always been rather… forgettable.”
Georgia’s nails bit into her palms.
Jared’s jaw clenched.
Forgettable?
Then why did his wolf refuse to settle?
Why did something about her make his blood run hot and his mind swirl with memories he couldn’t quite grasp?
Georgia stood tall, her gaze unwavering.
She knew the moment his realization hit.
It was in the way his body tensed, the way his eyes darkened, the way his breath caught for just a fraction of a second.
Recognition.
She saw it.
Felt it.
Jared’s fingers twitched at his sides.
He had rejected her.
Five years ago, he had cast her aside without a second thought. And now, he had to say it out loud.
"Yeah, Georgia, the very woman I tossed away five years ago. The one the Moon Goddess chose as my mate.”
So why, now, did he feel as if she was something he had been missing all along?
Serefina’s gaze flickered between them, her amusement faltering just slightly.
She saw it too.
And
she didn’t like it.
Jared swallowed, his expression unreadable.
But Georgia?
She just smiled.
Yet, there was something else, something he couldn’t quite grasp. Why did he feel this pull toward her? Why was his wolf restless, aching for her in a way he couldn't explain?
- Writer
