The Nightfall Mates

The Past Between Them

Remi had become very good at pretending she didn’t remember.

Nine years had taught her how to bury memories.

How to smile when someone mentioned Bayou Falls.

How to change the subject when someone asked about her childhood.

How to convince herself that Will Carter was nothing more than a chapter she had already closed.

But seeing him again made one thing painfully clear.

She hadn’t forgotten anything.

Not his face.

Not his voice.

Not the way he’d once looked at her.

And definitely not the way he’d made her feel when everything changed.

⸻

Nine Years Earlier

Before Will Carter broke her heart, Remi had believed he was her safest place.

They had grown up together in the Bayou.

Will was the boy who taught her how to fight.

The boy who let her sit beside him during pack gatherings.

The boy who protected her when other wolves reminded her she was human.

The boy who made her laugh when she wanted to cry.

Somewhere along the way, friendship became something deeper.

Remi fell in love with him.

She never said it.

She thought she didn’t have to.

Because she thought he felt it too.

Until Will discovered the truth.

Remi was his mate.

His wolf recognized her.

The bond was there.

But instead of telling her, Will made the worst decision of his life.

He decided to make her hate him.

He convinced himself that if Remi hated him enough, she would leave Bayou Falls and follow her dream of becoming a surgeon.

He thought he was protecting her.

He didn’t realize he was destroying the one person he loved most.

⸻

It started small.

Will stopped sitting beside her.

Stopped training with her the way he used to.

Stopped teasing her in the playful way he once had.

Instead, his words became sharp.

Cold.

Deliberate.

One afternoon, Remi walked onto the training grounds carrying her gloves.

Will glanced at her.

“You again?”

She stopped.

“What?”

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”

Trey laughed.

“She’s still trying to keep up with us.”

Elijah leaned against the fence.

“Maybe someone should tell her this isn’t a game.”

Remi looked between them.

“I’ve trained with you for years.”

Will shrugged.

“That doesn’t make you a wolf.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

Everyone knew she was human.

But Will had never made her ashamed of it.

Not until then.

Remi tightened her grip on her gloves.

“I can still fight.”

Trey smirked.

“Sure you can.”

Will tossed a training knife toward her.

She caught it.

“Then prove it.”

She did.

She fought until her hands shook.

Until her lungs burned.

Until she could barely stand.

When she finally knocked the knife from Will’s hand, she expected him to smile.

Instead, he stared at her coldly.

“Congratulations.”

Remi waited.

“Maybe you’re not completely useless.”

Her heart cracked.

Will wanted to take the words back.

His wolf demanded it.

But he didn’t.

He couldn’t.

Because every time he looked at her, the truth screamed inside him.

Mate.

So he pushed harder.

⸻

Trey and Elijah soon followed his lead.

At first, Remi thought they were only teasing because Will was doing it.

Then they started doing it themselves.

“Careful, human.”

“Don’t get yourself killed.”

“Maybe you should stick to something humans are good at.”

Every comment chipped away at her.

But the worst part wasn’t the brothers.

It was when the rest of Bayou Falls joined in.

The town had always known Remi was different.

Now the whispers became louder.

Human.

Weak.

She’ll never belong.

Why does she think she can train with wolves?

Why does she think she belongs with the Carters?

Remi heard them everywhere.

At the diner.

At the grocery store.

At pack gatherings.

Even people who had once smiled at her started looking away.

Children repeated things they’d heard from adults.

Older wolves whispered when she walked past.

And Will never stopped it.

That hurt the most.

Because he could have defended her.

He always had before.

Instead, he stood there and let them believe she didn’t matter.

Sometimes he even added to it.

⸻

One evening, Remi finally confronted him.

She found him outside the Carter house.

“Why are you doing this?”

Will looked at her.

“Doing what?”

“You know exactly what.”

He said nothing.

“Did I do something?”

“No.”

“Then why do you hate me?”

The question nearly destroyed him.

Will looked away.

“I don’t hate you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“You need to leave, Remi.”

Her heart stopped.

“What?”

“Leave Bayou Falls.”

She stared at him.

“Why?”

“Because you don’t belong here.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“You used to tell me I did.”

“I was wrong.”

She shook her head.

“No.”

Will forced himself to remain cold.

“You’re human.”

“I know.”

“We’re wolves.”

“I know.”

“You’ll never be one of us.”

Her voice cracked.

“I never asked to be.”

“Then stop trying to be.”

Silence.

Remi stared at the boy she loved.

The boy she thought loved her.

“You really mean that?”

Will’s wolf was screaming.

Tell her.

Tell her she’s our mate.

Tell her you love her.

But Will swallowed every word.

“Yes.”

A tear slipped down Remi’s cheek.

“So that’s it?”

“That’s it.”

She nodded slowly.

“Fine.”

She wiped her face.

“I’ll leave.”

Will’s chest tightened.

“Good.”

She looked at him one last time.

“I hate you.”

His heart shattered.

But he forced himself to nod.

“Good.”

She walked away.

Will waited until she was gone.

Then punched the brick wall beside him.

⸻

The Day Remi Left

Remi packed everything she could fit into her car.

She didn’t say goodbye to Will.

She didn’t say goodbye to Trey.

She didn’t say goodbye to Elijah.

And she didn’t have Rae or Del waiting for her.

She didn’t know them yet.

They hadn’t entered her life.

At that point, Remi believed she was leaving the only home she’d ever known completely alone.

She drove out of Bayou Falls with tears running down her face.

She had one goal.

Become a surgeon.

She would build a life somewhere no one knew she was human.

Somewhere no one knew the Carter brothers.

Somewhere she could become someone completely different.

She had no idea that Chicago would give her something Bayou Falls never had.

Two best friends.

Rae.

Del.

The family she would choose for herself.

The two women who would eventually follow her back to the Bayou nine years later.

But that night, Remi knew none of that.

She only knew she was leaving.

And she wasn’t coming back.

⸻

Chicago — Nine Years Later

Remi stared out the hospital window.

The memory faded.

Chicago had changed her.

Medical school had changed her.

Residency had changed her.

But Rae and Del had changed her most.

They were the family she had found after leaving the one she’d lost.

And now she had brought them back with her.

Back to the place she had sworn she’d never return.

Back to the people who had broken her.

Back to Will.

Remi closed her eyes.

She could still hear his voice from nine years ago.

You don’t belong here.

She opened her eyes.

Will stood at the end of the hospital corridor.

Watching her.

Older.

Stronger.

Still impossible to ignore.

Remi’s chest tightened.

She immediately looked away.

“Don’t.”

His voice was quiet.

She turned.

“Don’t what?”

“Look at me like you hate me.”

A bitter laugh escaped her.

“You told me to hate you.”

Will’s jaw tightened.

“I know.”

“Then don’t act surprised that I listened.”

He stepped closer.

“Remi.”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“You don’t get to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Walk back into my life and act like nothing happened.”

“I know.”

“You destroyed everything between us.”

“I know.”

“You made me believe I wasn’t good enough.”

His expression cracked.

“That was never true.”

“But you made me believe it.”

Will looked down.

For the first time, Remi saw something she hadn’t expected.

Regret.

Deep.

Painful.

Real.

“I was wrong.”

She stared at him.

“That’s it?”

“No.”

His voice dropped.

“I’ve been wrong for nine years.”

Remi’s heart clenched.

“Then why?”

Will looked directly into her eyes.

Because I found out you were my mate.

Because I was terrified.

Because I thought pushing you away would protect you.

Because I loved you enough to let you hate me.

But he couldn’t say it.

Not yet.

Instead, he whispered—

“Because I thought letting you go was the only way you’d get the life you wanted.”

Remi froze.

“What?”

“You wanted to become a surgeon.”

“I did.”

“And you did.”

She swallowed.

“Yes.”

“Then maybe I was right.”

Her eyes flashed.

“No.”

Will frowned.

“You don’t get to take credit for my success.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You pushed me away.”

“I know.”

“You broke my heart.”

“I know.”

“And I spent nine years believing there was something wrong with me.”

Will’s expression hardened with guilt.

“There was never anything wrong with you.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

He went still.

Remi noticed.

“Tell me what?”

For one terrifying second, Will almost said it.

You’re my mate.

The words burned behind his teeth.

But he couldn’t.

Not yet.

Remi’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s what I thought.”

She turned and walked away.

Will watched her disappear around the corner.

Trey approached him.

“She’s never going to forgive us.”

Elijah’s expression was grim.

“Can you blame her?”

Will said nothing.

Because his wolf was awake.

Restless.

Furious.

And certain of one thing.

The girl they had pushed out of Bayou Falls nine years ago was back.

But she wasn’t the same girl.

She had built a life without them.

She had found a family of her own.

And now she had returned with two women who would soon become deeply connected to the Carter brothers.

Will didn’t know how.

He didn’t know why.

But the moment Remi stepped back into the Bayou, something inside him had changed.

Something ancient.

Something instinctive.

Something he had spent nine years trying to silence.

His wolf growled inside him.

Mate.

And this time, Will knew he couldn’t run from the truth forever.