The Alpha Who Never Forgot
753 Words
William Carter had faced rogue wolves, pack disputes, council pressure, and blood-soaked battles without flinching.
But the moment Remington Hayes stepped out of that SUV—
He forgot how to breathe.
He stood rooted beside his bike, hands locked tight at his sides, because if he moved too soon, too fast, he wasn’t sure what would happen.
Nine years.
Nine damn years.
And somehow she looked exactly like every memory that had haunted him—and nothing like them at all.
She was stronger now.
Sharper.
Her confidence rolled off her in waves, impossible to ignore.
Gone was the stubborn girl who used to storm through the bayou trying to prove herself.
In her place stood a woman who knew exactly who she was.
And God help him, she was breathtaking.
His wolf stirred instantly.
Not curiosity.
Not interest.
Recognition.
It slammed into him so hard his pulse kicked.
Mine.
Will shut it down immediately.
No.
Absolutely not.
He had spent years burying that instinct.
Years convincing himself that what he felt for Remi was attachment. History. Regret.
Anything but fate.
Because fate had no business tying her to him.
Not after what he’d done.
Not after the way he’d forced her out.
He remembered the night she left as clearly as if it were yesterday.
She’d been accepted into one of the top surgical programs in Chicago.
A dream she’d fought for with every ounce of herself.
And he—
He had pushed.
Harder than he ever had before.
Told her Bayou Falls would never be enough for someone like her.
Told her she’d regret staying.
Told her to leave and never look back.
She’d hated him for it.
Good.
That had been the point.
Because if she stayed…
She would’ve been trapped.
And he’d rather be the villain in her story than the reason she gave up her future.
Even if it broke something inside him.
He watched her now from the porch of the main pack house, long after she’d disappeared into the home arranged for her.
The moon hung low over the bayou, silver light cutting across the water.
Trey leaned against the railing beside him.
“You look like hell.”
Will didn’t answer.
Elijah stepped out a moment later, drink in hand.
“That dog hates you.”
Will exhaled sharply.
“That dog is smarter than most people.”
Trey grinned.
“So… Remi’s back.”
As if he hadn’t noticed.
Will shot him a glare.
Trey held up both hands.
“Just saying. Kinda hard to miss the tension.”
“There is no tension.”
Elijah snorted.
“Right.”
Will dragged a hand down his face.
He had responsibilities.
A pack to lead.
A council breathing down his neck.
Rising unrest in neighboring territories.
Too many threats pressing in from every side.
He did not have time for this.
For her.
And yet every thought circled back.
The way she’d looked at him.
The steel in her voice.
The fire that had never dulled.
He should’ve felt relief seeing her successful, thriving, exactly where she belonged.
Instead, all he felt was the sharp ache of every year without her.
“You never got over her,” Elijah said quietly.
Will went still.
Trey’s humor faded.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Will spoke.
“No.”
The honesty surprised even him.
Because there was no point denying it anymore.
He had never gotten over Remington Hayes.
Not when she was halfway across the country.
Not when other women came and went without ever touching the place she occupied.
Not when he buried himself in leadership, duty, and war.
She had stayed.
In every quiet moment.
Every memory.
Every damn breath.
And now she was here again.
Close enough to ruin him.
A sudden wave of heat rolled through him.
He gripped the railing.
His wolf surged beneath his skin.
Restless.
Agitated.
Hungry.
The bond.
No.
He rejected it instantly.
Because it couldn’t be.
She was human.
He was Alpha.
And fate was cruel, but not stupid.
This was memory.
Proximity.
A trick of instinct.
Nothing more.
He forced the feeling down.
Buried it where it belonged.
But as he lifted his head, his gaze caught movement across the waterline.
Remi stood on the porch of her house, moonlight brushing across her skin.
Aspen at her side.
She looked toward the bayou.
Toward him.
And in that exact moment—
His wolf rose fully.
Not with resistance.
Not with confusion.
But with absolute certainty.
Mine.
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