Chapter- 2
1401 Words
ALICE.
I could still hear Lucas calling my name.
Again and again, his voice chased after me through the cold night wind, deep and desperate, carrying the familiar pull of the mate bond I had spent five years trying to silence.
But I never looked back.
Not because I was afraid of facing him… but because I refused to let him see the tears streaming down my face. Tears I fought so hard to hold back, yet betrayed me anyway, hot and unstoppable against my skin.
What more could he possibly want from me?
Five years had passed since he rejected me.
Five years since the Alpha I loved shattered our bond and walked away as if our vows beneath the Moon Goddess meant nothing.
So why now?
Why call my name as though he still had the right?
Hadn’t he already destroyed enough of me?
I stumbled back into my cottage, trembling. The moment the door closed behind me, my knees nearly gave out beneath the crushing weight inside my chest.
Every memory of him came flooding back like a storm unleashed.
The pain was still there.
Sharp. Familiar. Merciless.
Five years.
For five years, Lucas and I lived like husband and wife beneath the blessing of the Moon Goddess.
Five years of waking beside him.
Five years of hearing his wolf purr against mine whenever he wrapped me in his arms at night.
Five years of laughter filling the quiet spaces between us.
Every sunrise we shared.
Every whispered promise beneath the moonlight.
Every small moment made me believe our bond would last forever.
And then one day… he destroyed it all.
Without warning, he walked away.
Told me he didn’t love me.
Told me he never had.
“Damn you, Lucas…” I choked out, my voice trembling violently. “Why did you have to come back now?”
I pressed a shaking hand against my chest, trying to calm the ache spreading through me.
“Just when I was finally learning how to forget you… why did fate bring you back into my life?”
I collapsed face-first onto the bed, burying my face into the pillow as the tears finally broke free.
The scent of salt and moonflowers lingered faintly in the room, but even that calming fragrance couldn’t soothe the chaos inside me.
I cried until my chest hurt.
Until breathing itself became difficult.
As though the mate bond between us was ripping itself open all over again.
I stayed there for a long time… motionless, exhausted, drowning in memories I thought I had already buried.
Eventually, the tightness in my chest loosened enough for me to breathe again.
Slowly, I rolled onto my back and stared blankly at the ceiling before forcing myself upright.
I walked into the bathroom and turned on the cold water.
The icy stream poured over my skin, but no matter how long I stood beneath it, it couldn’t wash away the pain Lucas left carved into my soul.
I was tired of feeling this way.
Five years… and I was still bleeding from wounds he created.
That was why I promised myself something the moment I stepped out of that shower.
I would ignore him.
No matter what happened.
No matter what he said.
Because if I allowed Lucas even the smallest place inside my heart again…
He wouldn’t just break me this time.
He would destroy the pieces I had barely managed to rebuild.
So, I pretended nothing had happened.
I forced myself to move normally, smile normally, breathe normally… as if seeing him again hadn’t shattered every wall I worked so hard to build around my heart.
I kept myself busy during the following days, refusing to let my thoughts wander toward him.
And if fate crossed our paths again, I swore I would stay calm.
I would treat him like nothing more than a stranger who happened to know my past.
Days passed after our unexpected reunion, and honestly… I was relieved Lucas hadn’t appeared again.
Maybe he will leave the island soon.
Maybe the Moon Goddess would finally stop tormenting me.
“Hi… are you alone?”
I looked up at the unfamiliar voice.
A man stood before me, smiling warmly.
He was handsome… tall, muscular, and confident in the effortless way powerful wolves often were. His scent carried cedarwood and smoke, calm yet commanding.
“Yes,” I answered honestly. “I’m alone.”
“Logan,” he introduced himself with an easy grin. “And you?”
“Alice.”
I tilted my head slightly before adding deliberately, “Twenty-seven years old. Formerly mated.
Separated for five years.”
I watched carefully for his reaction.
But Logan didn’t flinch.
“I’m thirty-three,” he replied casually. “No mate. No pups. And most importantly…” His grin widened playfully. “No girlfriend.”
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing softly.
To my surprise, he laughed with me.
There was something warm about him. Easy. Safe.
Like sunlight after years of endless winter.
“Are you trying to read my mind?” I teased. “The way you keep looking at me… it feels like you’re trying to figure out every thought inside my head.”
“Am I not allowed?” he chuckled. “I thought maybe you’d want to be friends.”
“Maybe,” I admitted. “People say this island gets lonely when you’re by yourself. Honestly, when I saw you earlier, I hoped you were alone too… so maybe I’d have someone to talk to while I’m here.”
Logan smiled softly at that.
“The way I see it,” I continued, “wolves come to the Island of Fire for only two reasons. Either they’re running from something… or trying to forget someone. Which one are you?”
“Neither,” he answered instantly before laughing.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“What?” he grinned. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“You have ridiculously perfect teeth,” I blurted before I could stop myself.
His laughter deepened.
“Are you thinking I’m some kind of toothpaste model?”
“What? No!” I protested too quickly. “I just noticed, okay?”
A reluctant smile escaped me anyway.
For the first time in years, talking to someone didn’t feel exhausting.
“Do you have plans tonight?” Logan asked suddenly.
“Why?”
“I wanted to invite you somewhere.”
“And where exactly is that?”
“The shore,” he answered. “There’s a fire dance ceremony tonight beneath the full moon. I thought maybe you’d like to watch it with me.”
It actually sounded nice.
“What time?”
“Around eight or nine.”
I nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll go.”
“So I’ll see you there?” he asked hopefully.
“Sure. I don’t exactly have anyone else here.”
“Promise?”
I laughed softly. “Yes, Logan. Promise.”
“Good,” he said with a satisfied grin before finally walking away.
I shook my head lightly and pulled out my phone, continuing my walk along the island path.
Then suddenly… “Are you flirting with him?”
My entire body stiffened.
That voice.
Familiar. Dangerous. Unwanted.
Slowly, I turned around.
Lucas stood there, walking toward me beneath the moonlight like he still belonged in my life.
The small smile on my face disappeared instantly.
My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, but I ignored it and turned away from him.
“Alice, please…” he called out desperately. “Talk to me.”
“For what?” I snapped coldly, anger burning through me.
“So, I can explain everything,” he said quickly. “What happened back then… why did I leave…”
“I don’t care.”
My voice came out sharp enough to cut through steel.
“I’m not interested in anything you have to say, Lucas. That part of my life is over.”
I looked straight into his eyes, forcing myself to remain strong despite the violent ache clawing at my chest.
“I’m not going back to you.”
Then I turned around and walked away.
Fast.
His voice continued chasing after me as he called my name again and again through the night.
But this time…
I never looked back. Even once... never.
- Writer
