Reclaiming My Broken Mate

Chapter 2

Zayden's Pov:

As part of my agreement with the Silver pack, the pack that had taken in Celeste; I was required to make annual visits. Officially, these visits were to report to Alpha Silver, but they served another purpose for me.

They gave me a reason to stay connected to Celeste, to catch the faintest trace of her scent and calm the restless storm always raging inside my wolf. No one knew about this arrangement. Not Celeste’s parents. Not even Celeste.

When I banished her all those years ago, I truly believed I was doing the right thing. My wolf had been unpredictable, and volatile. The responsibilities of being an alpha were relentless, and I’d been very afraid. Afraid that keeping her close would put her in danger.

Celeste had been too young, too inexperienced to navigate the harsh realities of pack politics. Banishing her was supposed to protect her—from the pack, and me.

But what I didn’t expect was how much that decision would haunt me. Each year, the separation became harder to bear. My wolf grew more restless, more resentful of the distance. These annual visits to the Silver Pack were the only thing keeping it from completely taking over.

This year was different, though.

The moment I stepped out of the car, I caught her scent. Stronger. Celeste. The usual traces that lingered around the pack’s territory were faint compared to this.

She was close. Cinnamon, apple, and vanilla—it hit me straight to the chest, the sweetness of it tinged with something new. Strong Independence.

“She’s here,” I murmured, my voice tight as I scanned the bar.

Peter, one of my most trusted enforcers, moved closer to me, his expression cautious. “Zayden, you need to keep your head down. We’re in human territory.”

“I know,” I snapped.

Damon, my beta, added, “We can’t risk exposure. You know the stakes.”

I barely heard them. My eyes were still searching until I found her almost instantly. Celeste.

She was standing at the bar, laughing with another woman—Franny. The alpha’s daughter.

Moments later, Franny pulled her onto the dance floor, and the others joined in. Celeste was smiling, moving to the music, looking carefree in a way that felt like a dagger to my chest.

Carefree. Without me.

My wolf snarled, rising to the surface, and I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the possessive instinct threatening to take over. Peter’s hand landed on my arm, grounding me.

“Don’t do this here,” he warned.

I shrugged him off. I couldn’t stay away, not anymore. Her scent was too intoxicating, her presence too overwhelming. Pushing through the crowd, I made my way to her.

The moment I grabbed her arm, the world seemed to shift. Franny’s voice—sharp and protective—barely registered. I pulled Celeste away from the crowd, out of the stifling bar, and into the cool night air.

At first, she let me lead her, but the second we were clear of human eyes, she fought back.

“Let go of me!” she snapped, yanking her arm free from mine with more strength than I expected.

I let her go, not wanting to hurt her, and watched as she stepped back, glaring at me with a fire I didn’t recognize.

“Leave,” her cold voice demanded.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “None of you should.”

She crossed her arms, letting out a bitter laugh. “You’re not their alpha, Zayden. You don’t get to decide where they go.”

I stepped closer, my voice lowering. “I’m your alpha.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

She met my gaze, unflinching, and closed the distance between us until she was so close I could feel the heat of her anger.

“Guess again. You banished me. You’re not my alpha. You’re nothing to me.”

Her words hit harder than I expected, but my wolf refused to back down. My hands found her arms, pulling her closer, the bond between us screaming for acknowledgment.

“You’re my mate,” I said, my voice raw with desperation.

Her eyes burned with defiance. “No. I’m your rejected mate. I’m not yours, Zayden. I’ll never be yours.”

With a swift movement, she wrenched herself free, the strength in her small frame catching me off guard.

“Don’t ever touch me like that again,” she warned. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Her rejection hung in the air, heavier than I’d imagined.

“Alpha?” Peter’s voice broke through the haze.

“She’s different,” I muttered, more to myself than to him.

“She’s angry,” Damon said. “And she has every right to be. You rejected her, Zayden. You should have expected this.”

My chest ached as I watched her retreating figure. Damon was right. I’d made my choice all those years ago, thinking I was doing what was best for her.

But standing here now, watching the woman she’d become, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to win her back.

I never realized Celeste had a thing for cosmetics. After I banished her and my wolf became unbearable, her parents gave me access to her bedroom. Stepping inside was like opening a door to a part of Celeste I’d never known.

Young Celeste had loved the color pink. It was everywhere—her bedspread, her pillows, even the small trinkets on her shelves. She was all about dresses and skirts, barely touching pants unless the cold season made it unavoidable. Unlike most teenagers, her room wasn’t covered in posters of celebrities or musicians. Instead, it was filled with images of styles she liked to replicate—makeup looks, and elegant hairstyles.

Celeste had turned that passion into something real. She’d become the Silver Pack’s beautician, opening a small salon to style hair and do makeup. According to Silver, she’d even done the mating looks for several of their females. I’d dismissed it as insignificant nonsense when I first heard about it.

But now? Now, I wanted to know everything about what she was up to.

The moment I entered Silver’s territory, I felt his power as alpha. My wolf bristled, instinctively wanting to challenge it. That urge was always there—it was built into me—but my father had drilled into me the importance of patience and diplomacy. A wolf ruled by instinct alone was a wolf constantly at war, and I wasn’t interested in that kind of chaos.

Within minutes, I was standing at Silver’s doorstep, and the man himself was already there waiting for me.

“You’re late,” Silver said, leaning casually against the doorframe.

“And your daughter decided to frequent a human bar and take my mate with her, along with several members of your pack.”

Silver didn’t even flinch. “Zayden, let me worry about how I run my pack and my people. You focus on your pack and whatever problems you’ve got there.”

The words felt like a heavy slap on me, but I swallowed my response. Silver was doing me a favor by even letting me be here, and I couldn’t afford to piss him off. I thought about Celeste, about what I needed, and forced myself to keep calm.

“I need to ask you for a favor,” I said, locking eyes with him.

Silver’s lips quirked into something between a smirk and a sneer. “So, you want a favor. Maybe consider not insulting me first, then.”

He wasn’t wrong. I hated that he wasn’t wrong. Gripping the back of my neck, I exhaled sharply, trying to rein in my temper. “I want to stay here. Until I get Celeste back.”

His arms folded across his chest as he stared me down. “Come again?”

“You heard me. It’s time. She’s my mate.”

“But as I recall, you made it very clear you didn’t want her. That she meant nothing to you”

I flinched internally at the reminder. Yeah, I’d said that. Told him to keep her, to take care of her, to look out for her.

“I know what I said,” I admitted.

“And now you’ve changed your mind?”

“Yes.”

Silver let out a heavy sigh, his gaze steady. “She’s your mate, huh?”

“She is.”

“A mate you rejected and pushed aside,” he reminded me.

“You can’t come between two mates,” I said, my voice firm.

He didn’t back down. “I’m not coming between anyone. But let me make one thing clear, Zayden—Celeste is a valued member of my pack. She had a rough start here, but she’s found her place. Besides my daughter, there are plenty of others who’ll miss her.”

“And?” I snapped, barely holding back a growl. I didn’t give a damn about how the Silver pack felt. Celeste was mine.

Silver’s glare sharpened. “This isn’t about you, Zayden. This is Celeste’s decision.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Celeste gets to decide if she leaves this pack. Not you. Not me.”

“You’re the alpha,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm, though I felt the tension creeping into my words.

“And as alpha, I make decisions that benefit my pack. Forcing her to leave against her will isn’t one of them.” He stepped back, opening the door wider. “We’ll handle this tomorrow. Have you found somewhere to stay?”

“No,” I replied.

“Then you’ll stay here,” he said simply, turning away before I could respond.

And just like that, I was left standing there.

I was far more than pissed, but I knew better than to let it show. My father had taught me better.

Silver was an ally for now, and I couldn’t afford to make an enemy out of him.

Not when Celeste was at the center of it all.