Tangled Past, Forbidden Desire

Nova

Blood…

It’s everywhere… splattered across the gravel ground, clinging to my fur, and dripping off the body of the naked man before me.

Large gashes run across his chest as he falls to his knees, but he looks at me defiantly.

He knows he can end this. With one simple phrase, even just a bow of the head, he can save not one but two lives. However, he remains stubborn and prideful as ever.

Everything around us fades away. I hear the distant scream of my mother begging me not to do this, and my sister crying hysterically, but everything else is a blur.

My own heart feels as if it stops beating for a few seconds before I lunge forward and rip his throat out.

I see myself in the large window of the packhouse beside me. My pale wolf is unrecognizable from the amount of blood on me.

I shift, breathless and trembling, human once more, staring down at the mangled corpse of my father.

***

My eyes snap open, my lungs burning as I gasp for air. The bedroom door suddenly creaks, and Leon steps inside, walking straight towards me. He sits beside me on the bed and pulls me into his strong chest. His hand rubs my back soothingly as he waits for my breathing to steady.

When the nightmares started at the age of twenty-one, not once did he question me. Three years of this, and he still doesn’t. Never questions, never pries. He simply holds me, grounding me, as my storm settles.

His fingers brush through my sweaty curls before he silently pulls away, giving me a soft, comforting kiss on top of my head. He disappears down the hall, and moments later, I hear the kettle filling with water.

I drag myself to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. Gripping the counter, I scan my reflection—wild green eyes, unruly brown curls, pale skin, and nose dusted with a few soft freckles.

A werewolf with freckles… Damn genetics.

I scoff. If only we were like the legends portray us. Just imagine—perfect tanned skin, glossy hair, and our wolves, different entities, whispering wisdom in our heads.

But no, we’re just animals with genetic imperfections, wild hair, and no extra voices guiding us. Just our own messed-up thoughts, emotions, and instincts we have to fight to control.

I step out of the bathroom when I hear Leon returning to my room. He places a warm mug of chamomile tea into my hands.

‘Thank you,’ I murmur telepathically, my voice echoing in his head, and I offer him a weak smile.

“Anytime.” He whispers. His brown eyes are warm as he smiles softly at me.

I cross to the window, staring down at the pack grounds, and he takes his leave. From the top floor of the packhouse, the grounds of the Arcane Pack are laid out in front of me like a map. The world is bathed in silver, the air electric with the moon goddess’s magic.

Tonight, on the night of the full moon, is the only time werewolves can find their fated mates. I haven't found mine yet, but that's fine. He could be anywhere in the world, and I know I'll find a mate soon enough.

I feel a flutter of nerves in my stomach when the sound of tires crunching over gravel snaps my attention downward.

A sleek black limousine glides through the large pack gates, flanked by two Range Rovers.

The Alpha family of the Oracle Pack has arrived.

They park in front of the Arcane Alpha's hall.

The car doors swing open, and the first to step out of the car are the Alpha and Luna.

I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia. I remember standing in their mansion as a child, my sister Raven at my side, the two of us dragging mud across their pristine floors.

Our parents were always travelling, avoiding their responsibilities, avoiding us, so Raven and I were left in the care of another Alpha’s family. Alex and Nate’s family. We were supposed to be guests, but really, they raised us.

How many times had Luna Isla scolded us for sneaking sweets before dinner? How often had Alpha Charles given me a look that said, "Control yourself, Nova," when I got into yet another wrestling match with his sons?

And the boys…

I wonder how they turned out.

Those carefree boys who played at being warriors, who swore to always have my back.

Nate, so bright, so full of boundless energy, dragging me into some ridiculous game or challenge.

Alex, quieter but no less mischievous, rolling his eyes before inevitably joining in.

Alex, who was beautiful even then.

And now—

As they step out of the car…

Damn.

Tall. Powerful. Dangerous.

My breath catches.

Nate still has that quiet charm, his golden hair falling just past his shoulders, his light blue eyes warm but unreadable. A smile playing at the corners of his lips. But Alex...

Alex is something else entirely.

Golden-brown hair, tousled like he’s been running his hands through it. Short at the sides, curls on top. A strong jaw, with a hint of stubble shadowing his sharp cheekbones. And those eyes... steely blue, glowing beneath the full moon’s light as he surveys the pack grounds like he owns them.

My body remembers him before my mind can catch up.

The older boy who once tackled me into mud puddles, who smirked as he held me down just to hear me curse.

The teenager who filled out with broad shoulders and sharp muscle, whose teasing turned heavier, whose gaze lingered too long, whose touch burned hotter. I bite my lip, thinking back at him.

He had girls throwing themselves at him, but he always did focus his teasing on me. His suggestive remarks. We were raised like siblings, which only made the attraction feel more forbidden, but who cares? It didn’t matter back then, and it doesn’t matter now. He always made it clear, he doesn’t play by any rules, and damn, did that make me want him even more. I had a crush on him for years. Silly, desperate, intense, all-consuming. I told myself it was just a phase. That when we were forced apart, I’d forget. That time would dull the ache.

But time did nothing.

Because now he’s standing there, exuding raw power, exuding him, and my body is reacting like it never forgot a single thing.

I’ve heard the stories. The Weston womanizer, the Alpha-Heir who doesn’t do relationships. Women cycle in and out of his life like seasons, but he never stays. Never commits. A flirt, a heartbreaker, a man who takes what he wants and leaves before dawn.

The way he leans in when Beta Talia speaks to him, the smirk that tugs at his lips—it's effortless. Practiced. A game he’s mastered.

As I watch him, my pulse skyrockets. My every nerve ignites, and my stomach tightens like someone punched me. My breath catches in my throat.

No.

No, it’s just an attraction, I tell myself. Just nostalgia. Nothing more.

His head snaps up, and his gaze locks onto mine. That sexy smirk fades. His chest rises in a slow, sharp inhale—just enough for me to notice.

Then, for a split second, his fingers curl into fists at his sides. Shock flickers across his face. Recognition. Something deeper. Something raw. His eyes flicker into the glowing dark blue of his wolf's eyes.

The ground tilts beneath me.

No. No fucking way.

Mate.

One of the warriors speaks to him, and he turns away.

I shove away from the window, my hands trembling. My heart pounds so loudly I swear the whole packhouse can hear it, but I don't care about that right now. I don't care about anything other than going to him.

I need to move. To breathe.

I take the stairs two at a time, rushing through the front door until I’m outside. The cold night air bites at my overheated skin, and my gaze flickers back to the Alpha’s Hall.

He’s in there. So close.

I want him.

I take one step forward, then stop.

Every instinct demands I run to him, to confirm what I already know, to feel his touch. My fingers twitch at my sides. I can’t just storm in, breathless and desperate, throwing myself at him like a lovesick pup. We haven’t seen each other in years. He probably doesn’t even remember me that way. He might not even recognize me.

I force myself to turn away, to think. Because if I go in there now, if I see him, I won’t be able to stop myself.

‘No rules, little wolf… Keep pushing me, and I'll make you admit you want this just as much as I do.’

His seductive voice fills my head. His words from long ago once again cloud my thoughts.

And goddess help me — I can't wait to come face to face with him.

But first, I need to calm my thoughts. To quiet the hunger clawing at my insides.

I turn on my heel and sprint into the forest. I shift mid-stride, the wind rushing past me.

But no matter how fast I run, I can’t outrun that moment.

The way everything inside me screamed to have him.

Of all the wolves in the world... why did it have to be the one who could ruin me?