The Scent of the Past

Six years later, the valley of Mistwood awoke to the hum of life and the soft chatter of morning markets. The air smelled of warm bread and dew, sunlight spilling through the branches to kiss the roofs of small cottages. Mistwood was a peaceful haven, untouched by the politics of packs or the bloodshed of territorial wars.

In a cottage near the river, Aria Hale stirred a pot of herbs that filled the room with the gentle scent of chamomile and mint. Steam curled around her face as she crushed dried petals with steady hands. Healing had become her second nature—not just for those who sought her help, but for herself. Each day she gathered peace from the fragments of a past she no longer spoke of.

From the next room came the sound of laughter—bright, wild, unguarded. A small boy burst into the kitchen, his golden eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Mother, look!” he cried, holding up a crooked crown of flowers.

Aria turned, her heart softening. Liam was the center of her world, her secret and her salvation. At six years old, he carried the spirit of both wolves who had created him—his father’s fierce gaze and her quiet strength. She knelt to fix the crown on his messy hair.

“You look like a little prince,” she teased.

He grinned proudly. “Then you must be the queen.”

Her laughter warmed the air, soft and fleeting. For a moment, it felt as though the world outside their home didn’t exist. Yet beneath that calm, Aria’s wolf never truly slept. Some nights she still woke in a cold sweat, the echo of rejection burning in her chest. She told herself Kael Blackthorn belonged to another life—one she had buried deep.

But fate rarely forgets.

Far from Mistwood, riders bearing the crest of the Silver wolves cut through the forest with quiet urgency. Their Alpha had ordered a diplomatic journey to secure an alliance against the northern packs threatening war. Among them rode Kael Blackthorn, his face as unreadable as ever, though his soul carried the weight of every decision he’d ever made.

He had ruled with strength, built peace, and crushed every enemy who stood against him. Yet one battle still raged within him—the war between pride and regret. Every full moon, his wolf grew restless, haunted by the bond he had broken.

When the valley came into view, the wind shifted. Kael froze. His wolf went still before bursting to life, a low growl rising from deep within.

Lavender and rain.

The scent hit him like a blade. He closed his eyes, inhaling again. It was impossible—years had passed—but the air didn’t lie. The scent was faint but real, weaving through the marketplace ahead. His pulse quickened.

“Alpha?” his Beta asked cautiously. “Something wrong?”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “No. Continue ahead.”

But his steps betrayed him. The pull was instinctive, stronger with every breath. He followed the scent through the market until he reached the narrow path by the river—and stopped cold.

There she was.

Aria.

She stood beside a small wooden stall, sunlight painting her hair with gold. Her hands moved gracefully as she handed herbs to a villager, her voice soft and kind. She looked different—stronger, steadier—but unmistakably her. The years had turned her grief into quiet fire.

And beside her stood a boy.

Liam’s laughter rang through the air—bright, free—and when Kael saw those golden eyes, the world tilted. His wolf roared inside him, the sound echoing in his chest.

Ours.

He took a step forward, but Aria turned suddenly, sensing the shift in the air. Her gaze locked with his. Time stopped. The basket slipped from her hands, herbs scattering across the ground. Her breath caught, her lips parting in shock.

Six years had passed since she’d last seen him, but her soul recognized that presence instantly. The ache of the old bond flared to life, raw and unrelenting.

Then, without a word, she reached for Liam’s hand and walked quickly away from the market.

Kael didn’t follow. He stood frozen, muscles coiled, every instinct screaming to go after her. Her scent clung to the air like a ghost he couldn’t escape. His men spoke to him, but their voices blurred into nothing.

That night, under the pale rise of the moon, Kael sat alone by the window of his guest chamber. His reflection stared back at him, hollow-eyed and sleepless. The memory of her face—of fear and something deeper—burned behind his eyelids.

He could no longer pretend she was gone.

“Find out who she is,” he ordered his Beta quietly. “The woman by the river. I want everything.”

By morning, the report arrived. A healer named Aria. Living in Mistwood. A young son. No mate. No record of a father.

Kael dismissed his men and stared at the dawn spreading over the valley. His heart pounded with something between dread and longing. Could the goddess have given him a second chance through the very life he’d destroyed?

By the river, Aria sat watching the water ripple in the light. Her fingers traced circles across the surface, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She had felt him before she saw him—the bond she’d buried still throbbed faintly, a wound that refused to close. Seeing him again had torn it wide open.

Her wolf whimpered his name, aching for what once was, but her heart remembered the pain too clearly. She looked at Liam, who chased dragonflies nearby, and her jaw hardened.

She couldn’t let Kael near him. Not yet.

“Mother,” Liam called, running back to her. “Why do you look sad?”

Aria forced a small smile, brushing his hair back. “I’m just thinking.”

“About Father?” he asked innocently.

Her breath faltered. She rarely spoke of Kael, telling Liam only that his father was brave but far away. She pulled him close and whispered, “Something like that.”

Liam nestled into her arms, content, unaware of the storm brewing beyond the horizon. Aria held him tighter, her heart whispering a vow only the moon could hear.

“No one will take you from me.”

But deep down, she felt it—the tightening pull of fate, the stir of destiny that refused to rest. Somewhere in the shadows of Mistwood, the Alpha who had once broken her heart was searching for redemption.

And this time, destiny would not let either of them run.