Chapter 17: To settle in

"I'm physically unable to lead my herd as their leader right now," Zeus admitted, voice low. "I'm still too weak to make decisions after the rejection. You’d think that nearly three years would be enough time, but losing my Mate… it shattered something inside me. My second-in-command stepped in for me, temporarily, until I could take up the mantle again." He paused, eyes heavy with memory before continuing, “But you could help me with that. We can help each other. Maybe even find our way back to normal… or happiness, if we dare to try.”

This time, I finally found my voice. The questions I’d buried began to rise to the surface, refusing to stay quiet any longer.

“Zeus, when I bought wolfsnip with you  did you know I was Knox’s mate?” I asked as I checked all my stuff. 

“Not really. I learned it when I flew above your pack and to check Emerald for the last time and you emerged from the woods. I was curious.”

“Hmmm,” I said and looked at him, his blue eyes sparkling. “You were persistent back then.”

“Of course,” Zeus answered without hesitation. “I saw someone like me, broken and so I decided to save you. Knowing Knox, he was never going to let go of Emerald. He told me before when I confronted him once. It took me to stop myself blasting fire over his pack.”  

“If you did that, I would probably search for you and murder you in your sleep,” I said, smiling. “Or blame Emerald. Oh speaking of her, she came here last night,” I added. 

“And what did she do?” Zeus said as he munched on Kaila’s Coffee cookie. 

“She said sorry and that I need to understand her. She said she wasn’t sorry for rejecting you because you destroyed her pack.”

“I didn’t destroy anything,” he replied. “It was my father and as long as I remember, their Alpha has some beef with my father. He insulted him.”

“She was blaming you.” 

“Oh, she’s welcome,” he replied, helping himself to another cookie. 

I swallowed hard, a bitter taste settling on my tongue. 

“Why does fate have to be so cruel? We didn’t deserve this.”

“I agree,” he said gently. “But maybe… maybe fate is giving us a second chance. Maybe we deserve better.”

I exhaled slowly, trying to sit up even as a wave of dizziness hit me.

“You chose me because you knew I would be rejected? Why not someone else?”

“Not exactly,” Zeus replied. “I thought things would go differently. I believed that if Knox found his true mate, he’d finally let go of Emerald. But he didn’t. He clung to her, even knowing the cost.”

He looked at me, eyes heavy with truth.

“If I had found someone else, someone who hadn’t yet met their mate, I might have taken them from a bond they didn’t know they were destined for. I couldn’t do that to another wolf. I wouldn’t cause that kind of pain.”

I nodded slowly. It was rare to meet a wolf who’d been rejected. Most simply didn’t survive it.

“So... this is just us helping each other survive?”

“Exactly.”

I had to admit, it made sense. It was better than sinking into despair, turning feral, or worse.

“Besides,” Zeus added with a small smile, “you were meant to be a Luna. You can help me lead.”

I let out a soft laugh.

“I’ve never been much of a leader. Just… independent.”

“You’ll grow into it,” he said confidently.

Suddenly, a sharp, tingling pain shot through my skull. I groaned and covered my face with my hands as my teeth ached with a deep, almost primal pain.

“Nov?” Zeus said, instantly alert. “Are you okay?”

“I—I’m fine,” I lied, even as the pressure built behind my eyes. My vision blurred, and my canines throbbed with pain.

“Your wolf is becoming unstable,” he said softly. “We need to leave soon as possible. But I have to put a temporary mark to stabilize her. Will that be okay?”

I looked at him, struggling to breathe through the pain, my head pounding. A wave of agony tore through me, and I screamed.

Then Zeus stepped forward, tilted my neck gently—and bit me.

The pain was sharp, shocking, but then, just as suddenly, the headache vanished. The pounding quieted. I clung to him, trembling.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “A temporary mark slows the descent into ferality. It will last for two days. I know it hurts, but hang on. You will be okay.”

I held onto his shoulder tightly, trying to steady myself.

“Nov,” Zeus said gently. “This won’t be easy. But we can survive this together. I promise.”

Promise. A word I’d long since stopped believing in. But with Zeus... maybe. Just maybe.

This pain, this grief, had consumed me. I didn’t want to live. I nearly didn’t.

But maybe, just maybe, this was my second chance too. Still, a part of me hesitated. Could I really do this? Could I truly bond with someone who wasn’t my mate?

My wolf growled in protest within me—but the other part of me, the broken, desperate part, clung to the hope he offered.

If I said yes, I’d have a partner. A new mate. A chance at healing.

It was worth the risk, wasn’t it?

“I’ll be your mate,” I whispered, looking into his eyes.

For a moment, I swore I saw something there—hope. Or maybe I just imagined it.

We spent the next half hour talking about the mating process and pack matters. At 9:30, the nurse discharged me, and Zeus drove me home.

Before he left, he turned to me. “I’ll come by tonight. Be ready. We’ll start fresh.”

I nodded. There were still people I had to face. January, Kaila. They’d worried about me for so long—and I’d shut them out.

When I opened the door, January stood there looking like he’d aged ten years, and Kaila’s eyes were swollen from crying.

The moment they saw me, Kaila rushed forward and pulled me into a hug.

“I’m so sorry, Nov,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know… I should have been there.”

I hugged her tightly, warmth blooming in my chest despite everything.

“It’s okay, Kai. I missed you too.”

She pulled back, inspecting me with tearful eyes. “Are you really okay? Your eyes are… red.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

January stepped forward, his voice thick. 

“Sissy.”

He pulled me into a hug, and for the first time in so long, I let myself feel loved again.

“Thank the goddess you're safe,” he whispered. “What would I do if Mom and Dad came back to haunt me for not protecting you?”

I laughed softly, pressing my forehead to his shoulder.

I missed them. Both of them. More than I ever realized.

And for the first time in months, I didn’t feel so alone.