Let Him Beg

Chapter 5

That night, I could not sleep.

I was back in my old room at the back of the pack house. The same small room where I used to cry myself to sleep. But now, the room looked different. Kaden had ordered the maids to clean it, to put new sheets, new curtains, fresh flowers. He had even put a small fridge with food and drinks.

He was trying to impress me. He was trying to say sorry without words.

But sorry was not enough.

You are thinking too much, Nyx said, stretching inside me. Sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day.

"How can I sleep?" I whispered. "My heart is beating so fast. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. Kaden crying. Kaden begging. I never thought I would see that."

That is because he finally understands what he lost, Nyx said. For three years, he thought you were dead. He thought his mate was gone. Now you are back, and you are more powerful than him. That scares him.

Just then, there was a knock on my door. Soft, careful, like the person was afraid to disturb me.

I opened the door, and my heart stopped.

It was Kaden.

He was standing there in a plain black shirt, no Alpha jacket, no guards, no pride. Just a man. His eyes were red from crying. He looked like he had not slept in days.

"Can I come in?" he asked quietly. "Please. Just for five minutes. I need to talk to you."

I wanted to say no. I wanted to be strong. But my wolf was pushing me to let him in. My heart was beating for him, even after everything.

"Five minutes," I said, stepping aside.

He walked in and stood in the middle of the room, looking around like he was seeing my pain for the first time. He saw the small bed. He saw the cracked window. He saw the old table where I used to eat alone.

"Zara," he said, his voice breaking again. "I am so sorry. I lived in this big house, eating good food, sleeping in a big room, while you were here in this small room, suffering. I knew. I always knew. But I was too proud to help you. I was too afraid of what people would say if the Alpha helped a wolfless girl."

I crossed my arms. "You didn't just fail to help me, Kaden. You rejected me. In front of everyone. You called me trash. You let Mia laugh at me. Do you know what that did to me?"

He fell to his knees.

Right there, in my small room, the Alpha of Silver Moon Pack, the most powerful man in the territory, fell to his knees in front of me.

"I know," he cried. "I have dreamed about that day every night for three years. I hear your screams. I see you running into the forest. I wake up sweating. Zara, I was under pressure. My father told me a wolfless girl could never be Luna. The elders told me to reject you. Mia told me she would be a better Luna. I listened to them. I was weak. I was a coward."

Tears fell from his eyes onto the floor. "But after you left, everything fell apart. Mia is not a Luna. She is selfish. She steals money from the pack. She is cruel to the servants. The pack is suffering. Rogues are attacking us every week. We are losing warriors. I need you, Zara. Not just as my mate. I need you as my Luna. You are the only one who can save this pack."

I looked down at him. For three years, I had dreamed of this moment. I had dreamed of Kaden begging. I had dreamed of making him suffer.

But now that it was happening, I did not feel happy. I felt sad. I felt pity. And I felt love. That stupid mate bond would not let me hate him completely.

"Kaden, get up," I said softly.

"No," he said. "Not until you forgive me. I will stay here all night if I have to. I will kneel until my legs break. Just please, don't leave me again. I cannot survive another three years without you."

Nyx whispered, He means it. His wolf is crying too. I can feel it. His wolf, Drak, has been suffering without us. He is not lying.

I sighed and knelt down in front of him, so we were eye to eye. I wiped his tears with my hand, like I used to do when we were children and he would fall and cry.

"Kaden, listen to me," I said. "I am not going to forgive you today. What you did hurt me too much. But I am not going to leave, either. I am here to help the pack. My pack. My father's pack. I will stay and fight the rogues. I will stay and fix what is broken. And during that time, you can prove to me that you have changed. Not with words. With actions."

His eyes lit up with hope. "You will stay? You really will stay?"

"Yes," I said. "I will stay. But Kaden, if you hurt me again, if you let Mia hurt me again, if you choose them over me again I will leave, and this time, I will never come back. And you will never find me."

He grabbed my hand and held it to his chest, where his heart was beating fast. "I promise. I swear on the Moon Goddess. I will never hurt you again. I will protect you. Even if it costs me my life."

For a moment, we just stayed there, kneeling on the floor, holding hands, looking at each other. The mate bond was warm now, not painful. It felt like coming home.

Then suddenly, we heard a loud scream from outside. Then gunshots. Then wolves howling.

ROGUES! Nyx screamed in my mind. They are attacking! Now!

Kaden jumped up, his Alpha power exploding. "Stay here, Zara! Stay safe!"

But I stood up too, my violet eyes glowing. My white fur started to appear on my arms. Nyx was ready.

"No, Kaden," I said, smiling for the first time. "I am not hiding anymore. I am fighting with you."

We ran out together, into the night, into the battle.

And Silver Moon Pack was about to see what the Moon Wolf could really do.