RETURN TO THE MATE WHO REJECTED ME?

"You need to wake up, Selena. We don’t have much time."

My eyes fluttered open, the scent of strong herbs filling my nose. My head pounded as I tried to move, a sharp pain shooting through my leg. Groaning, I shifted slightly, blinking against the dim candlelight.

"Easy," a voice said.

I turned my head and saw him—Alpha Raiden. He was sitting on the edge of my bed, arms crossed, watching me closely. His dark eyes held something I hadn’t seen before. Urgency.

"Where...where am I?" My throat was dry, my voice barely a whisper.

"Safe, for now," he answered, his tone firm. "But not for long."

I forced myself to sit up, wincing as my body protested. "What happened?" My memories were hazy, like a fog clouding my mind. Then it hit me. The battle. Adrian. The blade cutting into my leg. The darkness swallowing me whole.

"Adrian—" My voice shook. "Where is he?"

Raiden sighed, rubbing his temples. "Gone. For now. But not forever."

I swallowed hard. "He’s coming back, isn’t he?"

Raiden nodded. "Without a doubt. And next time, he won’t leave without you."

A heavy silence settled between us. My chest tightened.

Raiden studied me for a moment before speaking. "Do you know why Adrian is after you?"

I frowned, confusion creeping in. "No."

Raiden exhaled sharply. "It’s because he discovered that you’re Moonborn. A destiny he has been trying to destroy for years because of his evils. As long as you live away from him, you’ll always be his enemy. He sees you as a threat to everything he has built."

A chill ran down my spine.

Raiden’s expression darkened. "Yes. And if you don’t act fast, you won’t have a future. You don’t have much time left."

I exhaled shakily, gripping the blanket. "So what do I do?"

Raiden hesitated, then said the last thing I expected. "You have to go back to Lucian."

My body stiffened. "What?"

"It’s the only way."

I shook my head violently. "No. Absolutely not. I would rather die in the forest than go back to him."

Raiden leaned forward, his expression serious. "You don’t have a choice, Selena."

"Of course, I do!" My voice rose, frustration boiling inside me. "I will not go back to a man who rejected me, who treated me like nothing! I would rather fight Adrian myself than crawl back to Lucian!"

Raiden’s jaw tightened. "You don’t understand."

"Then make me understand!" I snapped. "Because right now, you’re asking me to walk back into the arms of a man who wanted nothing to do with me!"

Raiden exhaled slowly, as if choosing his words carefully. "Lucian is your fated mate. Running from him has consequences, Selena."

I scoffed. "So what? He rejected the bond! He doesn’t care about me!"

Raiden’s gaze darkened. "It’s not that simple. The mate bond is stronger than either of you understand. And the longer you run from him, the worse it gets."

I swallowed, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Worse how?"

Raiden hesitated, then said, "If you don’t go back to Lucian within two days… he will die."

My breath caught in my throat. "What?"

"You heard me," Raiden said grimly. "The mate bond isn’t just about emotions, Selena. It’s a connection. A force that ties your souls together. The longer you stay apart, the more damage it does. And if you don’t go back soon, the bond will break completely."

I stared at him, my heart pounding. "And what happens if it breaks?"

Raiden held my gaze. "You’ll live. But you’ll never be whole again. And Lucian… he won’t survive it."

Silence. Thick. Heavy. My hands trembled as I clutched the blanket.

"You were sent to this world as an omega," Raiden continued, his voice quieter now, almost reverent. "But you are different. The Moon Goddess made sure of that. You carry something inside you—something powerful. Adrian knows it, and that’s why he won’t stop until you’re either his… or dead."

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering. "What kind of power?"

Raiden gave a small, knowing smirk. "That’s for you to figure out. But for now, you need to protect it. By all means. Because if Adrian gets his hands on you again, it won’t just be you who suffers."

Lucian was going to die.

And it would be my fault.