Chapter 11

Aeliana's POV

The heat broke sometime during the night.

I wake up feeling... normal. Well, as normal as someone can feel after grueling hours of intense arousal and ice baths. The crushing need that's been clawing at my insides is gone, replaced by something quieter but no less intense... awareness. Of where I am, of the pack bonds humming just beneath my consciousness, of the mate somewhere in this house whose absence feels like a missing limb.

Elena left fresh clothes on the dresser. Jeans that fit perfectly, a soft green sweater that brings out my eyes. How does she know my size so well?

Four years of living here. Of course she'd know.

The thought still feels surreal, but less jarring than it did three days ago.

I walked down the hallway, following the scent of coffee and something that smells like heaven... bacon, maybe, and fresh bread. My stomach growls, reminding me that I've barely eaten anything substantial since arriving.

The kitchen is massive, all warm wood and copper fixtures, with a window that looks out over the forest. Sunlight streams through, making everything glow golden and welcoming. A woman with graying hair and kind eyes is bustling around the stove, humming under her breath.

"Meredith," Elena says from where she sits at the breakfast bar, " Aeliana is here."

The woman... Meredith, turns with a smile that could power the whole house. "Oh, honey! It's so good to see you up and about. You had us all worried sick."

There's genuine warmth in her voice, no hesitation or awkwardness despite the fact that I clearly don't recognize her. It catches me off guard.

"Thank you," I manage. "For... I don't know. Everything, I guess."

"Nonsense. You're family." Meredith waves a flour-dusted hand dismissively. "Now sit. You need food, proper food. Those ice baths Elena's been giving you would make a polar bear shiver."

I settle onto a stool beside Elena, accepting the plate Meredith slides across the counter. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with homemade jam, and what looks like hash browns crispy enough to make me weep with gratitude.

"Eat," Elena orders when I hesitate. "Trust me, you need the energy."

She's right. The first bite tastes like salvation. I'm halfway through demolishing the plate when footsteps echo in the hallway, multiple sets, conversation carrying despite the distance.

My body tenses involuntarily. More pack members.

The heat may be over, but my nerves apparently haven't gotten the memo.

Three people enter the kitchen, and the easy warmth of the morning shifts into something more complicated. Two men and a woman, all carrying themselves with the easy confidence of people who belong here completely.

The woman notices me first. Tall, athletic, with dark hair pulled back in a severe bun and eyes like winter frost. She's beautiful in a sharp, dangerous way that makes me immediately aware of my rumpled appearance and bed-tangled hair.

"So," she says, voice cool as her eyes, "the prodigal mate returns."

Ouch.

Elena's cup clinks sharply against its saucer. "Liora."

"What? I'm just saying." The woman Liora, leans against the counter with casual grace. "Two years we've been dealing with our Alpha slowly losing his mind, and now she waltzes back in like nothing happened."

"I didn't waltz anywhere," I say quietly. "I was cursed. I had no choice in leaving."

Liora's laugh is sharp. "Right. The mysterious curse that conveniently erased your memory but left you living a perfectly comfortable human life."

The accusation hits like a slap. Before I can respond, one of the men steps forward, tall, broad, with kind eyes and an easy smile.

"That's enough, Liora." His voice carries authority despite its gentle tone. "I'm Marcus, by the way. Pack Gamma. We met before, but..."

"But I don't recall." I appreciate that he doesn't make it awkward. "Thank you for not making me pretend otherwise."

Marcus grins. "No point in pretending. We'll just have to get to know each other all over again." He glances at Liora meaningfully. "Some of us, anyway."

The third pack member, younger than the others with sandy hair and an open face, extends his hand. "I'm David. Kitchen beta, and on the park's tracker which basically means I eat everything Meredith cooks and tell her how amazing it is while perfecting my nose to perceive scents from a mile."

Despite the tension, I laughed so hard for the first time in days. "Tough job."

"Someone's got to do it." David's grin is infectious. "How are you feeling? Elena said you've been through hell."

"Better. Clearer." I glance at Liora, who's still watching me with barely concealed hostility. "Though apparently not everyone's thrilled about my return."

"It's not personal," Marcus says, though his tone suggests it absolutely is. "Liora's just... protective of the pack. Of Caelan."

Protective. Right. The way she's looking at me suggests her protection involves removing perceived threats. Permanently.

"Where is he?" I ask, trying to keep my voice casual. "Caelan, I mean."

"Somewhere in his office," Elena answers.

Something twists in my chest at that. Guilt, maybe. Or longing. Hard to tell the difference anymore.

"He'll show up when he's ready," Liora says, but there's something like approval in her voice now. "At least you're not chasing after him like some lovesick—"

"Liora." Marcus's voice carries a warning this time.

The beta subsides, but her message is clear: Don't expect special treatment just because you're the Alpha's mate.

Message received.

Meredith breaks the tension by sliding another plate across the counter. "Anyone else hungry? I made enough for an army, as usual."

"I'll train with you," Marcus says suddenly, changing the subject with the smoothness of someone used to pack politics. "Once you're fully recovered. Your combat skills were... developing when you left. Might be good to pick up where we left off."

"Combat skills?" I nearly choke on my coffee.

"You were learning to defend yourself. Pack life can be dangerous, and Caelan insisted..." Marcus stops himself. "Well. Things change. But the offer stands, if you want it."

If I want it. As if staying is a given. As if I belong here automatically just because I did four years ago.

Do I?

The question hovers in my mind as conversation flows around me. David entertain us with stories about his latest kitchen disasters, Meredith fusses over everyone's plates, and even Liora thaws slightly when Marcus teases her about her terrible poker face.

They're a family. That much is obvious. Comfortable with each other in the way only people who've weathered storms together can be. And somehow, I used to be part of this.

Still is, something whispers in the back of my mind. Still could be.

"Mom?"

A small voice from the doorway makes everyone turn. A girl with Meredith's warm brown eyes and honey-colored braids peers around the door frame.

"Good morning, sunshine," Meredith beams. "Come over, are you done with your duties. Come say hello to the Luna."

The girl, she can't be more than twenty, approaches with the fearless curiosity and Inquisitiveness. "Good morning Luna, its nice seeing you again after four years"

Out of the mouths of everyone.

"Sophie!" Meredith looks mortified, but I hold up a hand.

"It's okay." Well Sophie I'm grateful that you said it to my face. I am happy to see you too

Caelan's POV

I smell her before I see her.

Her scent carries on the morning breeze... no longer thick with heat, but clean and warm and completely, devastatingly mine. My wolf perks up immediately, desperate to close the distance between us, but I force myself to stay hidden in the tree line.

She's sitting on the back porch with Sophie, the cook's daughter, and some of the pack kids all of them surrounded by what looks like an explosion of art supplies. Aeliana's hair catches the sunlight as she leans over to help Sophie with whatever masterpiece they're creating, and the sight hits me like a physical blow.

Beautiful. Even after everything, even exhausted and confused and dealing with pack politics she doesn't fully understand, she's absolutely beautiful.

"She's good with the everyones," Marcus says quietly, stepping up beside me. "Always was."

I don't respond. Can't. Watching her laugh at something Sophie says, seeing the genuine warmth in her expression... it's everything I've dreamed about for two years and nothing like I imagined it would be.

"Liora was hard on her this morning," Marcus continues.

My wolf snarls at that, hackles rising. "What did she say?"

"Nothing Elena didn't shut down. But you know Liora... subtle as a brick through a window." Marcus studies my profile. "Aeliana handled it well, though. Didn't back down, didn't lose her temper. Made me proud."

Proud. The word sits warm in my chest. She may not know who she was, but she's still strong. Still fierce when challenged.

Still perfect.

A laugh draws my attention back to the porch. David has joined them, and he's teaching Sophie some elaborate handshake that has both females giggling. When he turns that easy charm on Aeliana, when she smiles at him with genuine warmth—

My wolf loses its mind.

The jealousy hits like wildfire, consuming and irrational and completely overwhelming. David isn't a threat, he's mated to a lovely omega from the neighboring territory... but my wolf doesn't care about logic. It sees another male making my mate laugh and wants blood.

Mine. The word reverberates through every cell in my body. Mine, mine, mine.

I'm moving before I realize it, crashing through underbrush with zero care for stealth. Marcus calls out behind me, but I'm already shifting, already letting the wolf take control.

By the time I reach the porch, I'm fully in control again but barely civilized. David takes one look at my face and backs away slowly, hands raised.

"Easy, Alpha. Just being friendly."

Aeliana looks up at my sudden appearance, and our eyes lock across the space between us. The world goes silent except for the sound of my heart trying to beat out of my chest.

She's looking at me like... like she's seeing me for the first time. Really seeing me.

"Caelan." My name on her lips is barely a whisper, but it hits me like a shout.

The jealousy evaporates, replaced by joy. She's not rejecting me. Not running away. She's just... looking at me like I might be worthloving.

"Hi," she says softly.

"Hi yourself."

And for the first time in two years, I feel somewhat sane.