LOGINAstrid’s POVThis wasn’t how it was supposed to go.I stood in the middle of my room, staring at nothing, my chest rising and falling too fast, my fingers trembling at my sides.That video—That damn video.It wasn’t just proof.It was a weapon.A reminder.A threat.And the worst part?It wasn’t even from this life.It was from the one where I failed.Where I begged.Where I broke.Where I died believing love was something I had to bleed for.My stomach twisted violently.“No…” I whispered, dragging a hand through my hair. “No, we’re not doing this again.”I turned sharply, pacing.“This is different. I’m different.”But the memory wouldn’t leave.The hospital bed.The pain.Damien’s weight on me while I was bleeding—I sucked in a sharp breath and pressed my palm hard against my chest.“Stop.”Silence.Then something darker rose.Hotter.Stronger.Anger.Not the quiet kind.Not the kind that sits and aches.No—This was the kind that burns.The kind that changes you.“I died once al
Astrid’s POVSomething felt off today.Not in the usual loud, obvious way danger usually announces itself.This one was quieter.Subtle.Like a shift in the air just before a storm breaks.I felt it when I woke up.Felt it when I stepped outside.Felt it even now as I sat across from Sebastian, pretending to focus on the cup of coffee slowly cooling between my hands.“You’ve been staring at that for five minutes,” he said.I blinked.“I have not.”“You have.”“I’m thinking.”“Dangerous.”I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my lips lifted slightly.“Not all of us think with brute force, you know.”“Hey,” he leaned back, offended. “I am a very refined thinker.”“Oh really?”“Yes.”“Name one refined thought you’ve had today.”He didn’t even hesitate.“You.”I froze.That… was not what I expected.And judging by the slight smirk tugging at his lips—He knew it.“Don’t do that,” I muttered, looking away.“Do what?”“Say things like that like they don’t mean anything.”His expression shifte
Damien’s POVThe first mistake was thinking I could keep everything under control.The second—Was underestimating how fast things fall apart when you lose your center.And Astrid… had always been mine.I just never realized it until she was gone.The council chamber was louder than usual.Voices overlapped.Arguments broke out mid-sentence.My Beta stood near the table, trying—and failing—to restore order.“This is getting out of hand,” one of the elders snapped. “Lucian’s forces are moving closer to the eastern border. We cannot afford hesitation!”“We also cannot afford recklessness,” another countered. “Provoking a war now would destroy us!”“And doing nothing will make us look weak!”“Enough.”My voice cut through the noise.Silence followed.But it wasn’t respectful.It was… tense.Uncertain.That was new.They were starting to doubt me.I could feel it.My grip tightened on the edge of the table.“We will not act blindly,” I said, forcing steadiness into my tone. “Send more sco
Chapter: The Things We Don’t SayAstrid’s POVThat moment stayed with me longer than I expected.Not the argument.Not Damien’s expression.Not even Taylor watching from a distance—because I knew she was somewhere nearby.No.What stayed with me…Was what I said.“It’s me.”For the first time in my life, I had chosen myself without hesitation.And yet… it didn’t feel as victorious as I thought it would.It felt… quiet.Like standing in the middle of a storm that had suddenly gone still.Sebastian walked beside me in silence as we left the riverside. The sky had darkened slightly, the air cooler now, wrapping around us in a calm that didn’t quite match the tension still lingering in my chest.“You handled that well,” he said finally.I let out a soft breath.“I don’t feel like I did.”He glanced at me.“Why not?”“I thought I’d feel… stronger. Or relieved. Or something dramatic.”“And?”“I just feel… tired.”That made him slow his steps slightly.“Tired is normal.”I looked at him.“Yo
Astrid’s POVIf someone had told me earlier ago that I’d feel peace sitting in silence with Sebastian I would have laughed in their face.But here I was sitting right next to him. I sat on a low stone my gaze on the river, my legs swinging slightly as the late afternoon breeze brushed against my skin, I felt so much relief.Sebastian stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, staring out at the water like he had all the time in the world.He stared quietly and seeing him stare like that, that meant everything.“You’re thinking too loud again,” he said without turning to spare me a glance.I frowned. “Is that even a thing?” I asked.“With you? Yes.”I rolled my eyes.“You act like you know me very well.” I said “I know you just enough.” he fired back . There he go again.That confidence.It should have made me a grey but instead it made me feel good.I watched him for a moment before speaking again.“Why do you keep showing up?”He finally turned, his gaze settling on me in a way
Astrid’s POVI didn’t sleep that night.Not because I couldn’t.But because my mind refused to slow down.I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, replaying the scene outside my apartment again and again.Damien’s face.The way his voice broke when he asked for another chance.And Sebastian standing beside me.Calm.Unshaken.Protective without even trying.My fingers curled into the blanket slightly.Seven years ago, if Damien had looked at me that way… if he had asked like that… I would have forgiven him instantly.I would have fallen right back into his arms like nothing had ever happened.But this time was different.This time I knew how that story ended.Pain.Humiliation.Loneliness.I turned onto my side and closed my eyes.Yet another face appeared in my mind.Sebastian.The way his eyes softened when he looked at me.The way he listened when I spoke.The way he noticed small things about me that no one else ever cared to see.A quiet warmth spread through my chest before I qui
It's been three months since Astrid left the Pack house. Astrid decided to take a long walk around the city. Astrid decided to stop by the coffee shop along the street.The bell above the café door sounded softly as Astrid stepped inside the café.The warmth inside wrapped around her instantly—the
Damien’s POVI didn’t think she meant it.Not at first.Astrid stood across from me in the study, posture straight despite the faint pallor that still clung to her skin. The afternoon light spilled through the tall windows, catching in her dark hair, painting her in gold and shadow—and yet she felt
Astrid’s POV “You’re a match.” The pack doctor’s words landed softly this time. Not like thunder. Not like salvation. Just… words. My father and stepmother burst into tears, hugging me like I had just been returned from the dead. Their arms felt awkward around me—foreign. I stood still, accep
Astrid’s POVI didn’t realize how far I’d walked until my legs started to ache.The city blurred around me—faces, sounds, movement—but none of it registered. My mind was still stuck in that café, frozen at the exact moment Sebastian looked at me like I was something fragile and wrong.Delusional.T







