chapter 2

Tamara

His dark, stormy eyes locked onto mine, widening slightly in realization. At that moment,it was just us. Two souls who had somehow found each other.

"Mate," we both whispered.

Extreme joy crashed over me. It was real... It was actually real. The fairy tale I had always dreamt was standing right in front of me. All the terrifying stories about him vanished from my mind, replaced by the overwhelming, euphoric warmth of the bond. I belonged to him, and he belonged to me.

My eyes welled up with happy tears as I took an eager stepl step forward. I lifted my hand, reaching out to touch him, desperate to feel the legendary spark of a mate's touch.

But my fingers never made contact.

A low, vicious growl tore from his throat, the sound so deep and filled with anger that it echoed through the training ground.

I froze, my smile faltering as he took a deliberate, disgusted step backward, putting distance between us. His eyes, which had been wide with realization just a second ago, hardened.

He looked at me from head to toe and stared hard at my outstretched hand with outright disgust.

"No," he snarled, in a voice that shattered the magic of the night into a million pieces. "I don't want you. Look at yourself. You wouldn't survive a single day in my pack… You're weak”

The joy that had bloomed in my chest only seconds ago died down immediately, replaced by a sharp burning humiliation. Tears that had initially formed from happiness now threatened to spill over in heartbreak.

"Are you..." My voice trembled, barely a whisper in the quiet night. "Are you rejecting me?"

He looked away, his massive shoulders rising and falling with a heavy breath.

"I am not rejecting you," he said, his tone flat "But I cannot take you with me."

Without another word, he turned his back on me and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the training grounds.

I didn't stay to watch him leave. The moment he was out of sight, I raised up the skirts of my heavy silk dress and ran. I bypassed the gathering hall entirely, using the back door to slip back into the pack house unnoticed. Once I reached my room, I locked the door, collapsed onto my bed, and finally let the tears fall.

I cried until my chest ached, mourning the fairy tale I had lost before it even began.

A gentle knock sounded at the door before my mother quietly slipped inside. Seeing me curled up in a miserable ball, she immediately rushed over, pulling me into a warm, comforting embrace.

I buried my face in her shoulder, pouring out everything that had just happened on the training field.

She stroked my hair gently, her own eyes filled with sorrow for my broken heart. "Oh, Tammy," she murmured softly. "Some people just don't understand the bond right away, sweetheart. He's lived a hard life. It makes men stubborn."

She kissed the top of my head and stood up. "I'm going to go talk to your father."

She left me alone in the dim room, and my tears slowly dried out leaving a hollow space in my heart.

Not long after, the door creaked open again. This time, it was Ryder. He walked in, his expression caught somewhere between furious and deeply conflicted. He sat on the edge of my bed and let out a heavy sigh.

"Mom told me what happened," Ryder began quietly. "I am so incredibly angry for you right now, Tammy. If it were anyone else, I would have dragged him out here by his throat."

He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "But... at the same time, I think I understand North."

I looked up at him, my eyes red and swollen. "How can you understand him? He indirectly said he didn't want me."

"Because Night Sword pack is not the same as Moon Dusk," Ryder said, his voice deadly serious.

"Our pack is peaceful. We rely on alliances and trade, but it's not the same for him. Night Sword is brutal. They rely on strength, blood, and warfare to survive. Maybe North is actually trying to protect you by leaving you behind."

He leaned forward, catching my eye. "Are you ready to take that kind of risk? Knowing it's not going to be easy?"

I stared at my brother, completely unable to form an answer.

Ryder patted my knee gently. "Think about it, Tammy. The Alphas are leaving tomorrow morning."

He stood and walked out, leaving me entirely to my own thoughts. I sat up in bed, wiping the dried tears from my cheeks. Was I ready for that risk?

‘Yes.”

A spark of defiance ignited in my chest. I wasn't a porcelain doll. I wasn't a quitter. I had grown up with a pack of rowdy, overprotective brothers…I knew basic combat skills. I knew how to take a hit. That had to count for something, right?

I suddenly stood up. I wasn't going to sit here and cry while my mate walked out of my life. Walking over to my closet, I pulled down my large, bright pink suitcase and threw it open on the bed. I started aggressively arranging my clothes, my toiletries, and my favorite boots.

I was not going to be without my mate. Whether he liked it or not.

The next morning, the sun had barely come up when I dragged my heavy suitcase down the staircase.

My parents were already at the front of the pack house, dressed to officially see off the visiting Alphas. They both stopped and stared as the wheels of my pink box clattered against the hardwood floor.

Before my father could open his mouth to protest, I mindlinked them.

“I will be fine,”I projected firmly. “I have decided. I'm going with him.”

My dad looked incredibly conflicted, his jaw tight as he practically vibrated with the urge to forbid me from leaving. But my mother placed a calming hand on his arm. She looked at me, her eyes shining with pride.

"Never give up, Tammy," she said out loud, her voice shaky. "Fated mates always find their way to each other."

Outside, the cool morning dew was still clinging to the driveway. Several sleek black SUVs were lined up.

The Beta of the Night Sword pack, whose name I didn't even know stood silently beside the car. He was a towering, scarred man who looked nearly as intimidating as his Alpha and he was waiting patiently by the car.

Taking a deep breath, I marched straight out the front doors and went to stand right beside him, gripping the handle of my bright pink box like a shield.

The terrifying Beta looked down at me. Then an amused smile tugged at the corner of his mouth but he said absolutely nothing.

A moment later, the heavy front doors opened again. Alpha North stepped out. He nodded respectfully to my parents standing on the porch, finalizing the diplomatic pleasantries of his visit.

Then, he turned toward his car and stopped dead in his tracks. His icy gaze landed squarely on me, then drifted down to my vibrant, pink suitcase, and finally back up to my face. The air between us instantly became filled with tension.

I lifted my chin, staring right back into the stormy eyes of the Southern Alpha.

Both of us entirely refusing to back down.