The One He Reclaimed Novels & Stories

Irrevocably. Your reputation crumbles. Your career vanishes. Your place in the world is quietly, efficiently, removed. And by the time you realize what's happening, it's far too late to do anything but wonder how you ever thought she would forget. Luna reached up, covering one of Dante's hands with her own. "Thank you," she said softly. "For the resources. For the strategy. For never questioning why this matters." He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I don't question because I understand. This isn't revenge. This is reclamation. You're taking back what they stole—your peace, your power, your right to exist without their shadow."

His ponytail came undone, the black strands slowly bleaching to a stark white. His features sharpened, his complexion grew fair, and his brown eyes melted into pools of molten gold. He was the Revered One once more. Cracking his neck, he stared at the ruins, a snarl twisting his beautiful features. "That brat… he actually managed to wound my other form. And…" He was angry, ready to send a cloud of Khaos over Mars and Mira but then he coughed up a splatter of black blood. The sphere had been taken, the one thing he had been working on for so long, just taken so easily.

"You left. You abandoned your pack. Your husband. Your son. You don't get to come back and pretend you're still the Luna. You don't get to just waltz back in and expect everyone to bow to you." I turned to face her, my movements slow and deliberate. The heat of the mark on my shoulder flared, a quiet warmth that spread through my chest like a warning. "I'm not pretending anything," I said, my voice steady, carrying through the hall. "I'm not here to claim a title I don't want. I'm here to reclaim the life that was stolen from me. By you."

It was as if he were a spectator on the sidelines, waiting to see who would emerge victorious in the final battle. "But I'm done with him. I've taken MON from his hands. He's nothing without it, and now that I've reclaimed it, he'll never be able to take it away from me again. Ever," I told him firmly, also sending a silent warning. I hoped he understood what I meant. "That's fine too," he paused. I hoped he wouldn't insist further, or I might feel the pain again. Just, please. "But you can always tell me if you want it."

He risked his life just to save us. Just then, my Theta came barging in. He knelt down besides me. He raised his hands to perform and summon his healing abilities but the King grabbed his arms and shook his head. Moments had passed as his breathing became shallower and weaker. My shoulders dropped as I heard him exhale one last time. I've felt that a certain bond shattered and was whole again. The young Prince becomes our new King. In the far distance I could hear a faint howl. All of shifted to our wolves and howled to the melody of our breaking hearts.

“And you thought you killed me?” He walked like he owned the room, like the air bent for him. And that witch of his—Esmeraya—drifting behind him in black like she was mourning someone she hadn’t finished stabbing yet. When he reached the head of the table—my place—he raised his hands high. “I’m here to let everyone know that I’m alive and well,” he announced, full of arrogance, “and I’ve come to reclaim what was stolen from me. With my queen by my side.”

Now he watched me with an intensity that bordered on reverence, as if confirming again and again that I was real. Alive. Safe. “You should have waited for negotiations,” he said finally, his voice low beneath the roar of the blades. I met his gaze steadily. “You wouldn’t have.” A corner of his mouth lifted. “No.” The admission carried pride—and something darker. “You walked into his territory,” I continued. “You risked war.” “I risked nothing,” he said coldly. “I reclaimed what was mine.” I didn’t argue. This was not the moment to challenge him. But the words settled heavily in my chest.

Audrey wasn’t smiling, but she was holding him closer than she had in days. "There was never going to be a way back," I said quietly. Audrey stepped forward and placed a hand on my arm. Not tender—just enough pressure to remind me of what was at stake. Her voice was low and flat. "Don’t come home empty-handed again." I ended the call without replying. Because I couldn’t make her a promise I wasn’t sure I could keep. Not now. Not with the deck stacked this high against me. I wasn’t the kind of man who believed in fairy tale endings or redemption arcs. But I did believe in leverage. And revenge.

I knelt, this time with no tears — only resolve. “I loved you,” I whispered. “Even when I didn’t know how. Even when I thought you were weak.” I placed my hand on the earth above her. “I swear to you, Mother. I will take back ’everything’ that was stolen from us. I will reclaim the empire, burn the rot from its core, and wear this crown with no apologies.” I pulled out the ceremonial dagger — a relic from the old Montrose archives. The blade shimmered in the moonlight.

The one I met in the woods that asked me to be careful. I’ve not been here again since that night. It was just my crazy luck that I had to meet him today again. This time, even if where we were standing was not fully illuminated, I could see his face properly. My breath caught in my throat and I bit back the sharp remark that sprang to my lips when I recognized him. He was Seven. The cage fighter that defeated Brody the first night I found this place. The same man who had won each and everyone of his opponents since the night he won against Brody. It was no wonder I thought him and the band holding his hair away from his face to be familiar that night in the woods.