‘Alpha, I found the cabin where the Luna is staying,’ Enzo said. ‘I spoke with some of the warriors. They said she’s staying in her late parents’ cabin, which is why her scent isn’t in the pack house. She rarely goes there.’
Talon stiffened. A cabin. Isolated. Vulnerable.
‘And Alpha, Enzo added, tone shifting. ‘I found something else you might want to know.’
‘Later,’ Talon replied instantly. ‘I need to see my mate first. That battle came before this-she might be injured. I need to see her with my own eyes.’
There was no hesitation, no doubt. Only urgency.
Talon lifted his gaze, feeling Fenrir surge forward inside him, eager and restless.
“Let’s go see our mate, Fenrir,” Talon said quietly.
Fenrir’s answer was a low, thunderous growl-hungry, possessive, and filled with promise-as they turned toward the cabin hidden deep within the forest, where destiny waited.
‘I can’t wait to meet our mate, Artemis said, her voice ringing with barely contained excitement. Diana could feel it clearly-bright and restless-echoing through their shared mind. Artemis paced inside her, tail practically wagging, emotions spilling freely through the bond. Our mate is close. I can feel him.
“Artemis,” Diana said quietly, forcing calm into her thoughts, “we need to think this through. We don’t even know who our mate is yet. Why would he be on the battlefield instead of with Alpha Asher, guarding the pack house?”
‘Maybe because he’s not a coward like our ex-mate, Artemis scoffed, sharp and unapologetic. ‘I still can’t believe you ran away from him.’
Diana winced, the memory cutting deeper than she liked to admit.
“I told you,” she replied, her voice tightening. “What was I supposed to do? I didn’t know how to face him. I didn’t know what would happen if we stayed, if he claimed us. Everything was happening too fast.”
“And besides,” She paused, breath steadying. “we can’t leave the pack right now. Not yet. I need answers. I need to know what really happened to Mom and Dad. Why were they outside the bunker that day? They knew the rules. They knew where they were supposed to be.”
Artemis slowed, but her excitement didn’t fade.
‘And you think our mate wouldn’t understand that?’ she asked softly. ‘He is our mate, Diana. He will understand us. He will accept us-our questions, our pain, our need for the truth.’
Diana shook her head slightly, boots crunching against the dirt as she shifted her weight.
“You don’t know that,” she said. “For all we know, he could be a beta from another pack. Or an alpha. Did you feel how powerful he is? A wolf like that can’t just stay here while we dig into old wounds and dangerous secrets.”
Artemis grinned inside her mind, utterly unfazed.
‘Then why don’t you ask him?’ she said, practically vibrating with anticipation. ‘Because I can feel him, Diana. He’s right outside.
Diana froze.
“What?” she exclaimed aloud, heart slamming against her ribs.
Before Artemis could answer, the air shifted-thickened. The forest seemed to hold its breath, and a presence pressed against Diana’s senses, undeniable and overwhelming.
Her wolf’s excitement flared.
‘Told you, Artemis whispered triumphantly.
Diana froze the moment Artemis spoke. Her breath caught, heart slamming painfully against her ribs as the words echoed through her mind.
‘Our mate is outside.’
For a long, suspended second, she couldn’t even blink. Her body refused to respond, muscles locked as if the air itself had turned to stone. Every instinct she had-every scar carved into her soul-rose screaming to the surface.
A rogue outside her door?
She would have already been moving. Grabbing her blades. Opening the door without fear, without hesitation, ready to end the threat before it could breathe her name.
But this wasn’t a rogue.
This was a mate.
And the last time she had stood face to face with a mate, she had been rejected-discarded like a weakness, like something unworthy of standing at an Alpha’s side.
Pain flickered through her chest, sharp and familiar.
‘Diana, Artemis urged, excitement vibrating through their bond, bright and unrestrained. ‘Move. Open the door. I want to see mate.’
Diana swallowed hard, forcing air into her lungs. “Artemis… does he know about you?” she asked quietly. “Can he feel you?”
There was a pause, then Artemis answered, calm and certain. ‘I don’t think so. I’m still hiding my scent. He only feels you.’
Relief loosened something tight inside her. Just a fraction.
“Good,” Diana said firmly. “Don’t let him know about you. Not yet. We need to be careful. We need to know if we can really trust him.”
A snort echoed in her mind. ‘You still think about that pathetic Alpha ex-mate?’ Artemis scoffed. ‘I told you, our real fated mate will accept us. All of us. Unlike that stupid Alpha who couldn’t see what was right in front of him.’
The anger in Artemis’s voice wasn’t wild-it was protective. Loyal.
‘So come on,’ Artemis added, impatience bleeding through. ‘Open the door and let me see our mate.’
Diana hesitated one last time, fingers curling into fists at her sides.
Then she moved.
Each step toward the door felt heavier than the last, like she was walking straight into a memory she had spent years trying to bury. Her hand wrapped around the handle, pulse roaring in her ears.
She opened the door.
And promptly forgot how to breathe.
The male standing on her doorstep was… massive. Easily the tallest man she had ever seen, his broad shoulders nearly filling the doorway. His black hair fell in tousled waves around a sharp, commanding face, and when his deep blue eyes locked onto hers, something ancient and powerful stirred in her chest. His body was long, sculpted with muscle earned through battle and strength-every inch of him radiating Alpha power.
And he was completely, undeniably… naked.
Diana’s mouth dropped open before she could stop herself, eyes widening in pure, unfiltered shock.
“You’re very…” she gestured helplessly; heat flooding her face, “…naked!”
She had seen naked bodies before-plenty of them. It came with pack life, with shifting, with battles and injuries. It had never bothered her.
But this?
Seeing him like this-seeing her mate exposed in a way that felt intimate and overwhelming was an entirely different experience.
Talon smiled. It was slow, amused, and devastatingly confident, like he knew exactly the effect he was having on her.
“My mate,” he said, his voice low and smooth, sending a shiver straight down her spine. “Do you want to touch it? Taste it? Just tell me.”
Diana snapped her mouth shut, mortified, then looked up-way up-into his eyes.
“Yes,” she blurted.
Then immediately shook her head. “I mean-no. Absolutely not.”
“What are you doing here?” She dragged a hand through her hair, trying desperately to regain some semblance of control. “How did you even find me?”
Talon tilted his head slightly, clearly entertained. “What am I doing here? That’s obvious. I’m here to see my mate.” His gaze softened just a fraction as he continued, “And how did I find you? Everyone in your pack knows where you live. All I had to do was ask.”
A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. “Although if they hadn’t answered, Fenrir was certain he could track your scent and find you himself.”
Fenrir.
The name echoed in her thoughts.
That’s his wolf, Diana realized. Strong. Powerful.
‘I like it, Artemis purred suddenly. ‘A strong name for a strong wolf. I like him. And I like our human mate. Ask him if we can lick him.’
Diana nearly choked.
‘What? No!’ she hissed under her breath.
‘Why not?’ Artemis countered innocently. ‘He licked us earlier. We’d just be returning the favor. And he already asked if we wanted to lick him. I want to lick him. I bet he tasted good.’
‘Absolutely not, Diana muttered.
Talon frowned slightly, concern replacing amusement. “Are you okay?”
She blinked and looked back at him. “Yeah. Sorry. My wolf is just… annoying.”
Talon chuckled, the sound deep and warm. “Just like my wolf. Annoying as he can be. I like her already.” Then he gestured subtly to his very naked body. “So… can you invite me inside? It’s a little difficult to have a proper conversation when I’m standing outside your house like this.”
Her cheeks burned.
“Yes… yes, of course,” Diana said quickly, stepping aside. “Come in. I’ll get you something to wear. I still have my dad’s things here.”
As Talon stepped inside her home, the door closing softly behind him, Diana felt it-
That unmistakable pull.
The bond tightening.
And for the first time in years, instead of fear…
She felt something dangerously close to hope.
“So,” Artemis drawled inside her mind, voice dripping with sarcasm, “are we not going to talk about how you just told him I’m annoying, when moments ago you were lecturing me about not letting him scent me?
Diana pressed her lips together as heat crept up her neck.
“I was nervous, Artemis,” she snapped back quietly. “And you are annoying me.”
“Oh, I see,” Artemis said sweetly. “Protect the human ego. Insult the wolf. Typical.”
Diana didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, she turned and moved quickly, retreating deeper into the small house as if distance alone might steady the storm churning inside her chest. The walls felt closer than usual, the familiar space suddenly invaded by a presence too big, too powerful, too important to ignore.
“Sit,” she said over her shoulder, pointing toward the worn couch near the fireplace. “Please.”
Talon obeyed without hesitation. He lowered himself carefully, the old couch creaking softly under his weight, his long frame making the furniture look almost fragile beneath him. Even seated, he radiated power-controlled, contained, but unmistakable.
His scent lingered in the air, clean and sharp like frost and pine, wrapping around her senses. The bond thrummed insistently in her chest, a low hum that refused to be silenced.
‘Storm, Artemis murmured. ‘He feels like a storm.’
Diana disappeared down the short hallway, her heartbeat loud in her ears. She stopped at the foot of her bed and knelt in front of the old wooden chest tucked neatly against the wall. When she lifted the lid, the familiar scent hit her instantly.
Pine. Steel. Home.
Her father’s things.
Her fingers brushed over neatly folded clothes, her throat tightening as memories pressed in-his laughter, his steady presence, the way he used to tell her she was stronger than she realized.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus, and grabbed a loose shirt and a pair of worn sweatpants.
When she returned to the living room, Talon rose immediately.
“Here,” she said, holding the clothes out to him, suddenly very aware of how small her hands looked compared to his.
He took them carefully, his fingers brushing hers for the briefest moment.
The world tilted.
The bond flared-warm, intense, alive-and Diana sucked in a sharp breath, her instincts screaming at her to step closer even as her mind shouted for distance.
Talon froze. The shift in him was instant. The teasing ease vanished, replaced by sharp awareness and something dangerously close to reverence.
“You felt that too,” he said quietly.
Diana nodded once, jaw tight, “I didn’t ask for it.”
“I know,” he replied just as softly. “Neither did I. But I won’t pretend it doesn’t matter.”
He turned away without being asked, giving her space as he pulled on the clothes. The simple act- deliberate, respectful-settled something restless inside her chest.
Artemis remained silent.
Watching.
When Talon faced her again, fully dressed and somehow even more imposing, his gaze searched her face. There was no claim in it. No demand.
Only attention.
“I won’t force anything,” he said. “I came because the bond pulled me here. Because my wolf wouldn’t let me stay away. But what happens next?” He shrugged slightly. “That’s your choice as much as mine.”
Diana crossed her arms, grounding herself in the familiar weight of control. “You showed up unannounced. Naked. In the middle of the night.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “In my defense, I didn’t exactly have time to pack.”
She huffed despite herself, then caught it, surprised by the sound, and frowned.
Silence stretched between them, thick but not uncomfortable.
Finally, she spoke. “I was rejected once. Publicly. Brutally. I won’t put myself or my wolf through that again.
Talon’s jaw tightened. “I’m not him.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “But knowing doesn’t erase scars.”
He nodded, accepting that without argument. “Then let me earn your trust. Slowly. On your terms.”
He hesitated, then added honestly, “To be truthful, I’m not ready for a mate. I have enemies-many of them. A mate is a weakness I cannot afford.”
Diana stiffened slightly, but he continued. “But finding you here,” he said, eyes darkening, “watching you fight those rogues… it made me question that belief. It made me wonder just how strong my mate really is. And I know how strong I am and my wolf.”
Artemis stirred at last, her voice softer now. ‘He speaks like a true mate. Not a coward!
Diana exhaled slowly. ‘You saw me fight. You must know I fight as a human. Not a wolf.
Her eyes sharpened. ‘Are you not curious why?’
He studied her carefully. “Alpha Asher was. kind enough to explain.”
Her breath hitched. “You spoke to Alpha Asher?”
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