Alexander's POV

I stood outside her hospital room, hands clenched at my sides, fighting the rage that churned in my gut. Stella. The human who somehow managed to find her way into my life and into my soul in a way no one else ever had. The bond snapped into place the moment I laid eyes on her.

She was mine, and I couldn't escape that pull.

But I couldn't have her.

I had to reject her immediately. I couldn't risk allowing the bond between us to grow stronger, because she was weak and that was the truth.

And yet, as I turned and walked away, the pull tore through me, clawing at my insides, dragging me back to her. Every step away from that hospital room felt like walking through fire. I wanted to run back inside, grab her, and never let her go.

But I had to leave. Because she couldn't handle this world. She wouldn't survive it.

I'm protecting her, I told myself. She's just a human and she doesn't deserve to get hurt.

I mean, I'm a monster and she is a human. We don't belong to the same world.

"I'll never see her again. Never," I muttered under my breath, trying to convince myself.

But every time I shut my eyes, I saw her face. Her voice echoed in my head. "You said I'm yours, right?" I saw her vulnerability, her question, her hope.

I saw recognition in her eyes, like she had been waiting for me her whole life, just waiting for me to come and sweep her off her feet.

And maybe she had been. But instead, I came and broke her heart.

I cursed under my breath. The worst part? I couldn't even drive. My hands were shaking too badly, my wolf was too close to the surface, fighting me for control, demanding I go back to our mate. The steering wheel would snap in half if I tried.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Seth. I needed him to drive me out, to anywhere. Anywhere far away from her. Because the more I stayed, the more she clouded my mind, the more my resolve weakened.

"Yeah?" His voice came through the line, calm, but I could hear the underlying concern. Seth always knew when something was wrong.

"Come and pick me up," I ordered, my voice sharper than I intended. "I need to get out of here."

There was a pause. "Where are you?"

"Memorial Hospital. Just... get here."

"On my way," he replied, not questioning me further. He never did when I used that tone.

It only took fifteen minutes before Seth's black SUV pulled into the hospital parking lot. He stepped out, tall and broad-shouldered, his dark eyes scanning me immediately. Seth had been my beta for years, but more than that, he was my best friend. The only person I trusted completely. He had a way of reading me that no one else did, seeing through the walls I put up.

He didn't even wait for me to speak. He could see it in my eyes, in the tension radiating from my body.

"You look like hell," he said bluntly, walking toward me. "What happened?"

I didn't respond right away. Instead, I pulled open the passenger door and got in, the cool leather seat feeling like an anchor. Seth climbed in after me, starting the engine but not pulling away yet. His eyes were on me, patient but expectant.

"Drive," I muttered.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere. Just drive."

Seth pulled out of the parking lot, merging into traffic with practiced ease. The silence stretched between us for a few minutes, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Seth knew when to push and when to wait.

Finally, I broke. "I found her."

His eyes flicked to me briefly before returning to the road. "Her?"

"My mate."

The car swerved slightly before Seth corrected it. "Your mate? Alexander, that's... that's incredible. Why do you look like someone just died?"

I let out a harsh laugh that held no humor. "Because she's human, Seth. She's human and she has no idea what she's gotten herself into. She doesn't even know what I am."

Seth was quiet for a moment, processing. "And you told her?"

"I rejected her."

The car swerved again, harder this time. Seth pulled over to the side of the road and put the vehicle in park, turning to face me fully. "You did what?"

"I rejected her," I repeated, my voice hollow. "Told her she wasn't what I needed. Told her she was weak. That she couldn't be my mate."

Seth stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "Are you out of your fucking mind?" His voice was low, dangerous. "You felt that bond, didn't you? You felt it snap into place. That's not something you can just walk away from, Alexander. That's fate. That's the moon goddess herself telling you this is your person."

I clenched my fists, feeling my claws threatening to extend. "She's human, Seth. Do you understand what that means? She can't shift. She can't heal like we do. She can't defend herself against the enemies I have, the threats that come with being my mate. I'd be signing her death warrant."

"Or you'd be giving her a chance at something extraordinary," Seth countered. "You don't get to decide what she can or can't handle. That's her choice."

"She doesn't even understand what's happening! She looked at me like I was insane when I said the word 'mate.' Our world is still so strange to her."

Seth ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Then you explain it to her. You don't just reject her and walk away like a coward."

The word 'coward' hit me like a physical blow, and my wolf snarled in response. "Watch yourself."

"No, you watch yourself," Seth shot back, unafraid. "I've known you for ten years, Alexander. I've seen you face down rival alphas, take on entire packs, make decisions that would break most men. But this? Running away from your mate because you're scared she might get hurt? That's the most cowardly thing I've ever seen you do."

I wanted to argue, to defend myself, but the words wouldn't come. Because deep down, I knew he was right.

"You don't understand," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "I saw her collapse, Seth. The moment I rejected her, she collapsed like I'd physically struck her. The bond... hurt her. And if just a rejection does that, what happens when she's caught in the crossfire of pack politics? What happens when my enemies find out about her and use her to get to me?"

Seth's expression softened slightly. "So you're saying you'd rather she suffer from the rejection than risk her getting hurt in your world?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." I pressed my palms against my eyes, feeling the weight of it all. "All I know is that I can't think straight. She's all I can think about. Her face, her voice, the way she looked at me with such hope before I crushed it."

"The bond won't let you forget her," Seth said quietly. "You know that, right? Rejected or not, she's still your mate. That connection doesn't just disappear because you want it to."

"I know," I admitted, hating how defeated I sounded.

Seth started the car again and pulled back onto the road. "Where does she work?"

"Club Imperium."

He nodded slowly. "And where are we going now?"

"Your place," I decided. "I need to clear my head. I need to think about anything other than her."

Seth glanced at me skeptically but didn't argue. "Alright. But Alexander? Running from this isn't going to work. The bond will only get stronger. And the longer you fight it, the more it's going to hurt. For both of you."

I didn't respond because I didn't have an answer. All I knew was that every mile we drove away from that hospital felt wrong. My wolf was clawing at me, demanding I turn around, that I go back and claim what was mine.

But I couldn't. I wouldn't.

For her sake, I had to stay away.

Alexander's POV

We arrived at Seth's apartment twenty minutes later. It was a sleek, modern space in the heart of the city. He grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed me one without a word.

I took a long drink, hoping the alcohol would dull the ache in my chest. It didn't.

"Tell me everything," Seth said, settling into the chair across from me. "From the beginning."

So I told him. About seeing Stella at the club, about the instant recognition, the pull. About how I'd approached her and felt the bond snap into place with such force it nearly brought me to my knees. About her confusion, her questions, and my rejection. About how she collapsed and I couldn't leave her there, how I'd brought her to the hospital and sat by her bed for hours, watching her breathe, feeling like the worst bastard alive.

Seth listened without interrupting, his expression growing more serious with each detail.

"She dreamed about you," he said when I finished. "Before she ever met you, she was dreaming about you."

"She said that, yes."

"That's not normal, even for mate bonds." Seth leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Usually the bond doesn't manifest until you meet in person. Dreams before meeting? That's... that's something else. Something stronger."

A chill ran down my spine. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying maybe she's not as human as you think she is." Seth's eyes were sharp, calculating. "Or maybe the bond between you two is stronger than a typical mate bond. Either way, this isn't something you can just walk away from, Alexander. This is bigger than you, bigger than your fears."

I wanted to argue, but doubt crept in. What if he was right? What if there was more to Stella than I realized?

"It doesn't matter," I said, but the words felt hollow even to me. "I made my choice. I rejected her. It's done."

"Is it?" Seth asked. "Because from where I'm sitting, you're falling apart. And if you're this much of a mess, I can only imagine what she's going through right now."

The image of Stella lying unconscious on that hospital bed flashed through my mind, and guilt twisted in my gut. Seth was right. The rejection would be hurting her just as much, if not more.

"I don't know what to do," I admitted, and the confession felt like failure.

Seth stood and walked to the window, looking out over the city. "You have three options," he said finally. "One: you go back to her, apologize, and accept the bond. Help her understand what she is to you and what this world is. Two: you maintain the rejection but keep your distance, let her move on with her life while you suffer in silence. Three: you find a middle ground, watch over her from afar, protect her without claiming her, and hope that's enough."

"None of those are good options."

"No," Seth agreed, turning back to me. "They're not. But they're the only ones you have. Because like it or not, she's your mate. That's not going to change. The only question is what you're going to do about it."

I drained the rest of my beer, the weight of his words settling over me like a shroud. He was right. I couldn't escape this. I couldn't escape her.

The only question was whether I was brave enough to face what that meant.

"I need to think," I said finally.

Seth nodded. "Take all the time you need. But Alexander? Don't take too long, for both of you."

I stood to leave, but Seth's voice stopped me at the door.

"One more thing," he said. "If you decide you can't do this, if you really want to let her go... make sure it's for the right reasons. Not because you're scared. Fear is a terrible reason to lose the best thing that could ever happen to you."

I left without responding, but his words followed me all the way home.

Back in my apartment, the silence was deafening. I paced the floor, my wolf restless and angry, demanding I go to her. Every instinct I had screamed at me to return to the hospital, to reclaim what I'd rejected.

But I couldn't.

Could I?

I poured myself a drink, then another, trying to drown out the bond that pulled at me like a physical tether. But nothing worked. She was there, in every thought, in every breath.

I grabbed my keys. I needed to get out, needed to do something, anything to prove to myself that I could function without her. That the bond didn't control me. That I was still in control of my own damn life.

The club. I'd go back to Club Imperium. Maybe seeing where we met, where everything went wrong, would help me figure out what to do next.

Or maybe I was just a masochist.

Saturday morning was quiet at the club. The energy was different from Friday night, almost empty.

The moment I walked in, I felt her absence like a physical wound. She wasn't here. Of course she wasn't. She was probably still at the hospital, or at home recovering, hating me.

As she should.

I headed straight for the bar, needing something stronger than the beer I'd had at Seth's. That's when I saw a red-haired woman sitting alone with a drink. She looked up as I approached, her eyes lighting with interest.

"Rough night?" she asked, her voice smooth, inviting.

"Something like that," I muttered, signaling the bartender.

She shifted on her stool, angling her body toward me. "Want some company? You look like you could use it."

I should have said no. I should have finished my drink and left. But the bond was clawing at my insides, my wolf was howling for a mate I'd rejected, and I was desperate for anything that might shut it up for even five minutes.

"Sure," I said. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Of course you can." She smiled sweetly, sliding closer.

We drank together, making small talk about nothing important. Light things. Surface things. She laughed at my half-hearted jokes, touched my arm, leaned in close enough that I could smell her perfume-something floral and cloying that made my wolf recoil.

Wrong. All wrong. Not our mate.

I ignored it and ordered another round.

From there, things happened fast. First we were talking over drinks and next we were in a room, her hands on my jeans..

She kissed me roughly and I kissed her back, trying to lose myself in the sensation.

But she wasn't Stella.

"You're tense," she murmured against my mouth, her hands working at my zipper. "Let me help you relax."

She freed my cock from my pants, Her hand wrapped around it, stroking with practiced efficiency, and I let my head fall back, closing my eyes.

But the moment I closed my eyes, all I saw was Stella. Her face in the hospital bed. The way she'd looked at me at the club before I rejected her.

"Fuck," I muttered.

"Mmm, yes," the redhead purred, misinterpreting. She dropped to her knees, taking me into her mouth.

The sensation felt good. Her mouth was wet, tongue skilled that should have had me hard on seconds. But my body wasn't just cooperating. My wolf was snarling, rejecting every touch that wasn't from our mate.

I tried. God, I tried. I gripped the back of her head, tried to focus on her mouth on my dick but my mind kept drifting to Stella.

My phone buzzed on the table, stopping us short as I grabbed the phone. A message from my grandmother: Come home, Alexander. We need to talk.

I exhaled, finally I could stop torturing myself to enjoy this.

I typed back: On my way.

"Sorry I have to leave." I said sharply, watching her pout.

I pulled out my wallet, threw some bills on the bed for her time and the insult. She snatched them up without a word, and I left the room before she could say anything else.

I had to brace myself for what was coming because I knew what my grandma wanted to discuss and it had everything to do with her.

Stella's POV

The morning sunlight spilled through the curtains like gold dust, but it couldn't warm me. It had been weeks since the bar, weeks since his voice - that voice that shattered me, told me I wasn't enough.

The world kept spinning as if nothing had happened, yet inside me, something was stuck between silence and screaming. I hadn't stepped outside in days. The walls of my small apartment had become my refuge and my punishment all at once.

Talia arrived unannounced, her usual whirlwind of perfume and chatter breaking through the dull rhythm of my thoughts. She dropped her bag on the couch and turned to me with a look that said she was tired of waiting for me to move on.

"You look awful," she said bluntly. "And before you glare at me, yes, I mean that as a friend."

I forced a weak smile. "Thanks, Talia. I've been practicing."

She rolled her eyes and joined me on the sofa. "You've been avoiding work, ignoring calls, and I swear if I see one more of those untouched soup bowls in your sink, I'm calling the health department."

"I can't go back there," I whispered. "Not after what happened. Everyone saw it. Everyone knows."

"Knows what?" she pressed. "That some jerk with an ego the size of a mountain couldn't see your worth? Please, Stella, if that's enough to end your life, you've been living for the wrong reasons."

Her words stung, but maybe that was what I needed, to feel something other than this strange emptiness. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the window.

The dreams had returned last night, more vivid than ever. Him, his eyes glowing like moonlight, his voice calling my name in the dark forest of my mind. I used to wake up trembling, but lately, the fear had turned into something else. A pull. A need I couldn't explain.

"They're getting worse," I murmured.

Talia frowned. "The dreams again?"

I nodded. "They're so real, Talia. I feel him there. Every time I wake, it's like he's standing right beside me."

"You're overthinking," she said softly. "You've been through trauma. It messes with your head."

I wanted to believe that, but deep down I knew it wasn't just my mind playing tricks. Something about that man, about Alexander, had attached itself to my soul, like a mark I couldn't wash off.

Before Talia could reply, a sharp knock echoed from the door. We both froze.

"You expecting someone?" she asked.

I shook my head and stood, hesitating before unlocking it. A tall man in a black coat stood outside, crisp and formal, like he had stepped out of another world.

He held a small brown envelope and offered it to me with a polite bow.

"Miss Stella Beilingham?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"I was sent to deliver this. Your appointment has been approved."

"My... appointment?" I blinked, confused.

He smiled, the kind of smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Your employment offer. The family is expecting you today."

I stared at him. "There must be a mistake. I didn't apply for anything."

"Perhaps not recently," he said smoothly, "but your credentials were impressive. The position is urgent, live, in nanny, generous pay, excellent conditions. They'll handle your transportation and continue your medical treatments if necessary."

Talia stood, suspicion flashing across her face. "Hold on, who exactly sent you?"

The man didn't look at her. His attention remained fixed on me. "The family prefers discretion. You'll understand once you arrive."

Something about his tone - calm, confident, final, sent a chill through me. I glanced at the envelope. My name was written in neat cursive across the front. No logo, no signature. Just Stella Beilingham.

I should have asked more questions. I should have refused. But a part of me - the desperate, restless part, saw it as a chance. A way out of the hole I had fallen into. A new beginning.

"How soon would I start?" I asked.

"Immediately," he said. "A car is waiting outside."

Talia gaped. "Stella, you can't just...."

"I need this," I said, surprising even myself. "I can't keep sitting here, Talia. Maybe it's time to move forward."

"By following a stranger to who knows where?"

I gave a shaky laugh. "It's just a nanny job. What's the worst that could happen?"

Her frown deepened. "That sentence never ends well in movies."

I tried to keep my voice light, but inside, my stomach twisted. Still, I went to my small room, folding clothes with hands that trembled slightly.

The dreams had shown me forests, silver moons, strange houses I didn't recognize, and for some reason, as I packed, I couldn't shake the feeling that this job was leading me straight into one of them.

Talia followed me to the door. "Please call me when you get there," she said. "Promise?"

"I promise," I lied, though I wasn't sure why it felt like a lie.

The man loaded my bags into the back of a sleek black car. The moment I stepped inside, a faint scent filled the air, something familiar. Woodsmoke and rain. My pulse stumbled.

"Where exactly am I going?" I asked as the car pulled away from the curb.

"To the Calum estate," the driver replied without turning.

The name hit me like a physical blow. Calum. My breath caught. The car kept moving, tires whispering over the road as the city faded behind us.

I pressed a hand to my chest. "There must be some mistake," I said softly. "I can't"

But the driver only looked at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes cold and knowing. "Fate doesn't make mistakes, Miss Beilingham."

The world outside blurred into trees and mist. My heart hammered against my ribs. Every instinct screamed that I should tell him to stop, that I should run back, that this was too strange, too fast, too deliberate. But another voice - deeper, quieter - whispered that this was where I was meant to go.

When the gates came into view, tall and iron-black, the moon broke through the clouds above, washing everything in silver. For a second, I could have sworn the wind carried a voice, low, familiar, and full of longing.

You can't escape me, Stella.

I turned toward the sound, but there was only darkness beyond the trees.

The car rolled forward through the gates. The sound of them closing behind us echoed like a heartbeat, heavy, final, and certain.

And just like that, I realized the one place I had sworn never to return to was waiting at the end of the road.