NORA'S POV

"Thank you, Evelyn," I thanked our house keeper and my personal maid, Evelyn, as she served me breakfast with a smile on her face. She filled my glass with water and bowed politely before she walked out of the room.

I stared at the food and lost my appetite instantly. This has been happening repeatedly for days.

Don't get me wrong, the meal looks good. The eggs were perfect. The toast was buttered the way I liked it. But I couldn't eat. My stomach felt too tight with guilt.

I'm Nora Weston----the only child of Lucian and Elora Weston and the future of the Erelis pack bloodline. My father is proudly the CEO of Weston's company and Alpha of the Erelis pack, which makes my mother Luna of the Erelis pack-well that was before my father found his fated mate or so I heard from the pack members who wouldn't stop gossiping about it.

Three years. Three good years.

That's how long it had been since I last saw my mother.

It didn't bother me at first. Aunt Maya gave me everything I asked for. She braids my hair even when I insisted that i could do it on my own now, buys me new dresses every now and then, and she lets me sleep in her room anytime i want. The feeling was so good that I didn't notice when it all stopped-The calls, the text, even the way my mother sent me gifts. Her morning call ceased like it was never there to start with.

But now I noticed it. I had to.

Because Aunt Maya became a new person overnight. Now she was always too busy to attend to me, she barely create time to hang out with me, she even told me to stop calling her mama.

That has never happened whenever mommy was around.

Something started to twist in my chest. Guilt, maybe? Maybe this was my fault. Maybe mommy stopped calling because I treated her badly. I said she never should've come home. I hurt her feelings. And now.

How could I be so mean to her when all she did was take care of me and made sure I was okay?

I moved the breakfast aside and walked out of my room. I needed to see daddy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I found him in his study, going through his phone with a frown on his face.

"Daddy?"

He looked up immediately, his eyes softened as soon as he saw the worry look on my face.

"Nora, what's wrong?"

I hesitated, my palms damped with sweat out of nervousness. "Did.Any news from mom yet? Did you call her like you promised?"

The little smile on his face dropped. He stood up slowly and crouched in front of me.

"No, baby," he said gently. "There's no message from her."

The tears fought their way out, but I held them in. I caused all this anyway. I had no right to cry.

I wanted to tell him it was okay. That I didn't care. That I didn't miss her. That he shouldn't bother calling her. Three years ago, I would have said just that. But the truth was.I miss her. A lot.

"Maybe she doesn't want to talk to me," I whispered. "Because I was mean to her."

I picked up the phone so many times and tried to call her. But each time I did, I ended up not calling her. What if she doesn't pick up? What if she picked up and yelled at me? Those thoughts crossed my mind each time I tried to call her.

"Hey," my dad said, his voice interrupting the little conversation I'd going on in my head. "You were just a kid. You didn't understand everything that was happening. None of this is your fault."

I looked down, fidgeting with my fingers again.

"Do you think maybe she'd talk to you instead? If you called her?"

"Nora."

"Please dad," I cut him short, a tear slipped before I could hold it in. "You always promise to call her, but you never tried once."

His eyes searched mine and I could see something shift in them. Sadness? Maybe even regret. I couldn't figure it out. It was gone as soon as it came.

Then let out a sigh.

"Okay," he said softly, "I'II call her."

I blinked the tears away, then my face lit up in excitement.

"Really? You'll really call her this time?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Maybe it's time I did."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LUCIAN'S POV

I hadn't said Elora's name out loud in over a year. Not once. Not even to myself.

It had become a scar I refused to pick at. A box I'd locked shut with its key buried deep. Calling her again was the last thing I thought I'd ever do. But then Nora walked in and everything changed. How could I look into those teary eyes and say No?.

"You're sure you're only doing this because of Nora? Just get over yourself and bring her back already."

My wolf, Rowan, snapped for the hundredth time today. He has been restless and would seize any opportunity to blame me ever since Elora left. I mean, he should be happy we found our fated mate. We've been waiting for that for years, and now he suddenly has a problem with Maya being our fated mate. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had issues with her now, Maya has been..distant these days.

"Shut the fuck up, Rowan."

"Don't tell me to shut up when you're the one who couldn't keep your dick in your pants and got her pregnant in the first place. Not that I'm complaining though. I love Elora."

I could feel him smirking inside me. Horny bastard.

"I heard that, Lucian."

I block him off and cut off the mindlink. I've had enough lectures for today.

I made sure Nora went back to her room. Then I stepped out onto the balcony and drowned in my train of thoughts for a while.

It's been so long. I wasn't even sure if she still uses the same line. My thumb hovered over the screen.

Then I pressed the call button.

It rang once. Twice.

Then again.

I was ready to hang up when it connected.

"Hello," the voice at the other end was hesitant. One I haven't heard in years.

The silence stretched between us.

I closed my eyes for a minute.

Then I said her name. "Elora."

There was a pause at first.

Then she said, "Lucian?" It was more like a question, like she was making sure if it was really me.

Even hearing her voice stirred something within me. Something old and buried. Something I didn't want to feel.

I told myself it's because I'd promised my daughter I'd call her. That I'd broken enough promises to last a lifetime.

But is that the only reason? Could Rowan feel something I couldn't feel? Or was my heart starting to beat for another?

ELORA'S POV

"Lucian?"

His name felt strange on my lips-familiar, but has a little weight to it. For a moment I believed I'd dreamed of this call. Maybe I'd longed to hear from him that I conjured it up in my head. But no. He was there, reaching out to me, and I could feel the weight in his silence. I could feel the distance in the very air that moved around us.

"Elora," he finally said, his voice a bit tense. Not cold, no, but not relaxed either. As if he were attempting not to feel.

I leaned back in my chair, my heart pounding against my chest. "What do you want, Lucian?

There was a pause.

Then he said, "It's about Nora."

And just like that, everything stopped. Fear spiked through my veins.

I swallowed hard. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She just..she misses you."

That hurt more than I thought. My fingers gripped the edge of the desk. I hadn't cried in years. I wouldn't start now. Not with him on the line. Not with the man who made me feel invisible.

"She asked me to call you." He continued.

I nodded to myself, not daring to speak. My throat burned with words I couldn't say. I knew if I opened my mouth, the tears would come.

"You don't have to say anything," he whispered. "I just thought you should know. And maybe, talk to her. She needs you right now."

"Thanks.for the call," I managed after what felt like an eternity of silence.

"Elora, I." he continued.

"Yes?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

I heard him exhale. Then the line went dead.

No goodbye. Just the silence again.

I stared at the empty black screen of my phone. My throat burned like I'd gulped down the strongest liquor. I hadn't even realized I was holding my breath until Selene appeared, offering me a glass of wine.

She stood in the doorway. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but was that."

I nodded.

She came over and handed me a glass of water. No questions asked. Just quiet support. She sat beside me, steady as always.

"I think she really misses me," I whispered. "And I think I miss her more than I ever admitted."

Selene rested her head on my shoulder.

"Then go see her, El."

I didn't answer. I couldn't. Not yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The early morning sun casted that golden shade of orange. But it was still bright enough to go out there for a stroll and maybe have some nice coffee.

I figured I needed to breathe. I couldn't stay cooped up in my apartment thinking about that call, so I did something I hadn't done in years.

I went back to the Academy-the biggest fashion school in Manhattan. My first love. My once-upon-a-dream.

As I arrived and stepped into the building, it felt like walking through old memories. The same marble floors. The same trees lining the entrance now seem..taller. The art building still stood-smelling faintly of paint, rust, and dreams that never quite left.

And then I saw him.

Lucas---A shareholder at Preston's Academy and one of Oliver's final students alongside me, a loyal and a very supportive friend of mine. He's also a member of the Queenwood's pack here in Manhattan. A pack known for education, reform and integration in human society.

"Lucas?" I called.

He turned, grinning from ear to ear like we were still in the Academy. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the world's best herself?"

I couldn't help but smile. "You've aged."

"And you haven't." he teased. "Come on. There's a café across the street. I've been dying to catch up."

We walked over, and once we sat down with a cup of coffee in hand, all the memories came flooding back-late nights in the studio, stolen lunch breaks, wild ideas, and dreams we used to chase with fire in our eyes.

"I heard what happened," he said gently, after a moment. "About your marriage. The pack."

I sipped my coffee and gave a short nod. "It wasn't what I expected. Or what I wanted."

"You were the best of us, Elora," Lucas said.

"I still have some of your pieces in my office. Do you know how many designers at Queens ask about it? How much clients will pay just to have that piece? But I just can't. They're the last pieces of your design that I have left."

I blinked. "You're with Queen's fashion now?"

"Not just with them. I built it. It's mine. And I need you."

I laughed. "You want to hire a washed up designer and a forgotten Luna with a ten-year gap in her portfolio?"

"I want Elora Parker. The woman who creates designs from imaginations and dreams. The woman who sketched designs with her eyes closed. The woman you were before you got married. I want her back to work."

I stared at him for a long second. "I'm not that girl anymore."

"Then be whoever you're now. Just ..come back to work."

His voice cracked a little when he said it. I could tell it wasn't just about the company. It was about belief. About trust. About giving me a chance to reclaim what I'd lost."

"I'II think about it." I said.

Lucas grinned, his eyes lit up like he'd just won a prize. "That's all I ask, Elora."

Before we parted, he mentioned they were interviewing another designer today. "You two would hit off. She's brilliant. Young. I think her name was.damn, I forgot. I will send you her details later."

"I never said I'd do it yet, Lucas." I replied, rolling my eyes at him.

"I like to hope you will, El."

I smiled with the hope of getting back to a life I once cherished more than anything. My dream of becoming a famous designer and owning my academy vanished into thin air the night I discovered I was pregnant with Nora.

But was I ready to overwhelm myself and dive into that world again after all that happened?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I left the café and walked back towards the Academy gates, another familiar face appeared.

"Elora?"

I stiffened.

Mira.

Lucian's older sister. Rude, nasty, and always ready to make my life hell.

During the years I was her sister-in-law, she treated me more like a servant than family.

Whenever she went to the spa or met up with her friends, she'd always make me look after her son George.

As if her husband - the Alpha of the Crescent Pack, one of the five major packs in the North - couldn't afford a nanny.

No. She just wanted to demean me. To show me through her actions that I didn't deserve to be called a Luna, only a servant.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice coated in venom. "You haven't been invited to these events in years."

I kept my voice even. "Just visiting an old friend."

She scoffed, giving a fake smile out of the corner of her lips. "I suppose even discarded Lunas crave attention sometimes."

I turned to leave, but she stepped closer. "George's birthday is next week. You should bake him something and bring him a present."

I stopped cold. Then slowly turned to face her "I'm not doing shit for you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Still proud, even after being cast aside."

I glanced at the other people around. Many of them were watching. Mira wouldn't dare mention the divorce here even if she knew. Lucian's image had to be preserved.

"I'm not that girl you used to push around," I whispered. "And you better get used to having things done yourself, seeing that I won't be your brother's wife for long."

Her lips parted slightly.

"Yeah," I said with a tilt of my head. "I filed for a divorce. Signed. Sealed. Delivered."

And with that, I walked away, my hips swaying with every step I took.

~~~~~~~~~~~

That night I opened my laptop and scrolled through old files-my designs from my days in Preston's Academy.

The last one was dated ten years ago.

But maybe, just maybe. It was time.

Time to update it.

Time to live for myself again.

Time to return to the world that once loved me for my work.

As I typed a text to Lucas, my other phone buzzed on the desk beside me.

A new message from Lucas.

Lucas: Here's the info on the designer you'd be working with. Trust me you'll love her.

I opened the file to see there was a photo.

No.

It couldn't be.

Then I zoomed in for a better look.

"Maya?"

ELORA'S POV

"You didn't tell me she was already here."

Those were the first words that came out of my mouth the minute I stepped into Queens Academy and saw her.

Maya.

Sitting comfortably on one of the chairs with one leg crossed over the other like she owned the damn place. As though her presence alone wasn't a knife plunged into my chest.

She turned around slowly, her lips curled up with an all too familiar smirk. Her features, her dark sleek hair, and those confident eyes hadn't changed a bit.

Lucas stood beside the whiteboard, looking genuinely stunned. "Elora, I.I didn't know she was already scheduled for today. My assistant is in charge of all that. Her appointment got pushed forward last minute."

I could barely hear him. My gaze was locked on Maya, and all I could feel was the heat climbing up my neck. My wolf Sierra was begging to let out and deal with the bitch.

Then all of a sudden, she stood.

"Hello, sister," she casually said, like she hadn't ripped my life apart.

Lucas turned to me with a confused look. "Wait.You two know each other?"

I tore my eyes from her, forcing myself to breathe. My voice came out tighter than I wanted. "She's my father's daughter, my half-sister, Maya." I spat out.

Lucas' eyes widened. "Maya?"

She didn't even flinch. She took it all in, brushing non-existent dirt from her blouse.

"I didn't know, Elora. I swear to God. I didn't. If I had.."

Lucas knew quite a bit about the bad blood between Maya and I, but not all the details. And this happens to be the first time he's seeing her.

I raise a hand to stop him. "I'm not blaming you, Lucas. But if I am working here. I can't work with her."

He nodded quickly, his eyes darting between us. "Understood. Okay. Maybe we can split your shifts. You can come in on different days. Or maybe I assign you both to different departments. Maya can work on casual wear and you can take over the bridal line."

I didn't respond right away. The silence stretched as I weighed the options. My stomach twisted at the thought of breathing the same air as her. Even if our paths didn't cross physically, I'd still see her fingerprints everywhere.

"I'II think about it." I said at last.

Maya said nothing, not until I stepped out and she followed behind.

"You're not going to ask about your daughter?"

I froze. That voice, that tone-as if she had the right.

I turned back slowly, my nails digging into my palm.

News travelled fast, as soon as Lucian knew Maya was his fated mate, he made sure she moved out of our pack house in Moonhaven and right into Erelis pack. She took over everything that concerns my daughter ever since then.

"Don't ever talk about my daughter."

Maya lifted her chin. "It's been three years, Elora. You don't want to know how Nora's doing?"

My blood boils.

"You don't get to say her name," I said quietly. "You don't get to pretend to care about what I lost."

Maya took a step forward, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression softening. But not in a way that felt real. "She misses you. Not that she says it. She's proud. But I know she does."

"You're not her mother, Maya. Don't speak like you know her."

"No. But I'm the one she calls 'mama," she shot back. "And I'm the one that stayed."

That broke something in me.

"You stayed because you wormed your way into Lucian's life. You stayed because you were handed everything while I was pushed out with nothing."

Her brows lifted. "Oh please. Don't pretend you were ever some innocent victim. You married him because you wanted the title, Elora. Not because you loved him."

"Don't you dare speak about what I felt. You wouldn't know love even if it bled for you. You showed up and he dropped everything for you. His promises for me. The vows he made, and a life as the mother of his child and his Luna."

She flinched then, but only slightly. That wasn't my fault."

"But you stayed. I whispered. "You know what you were doing. And you let Nora watch it all. You let her believe I abandoned her."

"She needed stability. I gave her that."

"You gave her confusion, Maya. You fed her with lies. You let her grow up without her mother for years."

We stood at the entrance of that room, the buzz of sewing machines could be heard in the background. Lucas already got busy with something else.

Maya looked like everything I used to want to be. But she will never be what I am.

"Stay away from me," I warned "Stay away from my daughter. You don't get to use her to twist the knife."

I walked out without another word.

I didn't want to cry.

Not then.

I managed to get it together until I got home.

But the second I closed the door behind me and dropped my bag, everything spilled out. My leg gave away and I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the wall like It was the only thing holding me together. My chest ached like someone had taken a fistful of everything inside and squeezed until it burst.

I didn't sob loudly, just the kind of broken cry that comes out in gasps. I covered my mouth, hating the sound of myself unraveling.

Why now? Why did Maya have to show up here-again-in my life? And why does it still hurt so much after all these years?

I didn't even hear Selene come in. The moment her hands wrapped around me from the side, I jumped.

"Elora," she whispered. "What's wrong? You should've called me."

I couldn't even answer her, I just turned to her and let myself fall apart. She held me like a sister would, stroking my hair as I shook in her arm.

"She was there," I finally choked out. "She was working with Lucas."

Selene pulled back enough to see my face. "Who? Maya?"

I nodded.

Her mouth pressed into a thin line, then she brushed the tears from my cheeks. "You don't have to be strong right now. It's okay to fall apart. Just let it out."

"She talked about Nora. Like she has any right." I sniffled.

Selene didn't say a word to that. She just held me tighter, rocking me slightly like I was a child again.

And for a while, I let her.

She pulled back and looked at me."Now let me get us something to eat, okay? I'd be right back."

I simply nodded.

But later that night, alone in my room, I opened Nora's old photo album. The ones with pictures of her as a baby. The one with her first steps, the one with her third birthday, the one we wore matching dresses.

I pressed my hand to the page and whispered into the silence."I'm coming back for you, baby. Whether they want me or not.

And if this world has no space for a woman like me, then I'd carve one out myself.