Rael's Pov

"Home at last" I coldly whispered, as the gates of my pack rose before me like the walls of a stranger's fortress.

I could hear my bones grinding against one another as I pushed forward using what seemed like my last effort to cling to life.

I thought I was finished the day they captured me and was under constant torture until I no longer knew if I was woman or beast. My screams became the only language I had left as days bled into nights without light and without hope.

I had held out hope that I was wrong and that Corvin was not behind it, and would come and find me but days turned into months and months to years.

Silver chains carved into my wrists and ankles until my scars refused to heal. I got used to the sound of my bones breaking, the rhythm of the whip on my back became one with the beating of my heart.

My wolf, Lyric, had raged at first, tried to break free but the more she howled the more the silver weakened her until she became quiet and lost.

I had lost Lyric- the one thing that kept me sane and now I became hollowed and lost.

The years stripped me off every emotions I had. I stopped screaming or weeping and stayed in silence as I became numb to any feelings.

Then one night, the chains slipped somehow-- perhaps the Moon goddess heard my prayers or the guards were careless-- that I will never know but I saw an opening and I took it. I crawled through the filth and into the dark, half starved and half dead but I was free.

From then on, I was a shadow, a vengeful spirit.. hiding in strange packs, stealing food, and fighting for every breath I took while I plotted my little payback. Each day I survived was proof that I could not be killed, no matter how deeply he had tried to bury me.

I staggered forward, breathing in the world like a starving creature as my knees shook but I saw it.

Eyes followed me the moment I stepped past the threshold. Warriors stiffened, their jaws slack. An omega carrying a basket of laundry dropped it, linens spilling across the dirt as she clapped her hands over her mouth. Gasps rippled down the streets like a wave, followed by the first trembling voice.

"L... Luna?"

"Luna.. she's alive."

Alive.

The word clung to me like a curse. Oh! If only they had seen the things I had endured..

"Pathetic" I coldly whispered to myself.

Still, their whispers rose, louder..

"Our Luna has returned."

Their voices carried disbelief, awe, joy, and fear all at once. I saw tears in some eyes, reverence in others. Yet beneath it all was confusion, because they all knew who now wore that title.

And so did I.

Then I saw him.

He stood at the top of the steps to the pack house, framed by the sunlight. For an instant, time collapsed in on itself, and all I saw was the man I had loved.. his broad shoulders, his dark hair, those storm-grey eyes that once made me feel safe even in the darkest night.

"Rael..." His voice broke like glass shattering on stone.

He descended the steps two at a time, his composure unraveling. His eyes searched me, frantic, as though afraid I would vanish if he blinked. The crowd parted around him.

He stopped just in front of me, trembling. "It's you. Goddess, it's really you.. I searched..." His hand rose, with an aching to touch my face.

I took a step back.

And his hand froze midair. The anguish that flickered across his features might have broken me once. Now, it only hardened me and made me smirk within me.

"Alpha..." someone murmured, but the title sounded distant, meaningless.

I kept my expression still, though my heart thundered in my chest. For years, I had lived only for this moment. For years, his memory had been the flame that lit my darkness with the urge for vengeance.

If he had searched for me, why had no rescue come?

If he had loved me, why had I roamed around in pain all alone?

Before I could speak, a soft, lilting voice called out.

"Corvin love?" My blood ran cold.

From the doorway of the pack house, she emerged. It was my dearest cousin- Nyra and she was in my dress.

Her beauty had always been delicate, but now it glowed with the fullness of pregnancy. Her hands rested protectively on the swell of her stomach, her eyes wide with innocence as she went straight to him.

"Are you all right? What's happening?" she asked, but her gaze flickered briefly to me. A quick assessment. A spark of something sharp before her face softened again.

The murmurs in the crowd began again..

"What happens now.."

"what happens to our Luna.. The new Luna is with child..."

Corvin's jaw tightened. He glanced between us.. me, the ghost of the woman he had tried to kill, and her, the wife who carried his heir.

Something inside me cracked.

I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat. "Corvin Love?" I said quietly, my gaze locking on his.

The words silenced everything. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

Corvin flinched as though I had struck him. "Rael, I.. " His voice broke again. "It's not what you think. When you were gone, when I thought.." he took in a sharp sniff like he was holding back tears. "I looked for you every day. Damn I offered offerings to the Goddess everyday.."

But before he could finish.. "Rael," she said softly, her voice dripping with sympathy. "We never thought we'd see you again. If we had known..."

I stared at her. At the way her fingers drifted to her belly, stroking the curve of life within her.

That life inside of her should have been mine.

The child I had once carried was stolen from me by blood, betrayal and chains. And here she stood, flaunting her victory with the ease of a queen who thought herself untouchable.

I bit down on the scream rising in my throat.

He reached for me again, desperation etched in every line of his face. "Rael, please. Let me explain.."

"There is nothing to explain, Alpha." My voice was calm yet steady and sharp enough to cut him especially as I called him Alpha instead of the nickname I had given him.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, but I did not wait to see their faces. I turned on my heel, the weight of a hundred eyes burning into my back.

Every step away from him was agony, but I forced myself forward. I would not let them see me break.

Not him.

Not her.

Not anyone.

I was alone when I was taken.

I was alone when I was broken.

I was alone when I hardened.

This was no longer my home.

He was no longer.. My vision blurred, and a hollow sound rang in my ears.

The murmurs around me sharpened into cries.

A hand reached for me, but I swayed, letting the world tilt.

"Rael!" Corvin's voice thundered through the haze.

The last thing I saw was his face, stricken with terror..

Nyra's POV

The courtyard was a beautiful yet annoying form of chaos. Voices rose in alarm, warriors barked orders, and Corvin's command cutting through them all.

"Clear the way! Get her inside!"

Her.

Always her.

I smoothed my expression into one of practiced concern as I trailed after the cluster of pack members carrying Rael's limp body into the pack house.

My fingers curled protectively over my belly, the swell beneath my palm a perfect shield for the mask I wore.

"She looked so pale," I murmured to the nearest servant, my voice trembling just enough. "Please, make sure she's comfortable and always inform me of her health ."

The young woman bobbed her head . "Yes, Luna Nyra."

Luna Nyra- the title sent a small thrill down my spine. It had been hard won, carved from shadows, tears and blood, and I would not let it slip from my grasp now.

Not even for her.

Especially not for her.

I followed them only far enough to be seen before lingering near the stairs, out of the way. From here, I could watch Corvin... watch how he hovered desperately over Rael, barking orders as though the woman he loved had not just reappeared from the grave.

My lips ached with the effort not to say a curse word but I did, "Bloody hell"

So that was it. That was the ghost who had haunted him, the shadow in his eyes when he thought I wasn't looking. I had wondered, in darker moments, whether my memory of her beauty had grown exaggerated with time.

But no. She was still breathtaking, despite being broken, even with years of torment hollowing her eyes.

And yet, he looked at her as if she were the sun returned after endless winter.

I dug my nails into my palm, hard enough that it formed crescent shapes.

How dare she..

How dare she come back when I had spent years weaving my place here, burying her memory under my touch, my smiles, my soft words to him in the night.

How dare she walk into my home, into my title, and claim the hearts I had bent and bound.

I had been so careful. So meticulous.

Then slowly the memory surfaced.. the hushed meeting in the shadows, the coins pressed into greedy palms, the scent of iron when the mercenaries swore they would make it look like slaughter.

The bloody sheets had been my idea. Nothing more final, nothing more convincing than the stain of death left behind.

And it had worked.

Corvin had frantically returned that same night saying she called out to him only to find his mate gone, his bed drenched in blood. His howl had shaken the mountains that night, carrying across the valleys like a desperate cry for help.

I had been there, watching from the shadows, my own tears hot and real. Not for her.. never for her.. but for the man I loved.

The man who had never once looked at me the way he looked at her.

Until she was gone.

I had given him 2 years to break..To shatter.. To bleed his sweet soul dry on her grave. I had offered comfort slowly, carefully, never pressing too soon. An ear to listen. A shoulder to cry on. A gentle hand when he could no longer hold himself upright.

I had offered her grief-ridden parents my time as well, so they had no problems with me getting close to their daughter's mate while they battled grief and death..

And when he finally caved.. when he took me to his bed in his drunken state, desperate for warmth in the endless cold of his grief.. I knew I had finally won.

I had taken what was hers and made it mine.

Now, watching him hover over her with that same raw devotion in his eyes, I felt fury coil in my gut like a snake.

"Pathetic" I sighed out loud.

He had mourned her for years. And still... still, the moment she reappeared, she held his heart in her trembling hands.

I stroked my belly slowly, calming myself with the steady rhythm. No. He would not leave me. Not now. Not when I carried his heir. The future of this pack rested beneath my heart, and no ghost, no scarred little survivor, could strip that from me.

I tilted my head, letting my mask slip just enough..

"You should have stayed dead, Rael," I whispered to myself, so low no one else could hear. "I gave you a merciful end. I gave you release. But you just had to crawl back."

A bitter laugh bubbled in my chest, though I swallowed it before it reached my lips. She had escaped, then. Somehow she had survived what I had arranged. It almost impressed me, though the thought curdled quickly.

She looked broken, quieter, and shaken from that fateful night five years ago. The years had carved deep hollows into her. She might have the sympathy of the people.. but I had the power. The title. The bond of marriage. The child.

And Corvin?

I tightened my grip on his name in my mind like a chain.

He was mine. He had lain in my bed, taken me as his wife. Whatever bond drew him towards her, it no longer mattered. He belonged to me in every way that counted.

Still, the sight of him holding her, the anguish etched into his face, made bile rise in my throat.

"How dare he look at her like that when I stood only steps away." I murmured.

How dare she return to ruin what I had worked for.

I pressed a hand to my lips, feigning worry when a passing guard glanced my way. "Is my cousin stable?" I asked softly, letting my eyes glisten.

He bowed quickly. "Yes, Luna Nyra. The Alpha is seeing to her now."

The Alpha...

My Alpha....

I smiled faintly, nodding, letting the guard hurry on. But inside, my wolf snapped her teeth, restless and furious.

This was my territory. My crown. My victory.

And if Rael thought she could come back from the dead and take it from me...

She was gravely mistaken.

I tilted my head, stroking my belly once more. "You won't take him. You won't take this," I murmured under my breath, venom lacing every word. "Not the pack. Not the child. Not the man."

Let them whisper Luna all they liked.

Let her wear her scars like armor.

Let him ache for her in silence.

None of it mattered.

Because I had destroyed her once.

And if I had to, I would do it again.

"Corvin is mine.. this is my home not hers"

Rael's Pov

I opened my eyes and knew right away something was really wrong. This wasn't my room.

The ceiling was plain white and I didn't recognize it at all. The bed under me felt stiff and uncomfortable like no one had slept there for a long time. I sat up slowly and my whole body hurt, my muscles ached and my joints felt like they were grinding together. There was a dull pain behind my eyes that just wouldn't go away.

I looked around the small room but didn't recognize anything. The walls were empty except for one small painting of a forest. The furniture was simple and old. There was a dresser in the corner and just one chair by the window. That was it, i had no personal stuff, no warmth. Just a guest room or something for visitors.

Where was my stuff?

I got up on shaky legs and went to the dresser. I opened all the drawers, it was empty, there was nothing. Then I checked the small closet next to the door. There was just a plain dress and some basic shoes on the floor, none of it was mine.

My throat got tight and panic started to build in my chest. Where was everything? Where were my clothes and my jewelry? What about the little box of letters my mom wrote me before she died? Where was the blue shawl Corvin gave me on our bonding day?

The door opened and I spun around.

A middle-aged woman with kind eyes and gray hair walked in holding a tray with water and bread. She wore simple pack healer clothes, when she saw I was awake she smiled softly.

"Luna Rael," she said, then quickly fixed herself. "I mean Rael. You're awake, that's good. You need to eat something."

"Where are my things?" I asked. My voice was rough and cracked because I hadn't used it in a while.

Her smile got smaller and she put the tray down on the small table by the bed. "I don't know about your stuff. I was only told to check on your health."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Doctor Lydia . I've been the pack doctor for fifteen years."

I didn't know her name, but I wasn't surprised. A lot had changed in five years.

"Sit down please," she said, pointing to the bed. "I need to check you."

I didn't want to, but my legs shook so much I had no choice. I sat down hard, and she came closer with her healer bag.

"May I?" she asked, motioning to my arms.

I nodded. She rolled up the sleeves of my thin nightgown. Her eyes got big when she saw my wrists, i knew what she was looking at. The scars were thick and ugly, wrapped around my wrists like silver bracelets that would never come off. The scars from chains that had dug into my skin every day for so long.

"These are old," she said quietly. Her voice sounded kind of scared. "Silver burns?"

"Yes."

She touched them lightly and I jumped even though it didn't hurt anymore. The pain was long gone but the memories were still fresh and sharp.

"There are more," I said. "All over me."

She looked at me with pity in her eyes. I hated that. I didn't want anyone's pity.

"May I see?"

I stood up and pulled the nightgown off without caring if I was modest anymore. What did it even matter now? She was a healer, she had seen everything before. I stood there naked and let her look.

I heard her sharp breath.

The scars covered me like a map of pain. Long thin lines from whips across my back. Round burn marks on my sides and stomach from hot metal. Deep cuts on my ankles just like the ones on my wrists and other marks too. Marks I didn't want to think about.

"Goddess above," Doctor Lydia whispered. She put her hand to her mouth. "What did they do to you?"

"Does it matter?" I said.

"Rael, I need to know what happened so I can help you better."

"You can't help me," I said and put my nightgown back on. "No one can."

"Please. Just tell me something. Were you kept captive? Were you hurt?"

I sat down again and stared at the wall. "Yes."

"For how long?"

"Five years."

She was quiet for a long time and then sat down next to me on the bed. "You are very weak. You don't have enough food in you and your body is hurt from everything. You need rest, good food, and time to get better."

"I'm fine."

"You're not," she said strongly. "You collapsed yesterday in front of the whole pack. You were out for a whole day and night. Your body is shutting down because it has been through so much."

I didn't say anything.

"Will you tell me who did this?"

"No."

"Where have you been?"

"No."

"Will you tell me anything at all?"

"No."

Doctor Lydia sighed and stood up. "Okay. I can't make you talk. But I'm here if you need me. I'll check on you again tomorrow."

She walked to the door, then stopped and looked back at me. "Your husband has been sitting outside your room since you woke. He only left for important pack things. He's very worried."

My jaw tightened and anger boiled in my throat. "Tell him to go away."

"Rael, he cares about you."

"Tell him to go away," I said again, my voice cold and hard. "I don't want to see him."

She looked like she wanted to say more but just nodded and left.

I sat on that uncomfortable bed, in that strange room, feeling so heavy. Five years. Five years of pain and darkness and torture. Five years of calling for my mate and he never came. Five years of losing everything.

Now I was back and everything was different. No room of my own.