Ellie POV

The rain in Florence was heavier than I expected, a bone-deep chill that soaked through to the marrow.

It had been weeks. Or maybe months? Time had become a blur of gnawing hunger and violent shivering.

I sat huddled in a narrow alleyway near the Arno River, my clothes threadbare and soaked. The Rejection sickness was hollowing me out from the inside. My skin burned with fever, yet my bones felt like shards of ice.

My wolf was silent. She hadn't spoken since that night in the basement. Part of me feared she might be dead.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the few trinkets I had managed to keep. A small bracelet Marcus gave me when I was twelve. A faded ribbon.

I looked at the dark, swirling water of the river nearby.

"Garbage," I croaked, my throat raw and stinging.

I threw them in. I watched the water swallow the last pieces of my past. I felt nothing. No relief. No sadness. Just a hollow, aching void where my heart used to be.

*Crack.*

A sound from the mouth of the alley made me freeze.

Two men stood there. They were hulking figures, their eyes glowing a sickly yellow in the dark. Rogues. Wolves without a pack, driven mad by bloodlust.

They sniffed the air, their lips curling back to reveal rotting yellow teeth.

"Well, well," one of them growled, his voice like gravel grinding together. "A little stray Omega. She smells like heartbreak and death."

"Easy meat," the other sneered.

I tried to stand, but my legs gave out. I was too weak. I couldn't shift. I couldn't fight.

The first Rogue lunged. I scrambled backward, my spine hitting the damp brick wall with a thud. He grabbed my ankle, dragging me across the rough cobblestones. I screamed, kicking feebly, but his grip was like a steel trap.

"Shut her up," the second Rogue said, pulling something from his jacket.

It glinted in the moonlight. A gun.

He aimed it right at my heart. But it wasn't the bullet that terrified me. It was the material. Even in the dark, I could see the dull, whitish sheen.

Silver.

Pure silver. The only thing that could kill a wolf instantly, stopping our healing factor dead.

"Goodbye, little girl," he grinned.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the end. Maybe this was better. Maybe the pain would finally stop.

*ROAR!*

A sound like a sonic boom exploded in the alley. It wasn't human. It was the roar of a beast, primal and terrifyingly powerful.

I snapped my eyes open just in time to see a massive black shadow drop from the rooftops.

It landed on the Rogue with the gun, crushing him instantly. Bones snapped like dry twigs under a boot. The Rogue didn't even have time to scream.

The second Rogue released my ankle, stumbling back in terror. "Alpha... It's an Alpha!"

The black beast turned. It was a wolf, bigger than any I had ever seen, with fur as dark as the void between stars. It snarled, and the sound vibrated in my very bones.

With a blur of motion, the black wolf tore the second Rogue apart. Blood sprayed across the alley walls, mixing with the rain.

Silence fell.

I lay there, trembling, my vision fading at the edges. The fever was spiking. I was going to die anyway.

The massive black wolf turned toward me.

I flinched, expecting teeth. Expecting death.

But the wolf didn't attack. It lowered its massive head, sniffing me.

And then, it happened.

A scent enveloped me. It wasn't the metallic smell of blood. It was... Earth. Rich, dark soil after a summer rain. And Pine. Fresh, crisp pine needles.

My heart, which had been beating a slow, dying rhythm, suddenly skipped a beat. Then another.

*Thump-thump. Thump-thump.*

A jolt of electricity shot through my body, starting from my toes and racing up to my scalp. It was agonizing and ecstatic all at once.

The black wolf shifted. Bones cracked and reshaped, fur retracting into skin.

A man knelt before me. He was naked, oblivious to the cold rain. His body was sculpted like a Greek god, powerful muscles rippling under bronzed skin. But it was his eyes that captivated me. They were deep, endless blue, like the ocean.

He reached out a hand to touch my cheek.

I flinched, but his touch wasn't violent. It was warm. Searing hot.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered. His voice was deep, vibrating in my chest.

As his skin touched mine, a shockwave blasted through us.

*Mine!*

The roar didn't come from the alley. It came from inside my head. My wolf, my dormant, dying wolf, suddenly lifted her head and howled.

*Mate! Second Chance Mate!*

Tears streamed down my face. "How...?" I whispered.

"I found you," he said, his eyes filled with a fierce, protective light. "I am David. Alpha of the Blood Rose Pack."

He brought his wrist to his mouth, letting a drop of his Alpha blood fall onto my lips. "Drink. You need strength."

I swallowed. His blood tasted like fire and life. The pain in my chest, the hole Marcus had left, began to stitch itself together.

He scooped me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing. I buried my face in his neck, inhaling the scent of Earth and Pine.

"Sleep, Little Wolf," he murmured against my hair. "I've got you. Nobody hurts you again."

For the first time since my parents died, I believed it.

Ellie POV

Four years.

It had been four years since I was nothing more than a shivering, broken girl cowering in an alleyway.

I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in my art studio in Florence. The woman staring back at me was a stranger. My silver-white hair cascaded down my back in lustrous waves. My body, once frail and starved, was now curved and strong, honed by relentless training with the Blood Rose warriors.

But the most profound shift was in my eyes. They were no longer the fearful eyes of an Omega. They were the steel-grey eyes of a White Wolf.

"Are you ready, my love?"

David approached from behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his blue eyes meeting mine in the reflection.

"I am," I said, my voice steady.

The invitation lay on the table like a challenge. The Silver Moon Pack was hosting a gathering of Alphas. As the Luna of the Blood Rose Pack—though not yet officially marked, by my own choice to heal first—I was expected to attend.

"You don't have to go," David said softly, kissing the sensitive spot behind my ear. "I can burn the invitation."

"No." I turned in his arms, inhaling his calming scent of rich Earth and Pine. "I need to do this. I need to close the door properly."

I wasn't going back for Marcus. I was going back to pay a debt.

*

The Silver Moon Pack house hadn't changed, but it felt smaller now. Less imposing.

David held my hand as we walked through the grand double doors. The hall was filled with wolves in formal wear, the air thick with the scent of champagne and expensive perfume.

When we entered, the room went deathly silent.

The Blood Rose Pack was legendary for its strength, and David was feared. But the eyes weren't just on him. They were on me.

I wore a dress of deep crimson silk that hugged every curve, a stark contrast to the rags I had left in. My scent—no longer weak, but a powerful mix of Winter Frost and Lilac—rolled off me in intoxicating waves.

"Ellie?"

The voice came from the center of the room.

Marcus stood there. He looked older, tired. He was holding a glass of wine, and next to him clung a woman with blonde hair and a fake smile. Chloe.

Marcus stared at me as if he were seeing a ghost. His glass slipped from his fingers and shattered on the floor.

"You..." he breathed, taking a step forward.

Then, his nostrils flared. He smelled David on me. He smelled the lingering scent of another Alpha wrapping around me like a protective cloak.

A low growl rumbled in Marcus's chest. His eyes flashed black. "You smell like him."

"Hello, Marcus," I said coolly.

"Who gave you permission to return?" Chloe sneered, stepping in front of Marcus. "And dressed like a whore, no less. Did you come to beg for scraps again?"

I didn't even spare her a glance. My gaze remained locked on Marcus.

"Explain yourself, Ellie!" Marcus roared. He didn't just shout; he used the Alpha Command. The pressure in the room dropped instantly. Beta and Omega wolves nearby flinched and lowered their heads, forced into submission by the sheer weight of his voice.

*Kneel!* his voice echoed in the Mind-Link, a command meant to force me to the floor.

I stood perfectly still.

I felt the pressure of his command wash over me, like a gentle breeze against a stone cliff. It didn't even make me blink. My White Wolf bloodline, fully awakened now, made me immune to the commands of a standard Alpha.

Marcus’s eyes widened in shock. "How...?"

I reached into my clutch bag.

"I didn't come to explain," I said, my voice calm but carrying to every corner of the silent room. "I came to settle my debts."

I pulled out a silver box—the locket he had kept, which David had helped me retrieve through intermediaries months ago—and a check.

I walked up to him. Chloe tried to block me, raising a hand to slap me.

"Don't," I said. I didn't shout. I just let a fraction of my Luna aura slip out. It hit Chloe like a physical wall. She gasped, stumbling back, terror in her eyes.

I stopped in front of Marcus. I pressed the check against his chest.

"This covers the cost of the food I ate, the clothes I wore, and the roof over my head for eight years," I said. "Including interest."

Marcus looked down at the check. The amount was staggering.

"Ellie, I..." He looked at me, confusion and something akin to pain warring in his eyes. "You're... beautiful."

"I know," I said. "And I'm not yours."

I turned to leave.

"Wait!" Marcus grabbed my arm.

David was there in a flash, his hand clamping over Marcus’s wrist. The sound of bones grinding filled the air.

"Let. Her. Go." David’s voice was a low growl, vibrating with lethal promise.

Marcus glared at David, then back at me. He looked at the check, then at the confident woman standing before him. He slowly released my arm.

"You are making a mistake, Ellie," Marcus whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "You belong here. You are *my* mate."

I laughed. It was a dry, humorless sound.

"You rejected me, Marcus. Remember?" I leaned in close, so only he could hear. "I accepted it. The bond is dead. You killed it."

I took David’s hand. "Let's go home."

As we walked away, I didn't look back. But I heard the gasps of the pack members as they looked at their Alpha, standing amidst shattered glass, holding a check from the girl he threw away.

David POV:

I watched her walk away from him, her head held high, her spine forged of unyielding steel.

My Ellie. My White Wolf.

We stepped out into the cool night air, leaving the suffocating atmosphere of the Silver Moon Pack house behind. The heavy oak doors thudded shut, severing the noise of the party, and only then did I saw her shoulders slump just a fraction.

"Are you okay?" I asked, tucking her into my side.

She looked up at me, her grey eyes shimmering with unshed tears. They were not tears of sadness, but of relief.

"I'm free," she whispered, the words catching in her throat. "I really am free."

We walked to the edge of the territory, where a sheer cliff overlooked the vast, undulating forest. The moon was full, hanging low and heavy, bathing the world in silver light. It was pristine.

I stopped and turned her to face me. "Ellie, you know I’ve waited. I would wait a hundred years for you."

"I know," she smiled, placing her hands on my chest, her palms warm against my racing heart.

"But seeing him touch you..." A growl rumbled in my chest, involuntary and possessive, vibrating against her fingertips. "It nearly drove my wolf insane. I need the world to know. I need *him* to know."

Ellie’s expression softened. She reached up and unbuttoned the collar of her shirt, exposing the smooth, pale skin of her neck—the junction where shoulder met throat. The marking spot.

"Make me yours, David," she said, her voice steady and sure. "Fully. Irrevocably."

My heart pounded against my ribs like a war drum. "Are you sure?"

"I choose you," she said. "Not because of fate. Not because of a bond. But because you saved me. Because you love me."

I didn't need to hear another word.

I leaned down, my lips grazing the sensitive skin over her scent gland. She smelled like Winter Frost and Lilac—the scent of home, crisp and intoxicating.

"I love you, Ellie," I murmured against her skin.

My canines elongated, sharp and aching with need. I felt the primal urge take over. With a swift, claiming motion, I sank my teeth into her neck.

Ellie gasped, her nails digging into my shoulders to anchor herself.

It was a primitive, searing connection. My venom flowed into her, mixing with her blood, binding our souls together in a way that could never be undone.

*Mine,* my wolf roared in triumph.

*Yours,* her wolf answered.

*

Marcus POV:

I stood in the middle of the ballroom, staring at the check in my hand—the settlement she had left behind. The music had started again, but it sounded distorted, distant, like I was underwater.

*She's gone. She's really gone.*

Chloe was clinging to my arm, chattering about how rude Ellie was, but her voice was like a mosquito buzzing in my ear—irrelevant, annoying noise.

Suddenly, a pain unlike anything I had ever felt exploded in my chest.

"ARGH!"

I dropped to my knees, clutching my heart. It felt like a branding iron was being pressed directly onto my soul, searing the tissue of my very existence.

"Marcus! What is it?" Chloe shrieked.

I couldn't breathe. The connection—the frayed, broken remnants of the bond I had with Ellie—was being incinerated. I felt it. I felt *him*.

Another Alpha. Biting her. Claiming her.

"NO!" I roared, my vision turning blood-red.

The Marking. She was being Marked.

My wolf went berserk. He clawed at the inside of my mind, howling in agony and rage. *OUR MATE! HE IS TAKING OUR MATE!*

I shoved Chloe aside, sending her sprawling across the floor. I didn't care. I didn't care about the guests. I didn't care about the pack.

I shifted.

My clothes shredded as my massive brown wolf burst forth, bones cracking and reshaping in milliseconds. I crashed through the double doors, sprinting towards the forest, towards the scent of Winter Frost that was being tainted by Earth and Pine.

I found them on the cliff edge.

David was holding her. His face was buried in her neck. Fresh blood trickled down her pale skin, glistening in the moonlight.

The Mark was there. Angry. Red. Permanent.

I howled, a sound of pure, unadulterated misery and rage. I launched myself at David.

David looked up. His eyes were glowing neon blue. He didn't look afraid. He looked annoyed.

He gently pushed Ellie behind him and met my charge mid-air.

We collided with the force of two freight trains. Teeth snapped, claws tore. But I was fighting out of desperation; he was fighting out of calculated protective instinct.

He was stronger. Much stronger.

David grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and slammed me into the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of me, rattling my teeth. He pinned me down, his jaws inches from my throat, a growl rumbling deep in his chest like thunder.

*Stop,* Ellie’s voice cut through the air.

I froze. I looked up.

She stood over us. Her hand was touching the fresh bite mark on her neck. She looked at me not with hate, but with pity.

"It's done, Marcus," she said. "Go home."

David released me and stepped back, wrapping an arm around Ellie's waist, pulling her flush against him. The sight of his hand on her, claiming her, broke whatever was left of my spirit.

I lay in the dirt, panting, bleeding, and utterly alone. The Soul's Peace was gone forever.