Chapter 2: 2: Can’t Go Home Again

ARIEL

The car ride feels endless. The hum of the tires matches my restless thoughts. Outside, bare branches claw at a pale sky.

My dad is at the wheel, keeping up a steady stream of chatter, light and meaningless. My best friend Amy sits in the back, tapping her knee to some song only she can hear.

They came to get me the moment those wolves who found me got them a message. I was still unconscious when they arrived, with only a vague memory of what happened outside the barn. Who was that man? I wanted to rip his throat out, but something stopped me.

Hugging my dad and Amy made me weep more tears than I thought was possible. Confirmed it was finally over.

Mom and my sister Natalia stayed home. That’s fine. Amy feels more like a real sister to me than Natalia ever has anyway. There’s always been an unspoken competition between my sister and me, even if I never quite knew the game we were playing.

And mom... I missed her, but it’s always been complicated between us. I’ve always disappointed her.

The girl who got into fights.

Who played in the mud.

Who wanted to be a warrior.

Of course, when Natalia was born, Mom finally had someone who she could live vicariously through. So popular, pretty, and perfect.

While I stare out the window, my dad keeps talking—about the weather, the car, what food we’ll eat. About everything except what matters—Xavier. I’m too afraid to ask anything—if he’s mated. If he waited for me.

I think of the last time I saw him.

In the arena… Testing to become a warrior.

We were supposed to be together in every way. Bond for eternity.

But the hunters got there first...

Two years ago.

For me, all a vague formless memory of pain. Almost like no time has passed.

But here, in the real world, so much has changed.

How long does a fated mate wait?

It’s supposed to be forever, right?

But two years can feel longer than forever.

Xavier is Alpha now.

Amy and Dad did tell me that much, their voices low, like they were sharing some guarded secret. Alpha Blake had been badly injured in a brutal rogue attack, and Xavier had to step up and take the Alpha’s place. The thought of him carrying that weight for the past two years makes my chest ache.

An Alpha needs a Luna.

I was supposed to be his Luna. I was meant to stand beside him. I felt it. I ~know~ he did too. Maybe I can still be there beside him, maybe it’s not too late.

***

As Dad pulls the car up to the house, I hear loud music and laughter coming from the backyard.

A party in full swing, my homecoming party.

Dad glances at me with a grin. “Everyone’s been buzzing since they heard you were coming home,” he says. “The whole pack’s been waiting for this night—biggest event in years.”

I smile and nod. “Exciting.”

I’m trying to put on a brave face, but inside I’m a nervous wreck.

Sensing my anxiety, Amy wraps her arms around me from the back seat. “If it gets to be too much, just say the word, and I’ll cover for you while you escape.”

We get out of the car and walk around the house to the backyard, where a blazing bonfire is the centerpiece of a rowdy, open-air party.

The entire pack is gathered, drinking and celebrating. Boys are wrestling in the grass, pups are running wild, and couples are dancing in the moonlight.

I stop mid-step, the warmth of the firelight blurring as my eyes fill. My chest tightens, and I blink hard, willing the tears back.

“I… I never thought I’d see this place again.”

Dad gives me a gentle squeeze, his voice rough with emotion. “We were so worried we’d never see you again,” he says, the words catching in his throat. His eyes glisten. “You’re home now though, and no one will ever take you away from us again. I’ll go find your mother and your sister. They’ll be so happy to see you.”

As he disappears into the crowded party, I shoot Amy a look.

“I wonder if they’ll actually be all that happy to see me,” I say.

“I know you’ve had your differences with them, but they’re your ~family,~” Amy responds, reproachfully.

The truth is, I really would like to reconnect with my mom and sister. I just don’t know if they’ll feel the same.

“ARIEL, IS THAT FUCKIN’ YOU!?”

I’m tackled out of nowhere by a giant of a man. It’s James, the boy who trained alongside me in the warrior training program.

The rest of my old squad comes running up, and they dogpile me as Amy steps out of the way.

I’m really feeling the love. I can’t believe how much I missed all of these goons. My pack.

“The squad is reunited!” James yells, howling.

I nod, my throat too tight for words, the rush of emotion stealing my voice.

James grabs my shoulder with a firm, familiar squeeze, his own head dipping in a silent greeting that says more than words could. Even after all this time, the friendship bond between us hasn’t faded—it’s right here, strong as ever.

He grins, his voice booming. “The only downside to you being back? Now I’m officially the second-best warrior again.”

I laugh and shake my head, but he’s not letting me off the hook. “Come on, you know it’s true. You’re the only one who’s ever beaten Xavier in the arena.”

“Where is Xavier?” I ask, craning my neck to look around the party. Saying his name gives me butterflies.

Nervous glances flicker between the people around us, and someone coughs into their drink. My stomach twists. Is something wrong with Xavier?

“Is he okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, yeah. He’s fine. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere,” James says, nervous for some reason.

I make small talk, sip my wine. I’m trying to act normal, but every laugh and casual gesture feels like a costume I’m wearing. The backyard is familiar, yet my skin prickles with the sense that I don’t quite belong here anymore. Two years in a cage rewires you.

Still, there’s comfort in the scents and sounds of my pack. The low rumble of wolves laughing, the warmth of old friends pressing close. I do start to relax. A little.

I’m home.

Then...

My body stiffens—Xavier’s scent. Firewood and clover. It’s intoxicating.

The crowd parts for the alpha and he steps up to me. I find myself staring directly into his eyes.

This is everything my wolf and I wished for during our captivity. One of the only things that gave us the strength to stay alive.

~Find him. Heal him.~

He doesn’t look like he needs healing. Muscles stretch the fabric of his shirt, his stance radiating confidence and command.

His face is just as I remember: strong jaw, high cheekbones, eyes the exact shade I’ve carried in my mind for two years. Somehow even handsomer than he was before.

I feel the old pull of what used to be between us.

He places a steady hand on my shoulder. “Welcome home,” he says.

My body responds before my brain can catch up: heart kicks into a sprint, stomach flips.

Then the word escapes my lips before I can even process it: “Mate.”

Xavier quickly withdraws his hand, as if burned, and the look on his face turns to one of utter mortification.

Then I hear it—loud, mocking laughter ringing through the night.

I turn to see my sister arriving.

Natalia grins as she throws her perfect hair over one shoulder and lets out a dramatic sigh. “Oh no, sweetie, you don’t ~actually~ think Xavier is your mate, do you?”

Her smile is cool and practiced as she leans in for a hug. It’s stiff and perfunctory, her hands barely resting on my back before she pulls away.

“I’m so sorry,” she says, her tone smooth as glass. “It’s just… so sad you’ve been pining over Xavier all this time. It breaks my heart.” Her eyes glint with something far from pity.

Over her shoulder, I catch sight of my mother. She stands with her arms folded, her expression distant, her gaze running over me like I’m a stranger at her doorstep. As she walks toward me, the chill from her matches Natalia’s, and it seeps straight into my bones.

She stands before me.

No hug. No tears. No emotion.

This is the reunion I expected, but not the one I had hoped for. My mother has always despised me, deep down. She had me at a very young age, when my father got her pregnant.

“You’re looking well,” Mom says, without a hint of sentiment. “I’m glad the Goddess brought you back to us safely.”

My wolf starts pacing around inside me as my anxiety kicks in.

~Why do I always let her have this effect on me?~

Dad looks nervous, too, scratching the back of his hand as he waits to see how I’ll respond.

“I prayed for death every day that the hunters had me in captivity. Death would’ve been a sweet release. But I guess the Goddess has other plans for me.”

My blunt words rattle my mother out of her stiff posture.

“Must we discuss this at the party?” she asks uncomfortably.

“Of course, wouldn’t want my kidnapping to inconvenience you,” I say bitterly. “You couldn’t even be bothered to come to see me with Dad when you found out I was alive.”

“That isn’t fair, Ariel,” my mom replies, her tone shifting defensively. “Your sister needed me. I couldn’t just leave her here alone.”

“Need mother? I almost died. I’ve been gone for two years. What could possibly be more important?”

“Oh, many things, sister,” Natalia says as she walks over to Xavier and wraps her arm around his waist.

He embraces her without hesitation, his arm tightening around her as though it is second nature.

Natalia tilts her head, eyes glittering with triumph. “You’ll find nothing here is the same as you left it.”

It hits me—she is Luna. Xavier’s Luna.