Page 29

K ieran

The sound of Ayana’s boots echoes off the stone walls of my office as she strides in without waiting for an invitation to come in. The guards come after her, but I gesture for him to leave us.

Her expression is a blend of exasperation and curiosity, her sharp eyes assessing me like she’s trying to solve a puzzle that’s gone unsolved for too long.

She doesn’t sit. Instead, she leans against the edge of my desk, arms crossed. She has the stance of one who has not been under an Alpha’s authority and does not intend to be.

But surprisingly, my wolf is not bothered by her, even though he is usually wary of strangers.

“You summoned me,” she says dryly. “To talk about Hazel, I assume.”

I nod, gesturing for her to sit, but she stays rooted in place.

Her presence feels like an open challenge, and my wolf stirs slightly, though I force him to stay calm.

He is not bothered by her, but he will not tolerate disrespect.

Ayana isn’t a threat. She’s Hazel’s anchor, her shield, and possibly the only person who can help me really get through to her, as I knew next to nothing about her.

“What do you want to know, Alpha?” she asks, her tone clipped, her eyes narrowed. She’s not very pleased about being here.

I lean back in my chair, trying to find the right words. “Tell me about her. Before all of this. Before…me.”

Ayana raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “What’s the point of digging into the past? You’ve already done enough damage in the present.” She doesn’t sound as hostile as she did the first night we met, but her hesitance toward me is still there.

I flinch at her bluntness, but I deserve it.

I know I do. “Humor me, please,” I say, keeping my voice steady.

“I need to understand.” I pause, and my jaw tightens.

“I need to know how to get through to her. I don’t want to keep breaking her heart.

I should be speaking with Hazel, but she doesn't trust me. Her guard against me is impenetrable.”

She studies me for a moment, her gaze searching mine like she’s looking for an ulterior motive.

“I need your help, Ayana,” I add. It is unlike me to beg, but for Hazel, I'll do anything.

Ayana sighs and pushes herself off my desk.

“Hazel was…different,” she begins, her voice softer now.

“Before everything fell apart. She was the kind of person who could walk into a room and make everyone feel seen, like they mattered. She had this way of making even the most mundane tasks seem exciting. And she didn’t just exist—she thrived.

She pushed herself, pushed others, always aiming higher, way before she got in contact with her wolf.

Even though I met her only when she was demoted to Omega status, I knew of her. ”

She sighs, looking down at her hands.

“Her light shone. But she was in too much pain from her relentless heat and the cursed seal to truly be herself.”

My chest tightens at her words. I still see that version of Hazel in glimpses—the fire in her eyes when she challenges me, the sharp wit she wields like a blade. But it’s buried now, dulled by the weight of everything I’ve caused and done .

“She wasn’t perfect, though,” Ayana continues, a small smile tugging at her lips. She goes to the shelves and thumbed through the books. She pulls one out and she looks up, her eyes sparkling with memory. I want to touch it, see it. I want to know Hazel the way she does.

“She could be stubborn as hell. Once she made up her mind about something, good luck changing it. And she hated feeling powerless.” She closed the book.

“If there was a problem, she needed to solve it. If someone needed help, she was the first to step in. She thrived on being useful, on being…valued.”

Ayana shakes her head and scoffs.

“Maybe a little too much even.”

This was a different Hazel than the one I know now. The only person she would do that for now is Ayana, and something breaks inside me at the realization that it isn’t me. And it’s all my fault.

I swallow hard, the knot in my throat tightening. “And now?”

Ayana’s smile fades, replaced by a look of quiet sadness. “Now, she’s a shell of that person. You broke something in her, Kieran. She doesn’t trust anyone—not even me sometimes. And she hides behind this wall of anger because it’s the only thing keeping her from falling apart.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I don’t look away. I can’t. I brought this upon myself. Upon her. I have to take responsibility.

Ayana straightens, her eyes narrowing. “Why are you asking me about Hazel this way? What’s changed?” She isn’t asking like she doesn’t know why. She just wants me to tell her. She wants to see how much of myself I’m willing to give.

I hesitate, my wolf urging me forward even as my mind struggles to catch up. “I want to fix this,” I admit, my voice low. “I want to make things right with her. She’s the only thing that matters.”

The ache for her settles in my chest, cold as lead, heavy as a stone. She’s all I’ve ever wanted. She’s all I still want. And I don’t know what life without her looks like. I don’t want to know.

“I don’t have a life without her. And I don’t want to.” I exhale.

Ayana snorts, crossing her arms again. “And what does ‘making things right’ look like to you? Forcing her into the Mating bond she didn’t choose?

Offering her gifts she doesn’t want? Imposing your desires and will on her?

Using her as a means to an end for your pack…

again? Because if that’s your plan, let me save you the trouble—it won’t work. ”

My jaw clenches with embarrassment at each word.

I force myself to stay calm. “I regret the ways I forced her into situations that have nearly cost her life. I can’t even deny my part if I tried.

But she’s my Mate, Ayana. That’s not something I can just walk away from.

That would kill her.” The lump in my throat grows bigger, making it harder to swallow.

I’ve been slowly killing my Mate by turning away from her.

“Why not?” she challenges, her eyes blazing. “You did it before. You rejected her, humiliated her in front of everyone. Not once, Kieran. Not even just twice.”

My wolf snarls softly, his agitation mirroring my own as I search for an answer.

“I didn’t know her then,” I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know how to trust the vulnerability she came into my life with. Having a Mate changes you. I was too caught up in my pain and the weight of the responsibilities I owe my pack to understand that.”

Ayana’s expression softens slightly, but her gaze remains sharp. “And you do now?”

“I’m trying to,” I admit, running a hand through my hair. “I see her now for who she is, not just who I assumed she was. And I—”

I stop, the weight of the words catching in my throat. She’s the most intriguing person I’ve met. Her resilience impresses me. Like, how did she train Omegas to be that skilled that fast?

How did she survive in Broadstone?

Ayana steps closer, her voice quieter but no less firm. “You what, Kieran?”

“I love her,” I say, the truth slipping out before I can stop it. The admission feels like a release and a burden all at once, my chest tightening as I let the words hang in the air. The last time I’d said it was to my mother as I cleaned her wounds.

And now I’ve said it about Hazel. But this time, her injuries are my fault. What right do I even have to say those words ?

Despite my guilt, I know it’s the truth. There’s no running away from it.

Ayana studies me for a moment, her sharp gaze softening.

“If you mean that, then you need to show her. Not with gifts or grand gestures, but with actions. Consistency. Patience. And for God’s sake, don’t push her into this Luna business unless you’re absolutely sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. ”

“I am sure,” I say, my voice steady. There’s no other motive for me other than to be as the Goddess intended us. I’ve wasted too much time. I have to make up for it, treat her the way she deserves to be treated. Love her like my own heart.

Because she is my heart.

“Are you?” she asks, her tone skeptical. “Because if this is about guilt or duty or some twisted sense of obligation, you’ll only hurt her more. And if you hurt her again, Kieran, I won’t forgive you. I might not look it, but I can fight something mean.”

The memory of my rejection flashes through my mind, unbidden. Hazel’s face, pale and stricken, as I turned my back on her. The murmur of the crowd, the judgment in their eyes. And my own voice, cold and unyielding, delivering the words that shattered her.

I had convinced myself it was the right thing to do. That rejecting her was necessary to protect the pack, to maintain order. But now, looking back, I see the cracks in that justification.

I see the fear in her eyes when she looks at me, the anger that masks her vulnerability. And I see the person she used to be, the fire and determination that still flicker beneath the surface, waiting for a chance to reignite.

My wolf growls softly, his presence a steady reminder of the bond we share. Fix this. Make her ours.

“I will,” I whisper, the promise hanging heavy in the air.

“Good. She was made to lead. Her father was a dickhead that wouldn’t let her do anything. Don’t be more like him than you already are.”

I nod, and she leaves without another word.

Her words linger long after she has gone, the silence of the room pressing down on me like a physical weight I can’t escape .

She’s right. I know enough now to do something. To keep trying.

Hazel is a great warrior and was trained under Magnus, which means she has a kind of rare discipline and precision that none of my troops have.

That also means she's been following orders all her life. I’ve never involved her in decision-making, and I know she should be a part of it, especially with regard to things involving her own life. I can't keep deciding things for her.

My wolf's words echo in my head. I have to let her come to me. I will respect her and ask her if that is what she wants, if she wants to be a part of what goes on in this pack, in what should be our pack.

But promises are nothing without action.

Hazel deserves more than words. She deserves someone who sees her for who she is, who values her for her strength, her resilience, her fire. And if I’m going to earn her trust, her forgiveness, I need to start showing her that I’m worthy of her.

No more excuses. No more half-measures.

This is my chance to make things right. And I won’t waste it.

She is my Luna and I will treat her with all the respect, love, tenderness, and patience she deserves.