Chapter 26
When the day was almost over and the celebration came to a gentle end, the golden light of the setting sun slowly gave way to twilight, and I found myself standing quietly in the middle of the courtyard, watching as the last few guests made their way out of the villa.
Audrey gave me a tight hug before leaving, her warmth lingering even after she disappeared down the steps. Patricia and Louis waved from a distance, their smiles soft and proud. Monica mouthed a silent “happy birthday again” before vanishing into the night with the others.
And just like that, the laughter faded into silence.
Everyone had gone back to their homes. The birthday lights flickered above the courtyard, some of the petals from the roses scattered across the ground like pieces of a dream I wasn’t ready to wake up from.
Deep down, I hated this part.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t want my birthday to end.
Twenty–one years old. It felt strange to say it, even in my mind.
I got Mika–my wolf–when I was sixteen. It was supposed to be the best day of my life. I remembered the way she burst into my mind like a wildfire, proud and radiant. I remembered her joy, how she howled under the moonlight, full of hope and love.
And then Ruben rejected me.
Just like that, Mika’s light dimmed. She grew weak. She fell quiet.
For three long years, I waited–waited for Ruben to realize his mistake, to look at me and see his mate. But he never did. I wasn’t enough. Not for him.
Nineteen.
I had barely finished high school when Ruben and Kaithlin celebrated their union. I stood there like a ghost, watching the man who was supposed to love me tie his soul to another. That night, something in me shattered completely.
Iran.
To Italy. To Florence. To the unknown.
Broken, more than I’d ever been.
And yet… look at me now.
Two years later, I sat surrounded by blooming blue roses–Anastasia’s roses–brought to life once more, not by a miracle, but because I had dared to exist, dared to feel, dared to live again.
I never thought someone could look at me and actually see me.
Not the rejected mate.
Not the girl who lost her wolf.
Not the broken, quiet student who barely fit in.
Because Francesco saw me.
Even knowing I was lost, even seeing the parts of me that still trembled in the dark, he saw something worth standing beside.
I sat alone in the middle of the rose garden, still within the villa grounds. Francesco and Beta Alfonso were a few meters away, deep in discussion. Their voices were low, serious. Pack business, no doubt. I had offered to step away, and though they told me I could stay, I knew better. These were matters for
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alphas and their betas, not for someone like me.
And yet, they were here. Both of them.
They had made time for this–for me. It meant more than I could ever put into words.
I let my fingers brush over one of the petals, its soft texture like silk against my skin.
“Anastasia,” I thought silently. “Your mate is incredible. Thank you… thank you for letting him find me.”
The rustle of footsteps made me lift my head.
Francesco appeared beside me without a word and sat down, folding his tall frame effortlessly onto the stone bench. Then, without hesitation, he slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me gently against him.
“Why so serious?” he asked, his voice low, a little amused.
The warmth of his body seeped into mine, chasing away the last shivers of the evening chill. I couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at my lips.
No one had ever done this before–wrapped me up like I mattered.
Like I was worth staying for.
“Just… remembering,” I whispered, eyes still trained on the garden. “I don’t want today to end.”
The sky was darkening now. Stars began to blink into view, one by one. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, and somewhere in the distance, a lone howl rang out.
Peace. That’s what this was.
Real, rare peace.
“This is just the beginning, El,” he said softly.
I turned to look at him, and he met my gaze with something warm and steady. He raised a hand to my cheek, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear before letting his touch linger.
My eyes fluttered closed.
For once, I didn’t hold myself back. I leaned into his palm, breathing in the scent of pine and lavender and something purely him.
“Thank you, Francesco,” I murmured as I opened my eyes again. Our gazes locked.
And in the next breath, he leaned in–or maybe I did.
I don’t remember who moved first. I only knew the world tilted slightly as his lips found mine.
It was soft. Warm. Like the brush of sunlight after a long storm. My breath caught in my throat.
My first kiss.
A small sound escaped me—a gasp, maybe. I had imagined this moment in my quietest dreams, but nothing compared to the way it felt. His hand slipped to the back of my neck, anchoring me, steadying me.
I kissed him back.
Not because I felt I should. Because I wanted to.
And maybe, just maybe, I was finally beginning to understand what it meant to choose someone.
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Chapter 26
When we pulled apart, his forehead rested lightly against mine.
Neither of us spoke. The silence was full of answers.
Somewhere far in the distance, another howl echoed–this one lower, deeper, like a song of belonging.
My heart thudded wildly, full of things I wasn’t ready to name yet.
But I knew this.
I had found something here. Something real.
Not just with him.
With all of them. Audrey. Patricia. Louis. Even Alfonso with his mysterious eyes and quiet kindness.
Family.
I’d thought I lost that.
Francesco leaned back slightly, his eyes roaming my face.
“You’re glowing,” he murmured, brushing a thumb across my cheek. “Like the moon finally remembered it was made of light.”
I laughed a soft, startled sound. “That’s so cheesy.”
“It’s true,” he said, utterly unrepentant.
I shook my head, still smiling, as I nestled closer against him.
And for the first time in years, I wasn’t afraid of tomorrow.
Because today had given me hope.
Hope that Mika could get stronger. Hope that I could build a life here. Hope that love, in its quietest form, had already begun to bloom.
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