DANE'S POV
For two days…
Just two days…
But it felt like two years inside my chest.
Ever since Hailee ended things with , nothing inside has felt right.
Nothing in my head, nothing in my heart, nothing in my damn body.
Two whole days.
Two days of replaying her words over and over in my mind.
"I choose Nathan."
The mont she said it, sothing inside broke quietly.
No explosion.
No yelling.
Just a soft, painful crack deep under my ribs.
I didn't fight her.
I didn't argue.
I didn't beg.
What was the point?
A person can't force another person to love them.
The night after our conversation, I sat in my house alone, staring at the wall with a bottle of whiskey in my hand.
And then another.
And then another.
I wasn't drunk.
I wished I was.
I wanted the alcohol to numb it, to blur it, to erase her face from my mind for even one damned second.
But nothing worked.
Her smile stayed.
Her laughter stayed.
Her scent stayed.
Hailee stayed.
Even though she had already walked away.
By the second night, I sat on the floor of my living room, back resting against the edge of the couch, staring at nothing.
My wolf paced inside —restless, hurting, but silent.
He didn't bla her.
He never blad her.
He blad .
For hoping.
For dreaming.
For wanting sothing that was never mine.
By the morning of the third day, sothing inside changed.
Sothing settled.
Sothing accepted it.
Not fully…
But enough for to stand up again.
Enough for to shower, shave, wear clean clothes, and breathe without feeling like soone stabbed .
Enough to live again.
Enough to move forward.
Even if my chest still hurt.
Even if her na still made my heart twist.
Even if Ozzy's face looked too much like hers sotis, making my chest tight.
I got into my car, deciding to drive around the territory to clear my head.
Wind calms .
The road calms .
And I needed calm.
I turned out of my driveway, drove down the long gravel road, passed the old training field, passed the creek, and passed the long bend near the woods.
I took a deep breath, resting my arm on the window.
"I'll let her go," I murmured to myself.
"I'll let her be happy. Even if it's not with ."
My wolf whined but didn't argue.
I pressed my foot down lightly on the pedal—
And then—
THUD.
The car jerked forward violently.
I hit the brakes instantly.
"What the—?"
I looked up, and my heart slamd painfully against my ribs.
A woman.
A woman was standing directly in front of my car.
Not soone crossing the road.
She looked as if she had run out of the forest—clothes torn, hair ssy, face pale, chest rising and falling like she had been running for her life.
My wolf pushed to the surface so fast I gasped.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET OUT!"
His voice thundered inside .
I barely had ti to react before the woman turned sharply—panic in her eyes—while three huge n burst out of the trees behind her.
Chasing her.
Hunting her.
She scread and ran straight toward , toward my car.
"Help !" she cried, banging her palms on my window. "Please—please help !"
The three n caught up quickly.
One grabbed her arm.
She pulled away.
Another grabbed her other wrist.
She kicked and twisted.
A third tried to cover her mouth.
Suddenly, my wolf snapped violently inside .
"MATE!"
The roar shook so hard I froze.
My mind went blank.
My breath left my lungs.
My hands stopped working.
I blinked hard, my chest rising and falling like fire was filling my lungs.
"No…" I whispered to myself. "No, that's not—"
"MATE!"
My wolf pushed again, stronger.
The sll hit next.
Sweet.
Warm.
Fresh jasmine mixed with soft vanilla and sothing wild I couldn't even na.
It wrapped around like a hand pulling forward.
I didn't think.
I didn't breathe.
I didn't blink.
I threw the door open so hard it bounced back.
My feet hit the dirt before my brain caught up.
"Don't touch her!" I roared.
The three n jerked their heads toward .
But I wasn't looking at them.
I was looking at her.
My mate.
My mate.
My chest felt like it was splitting open.
She stood against my car—shaking, terrified, trying to pull her wrists free as the n dragged at her.
I didn't waste ti.
I grabbed the first man by the collar and threw him across the road like he weighed nothing.
He hit the ground and rolled, groaning.
The second jerked back, trying to pull her behind him, but I stepped in and ripped his hand off her wrist.
"Touch her again," I growled, "and I will break every bone in your body."
The third man pointed at , his eyes wide.
"What the hell are you doing? This woman belongs to Alpha Malvin!"
Belongs?
Belongs?
My wolf surged with fury.
"She belongs to NO ONE," I said through clenched teeth. "And she is under my protection now."
The n exchanged confused glances.
One scoffed, raising a brow. "And who the hell do you think you are?"
I stepped forward, letting my Alpha aura push out like a storm.
"I am Alpha Dane."
All three n froze instantly.
Their eyes widened.
Their throats bobbed.
They looked at each other again, suddenly unsure.
"You heard ," I said coldly. "Get out of my sight. And tell Alpha Malvin this woman is under my care now."
They hesitated for a split second—until my wolf pushed forward with a low, deadly growl that shook the air.
The n scrambled back, stumbling as they ran.
Within seconds, they were gone.
The road fell silent.
Only wind moved.
And her breaths—soft, shaking—filled the empty air.
I finally turned toward her fully.
And for the second ti in one day…
My heart stopped.
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