Athena’s POV
The border was tense when I arrived.
Silvermoon warriors lined the treeline, their postures rigid, hands resting casually—too casually—on the hilts of their weapons. They weren’t stupid. They had heard the whispers, the stories about the Blood Moon Pack. About Jesse.
About .
I stood at the head of them, my shoulders squared, my chin high. Dressed in my training gear—black leather pants, matching jacket, boots that crushed the dry leaves underfoot—I felt every inch the Beta they expected to be.
Unshakable.
Untouchable.
A figure broke through the tree line first, tall, broad-shouldered, his aura imdiately commanding. His golden eyes swept over the Silvermoon warriors, but when they landed on —he froze.
Jesse.
It had been three years, but he hadn’t changed.
Still powerful. Still magnetic in a way that made lesser wolves bow their heads instinctively.
But not .
Not anymore.
If anything, he looked...tired. There were faint lines around his mouth now, a tightness to his jaw that hadn’t been there before. His energy was heavier, like he carried the weight of sothing that never quite let him breathe.
I hoped it crushed him.
Behind him, a handful of his pack mbers trailed cautiously—Derek included, though he didn’t et my eyes.
Coward.
I stepped forward, my voice clear and sharp enough to slice through the thick, charged air.
"State your business, Blood Moon."
Jesse’s lips pressed into a line. For a mont, he said nothing—just looked at .
Really looked at .
Not the girl who had once begged him for scraps of affection.
Not the broken thing he had left to rot.
But the woman who had survived him—and thrived.
His jaw ticked once. "We co seeking an audience with Alpha Joel."
I lifted a brow. "The Alpha doesn’t grant audiences to uninvited visitors."
A few of the Silvermoon warriors smirked behind , but I didn’t take my eyes off Jesse.
He shifted his stance, clearly not used to being denied. "It’s urgent."
"Is it?" I asked, my voice dripping with mock curiosity. "Because it wasn’t urgent enough to send a proper request. Or an envoy. Or even a ssage."
Jesse’s nostrils flared slightly. "Athena—"
"You address as Beta Athena," I corrected smoothly, my tone a whip crack.
A flicker of sothing crossed his face—shock? Regret? He masked it quickly.
"Beta Athena," he said tightly. "This is important."
Important.
Everything was important to Jesse—except .
I cocked my head, pretending to consider it.
Then shrugged. "Maybe I’ll let Alpha Joel know...after our training drills this evening. Maybe tomorrow."
The warriors chuckled under their breath.
Humiliation flared in Jesse’s golden eyes—but he swallowed it down.
Good. Let him taste what it felt like to be powerless.
Still, I knew Joel would want to be inford. We weren’t savages like Blood Moon.
I gave a sharp nod to one of the scouts. "Inform the Alpha. Tell him Blood Moon is at the border—begging."
The scout took off without hesitation.
The silence that followed was heavy. Jesse’s n shifted uncomfortably, but Jesse?
He never took his eyes off .
Finally, he spoke again—his voice quieter now, almost cautious.
"You’ve changed," he said.
I let out a humorless laugh. "No, Jesse. I didn’t change. I just stopped being soone you could destroy."
The air crackled between us.
For a mont, just a brief, stupid mont, I thought I saw pain flash across his face.
But I crushed the thought as quickly as it ca.
He didn’t get to hurt.
Not anymore.
Before he could say anything else, Alpha Joel’s presence swept over the clearing like a storm.
Strong. Commanding. Dangerous.
The Silvermoon warriors straightened imdiately as Joel approached, his icy blue eyes flickering over Jesse and his n with obvious disinterest.
Joel stopped beside , his arm briefly brushing mine—a silent show of support.
"Beta Athena," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "Report."
I turned slightly toward him, my posture respectful but confident. "Blood Moon seeks an audience. They arrived without notice or permission."
Joel’s eyes narrowed slightly, before turning his gaze on Jesse.
"You must be desperate," Joel said bluntly.
A muscle jumped in Jesse’s jaw.
Joel smirked. "Follow at your own risk, Blood Moon. Step out of line, and my Beta will tear you apart before you can blink."
The warriors around us chuckled darkly.
Jesse said nothing.
He just nodded once.
As they followed us toward the heart of Silvermoon territory, I didn’t look back.
I didn’t need to.
I could feel Jesse’s gaze burning into my back, filled with all the things he should have said years ago.
But it was too late.
He had made his choices.
And now, he would see exactly what he had thrown away.
Exactly what he could never have again.
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