Kael’s POV

I went to the mall to pick up a few things, unlike me. I never thought I would meet someone close. But there I met my Beta, Joren. He was standing in front of a juice kiosk. He was too busy arguing with the cashier over something about kale smoothies.

“Really, Joren?” I said, smirking as I approached. He turned, eyes narrowing. “Alpha?”

“You drink that stuff willingly?” He raised a brow. “I’m watching my blood pressure. You should try it. You look tense.”

“Because I am.”

“Fair, you want to sit?” We sat on a quiet bench near the glass atrium, away from the crowd. The city lights shimmered across the windows like restless stars. I sat, elbows on my knees. He handed me an extra drink. It was green. I didn’t ask what was in it. “I met and had discussions with her again,” I said. Joren didn’t need me to say her name.

“Mira?”

I nodded. “Training grounds. With Cyrus. I thought I was okay… but I wasn’t.” He took a sip, said nothing. “I got close. She didn’t push me away. Not until Seraphine showed up.”

“Figures.”

“She looked at me like she still remembered.”

“She probably does. “She’ll come back?” I looked at him. “Wouldn’t you?” Joren didn’t answer immediately. He turned the smoothie in his hand, watching the condensation run down the plastic. Then he said, quietly, “Alpha, can you think back to my advice before the rejection?”

The question hit like a punch to the ribs. I turned fully to face him. “You remember that?”

“I haven’t forgotten a damn word,” he said, voice steady. “I told you not to listen to the Elders. I told you she was your anchor.”

“I know what you told me.”

“And you ignored me.”

“I didn’t have a choice.” He scoffed. “Everyone has a choice. You just picked the one that hurt less in the moment.” I didn’t speak. Joren wasn’t wrong. I had made that decision in the dark, with a hundred voices in my ear, none of them hers. “You were scared,” he said. “You thought keeping the council happy would protect the pack.”

“I thought rejecting her would save her.” His eyes narrowed. “Save her from what? From being loved? From being yours?”

“I thought I’d ruin her life if she stayed.”

“You ruined her anyway.” The words cut clean and sharp. I dropped my head into my hands. “I told myself every reason I could find,” I murmured. “Duty. Stability. Bloodlines. The Elders said a Luna like Mira would divide the pack.”

“And yet she was the only one who ever united it.” Joren wasn’t angry. He was disappointed. And that was worse. “I watched her fall apart after you ended it,” he continued. “She didn’t cry in front of anyone. But I saw her pack up that day. She looked hollow.”

I swallowed hard. “She walked away carrying something, didn’t she?” My head snapped up. “What do you mean?”

“I saw the way she held her stomach.” I didn’t breathe. “You never asked if she was pregnant,” Joren said quietly. “And she never told you.”

“Why would she keep that from me?”

“Would you have stayed if she had told you?” The silence between us was answer enough. I looked away, jaw tight. “She had every right to leave,” Joren said.

“I know.”

“She also has every right not to come back.”

“I know that too.”

“But if she does…” He paused, watching me. “You can’t be the same man she left behind.”

I nodded slowly. “I’m not.”

“Then prove it.”

I turned back toward the mall entrance, where families and strangers passed without notice. The world kept moving while I sat here, stuck in a memory. “You think I’ve lost her for good?” I asked. Joren gave a tired sigh. “I think you still have a sliver of a chance. But you’ll need more than apologies.”

“What then?”

“Consistency,” he said. “And honesty. Even if it kills you.” I let that settle. Then I said, “You ever regret staying with me through all this?” He looked at me like I was an idiot. “You’re my Alpha. And you’re still my friend.”

“Even after I broke her?”

“You’re trying to rebuild. That matters.” I nodded. “Thanks, Joren.” He stood. “Don’t thank me. Go fix it before Seraphina poisons what’s left.” He shrugged. “Something nasty. Seraphina plays the long game. And she doesn’t like to lose.”

“I can’t let her win.”

“Then start acting like it.”

We left the mall without another word. I didn’t go home straight. I went to the training yard, but there was nobody there, but I still felt the presence of Mira. Her scent was vividly evident. I closed my eyes and stood where she’d stood hours earlier.

Joren was right. Apologies weren’t enough anymore. I had to be the Alpha Mira could still believe in.

I stood in silence, the night pressing down like judgment. But I was done waiting. Redemption wouldn’t come through words. It had to be earned, step after step. This time, fear wouldn’t lead.

Footsteps echoed behind me. I turned fast, nothing. Just shadows twitching under the training lights. Still, my gut clenched. The air was charged, heavy. Then my phone buzzed. Unknown number. No subject. Two words: “She knows.”