Chapter#06
Liam’s POV
The cold night air bit at my skin as I stretched out beneath the stars, my breath misting in front of me with every exhale. The camp was silent. I could hear the distant rustle of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig. I couldn’t sleep and I knew why. That scent—sweet, wild, and maddening—had hit me like a thunderclap earlier. It had been faint, but I knew I recognised it.
My mate.
The thought sent a jolt through my chest. What the hell was she doing here, in this camp of all places? I paced along the edge of the training field, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides.
My jaw tightened as the memories clawed their way back. There was a time when I thought I’d already met my fated mate. Alina. She’d been my everything. We were happy together. She loved me and I loved her even more. We waited till I claimed her.
But that night changed everything.
When I opened the door to that room, the world slapped me. Everything else blurred. Seeing my mate getting claimed by another wolf, an Alpha, hit me right through my chest.
She didn’t want me. She didn’t want the beta wolf who wasn’t strong enough to challenge her vision of a perfect life. She’d never wanted me.
She rejected me.
Her words still rang in my ears, as sharp as the night she spoke them.
“You’re not enough, Liam. An Alpha can give me everything you can’t.”
And just like that, she left me. Got straight into the arms of that bastard— Alpha Leandro, who paraded her like a trophy while I stood at the door watching him claim her. I wanted to do something, I wanted to fight, I wanted to rip his body into pieces, but I was weak.
And that day I swore to the Moon Goddess that I will cut his head off and claim his throne one day.
I’d spent years clawing my way out of that pit, years turning myself into something stronger, something that wouldn't fear the Alpha or his army.
After years of training, now, I was one of the strongest warriors in this camp, but I needed to be more powerful and stronger to face Leandro. I had a single goal for years that kept me going: to rip Alpha’s head apart and claim his throne.
But tonight, my focus wavered. That scent—her scent—had thrown everything off balance.
I dragged a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself. Why now? Why here? Fate had a cruel sense of humor, tossing me into chaos when I was already barely holding on.
As I bent down to stretch my hamstrings, the scent hit me again, stronger this time. I froze.
It was close.
The scent wasn’t just lingering—it was fresh, as though she’d just passed through. My wolf stirred within me, snarling and pacing, urging me to move. Without hesitation, I followed the invisible trail, letting my instincts take me to it.
My heart pounded as I moved through the camp. My wolf growled low in my chest. She was close.
The trail led me out of the camp and into the woods. I moved silently.
And then, I saw someone.
There was someone in the spring. My wolf growled again, telling me to go further.
Was she my mate?
Fate wasn’t done with me yet.
Selene's POV
I slowly turned, peering into the dark where the voice had come from. A tall figure stood at the edge of the spring. My breath hitched in my throat as I tried to make out his features.
And then I saw him.
“Liam,” I breathed, my voice barely a whisper. My stomach twisted into a knot.
The water clung to my skin like a shield as I pressed further into it, hoping it would swallow me whole. My heart thundered in my chest, each beat loud enough to betray me. Liam’s sharp gaze scanned the dark like a predator seeking prey.
“My mate,” Liam murmured, “Where are you?”
My breath hitched. Mate? No. It couldn’t be.
Before Liam could step closer, a shadow moved behind him.
“Your mate?” A deep, gravelly voice broke through the silence. The sound of it sent a shiver racing down my spine.
Liam turned abruptly, his hand instinctively going to his side as if to guard himself. “Varian?” he spat, “What are you doing here?”
Varian stepped forward, “That’s what I should be asking you.”
Liam squared his shoulders, “I don’t answer to you.”
Varian smirked, a slow, dangerous curl of his lips. “No, but you should. I’m here for my mate.”
They were looking for their mate? But there was no one there except for me!
I couldn’t breathe.
“Your mate?” Liam said in a sharp tone with disbelief.
My pulse quickened and my chest tightened.
Varian’s gaze drifted, scanning the area with a predator’s precision. He sniffed the air, “The sweet intoxicating aroma…” He stepped closer to the spring.
“Like honey mixed with wildflowers and rain,” Liam whispered, almost as if finishing Varian’s thought.
The moment the words left Liam’s mouth, Varian turned to him with a feral snarl. His hand shot out, grabbing Liam by the collar. “That’s my mate’s scent!”
Panic surged through me. My scent.
Panic took over me as I broke the surface of the water, gasping for air. The noise echoed in the silence of the night and their heads snapped toward me. My entire body froze, every instinct screaming to flee, but I knew I couldn’t escape.
Liam’s eyes widened. “Kaelen?”
But my gaze shifted to Varian. I froze as moonlight caught his face. It was scarred, but somehow still very handsome, the kind of face you couldn’t look away from. His blue eyes were deep, but piercing like they could see straight into my soul.
He was huge, his broad shoulders and solid frame making him look like a warrior out of a storybook. Everything about him screamed power and danger, and my heart thudded in my chest. I should’ve been scared—and I was—but there was something about him that made it hard to move, like my wolf didn’t want to run. It wanted to stay.
It wanted him.
I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. “I saw someone…” I lied, “...someone ran into the woods that way.” I pointed frantically toward the trees.
But he didn’t move. He only stared at me, his piercing gaze pinning me in place. “Don’t lie to me,” he growled, “Do it again, and I’ll kill you.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. And yet, beneath the terror, there was something else.
A pull.
My wolf stirred at the edges of my control. The scent of honey and wildflowers—my scent—was stronger now, mingling with his presence in a way that made my instincts howl. My human mind screamed at me to run, but my wolf? My wolf wanted closer.
No. That couldn’t be happening.
“Stay away from him.” Liam’s voice was sharp, almost like a growl.
“Stay away?” he echoed, “And what will you do if I don’t, pup?”
Liam clenched his fists, “He’s just a recruit,” he bit out. “And he said he saw someone running into the woods. You’re scaring him for no reason.”
“Please…” I requested in a trembling voice, “Please don’t hurt me…”
Varian’s eyes shifted on me, “You think I’d hurt what’s mine?”
Mine!
That word hammered through my mind. And my wolf was now screaming to come out. I clamped down on it, my entire body trembling with the effort to keep it at bay.
“What?” Liam shot back, “He’s not—”
“She’s mine,” Varian thundered, “And I don’t share.”
Liam burst out laughing. “She’s yours?” He turned to me, “Kaelen, he must have seen you fight.”
“You can fool anyone but me…” Varian let out a soft dangerous chuckle as his gaze fixed on me.
My stomach twisted. He knew. Somehow, he knew. I couldn't let anyone know. I made a promise to my brothers. I made a promise to myself. If anyone knew I wasn’t Kaelen, I’d be out of the camp, along with Rowan and Caden. I’d be putting them both in danger. They were lying for me. They were risking everything for me. I couldn’t get caught. Not yet.
Leandro and his men were still out there looking for me. I had to train myself to avenge my family. My people. Everyone he killed that day.
“I don’t care what you think,” Liam growled. “You’re not taking him.”
Varian’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, deadly expression. “Then you’d better be ready to fight for her.”
I barely had time to react before Varian lunged. My wolf howled inside me. But I couldn’t move.
Not because of fear, but because of the undeniable pull that tethered me to Varian. My wolf whispered one word over and over, drowning out everything else.
Mate.