CHAPTER 321: CHAPTER 321 DON’T GO BACK

The chaos faded, leaving behind only the sound of ragged breathing and the faint rustle of leaves. Liora’s chest rose and fell in shallow bursts as she stared at the brown wolf standing a few paces away. Her heart drummed in her ears, as a mix of excitement and sensation danced in her veins.

His golden eyes gleamed beneath the rays of sunlight seeping through the trees. They were wild and wary, but something deeper lurked within them, recognition, confusion, and longing.

Before she could take another step, his body began to change form. The fur receded, bones shifting, muscles twisting under skin. The air rippled with a cracking sound, then a man stood in front of her.

He stood tall and broad, his body covered in bruises and blood, his chest streaked with claw marks that had not yet closed. His hair was dark and tousled, his brown eyes untamed yet startlingly gentle when they met hers.

"You... Who are you?" he asked, his voice deep and low, carrying the rasp of exhaustion.

Liora parted her lips, but no sound came out. The space between them thickened, pressing down on her chest. Her eyes fixated on his body, on a spot she was cautioned to never look at, but here she was staring wide-eyed.

A strange warmth bloomed within her, a heavy pulse throbbed in rhythm with his heartbeat. Her breath caught, and for a fleeting second, the whole world seemed to hold its breath.

"Arrrgh." She screamed, covering her eyes before turning around. Her face was flushed with embarrassment.

He frowned, the realization dawning in his eyes. His lips parted slightly.

"Mate," he whispered, almost like he couldn’t believe himself.

The word struck her like a thunderclap. Her knees weakened. Her hands trembled over her mouth.

’Mate.’ She thought to herself. No wonder she felt drawn to him, it was the reason she wasn’t afraid of him, and it also explains why her body was acting strangely.

She wanted to run away and go back to her realm but her feet remained rooted to the ground. She felt his approaching presence, and her heart stuttered in her chest.

She knew this was wrong, and she knew she should have run away, but why was she here? Why was she anticipating every move of his? Why did she want to bury her head in his chest?

The thoughts scared her, but she could stand still, her mind was like a butterfly trapped in a jar, yet her face was like a calm sea.

"Turn around." He commanded, his chest rumbling with a low growl.

Yet, she felt sensations down her spine like an electric current, she wasn’t scared...she was overwhelmed with anticipation.

Her breath shook, as she turned around to face him, her breath hitched, when he was just a step away.

"Who are you? Where have you been all this time?" He asked, his eyes tracing her face as if memorizing her features.

A bitter feeling tightened in his chest. He knew that his mate was not a werewolf. He knew he couldn’t give her the Luna position, yet he couldn’t let her go.

"What’s your name?" He asked, his voice hoarse like he had been smoking for days.

"Liora." Her lips moved before her brain.

"Beautiful." His callous thumb brushed over her lips, entranced by her heavenly beauty. She was the fairest lady he had ever seen, her silver white hair was mesmerizing, and those blue eyes were as beautiful and clear as the blue sky.

His lips claimed her, and the bond between them grew stronger, making it impossible for them to stop. It pulled them together, stripping away reason and fear.

When his hand touched her face, fire coursed through her veins; when her lips brushed his, she felt alive and whole, a feeling she had never experienced. She never knew love tasted so heavenly.

"My name is Caelen, Caelen Salvatore, and I’m the Alpha of the Silver Moon pack," Caelen said as he hugged her from behind, picking dried leaves from her hair.

Liora stared at the sky that was starting to turn dark. She had thought she would only take a peek, but who knew she would encounter her mate?

Knowing the tension between the Fae and werewolves, she dared not tell him of her identity. But she had used her magic to help him, he must have noticed it.

"I have to go." She said meekly.

"Go where?" His arms wrapped tighter around her protectively.

"Home." She muttered.

"You’re mine, I’m your home and you’re mine." He said burying his head in the crook of her neck.

"But... I.."

"Stay with me please." He murmured sweet nothings into her ear.

Liora didn’t reveal who she was. But even in silence, they understood each other. Their hearts spoke a language older than words.

Days bled into nights, and nights into weeks. They built a small cabin deep in the woods, hidden away from the world. The walls smelled of pine and warmth. He hunted and brought her food, and she healed his wounds with herbs and cooked him meals.

He would rest his head on her lap while she hummed songs he couldn’t understand, and he would smile like he had finally found peace.

"Stay," he would whisper each night, his voice low, his thumb brushing her cheek. "Don’t go back. I’ll protect you. Always."

And she would smile faintly, her eyes glistening in the candlelight. "My people will come looking for me, Caelen. I can’t stay."

He always replied the same way, pulling her closer until her heartbeat matched his. "Then let them come. I’ll fight them all."

But no one wins against time, when they learnt that they were expecting a child, it was the happiest moment in their life. Nothing seemed to matter except their little perfect life.

Caelen would go to his pack once in a while to check on them. And when Liora would ask why he hadn’t brought them to his pack, he would come up with cooked-up lies.

"My pack isn’t stable now. It is unfit for you and our child, and there are still rebellions I need to suppress. Bear with my love, soon we will be home." He always said.