"This place is a damn time capsule," Elena muttered, stepping out of the car and inhaling the familiar scent of pine and damp earth. It hit her hard, like a punch to the gut, triggering a flood of memories. Some sweet, some bittersweet, and others...unbearable

Leo stretched beside her, shutting the car door with a bang. His toned muscles rippled under his shirt. "Yeah, let's see if the people have gotten any less dramatic here. Which I highly doubt, by the way! " He winked. 

Elena shot him a sideways glance, a hint of scoff forming on her face. The towering trees and rustic buildings of the pack's territory looked the same, just like Elena had left them years ago. It seemed like voices whispered through the woods, dragging her back to the past. Like collective murmurs of people she had met somewhere or known in another lifetime. Whispers that wanted to tell her secrets she didn't want to know. 

"Elena? That you?" 

Elena pulled her eyes away from the woods, and immediately those voices disappeared. She turned to see an elderly woman approaching. It was Mara. The elderly woman's face brightened beneath her weathered wrinkles. 

Elena forced a smile bracing herself as Mara pulled her into a tight hug. "You have been gone too long, girl. Nobody ever helped comb my hair like you did. No one perfumed my dress. Good to see you back."

Elena hugged her back, guilt gnawing at her chest. She was a nobody but she had fled, chasing her own sanity, abandoning those who might have needed her. 

"Good to be back,Mara!" she lied, her eyes drifting to the other figure walking towards her with open arms.

It was Lila, Elena's childhood friend. "Gosh! Babe, you are finally back. I thought I would never see you again. I missed you, girl." 

They kissed each other on the cheeks. "I missed you too. How is life treating you?" Elena asked, genuinely curious.

"Busy as always,trying to make ends meet, you know…" Her voice was starting to trail off but she immediately smiled and rubbed Elena's shoulder." It is going to be better now that you are here," Lila's eyes sparkled. "I heard you did great at university. The pack's excited to have you back."

Of course, she did great at the university. The Ridge Belora was no place for weaklings like her. But she survived because it was just herself and her violin against the world. 

Before Elena could come out of her mental bubble and actually respond to Lila, a hushed silence fell over the small gathered crowd. 

She turned to see none other than the Alpha approaching. Elena felt a familiar chill run down her spine. Kael Blackwood. Alpha of the Blood Crescent Pack. The one whom she had loved ever since she knew what love was. The jerk who had mercilessly shattered her heart.

Kael's dark blue eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, the years fell away. It was like time had collapsed, leaving her exposed to the man who had ruined her.

She forgot about that hyper independent woman whom she had forged through tears, dedication, love, passion, and sheer hard work. She was broken, vulnerable, ready to be mocked all over again. 

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Instead of the cold, dismissive look she was expecting, Kael's eyes softened.

"Elena," his voice was so low that it was barely above a whisper. "Welcome back!" He leaned forward, giving her a formal hug.

His hot breath fell over the skin at the back of her neck. His mahogany hair tickled her ears as he brushed against them. Elena's breath caught in her throat.

She managed a nod, unsure of how to respond. Elena met his gaze, forcing herself to stay calm while she could feel her legs turning jelly at the mere scent of him. "Thanks, Alpha."

" I missed you! " he whispered into her ear before stepping back. Those were the last words she was expecting from him. 

Her eyes widened like a melon, and her mind started racing. What was he doing? Why was he being so…affectionate?

Before she could form any coherent thought, he gently took her arm and led her away from the prying eyes of the pack.

" Come with me, Elena. I need to discuss some serious matters. Let's head to the packhouse. "

She walked like a zombie, unable to even react. She thought they were headed for the pack house. But they didn't make it till there. 

After taking the first turn, Kael dragged her into a private cabin on the way. The door clicked close behind them, shutting out the world. 

Elena almost stopped breathing. The place was absolutely dark except for the few rays of fading sunlight sneaking in through the ventilators above their head. It added a golden-orange tinge to Kael's hair, making him look almost ethereal.

She had no idea how she ought to handle the sudden surge in all the butterflies and bees fluttering in her stomach. Kael closed the gap and pulled Elena into another hug. This one was passionate, rough, and tight. 

He said nothing, yet Elena's heart raced with confusion, anger bubbling up. She finally managed to push against his chest. "What the heck, Kael?" 

His eyes did not leave hers.It was full of something she couldn't comprehend. She crossed her arms over her chest, defensive. "What are we playing at? "

Kael took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. "I know I hurt you, Elena. I hurt you real bad! But things have changed." Was there a soft smile tugging at his face? A genuine smile.

But Elena could feel her rage boiling back to the surface again, which had been momentarily clouded by his sudden physical touch. Elena scoffed, her skepticism evident. " Is that all? You pulled me here to tell me how you have become a saint? I am no longer the naive Elena you used to know, Kael! I know enough of the world to know that people don't change overnight! Neither do their lies."

"No, it doesn't," he admitted, stepping closer. "But I have my reasons. Reasons I want you to understand." Her heart raced, torn between the urge to run away and the need to hear him out. "And what reasons would those be?" 

"It wouldn't hurt to give him a chance," that's what she was forcing herself to believe. " Just hear him out. Maybe he genuinely has something to say. An explanation that will make sense of everything." Elena was busy having a conversation with herself. 

Kael reached out, his fingers gently brushing her arm, sending another jolt of electricity through her. "I can't explain it right away. It will take some time," he pleaded, his voice raw with emotion. That was it! Elena was repeating the same mistake. Nope! This time, she won't be your toy, playboy.

"You want me to understand your 'reasons' that you can't even share?" Elena said, moving her fingers in an aggressive quote-unquote sign. 

" Elena, I -" Kael leaned forward as if about to land a peck on Elena's lips. 

She took a step back, shaking her head. "Not now. I can't deal with this right now."

But it seemed like he wasn't listening to what she said. "When you left, I thought it was for the best.I let you go. I was wrong." Elena crossed her arms. She could feel herself getting back inside her defensive cocoon, her chest falling and rising with rapid angry breathing.

"Protecting me from what? Your own bullshit?" Kael flinched but didn't back down. "From the dangers that came with being near me. But pushing you away only made things worse." Elena's head spun. "What are you talking about? You rejected me, Kael. You made it very clear I wasn't welcome."

"I was an idiot!" Kael's voice was almost a roar at this point. It seemed like he was on the verge of breaking down. It seemed like he had been holding something back for too long.

"I was trying to keep you safe, and I failed. I need you to forgive me and help me protect our pack." Elena took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside her. "Kael, you are making no sense at the moment. Even if you did, why should I trust you? How can I trust you after all that you have done to me? "

Kael stepped closer. His body was pressed over her as her back rested against the wall, his hands spread on either side of her head, supporting his weight as he murmured."Because I can't do this without you, and I can't bear to lose you again."

The sincerity in his voice made her pause. She had loved Kael once, more than her own life. But the pain of his rejection had left scars, and trusting him again seemed impossible.

Before she could respond, a knock on the door interrupted them.

Leo's voice came through, urgent.

"Everything okay in there?" The next moment, he forced his way in. His eyes narrowed in on Kael as he quickly wrapped up an official greeting with a subtle bow, " Sorry for barging in; we have a problem, Alpha! "

Elena nodded, grateful for the distraction as she ducked, slipping away from under Kael."Yeah, we were just finishing up. What's this about?" 

She demanded, trying to steady her racing heart. Leo glanced at Elena again before focusing on Kael.

"We have Rogues at the border, Alpha! These are the Mondos!"

Elena had never seen Leo's face more drained. His usual sunshine vibe was now clouded by something gloomy.

"Damn it! It's much worse than I thought!" 

Kael clenched his fists and punched the wall, leaving behind a visible dent.

Elena kept looking between Kael and Leo. She could feel a familiar rush crawl up her gut. It was as if she could almost taste the tension in the air.

"What do they want?" She finally managed to ask. 

( exclusively available on pocketfm as an audio series... Go check it out)