The Storm returns

Elara’s POV

2 YEARS LATER

Rain lashed against the roof, a steady, cold beat, nothing like my racing heart. I was glued to the window, hugging my knees, staring at the valley. Mist clung to the hills, covering everything in gray. It wasn't just the weather; everything felt heavy. The sky, the ground, the air—like the world was trying to crush me.

Here we go again.

Two years ago, under the same sky, I ran. Broken, bleeding, betrayed.

I pressed my head against the glass, trying to shut out the memories crashing over me. The window barely cooled the burning in my chest. My hands, once tough from training, now felt smooth and weak, useless in my lap. No longer an omega. Not even a wolf. Just Elara, who belonged nowhere.

Northern Town promised peace: a tiny village hidden in the misty hills, where no pack could find us. A place for rejects, forgotten by everyone. No Alphas, no rules, no bonds. Just a second chance, but it cost me.

I touched the faint scar on my chest, feeling the ghost of the spell that stole my wolf. The power I used to feel was gone, locked away with magic. The scar sometimes burned, a reminder of the price.

“We can silence your wolf and break your bond, but only for three years,” the Elder had said, his voice flat as he did the ritual.

“After that, you'll be open again.” His words still echoed in my head.

I didn't think twice. Anything to get rid of Rendell Blackthorn—the mate who wanted me dead, who rejected me and almost broke me.

The first year without my wolf was hell. Losing the bond felt like losing a limb. I was weaker than a newborn, helpless, exposed. But I made it.

I learned to hide, to sew, to garden, to fade away, to be small and quiet, to live with the emptiness. Until now.

I looked at the letter in my lap, my stomach twisting. The paper felt rough, the ink dark. I knew what it said without reading it. The weight of authority hit me hard.

“By the authority of the Frostbane Alpha, I command you to return. —Rendell.”

Just his name burned. A feeling I didn't expect. I shivered and swallowed, fighting the nausea rising in my throat. The ache, the panic clawing at my chest.

Rendell found me. But how? It shouldn't be real. I hid myself: blocking my scent, muting my presence, burying my wolf under layers of magic. I left no trail. I was careful. But something happened.

He never stopped hunting me.

Why? What else does he want from me? He rejected me back then, he even commanded his men to put me in the dungeon. Then why? Is it because he really wants me dead?

A knock on the door made me jump, dropping the letter. It fell to the floor, but I didn't care. My heart was pounding.

“Elara? You okay?” Maeve's voice was soft and kind. She had no clue about the monster who might be coming for me.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and kept my voice steady. “I'm fine. Just... reading.” A pause. Then the footsteps faded into the night. I breathed out and felt a sense of relief as soon as I realized she might be leaving.

I leaned against the window, shaking. The storm mirrored the one inside me.

“What do I do?” I whisper and bite my lower lips.

I had a plan—always.

The seal had one year left before it broke and my wolf came back. The mate bond would wake up again, pulling me back to him, back to Rendell.

I planned to run before then—fade into the cities where no pack ruled, change my name, my face, my life. Never stay too long, never get close.

If I stayed, he'd find me. If I ran, he'd follow. Nowhere was safe.

Tears stung my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. I pressed my hands against my eyes, trying to block my tears.

I'd cried enough for Rendell Blackthorn—the boy who whispered promises, who said he'd protect me, the boy I loved. And the man who ordered my death. The mate bond was sacred, a blessing. He turned it into a weapon, a way to control.

“I, Rendell Blackthorn, Alpha of Frostbane Pack, will take Corrine Hawthorne, daughter of a strong Beta, as my mate and Luna.” I suddenly remember his words that night.

“You’re just some omega. Worthless and Weak. The Moon Goddess messed up.”I close my eyes and try to remove all the painful memories from my head.

I believed him. I knelt, accepting my fate, the blade at my throat. If not for the fire that exploded inside me, I would have died believing it. That fire still burned, sealed but never gone. I wiped my face and stood, my legs wobbly. I couldn't stay. I grabbed my bag, stuffing it with a cloak, boots, water. My fingers stopped at a small wooden box in the corner. I knew what was inside. I shouldn't open it. But I did.

It held a broken pendant—a wolf's head, broken where it was once whole. I wore it every day until he rejected me. I touched it, the cold metal sending a jolt through me. Rendell's laughter echoed. The way he pulled my braid, the promises we whispered when we were too young to know how promises could break. Lies. All lies.

I slammed the box shut and shoved it into my bag. Not because I needed it, but because I wouldn't leave anything behind.

I'd leave before dawn. No goodbyes, no explanations. The townspeople would be curious, but they'd be safe—I hoped. I moved to put out the fire, a question eating at me:

“Why now?” I stop, a sudden realization hitting me. Two years of nothing, and now he called me back. Only one thing made sense. The seal.

Rendell knew it was giving way. He knew my wolf would come back. He knew I'd be too strong to control.

Maybe that scared him. Maybe it excited him. I smiled. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter.

He wouldn't get the girl he tried to kill. I grabbed my bag, tightened the straps, and threw open the door. The rain turned to mist, the streets empty. Good. Easy to slip away. I pulled my hood over my face and stepped out. And stopped. The air changed. A scent – faint, but there. Pine. Smoke. Frost. My heart slammed. Every nerve screamed.

Rendell's scent. He is close. Too close. Panic clawed at me, but I forced myself to move. Step. Just one foot in front. I disappeared into the mist, the cold biting my skin. And one thought burned: I thought I got away. I was wrong. Rendell Blackthorn was coming. And I might not make it this time.