Chapter 7

Aurora

Run.

That’s all my mind could register. I ran. Not because I wanted to, but because I had no choice.

I had waited my whole life to find him—to find my mate. The one the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. The one who was supposed to be my safe haven, my protector. And yet, here I was… running away from him.

My wolf, Isabelle, was screaming inside me, clawing desperately to take control. You’re making a mistake! Go back to him, Aurora! We need him!

But I couldn’t.

Tears burned in my eyes as I forced my legs to move faster, pushing myself to the limits. The sharp pain in my chest twisted like a dagger—pain that wasn’t just mine, but his too. I had hurt him.

The moment I yanked my hand away from Zachary, I felt the bond between us shatter into a million pieces. The rejection wasn’t spoken, but the act alone was enough to send waves of agony through me.

And yet, I still ran.

The cold night air whipped against my face, carrying with it the scent of pine and damp earth. My vision blurred, not just from exhaustion, but from the overwhelming emotions suffocating me. A deafening growl tore through the silence.

My body stiffened.

His growl. It was raw, unrestrained—filled with something primal, something dangerous. The sound sent shivers down my spine, but not out of fear. No… It was the kind of growl that promised retribution.

He was coming for me.

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribcage.

"Aurora, did you really think you could outrun an Alpha?" Isabelle scoffed in my head. "Especially one as powerful as him? Face it, you're doomed!"

Doomed.

The realisation hit me like a slap to the face. How could I be so stupid? I had spent years training, learning how to fight, how to survive. But Zachary wasn’t just any werewolf.

He was an Alpha.

And not just any Alpha—he was the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. Ruthless. Unyielding. The strongest of them all. How could I have been so foolish to believe I could escape him?

Still, I pushed forward, weaving through the dense trees, my lungs burning from the effort.

There was this sudden Silence. It was eerie. The growls stopped.

I slowed my pace, my breaths coming out in ragged pants. Had I lost him?

Relief flooded through me for half a second—until the bond between us constricted like a noose around my heart. A warning. A massive shadow moved in the trees ahead.

My stomach twisted.

And before I could react a pair of blazing blue eyes locked onto mine. I skidded to a stop, my entire body going rigid.

Zachary. My mate.

The air around him crackled with power, his presence alone sending waves of dominance crashing into me. Even in his wolf form, he radiated authority—a beast forged in war and blood.

His wolf was enormous, towering over me, muscles rippling beneath thick, pitch-black fur. His massive paws barely made a sound as he stepped forward, eyes burning with something wild, something… possessive.

I swallowed hard, my pulse erratic.

Shit.

I took a step back, but his growl stopped me dead in my tracks.

Every inch of my body screamed at me to run. But my heart—the mate bond—begged me to stay.

His eyes darkened, full of fury and something else… something deeper.

Pain.

My stomach twisted.

Because I had done that.

I had hurt him.

He had found me, his mate, and I had ripped myself away from him.

I could see it in his stance, in the way his claws dug into the dirt. He was struggling to keep control. His wolf wanted to claim me—to mark me, to keep me by his side forever.

But I couldn't.

I couldn’t let him get tangled in the mess that was my life.

"RUN!" My mind screamed at me.

And I did.

I turned and sprinted, my legs moving on pure instinct.

But I didn’t get far.

A heavy force slammed into me from behind, sending me crashing to the ground. I braced for impact, expecting the sharp sting of pain—

But instead, I fell against warmth. Against him.

I gasped as tingles erupted across my skin, my body betraying me as a shiver ran down my spine. Sparks ignited wherever we touched, the mate bond surging to life like fire coursing through my veins.

Zachary’s wolf was above me, caging me in. His massive frame pressed against mine, keeping me pinned beneath him.

He let out a deep growl, his breath hot against my skin. The sound sent heat rushing through me, making it impossible to ignore just how much power he held over me.

I turned my head, meeting his gaze—those intense, piercing blue eyes that saw straight through me. And for the first time, I saw it clearly.

The torment. The longing. The desperation. He didn’t just want me.

He needed me. And I had torn myself away from him.Guilt slammed into me like a Tsunami, stealing the breath from my lungs.

I had thought I was protecting him. But maybe… maybe I had only been hurting him more.

His wolf let out a deep, frustrated growl before shifting in front of me. Within seconds, Zachary stood before me in his human form, his breathing heavy, his chest rising and falling with barely contained rage.

His jaw clenched, muscles taut with restraint. He was barely keeping himself together.

But his eyes…

His eyes were full of betrayal.

“Why?” His voice was low, rough. Dangerous.

I swallowed, forcing myself to look away. “I… I had to. I have no choice”

“That’s not an answer, Aurora.” His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. “You ran from me.”

I flinched.

I had expected anger. Expected rage. But what I hadn’t expected… was the hurt laced beneath his words.

Zachary took a step closer, his scent wrapping around me, making my head spin. His hand reached out, fingers grazing my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

“Do you even understand what you’ve done to me?” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. “The second you ran, you ripped my soul apart.”

Tears welled in my eyes.I had spent so many years being strong. Being resilient. Never letting anyone close enough to hurt me.

But this man—this Alpha—was unraveling me with just a few words.

“I can’t…” My voice broke. “I can’t let you get caught up in my past, Zachary. I won’t let you suffer because of me.”

His eyes darkened.

“You don’t get to make that choice for me.” His grip on my jaw tightened, his gaze burning into mine.

“You’re mine, Aurora.” His voice was a promise, a warning. “And I’ll be damned if I ever let you run from me again.” His lips hovered near mine, his breath warm, his presence overwhelming.

And in that moment, I knew— I was no longer running from my mate.

I was running from myself.