New Beginnings,Old Heartaches

Lila awoke to the soft hum of her alarm clock,Her heart fluttered with nervous excitement as she sat up, pushing the tangled sheets aside. Today was the day—the day of her interview.

She had applied for an intern position at a marketing agency in the city, a step toward the fresh start she had dreamed of. The idea of working for a company, building a career, and truly living her own life felt both thrilling and terrifying. She had been careful to craft a polished resume and an even more polished persona, but the reality of standing before strangers and proving herself was still daunting.

Taking a deep breath, Lila stood up, her legs a little shaky beneath her. She'd spent hours last night choosing the perfect outfit—something classy yet understated—no sense in overdoing it. A light blue blouse paired with a black pencil skirt and sleek heels. She'd chosen this look because it felt professional, yet somehow still like her—a balance between who she was and who she wanted to be.

With a swift glance in the mirror, she nodded to herself, her reflection offering her a tentative smile. She was ready, or at least, she had to be.

The cab ride to the agency felt like it lasted a lifetime. The city's skyline loomed in the distance, a constant reminder that this was it. The moment she'd been working toward, striving for, since she'd stepped off the plane weeks ago. It was a strange, almost surreal feeling, as if she was both in control and completely out of it at the same time.

When the cab pulled up outside the building, she took a moment to steady her breath before stepping out. The agency's sleek glass doors opened before her, and she walked inside, her heels clicking on the polished floor. She checked in with the receptionist, who directed her to a waiting area.

As she took a seat, her nerves only seemed to heighten. The room was full of other candidates—young, polished, all of them seemingly confident. They chatted amongst themselves, reviewing their resumes or discussing how they'd prepared for the interview. The tension in the air was palpable, and Lila felt it coil tight in her chest.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. It had been thirty minutes since she'd arrived, and the anticipation was starting to eat at her. She knew the company only accepted five interns for the year, and that number kept circling in her mind, making her feel small and insignificant in the sea of applicants.

Three hours passed before her name was called. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she stood on shaky legs, smoothing down her skirt, trying to steady her breath. The interviewer, a sharp-looking woman in her late thirties, greeted her with a firm handshake and led her into a conference room.

The questions came quickly. She answered with the practiced ease of someone who had prepared, but each word felt heavy, as if the weight of her nerves were pressing down on her chest. She told them about her experience, her skills, her desire to learn. She tried to show them that she was more than just someone who wanted a job—she was someone who would thrive in this environment.

After what felt like hours, the woman stood, offering her a polite but cool smile. "We'd like you to meet with HR for another round of interviews. You're one of the top candidates we've chosen," she said. Lila's stomach flipped, and she nodded, trying to keep the smile on her face despite the overwhelming rush of emotion that threatened to spill over.

She walked through the halls to HR, her mind racing. Top candidates? She had made it this far, but there was still so much uncertainty. The wait felt like an eternity, and she spent every second wondering if she was really as good as they thought she was.

The HR representative, a woman with glasses perched on the tip of her nose, smiled warmly when Lila entered. They chatted for a few minutes, asking a few more questions, but there was something in the air now—an unspoken understanding that Lila was on the edge of something bigger.

When the interview finally ended, Lila was told to wait in a nearby lounge. Thirty minutes later, the same interviewer from earlier returned with a smile that made Lila's heart leap. "Congratulations," she said. "We'd like to offer you the internship. You start tomorrow."

Lila blinked, not quite believing what she was hearing. "Tomorrow?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes. We'll show you to your desk, introduce you to your supervisor, and get you settled in. You're one of the five we've chosen."

Lila stood there for a moment, stunned. The whirlwind of emotions inside her was almost overwhelming—joy, relief, excitement. She had done it. She had really done it.

The supervisor was introduced to her, a woman with dark hair and a friendly smile. Lila was shown her desk, a small but neat area by a window with a view of the city. It felt like home already.

When she stepped out of the building hours later, a fresh sense of purpose filled her chest. She couldn't wait to call Mia and tell her everything. This was it—her new life.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Caleb paced back and forth in his small apartment. His mind was a tangle of thoughts he couldn't untangle. It had been weeks since he went by Lila's apartment and was told she had moved out and despite every attempt, he had been unable to find her. The bond—the connection they shared—was still there, but it had become strained. He could sense that she was far away, deliberately distancing herself from him.

His heart ached with each passing moment, and every time he tried to reach her, to call her, her phone was switched off. The mate bond twisted painfully, a constant reminder that Lila was slipping further from him.

Where are you, Lila? His mind screamed, but the only answer was silence.

The ache in his chest deepened as he wondered if she had found someone else. Had she gone to Adrian? Was he the one she had chosen over him? The thought of another man—especially Adrian—being close to her sent a wave of jealousy crashing over him. He couldn't bear the idea of losing her, of her choosing someone else when she was his, when they were supposed to be together.

His grip tightened on the edge of the table. No. He wasn't going to let this go. He would find her, and when he did, he would make things right. Lila was his soulmate, and he couldn't live without her.

The pain in his heart grew with each passing second. I'll do whatever it takes, he thought, the words burning with resolve. I'll make you forgive me, Lila. I have to.

Caleb stood at the edge of his bed,his jaw tight with frustration. The quiet was unnerving, but his thoughts were anything but still. His mind raced, constantly circling back to Lila, to the way she had walked out of his life without a trace. She had cut all ties and it was easier to stay away from her before the mating bond but now they were bonded it was just impossible!

The mate bond pulled at him, distant and faint, as if Lila was out of reach, and he couldn't quite pinpoint her location. But he knew one thing for sure: she was far away. The bond told him that much. And it made his chest tighten with an ache he couldn't shake.

He couldn't lose her—not like this. She was his everything, his soul mate, the other half of him. He had known it the moment they first met, and despite everything that had happened, he couldn't give up on her.

Not yet. Not without a fight.

Caleb ran a hand through his hair, pacing in the moonlight. He needed to find her. He had to. But with her phone switched off and no sign of where she had gone, he was stuck. Where could she have gone?

His thoughts returned to Mia. Lila's best friend. Mia had been the one constant presence in Lila's life, the one person Lila had turned to when everything fell apart. If there was anyone who could help him find her, it was Mia. He hadn't tried reaching out to her yet—he hadn't wanted to seem desperate. But now? Now, desperate was exactly what he was.

I need her number, he thought, a sense of urgency gnawing at him. Mia knows where she is. Mia has to.

He took a deep breath and decided then and there that he would find a way to get Mia's number, no matter what it took. He couldn't sit around, waiting for Lila to come back to him. He needed answers.

Caleb's thoughts shifted. It was no use thinking about what he wanted to happen. He needed to figure out how to get Mia to talk to him. Maybe she was mad at him, too. Maybe Lila had told her everything.

Caleb had always kept his ear to the ground about local businesses in town—his pack had a way of knowing what was going on, whether it was rumors or something more concrete. There was a chance that Mia worked at a place that he could reach out to.

His eyes narrowed, focusing on the task at hand. He wasn't going to give up.

He shifted on his feet and began to make his way toward town. As he walked through the quiet streets, his mind swirled with possibilities. He knew the local diner Mia loved to frequent, and he knew a few of the places Lila had been to with her. It wasn't much, but it was a starting point. He needed information, anything that would point him in the right direction.

Finally, his thoughts returned to the bar Lila and Mia used to visit now and then—an older establishment on the edge of town. Caleb didn't frequent the place, but he knew of a few of the staff. They had seen him come by with Lila more than once. If anyone knew where Mia might be, it was someone there.

Determined, he walked toward the dimly lit building, his senses alert. He needed to find someone who could help him get in touch with Mia. If he couldn't go straight to her, he'd have to go through a familiar face.

As Caleb approached the entrance, his stomach twisted with a sense of urgency, knowing that each moment Lila was away from him felt like a betrayal of fate. But he wasn't going to give up—not until he had answers.

He stepped inside, the sound of soft chatter and clinking glasses filling the air. He scanned the room, searching for a familiar face—someone who might be able to help.