Eight Years Later, I Returned to My Devoted Alpha Mate

The moment I regain control of my body, I see Ethan Cross claiming Maya Quinn as his mate. At the same time, the curse binding my soul suddenly breaks. The invisible force that has trapped me deep inside my own body for eight years disappears. For the first time in eight years, I truly open my eyes. Eight years ago, another soul took over my body. After that, she became completely obsessed with Ethan. She followed him everywhere, did everything for him, and treated him like he was the only male in the world. Meanwhile, Alexander Vale, my childhood best friend and the Alpha of Silvermoon Pack, developed severe insomnia after “I” suddenly cut him out of my life. Today is supposed to be the day Ethan claims me as his mate. But in the end, he still chooses Maya. She leans against his chest, one hand resting protectively over the slight curve of her stomach. Ethan looks at me without the slightest trace of guilt. “Maya is pregnant. If no mate claims responsibility for her and the pup, her pack will send her into rogue territory.” He says it as if this is perfectly reasonable. “Once she gives birth and finds somewhere safe to go, I'll break the bond with her and come back to you.” He pauses. “It'll only take another year or two.” Then he looks at me with mild impatience. “You've already waited eight years, Freya. What's another year or two?” I barely hear him. All I can think about is one stupid wolf who hasn't been able to sleep properly because of me. Alexander. I turn to leave. Ethan immediately grabs my arm. “What now?” His expression darkens. “Don't start throwing a fit. I'm not falling for that.” I look down at his hand, then calmly pull free. Around my neck hangs a small white rabbit pendant. It was something Ethan casually gave the soul who occupied my body. She treasured it for years. I take it off. Then I throw it onto the floor. The pendant hits the stone with a sharp crack and breaks apart. Ethan freezes. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I look straight at him. “It means we're done, Ethan.” His face changes. “I don't want you anymore.” “You can claim whoever you want. Sleep with whoever you want. Have pups with whoever you want.” “None of it has anything to do with me anymore.” For eight years, this is the first time Ethan has ever heard those words come out of my mouth. He just stands there, staring at me. I don't give him time to react. I turn around and leave. One hour later, I finally stand outside the Silvermoon Pack estate. It's one in the morning. Rain is pouring from the sky. The massive iron gates slowly open. The guard takes one look at my face and goes completely still. “F-Freya?” He quickly rubs his eyes. “Miss Hale?” He stares at me again. “Is that really you?” Eight years ago, I came to Silvermoon almost every day. Alexander and I grew up together. This place was practically my second home. Then another soul took over my body. She publicly threw Alexander's coming-of-age gift into the lake. After that, she never stepped into Silvermoon territory again. Everyone around here knows the story. Freya Hale abandoned Alexander Vale for Ethan Cross. I wipe the rain from my face. “Is Alexander here?” The guard's expression becomes complicated. “Alpha Alexander just got back.” He hesitates for a moment before lowering his voice. “Miss Hale... the Alpha hasn't been doing very well these past few years.” Pain twists through my chest. I walk through the gates and enter the main house. The moment the servants see me, they all stop what they're doing. Someone drops a teacup. Another servant hurries upstairs. The old housekeeper comes down a few moments later. The second he sees me, his eyes turn red. “Miss Freya.” He opens his mouth. Then, after a long hesitation, he asks only one question. “Are you here because of Ethan Cross?” I shake my head. “No.” “I came to see Alexander.” The entire hall goes silent. I take a breath. “I came to ask Alexander to claim me as his mate.” A sharp crash suddenly comes from upstairs. Glass shatters against the floor. I look up. Alexander is standing behind the railing on the second floor. The top buttons of his black shirt are undone. His eyes are bloodshot. Eight years have made him taller, broader, and far colder than the boy I remember. His hand grips the railing. The veins on the back of it stand out beneath his skin. He stares at me. Then his rough voice cuts through the silent room. “Everyone out.”

The servants immediately lower their heads and hurry out. Before leaving, the old housekeeper gives me one last worried look, then quietly closes the door behind him. The huge living room falls silent. Only Alexander and I remain. He walks down the stairs one step at a time. “Freya Hale.” His voice is rough. “Weren’t you supposed to be claimed by Ethan Cross today?” I answer calmly. “He changed his mind.” Alexander stops. For a few seconds, he says nothing. Then he lets out a cold laugh. “So you came to me?” He walks closer and looks down at my rain-soaked dress. His eyes are freezing. “Eight years ago, you cut me out of your life for him.” “And now that he’s rejected you, you finally remember there’s still one stupid wolf waiting right where you left him?” Pain twists through my chest. “That’s not what I’m doing.” “Then what are you doing?” Alexander suddenly grabs my wrist and pins me against the wall. His Alpha aura crashes over me. “Trying to make him jealous?” “Or are you planning to use Silvermoon Pack to force him to come crawling back?” I don’t struggle. I only look up at him. “Neither.” “Alexander, I want you to claim me.” “I want to be your mate.” His pupils narrow sharply. But the next second, he lets go of me and steps back. “Get out.” I freeze. Alexander turns away from me. His voice trembles slightly. “Leave before I lock you inside this house and make sure you can never walk away from me again.” I stare at his rigid back. “Fine.” “If you don’t want me, I’ll find someone else.” The words barely leave my mouth before a deep wolf growl tears through the room behind me. Alexander whips around. In the next second, I’m pressed against the wall again. His eyes are red at the edges. “Freya.” “Don’t you dare.” My own eyes burn as I look at him. “You don’t want me, but I’m not allowed to choose someone else?” His hand tightens around my waist. “Who said I don’t want you?” The second the words leave his mouth, his expression stiffens. I can’t help smiling. “Alexander.” “You’re still exactly the same.” “Too stubborn to admit what you want.” His face darkens. “Don’t smile at me.” “Why?” “For the past eight years, the only time I ever saw you smile like that was when you were trying to please Ethan.” His jaw clenches. “It disgusts me.” My hand moves before I can stop it. I slap him across the face. The sound cracks through the silent room. Outside the door, I hear someone suck in a sharp breath. Alexander’s head turns slightly from the impact. For a long moment, he doesn’t move. My eyes sting. “I never tried to please him.” Alexander slowly turns back toward me. “Eight years ago, cutting you off wasn’t my choice.” “What happened during those eight years is something I can’t explain to you yet.” His expression hardens again. I keep going. “But I know I threw the ring you gave me into the lake.” His eyes change. “And I know you searched that lake for three nights.” Alexander stares at me. No one ever told me that. He made everyone who saw it keep quiet. I take a small breath. “I also know that after I left, you developed severe insomnia.” His face goes completely still. “You could barely sleep unless you had something that still carried my scent.” For the first time since I walked into this house, Alexander looks shaken. I stare straight into his eyes. “You don’t have to believe me.” “But don’t call me dirty.”

The coldness in Alexander’s eyes slowly cracks. He grips my shoulders, studying me like he is trying to find proof of something beneath my skin. Werewolves can recognize their mates by scent. But scent belongs to the body. It cannot tell them when the soul inside that body has changed. From the moment I walked into Silvermoon tonight, Alexander must have sensed it. I am not the same Freya he has known for the past eight years. His voice shakes. “Who are you?” I step closer and rest my forehead against his chest. “I’m Freya Hale.” His heartbeat stutters beneath my ear. “I’m the Freya who grew up with you.” “The Freya who promised eight years ago that when we were old enough, I would become your mate.” Alexander’s heart starts pounding. The next second, he lifts me into his arms. I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck. “What are you doing?” “Claiming you.” I stare at him. “Now?” His jaw tightens. “You’re the one who showed up at my door asking for it.” He carries me upstairs and kicks open the door to his study. Then he sets me on the edge of the desk. He moves too quickly. His wolf tail sweeps against one of the half-open drawers. Several silver-black tokens tumble out and roll across the floor. One stops beside my foot. I bend down and pick it up. An old Silvermoon mate symbol is engraved across the front. On the back is one name. Freya Hale. My breath catches. Silvermoon has an old mating tradition. Before an Alpha takes a mate, he prepares a silver bond token using a drop of his own blood. Once the mate’s name is engraved into it, the name can never be changed. There are eight tokens on the floor. The oldest one has been touched so often that its edges are smooth. The others each carry a different year. Eight years. One for every year I was gone. Alexander prepared a new one every year. And every year, he still engraved my name. He never gave one to anyone else. He never changed his choice. My fingers tighten around the cold silver token. My throat burns. “Alexander.” His expression shifts. “Were you waiting for me every year?” He immediately reaches for the token. “Don’t look at that.” I pull it closer to my chest. For the first time tonight, the powerful Alpha of Silvermoon actually looks embarrassed. My eyes sting. I lean forward and kiss him. Alexander goes completely still. His lips are cold. For one second, he does not move at all. Then his hand comes up behind my neck. I pull back just enough to look at him. “Alexander.” “I’m sorry.” His eyes lock on mine. “I will never leave you again.” I bite the tip of my finger. A small bead of blood appears. Then I press it against the silver token. The ancient engraving lights up. Silver light spreads across the surface and races up my fingers. Alexander’s breath catches. A matching mark appears around my wrist. Then another appears around his. The two silver mate marks glow at the same time. Alexander stares at them. His eyes slowly turn red. “You said it.” His voice is rough. “You said you’d never leave again.” He cups my face in both hands and presses his forehead hard against mine. “Freya Hale.” “This time, I’m never letting you go.” Three months later, Alexander and I have our mating ceremony. The following year, I give birth to a wolf pup. We name him Leo. Leo is born with unusually sensitive hearing, and his wolf instincts are unstable when he is overstimulated. Because of him, I start MoonNest. The company focuses on products designed specifically for young shifter pups. Calming sleep pods. Sound-dampening blankets. Scent-safe comfort products. Anything that can help a pup feel safer without relying on sedatives. Three years pass. Today, I walk into MoonNest’s first major pup-care expo with my two-year-old son in my arms. Leo has his little arms wrapped around my neck. I have barely stepped into the exhibition hall when a familiar voice comes from behind me. “Freya?”

Ethan Cross is standing beside one of the exhibition booths. A candidate distributor badge hangs from his chest. Three years have passed since I last saw him. He looks older now. More polished. More confident. Maya stands beside him, holding the hand of a little rabbit-eared boy. The moment Ethan recognizes me, he freezes. Then his expression changes into something almost smug. “So you finally decided to stop hiding from me.” He looks me up and down. “Three years should've been enough time to get over your little tantrum.” I glance at him without answering. I dressed simply today. Leo is wearing a plain gray pup outfit, nothing that shows who he is. Ethan's eyes move to the little wolf ears on top of Leo's head. His brows pull together. “What happened to you?” He looks almost offended on my behalf. “You're working as a nanny now?” Leo immediately tightens his arms around my neck. “She’s not a nanny.” His little voice is sharp. “She’s my mommy.” Ethan laughs. “Pups get attached easily.” He looks at Leo like the answer is obvious. “You stay with a young shifter long enough, and they start calling you Mom.” Then his eyes return to me. This time, there is pity in them. “I heard you ran straight to Alexander Vale after I claimed Maya.” He shakes his head. “You really did all that just to make me jealous.” A faint smile touches his mouth. “Everyone knew Alexander hated you after what happened eight years ago.” “You honestly thought the Alpha of Silvermoon Pack would take you back?” His gaze sweeps over my clothes again. “So he kicked you out, and without me around to take care of you, this is what you ended up doing?” “A nanny?” Maya gently tugs on Ethan's sleeve. “Ethan, don't say that.” Her voice is soft. “Freya has always been proud.” Then she looks at Leo. “But wolf pups can be exhausting.” She gives me a sweet smile. “It must be hard taking care of him by yourself.” “We actually need someone to help with Milo at home.” She squeezes the little boy's hand. “You were always so good at taking care of Ethan.” “You'd probably be great with our son too.” Ethan nods. “We'd pay you well.” He gestures toward the badge hanging from his chest. “And I'm here today to secure MoonNest's Northern Territory distribution contract.” “Once Cross Industries gets the deal, we'll be expanding fast.” He looks at me like he is doing me a favor. “I could probably find you a proper position later.” My eyes drop to his badge. “Northern Territory distributor?” “Yeah.” Ethan lifts his chin. “The founder of MoonNest is coming here personally today.” He sounds completely certain. “Out of every company on the candidate list, Cross Industries is the strongest.” “That contract is mine.” I look at him calmly. “Then you're going to be disappointed.” His smile fades slightly. “Your application won't be approved.” Maya bursts out laughing. She quickly covers her mouth. “Sorry.” But she doesn't look sorry at all. “Freya, did you work here for a few days and start thinking you get to choose the distributors?” Ethan's expression darkens. “Three years apart, and now you just make things up?” I don't bother answering. Then Maya suddenly looks down at Leo's wrist. Her face changes. A black-and-gold band is wrapped around it. She goes completely still. “Wait.” She steps closer. Her eyes widen. “That’s a Silvermoon heir band.” Ethan turns sharply. “What?” Maya points at Leo's wrist. “That security band is only issued to the Alpha's direct heir.” She stares at the little boy. “Why is it on this pup?” Before I can move, Ethan grabs my wrist. “Freya.” His voice turns cold. “Did you steal something from Silvermoon?” I yank my hand free. “Don't touch me.” But Ethan looks like he has already decided what happened. He studies Leo from head to toe. “The Silvermoon Alpha's son has never been shown publicly.” His eyes narrow. “No one outside their inner circle even knows what the kid looks like.” He points at the band. “And now you're putting the Silvermoon heir's security band on some random pup?” Leo immediately scowls. “I’m not random.” Ethan ignores him. “You want people to think this kid is Alexander's son?” “So you can use the Silvermoon name to get special treatment?” Maya suddenly looks like everything makes sense. “Oh.” She looks at me in fake shock. “That explains it.” “That’s why Freya said she could decide who gets the MoonNest contract.” Her voice drops. “She's pretending to be connected to Silvermoon.” Ethan's face hardens completely. He looks at me like I have finally crossed a line even he cannot excuse. “Freya.” “Do you have any idea what happens to someone who impersonates the heir of Silvermoon Pack?”