Nicholas’s POV
Sunlight crept through the curtains, casting a golden hue across the room. A dull throbbing pounded in my skull, the remnants of last night’s whiskey swirling in my system. My body felt unnaturally warm, tangled with something soft and warm.
I blinked.
Then froze when a wave of realization slammed into me like a blade to the gut.
Danica.
She was lying beside me, her bare shoulder peeking from beneath the duvet. My arm was wrapped around her, holding her close. Her scent, faintly of steel and wildflowers, filled my senses.
No.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my body tensing. Nothing happened, right?
Just as I was about to move, she stirred. A soft sigh left her lips as she shifted slightly. Then, as if sensing something was wrong, her eyes fluttered open and locked onto mine.
A long, dreadful silence stretched between us.
“What… what happened?” Danica’s voice was hoarse, thick with confusion. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the scattered clothes, the overturned chair, the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the table. Then, she looked down at herself.
A sharp gasp left her lips. The duvet was the only thing covering her.
Panic flickered across her face. She scrambled out of bed, yanking the sheet around her body, her breathing uneven.
"Did we—?" she started, voice barely above a whisper.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to force my mind to make sense of the situation. My wolf was restless, pacing within me, an emotion I couldn’t name surging through my chest.
And then, the words left my mouth before I could stop them.
"You're my mate."
Silence.
Danica’s lips parted, her breath hitching as she processed what I had just said.
No. Not again.
I clenched my fists. I didn't want this. I couldn’t.
I had already lost my mate once. I had watched her die in my arms, her life ripped away in an instant. The pain of that loss had nearly broken me, had turned me into the Alpha I was today, cold, ruthless, unwilling to entertain the thought of love again.
For ten years, I had been mateless. I had avoided mating ceremonies, ignored the whispers of second-chance mates because I had convinced myself that I didn’t need one. That I didn’t want one.
And yet, here she was.
Danica, the warrior. Danica, who was supposed to be just another pack member, another soldier under my command, was my second-chance mate?
Unbelievable!
She took a step back, gripping the duvet tighter around her chest, shaking her head.
“I-I’m sorry, Alpha,” she stammered, her voice barely holding steady. “I should’ve been more responsible. You… you were not yourself last night.”
A bitter chuckle escaped me. So she doesn’t want this either.
Good.
It would make things easier.
“Let’s not talk about this,” I said, my voice firm, final. “Let’s pretend it never happened.”
Her expression was unreadable, her jaw tightening.
“Alpha—”
I cut her off, my voice low and commanding. “Don’t tell anyone. This never happened.”
Danica’s lips pressed into a thin line. Then, after a long pause, she nodded stiffly. “Understood.”
Without another word, she turned away. I watched as she quickly gathered her discarded clothes, slipping into them with shaky hands. Her movements were swift, efficient, but I could sense the tension in her body, the lingering hesitation in her every breath.
Danica threw one last glance at me before gripping the door handle, her knuckles white. She hesitated for a fraction of a second, before disappearing into the hallway without a backward glance.
I exhaled, rubbing my temple as my wolf growled within me again
Mate!