My Alpha Wants Me Back

I thought back to that night seven years ago. If Theron hadn’t been there… I might not have made it through my first rogue encounter unscathed.

I looked back at him one last time, thinking, Once I finish this cake, I’ll finally be done with him.

I moved towards the den exit, each step feeling heavier than the last. Before I reached the door, Theron’s voice broke the silence.

“Selene…” he started, his tone uncertain.

I didn’t bother turning around. “Anything else?” I asked, my voice cold.

He hesitated before speaking again. “...I’ll send you some credits for the ingredients.”

I continued on without a word.

When I stepped outside, I pulled out my device. Opening up our chat history, I stared at the numbers.

5,363—that’s how many messages I’d sent him.

He’d only replied to 25.

It was exhausting to care, so all I could do was smirk.

Back in the den, Theron’s moonstone would buzz with the notification of the credit transfer being rejected. I could imagine his hand clenched around his moonstone, staring at the alert with frustration.

Later that evening, around 8 p.m., my moonstone rang, Theron’s name lighting up the screen.

“Hey, where are you?” he asked, sounding almost… concerned.

I was seated in a booth at a diner near my place, picking at my food. “What’s up?” I replied, sidestepping his question.

“Nothing much,” Theron responded, his voice softer now. “I just wanted to say… the cake was delicious. As always.”

There was a brief pause before he added in a lower voice, “Thanks. I know it was a lot of effort.”

Before I could say anything, I heard Celeste’s sickly-sweet voice in the background.

“Selene!” she chirped, her tone light and annoyingly sweet. “I heard from Theron that you made my honeycake today! Wow, you’re so talented! I wish I could do that… but I’m just so clumsy. Theron always calls me his ‘little pup.’”

I could practically see her pouting, her eyes wide with fake innocence as she spoke.

Before I could even process her words, she invited me to the pack gathering.

But I didn’t have a chance to respond before Theron’s voice came back on the line, this time a bit firmer. “Well, you don’t really need to come,” he said quickly before hanging up.

A few minutes later, my moonstone buzzed again. It was a message from him, with his location pinned and a note attached: If you do swing by, could you grab a bag of venison-flavored chips for Celeste from the pack store?

I sighed, letting out a faint, sarcastic smile.

When I pushed the door open to the private den, I spotted Theron immediately. He was feeding Celeste a slice of the cake I’d made, her eyes wide and doe-like as she looked up at him.

The moment he saw me, his expression shifted to irritation. His gaze darkened, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

Why did I show up?

I already knew Celeste had been the one to send the message, not him. But I’d come anyway.

“Selene!” Celeste greeted me with a bright smile, her voice as sugary as always.

Theron’s eyes narrowed, and I could feel the tension rise in the room.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come?” he snapped, his irritation cutting through the air.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Celeste quickly jumped in, pouting in that over-the-top way she always did. “I’m sorry, Theron. I just wanted some venison chips, so I tricked her into coming,” she said, her voice dripping with false innocence.

Theron’s hard expression softened as he reached out, ruffling Celeste’s hair affectionately. “You little mischief-maker,” he muttered with a fond smile.

Watching him, I knew this was my moment. I reached into my bag and pulled out a letter.

“Theron,” I said, stepping forward, “one of our scouts has a family emergency and needs to leave for a bit. I’ll need your signature to approve it.”

Normally, our pack’s second-in-command would handle things like this, but since it was me, they’d asked me to deliver the letter directly.

The room was dim, shadows casting across Theron’s face. He barely glanced at the letter before he signed it, his focus still on Celeste, the birthday “celebrant.”

As I reached for the letter, Theron’s hand shot out, catching mine in his grip. His face shifted, a strange look crossing his eyes as he stared at my hand.

“You… You came here just for this?” he asked, his voice low and difficult to read.

I nodded, keeping my expression steady.

His face darkened, and for a moment, I thought he was going to say something more. But then he flinched, pulling his hand back as if he’d been burned.

I realized his fingers had brushed the burn marks on my palm from baking the cake. Maybe the feel of them repulsed him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Celeste’s gaze flicker with sudden interest. “Oh, Selene!” she said, her eyes catching on my wrist. “That red charm bracelet you’re wearing… it looks quite familiar.”

Her smile widened as she leaned in. “I just remembered, a few days ago, I saw something just like that… in Theron’s trash.”

I watched Theron subtly move his hand to cover his wrist where his bond mark was hidden, but I pretended not to notice. Keeping my voice calm, I replied, "These charm bracelets are pretty common. If you like it, I can give this one to you."

Celeste didn’t respond, just looked away with a small frown.

When I walked out of the den, I headed straight for the nearest trash can and tossed the bracelet inside. I'd worn it for the past seven years, but it no longer meant anything—just discarded scraps.