3rd person’s POV
The air in the Bloodmoon Pack’s territory was fresh and crisp, the scent of pine trees and damp earth lingering in the early morning breeze. Louis stood at the edge of the training grounds, his eyes fixed on the horizon, but his mind was far away. For months, he had been lost in his grief, trapped by memories of Diana and the life they had hoped to share. But now, something-or rather, someone-had begun to stir him from the depths of that sorrow.
Her name was Lila.
She had joined their pack with her young cub after the battle with her rogue pack, when others had refused to join . A rogue herself, she had once belonged to a pack led by a brutal Alpha who cared for nothing but power. She had fled with her son, desperate to find a place where they could be safe. Dimitri had allowed her to stay, offering her the protection of the Bloodmoon Pack. Louis had barely noticed her at first, consumed by his own pain, but gradually, she had caught his attention.
And now, she consumed his thoughts.
Louis shook his head, trying to clear it, but it was no use. He had felt the pull of the mate bond the first time he met Lila, but he had pushed it aside, refusing to acknowledge it. He couldn’t betray Diana’s memory, not with another mate. And yet… there was something about Lila, something that called to him in a way he couldn’t ignore.
“Louis?”
The soft voice startled him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Lila standing a few feet away, her red hair falling in loose waves around her shoulders. Her eyes, a striking shade of green, looked up at him with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said quickly, shifting her weight nervously. Her cub, a small boy with the same green eyes, clung to her leg, peering up at Louis with wide eyes.
Louis forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re not disturbing me, Lila. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to thank you,” she said, her voice soft but steady. “For helping me and my son. I know we’re… outsiders here, and it can’t be easy for the pack to accept us. But you’ve been kind.”
Louis felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t been kind, not really. He had kept his distance, avoiding her at every turn, afraid of what he might feel if he allowed himself to get too close.
“There’s no need to thank me,” he said, his voice rough. “We protect those who need it. That’s what the Bloodmoon Pack does.”
Lila nodded, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes-something that told Louis she saw through his detached words. She wasn’t just thanking him for the pack’s protection. She was thanking him for something more.
For the way his presence had reassured her. For the way he had kept a watchful eye on her son during training. For the way he had quietly ensured she had everything she needed, even if he had never directly approached her.
“Louis,” Lila said quietly, her voice trembling just slightly, “I know you’ve been through a lot. I’ve heard… the whispers in the pack. About Diana. I’m sorry for your loss.”
The mention of Diana’s name sent a jolt through Louis’s chest, but he didn’t flinch. He had grown used to the pain, to the ever-present ache that came with her memory. Still, it wasn’t easy to hear it spoken aloud.
“Thank you,” he said after a moment, his voice barely above a whisper.
There was a long silence between them, the kind of silence that felt heavy with unspoken words. Lila’s gaze never left his, and in those green eyes, Louis saw something he hadn’t expected-understanding.
“I know what it’s like to lose someone,” Lila said softly. I was traded off to the father of my son by father… But before then I had a Mate whom I loved so much, and he was killed, when he died it felt like I was losing a part of myself.” then I got to know the father of my son had been the one to kill my Mate so that he could have me, I saw what kind of monster he truly was. And when I left him, when I had to go on without him.
Louis clenched his jaw, struggling to find the right words. “It’s not the same,” he said quietly. “Diana wasn’t… she wasn’t like that.”
“No, she wasn’t,” Lila agreed, her voice gentle. “But loss is still loss. And it changes you.”
Louis stared at her for a long moment, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn’t expected this from her-this quiet understanding, this empathy. He had thought she would be like the others, offering empty condolences or avoiding the subject altogether. But Lila… she had been through her own battles. She knew the pain he carried.
And somehow, that made it easier to talk to her.
“I didn’t want another mate,” Louis admitted, his voice rough with emotion. “When I felt the bond, when I realized… I tried to push it away. I didn’t want to betray Diana.”
Lila’s eyes softened, and she took a tentative step closer. “You’re not betraying her, Louis. You’re honoring her memory by living. By allowing yourself to heal.”
Louis shook his head, his fists clenching at his sides. “I can’t forget her.”
“I’m not asking you to,” Lila said gently. “I would never ask that of you. But maybe… maybe we can help each other heal.”
Her words hung in the air between them, and for a long moment, Louis didn’t move. He didn’t speak. His heart was pounding in his chest, and the weight of the mate bond pulsed between them, stronger than ever. He had tried to resist it, tried to deny it, but now… now he wasn’t sure he wanted to.
He thought of Diana’s last words to him, the promise she had begged him to make. “Find happiness again.”
Could he? Could he really open himself up to someone new, to a future he had never imagined without Diana?
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Louis whispered, his voice barely audible.
Lila took another step closer, closing the distance between them. She reached out, her hand brushing lightly against his arm. “You don’t have to decide today. Or tomorrow. But I’m here, Louis. I’m here if you want to try.”
Louis looked down at her hand, her touch warm and grounding. For the first time in months, the icy grip of grief seemed to loosen just a little. He wasn’t ready to move on. He wasn’t ready to forget. But maybe… maybe he didn’t have to.
He could still honor Diana’s memory, still carry her with him, while also opening his heart to something new.
“I’ll try,” Louis said finally, his voice hoarse with emotion. “For you. For her. I’ll try.”
A small, hopeful smile spread across Lila’s face, and for the first time, Louis felt something stir in his chest-something he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Hope.
Just as the moment began to settle between them, a deep voice broke the silence.
“Well, it’s about damn time.”
Louis turned to see Dimitri standing a few feet away, his arms crossed and a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. His eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction.
“How long were you standing there?” Louis asked, his tone a mixture of irritation and embarrassment.
“Long enough,” Dimitri said with a chuckle. “I was starting to wonder if you’d ever get out of your own head.”
Louis narrowed his eyes at his Alpha, though there was no real anger behind it. “I was getting there.”
Dimitri’s grin widened. “Good. Because I’ve been waiting for you to come back. The pack’s been missing its second-in-command.”
Louis shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Lila before turning back to Dimitri. “I’m not… I’m not fully there yet.”
“You don’t have to be,” Dimitri said, his tone softening. “But it’s good to see you taking steps. Diana would be proud of you, Louis.”
Louis swallowed hard, the mention of Diana’s name still tugging at his heart. But this time, the ache wasn’t as sharp. It was still there, but it was bearable.
“I hope so,” Louis said quietly.
Dimitri clapped a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “She would be. And you deserve happiness, Louis. Don’t let anyone, not even yourself, convince you otherwise.”
Louis nodded, feeling a swell of gratitude toward his Alpha and friend. Dimitri had given him the space to grieve, but he had also been there, quietly waiting for him to come back. And now, with Lila by his side, Louis felt the smallest flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to heal.
“I’ll try,” Louis said again, this time with a little more conviction.
Dimitri smiled, his eyes warm. “That’s all we can ask for.”
As Dimitri walked away, Louis turned back to Lila, who was watching him with that same understanding gaze.
“I’ll try,” he said once more, his voice steady.
And this time, he meant it.