I gasped, my breath hitching in shock. My eyes darted to Zander, but he remained eerily calm, unaffected by the demon’s taunts.
“If you had just accepted my terms, I wouldn’t have had to go this far,” the demon sneered. “I wouldn’t have had to destroy your people, enslave your shadows, and turn everything in my favor. Now, you’re all nothing but my slaves for the rest of your pathetic lives.” His eyes darkened with cruel delight as he added, “And the Ancient Wolf will be mine.”
Then, his gaze snapped to me, and his filthy grin widened. “The only thing that remains the same,” he spat, “is that Selena still dies.”
“You can dream, demon,” Zander said with a soft, knowing smile before turning to face me. His eyes held a mixture of determination and sorrow, making my heart clench.
“This is the only way to stop him, mate,” he whispered, his voice laced with finality. “Always remember, I love you.”
Confusion twisted inside me. “What are you-”
Before I could finish my sentence, Zander’s voice rang out in his commanding Alpha tone.
“I order you to come and join me, my shadow!”
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the Dark Alpha as he trembled violently. His form convulsed, and within seconds, he was ripped from where he stood, his essence pulled into Zander like a dark mist being absorbed into his body.
“Goodbye, Selena,” Zander whispered urgently. His gaze burned into mine. “I leave my pack and my people in your hands, my Luna.”
Then-before I could even reach for him-his body dissolved into black smoke, dispersing into the air.
“Zander!” I screamed, lunging forward, but there was nothing-nothing but cold air wrapping around me, void of my mate’s warmth.
Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the empty space where he had stood, my mind refusing to accept what had just happened.
Arena stirred inside me, and I felt a surge of power return-our shadows had been freed.
As if a spell had been broken, the entire pack suddenly snapped back to their senses. Murmurs of confusion filled the air as everyone looked around, dazed.
“Luna?” Maddox ran to me, his face filled with shock. “What happened? Why are you crying?”
I looked at him, my lips trembling, my heart breaking.
How could I even begin to explain? How could I tell him that in just a matter of seconds, my entire world had shattered?
I had lost my mate. My fated mate.
____
*Ten Years Later*
My feet hurried with excitement as I made my way to the secret chamber. Descending quickly into the basement, I shut the chamber door behind me and placed my hand on the mirror. It illuminated instantly, revealing my mate’s reflection.
“Oh, baby, I missed you so much,” his deep voice was a balm to my aching heart.
We met every day through the dark mirror since he had left our world and entered the shadow realm, ensuring the Dark Alpha could never escape again. Zander had explained everything-the only reason the demon could travel freely between the worlds was their connection. As long as Zander existed here, his shadow could exploit that link to move between realms.
But when Zander commanded him with absolute authority, his demonic shadow had no choice but to merge back into him. To permanently sever that connection and protect our world, Zander chose to remain in the shadow realm. He feared that if he stayed here, the darkness might corrupt his mind and soul and he could be a threat to our world as well. So, he decided it was safer to stay away from us. The Shadow World was a place where no living being could enter, but Zander could survive there because he carried the Dark Alpha’s essence.
“Today is our son’s thirteenth birthday,” I reminded him, watching as a proud grin spread across his face.
“He will be a great Alpha one day,” Zander said with pride.
“Just like his father,” I replied, my heart swelling with admiration.
“How’s my princess?” he asked about our daughter.
It had been incredibly difficult to cope with the pain of being separated from my mate while also going through pregnancy. But when Zander found a way to contact me through this dark mirror, it gave me hope. Since then, we had spoken every day-he told me everything happening in the shadow realm, and I kept him updated on the Moonglow Pack and the Lunar Realm.
“Our daughter, Rose, is doing well. She’s excited for her brother’s birthday party,” I said, my voice soft.
Oh, Goddess, I missed him so much today. I wished more than anything that I could step through the mirror and hold him.
“Don’t cry, baby,” Zander said as he noticed the tears slipping down my cheeks. “It makes me feel helpless.”
I quickly wiped my tears and whispered, “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, my life,” he said, his voice filled with longing.
Just then, I received a mindlink from Blair.
“Austin is looking for me,” I told my husband.
“Go,” he nodded in understanding. “He needs his mom on his big day.”
“I love you, my mate,” I whispered, pressing my palm against the mirror. Zander lifted his hand to match mine. Though we couldn’t physically touch, I could feel the warmth of his presence as if he were truly holding my hand.
“I love you more, my mate, my Luna. Now go, don’t keep the guests waiting,” he said before the mirror darkened once again.
I took a deep breath, staring at the mirror. Though we were worlds apart, I still held onto hope that one day I would find a way to free him from the demon’s grasp so we could live together again-without fear. And I wouldn’t stop until that day came.
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Thank you so much for giving this book a chance. It means the world to me! If you want to learn more about the characters or connect with me, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram under Page Slayer.