Chapter 8 An Unsettling Reunion

Alexander's POV

The last thing I expected when I walked into my grandmother's house that morning was her.

Stella.

For weeks, I'd managed to convince myself that what happened between us was buried. That rejecting her was the right thing, the only thing to do.

Humans weren't meant to walk our path, and I wasn't going to be the fool who defied the Moon's laws. I'd burned the bridge, walked away, and told myself I could live without her.

But the moment I stepped into that sitting room and saw her standing beside my grandmother, arranging roses like she belonged there... every lie I'd told myself collapsed in an instant.

Her scent hit me first. It was sweet and familiar. Like vanilla and rain-soaked wood. My entire body went rigid.

My wolf who had been silent for weeks stirred awake with a violent growl.

Mate.

No. Not anymore. I replied him instantly.

I clenched my fists, forcing the instinct down, but it was already too late. She turned then, slow, cautious, her gaze colliding with mine.

The world went still.

For one agonizing heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe. She looked exactly as she had that night. Fragile and furious, her eyes wide with disbelief and something that cut deeper than anger. Hurt.

"Alexander," she whispered.

The sound of my name in her voice nearly undid me.

Grandmother beamed between us, completely unaware of the tension filling the room. "Ah, good! You're both here. Alexander, this is Stella Beilingham, my new assistant. She's been helping with the gardens and keeping me company. A blessing, truly."

Her words twisted like a cruel joke. A blessing.

Stella blinked, recovering faster than I did. "Good afternoon, Mr. Calum." Her voice was polite and distant, like the way you'd speak to a stranger.

I forced my jaw to unclench. "Miss Beilingham."

Grandmother's gaze flicked between us. "You two know each other?"

"No," we said at the same time.

Her brows rose, amused, but she didn't pry. "Well, I suppose you'll get to know each other soon enough. Stella, dear, could you bring the tea? I'll show Alexander the renovation plans."

Stella nodded quickly and disappeared into the kitchen, her steps light but shaky. I watched her go, unable to stop myself. The way her hair brushed her neck, the faint tremor in her hands, every detail hit like a memory I wasn't ready to relive.

When Grandmother finally left the room to fetch her papers, I followed the pull I'd been fighting since the second I saw her. My boots echoed softly on the marble as I walked into the kitchen.

She froze when she noticed me, the porcelain teacup trembling slightly in her hand.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people," she said quietly.

I ignored the jab. "You work here now."

She set the cup down carefully. "I do."

"For how long?"

"I don't know. As long as the money keeps coming I guess."

I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms to hide the tension vibrating through me. "Did you know whose house this was before you came?"

Her throat bobbed. "No. I wouldn't have accepted if I did."

I nodded slowly, jaw tightening. "Smart."

Her gaze flickered up, anger sparking behind the hurt. "You think this is funny?"

"No," I said. "I think it's a mistake."

"Of course you do." Her voice wavered, but she forced it steady. "Everything about me is a mistake to you, isn't it?"

That hit harder than it should have. I turned away before she could see the flicker of guilt that crossed my face. "You shouldn't be here, Stella. You need to leave."

She let out a shaky laugh, bitter and tired. "You think I want to be here? I took this job because I needed one. Because I was trying to start over. I didn't know I'd walk into this."

Her voice cracked on the last word, and something inside me splintered. My wolf pushed harder against my control, his growl echoing in my skull. Fix it. She's ours.

I clenched my teeth. "You don't belong here."

The silence that followed was unbearable. She stared at me like she was seeing straight through me, into every lie I'd ever told.

"You really hate me that much?" she whispered.

I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell her the truth, that hating her was impossible, that every night I'd tried to erase her from my mind only made her come back stronger. But instead, I said the one thing I knew would make her leave.

"Yes."

Her breath hitched like I'd struck her. She straightened, gathering what was left of her pride.

"Then you have nothing to worry about. I'll ask your grandmother to find someone else. I'll be gone by tomorrow."

She brushed past me, and the faint brush of her shoulder against my arm was enough to send a shock straight to my bones. My wolf snarled, loud and vicious.

I turned sharply. "Stella."

She stopped at the door but didn't look back.

"You should leave," I said again, each word colder than the last. "You're not meant to be here."

For a moment, I thought she might argue. But she only nodded once, quietly, and walked away.

The second she disappeared around the corner, the world tilted. My wolf surged up so violently that it knocked the breath out of me.

You fool, he roared inside my head. You let her walk away again!

Pain exploded through my chest. My hands slammed against the counter, claws threatening to tear through my skin. The air around me thickened, vibrating with energy I couldn't contain.

"Stop," I hissed through gritted teeth. "Not here."

But he didn't stop. His fury clawed through every part of me like a primal, possessive rage that refused to be silenced.

My vision blurred. The porcelain cup on the counter shattered as my control slipped, shards flying across the floor. My pulse pounded like a war drum.

The house seemed to hum with the echo of my unrest, lights flickering briefly as if the very air reacted to my chaos. I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, breathing hard.

You rejected her, my wolf snarled. But the bond still lives. You feel it. You always will.

"Enough," I growled aloud, voice rough and dangerous. "I ended it."

But even as I said the words, I knew they were a lie.

Because when she looked at me, my heart had betrayed me. Because every inch of me still reached for her, still wanted her.

Because no matter how many times I said she didn't belong in my world, the truth whispered through every breath. She was the only thing that ever did.

The rage faded slowly, leaving me trembling, drenched in sweat, staring at the broken pieces of porcelain on the floor.

I could still smell her. Vanilla and rain.

And somewhere deep in my chest, beneath all the anger and denial, something dangerous stirred, not hatred, not guilt.

Hope.

The most dangerous thing of all.

The door slammed somewhere down the hall, the sound of Stella leaving.

And this time, my wolf didn't just growl, he howled.