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Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Two years had slipped by like sand through his fingers. Dominik had forged a new life for himself in the human world, where his name, his face, and his past were buried. Now, he was simply the invisible owner of a small security company that operated in the shadows, helping people who found themselves in danger. He offered his guards and his skills for the defenseless, those who’d been backed into a corner with nowhere to turn. No one knew who he was, and that was how he wanted it.

His only direct contact was his secretary, Marcus—a sharp, steady presence who never asked questions and kept Dominik’s secrets well. It worked. It was all quiet, organized, and distant, just as Dominik needed it to be. His nights were his own, spent pacing the halls of his dim mansion or, when he couldn’t bear the walls any longer, running as a wolf through the nearby woods. It was his only release, that endless sprint under the stars where, for a while, he felt less haunted.

Tonight was one of those nights. The rain began falling just as he left the house, a misty drizzle at first, but as he ran, it thickened into a steady downpour. The forest turned slick under his paws, every raindrop cold and sharp against his coat. But Dominik didn’t mind. He welcomed the chill, letting it numb him as he darted through the trees.

After over an hour of running, his instincts guided him out of the forest. Breath heavy, he found himself on the outskirts of town, standing before a large building with wide, gleaming glass windows that threw soft light out into the dark. A library. It was an old-fashioned place, the kind of building that seemed untouched by time. The light was warm, inviting, drawing him in.

Through the glass, he saw her.

The world went silent. She was standing near a shelf, focused on a stack of books, her head bowed as she thumbed through them. Her hair, a deep chestnut, framed her face and caught the golden light. She was small, maybe just over five feet, with a softness to her that he felt from across the room. She was curvy, every inch of her lush, like she was carved from the earth itself.

Dominik’s pulse thundered, and he felt the unmistakable pull within him. His wolf stirred, not in fury or grief this time, but in something gentler, something he’d once known and never thought he’d feel again.

His second chance mate.

The moon goddess, it seemed, had played him a final card.

A strange fear took hold of him then. Dominik, the silent warrior, the ruthless protector, found himself rooted to the spot, afraid to move, afraid to breathe. If he stepped into that light, would he lose her too? Would the goddess take her away, as she had before?

But he couldn’t walk away, not now. Not when his every sense was drawn to her. Slowly, he shifted back to his human form, brushing the dampness off his clothes, straightening himself. He pushed open the library door and stepped inside.

She looked up, her gaze meeting his, and he felt a shiver run through him. She had wide, gentle eyes, the color of warm honey, and they looked at him with an innocent curiosity that he hadn’t seen in so long.

Dominik couldn’t speak. Words lodged in his throat. All he could do was take her in, absorbing every detail, as if the world might tear her away at any moment. Finally, needing something—anything—to ground himself, he glanced at the nearest shelf and picked up a book, barely registering what it was. He moved to the counter and placed it before her.

She smiled, a small, shy smile that sent a warmth spreading through him he’d thought was long dead. “Finding what you need?” she asked, her voice soft, barely a whisper above the rain outside.

He nodded, managing to force out a “Yes.” Even that felt too loud, too harsh in the calm of the library.

She rang up the book, glancing up at him every so often with that same quiet curiosity. He felt the need to say something, anything, but his fear held him back, caging his words. After she handed him the book, he hesitated, clutching it as if it were an anchor, and then, in a soft voice, he murmured, “Thank you.”

Her smile brightened, filling the space between them, and for a moment, he felt a hint of something he hadn’t dared to feel in years—hope.

With one last look, he turned and left, his heart hammering with a mix of dread and excitement. She was his second chance, his fragile miracle. And though he feared what the future might hold, Dominik knew he couldn’t walk away. Not this time.

As he disappeared into the rain, he glanced back, seeing her silhouette framed in the light, and he knew—this was only the beginning.

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