Still His 169_Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate

Chapter 169 

 The night belonged to us.

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 Francesco’s Lycan form thundered through the fields like a storm loosed from its chains, massive paws shaking the earth. I ran beside him, my white wolf smaller but no less swift, each bound a burst of joy. Our fur brushed with every stride, shadows and light moving as one beneath the watchful eye of the moon.

 The wind carried our scents through thend, bold and undeniable. Not hidden. Not whispered. Dered.

 This was no Alpha Henri, skulking in shadows, hiding his sins with silence and chains. This was the King. Their King. Their Luna. Running free. Running together.

 We howled.

 His deep, thunderous call rolled like an earthquake across the hills, and mine rose to join it–clear, sharp, bright as moonlight. The sound carried through the night, into every ear, into

 every heart.

 And one by one, voices answered.

 From the courtyard, from the homes, from the hills where guards stood watch–wolves lifted their muzzles and

 sang. Some were rough, broken, as though unused for too long. Some trembled with emotion. But they rose, and they rose together.

 Children peeked from windows, eyes wide as they watched the massive shadow–gray Lycan race with the white wolf of legend. Mothers clutched their little ones close, but this time not in fear–in awe, in relief.

 “They are ours,” someone whispered, the words drifting up from the courtyard.

 “They are here,” another answered.

 Protection. That was what they felt. Not fear, not hunger, not loss. Protection.

 Francesco slowed, letting me dart ahead, and then with one massive leap he overtook me again, growling low and yful. I snapped at his ear, my white fur glimmering as I bounded past, my paws scattering dirt like starlight. His rumble wasughter, deep and rich, vibrating through my bones.

 We chased each other through the fields, around theke that had once been cursed with silence, until our howls echoed across the water and even the willows seemed to sway with us. For a while, there was nothing but the rhythm of our paws, the pulse of our bond, the joy of being alive together.

 This was the holiday he thought he had stolen from me. But here, now, in the freedom of the night, I realized we had found it after all.

 When atst we slowed, we circled back toward the manor. Wolves had gathered in the courtyard, their eyes bright with something I hadn’t seen in this ce before–faith. They bowed as we passed, but not in fear. In 

 reverence. In trust.

 Every wolf here now knew: they were safe. They had full protection of their King Alpha and his Luna. No

 more chains. No more lies. No more Henri.

 7:21 Mon, Sep 8 

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 We stopped at the edge of the courtyard, pressing against each other, nuzzling, our wolves humming with affection. Francesco’s Lycan lowered his massive head to rest against my neck, his warmth sinking into me. 1 licked his muzzle, a simple gesture that meant everything–love, trust, forever.

 Peace settled around us like a nket.

 But then-

 The wind shifted.

 My nose twitched, fur bristling. A strange scent threaded through the night. Unfamiliar. Sharp.

 Francesco stilled, his dark eyes narrowing as he lifted his massive head.

 I inhaled again, my stomach knotting.

 It wasn’t just wolf.

 Not just one of ours.

 Our wolves froze, hackles raised, as the night grew too quiet.

 The peace of moments ago shattered into a breathless silence.

 The scent drew us back home fast.

 By the time we reached the courtyard, guards were already on alert, their wolves pacing at the edge of the border. Francesco’s growl rumbled low in his chest, vibrating the ground beneath us. His ck eyes burned. and I felt his fury thread through the bond. An intruder had crossed hisnd. Ournd.

 And not just one.

 We shifted back in the shadows of the manor, clothes hastily thrown over skin still humming from the run. By the time we stepped through the gates, Marlow was already there with three of his best men, their ws drawn, surrounding a figure who stood too still, too cold, too other.

 A vampire?

 The creature’s eyes glowed faintly red in the torchlight, fangs bared in a defensive snarl. His posture wasn’t one of attack–it was protection. His body was angled not toward the wolves who circled him, but toward the young woman pressed against his back.

 A she–wolf.

 Her eyes were wide, terrified, but her hands clutched at his arm as though he were her shield instead of her

 doom.

 “On your knees, blood–drinker,” Marlow snapped, his de gleaming as he pressed forward.

 The vampire hissed, lowering his stance, ready to fight despite being outnumbered.

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 The air thickened, sharp with tension.

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 “Wait!” the she–wolf cried, her voice breaking. She stumbled forward, falling to her knees before Francesco and me. “Please–don’t kill him! He’s my mate!”

 The words hit like a lightning strike.

 Gasps rippled through the courtyard. Warriors froze. Even Marlow blinked, his sword faltering for the barest 

 moment.

 I stared, my breath caught in my throat. “Mate?”

 The girl nodded frantically, tears streaking her face. “Yes–he’s mine. I know what he is, I know–but I can feel it, the bond! Please, you have to believe me!”

 The vampire’s growl deepened, but it wasn’t directed at us–it was desperate, warning, protective. His crimson eyes locked on her, not letting her out of his sight for even a second.

 Francesco’s expression hardened, his power ring around us like a storm. “A vampire.” His voice was a growl, low and dangerous. “On mynd.”

 The vampire bared his fangs, his voice sharp as steel. “She is mine. I will not leave her.”

 Marlow surged forward, his warriors moving in tandem. They struck fast, precise, seizing the vampire’s arms and pinning him to the dirt. He fought with a strength that startled even me, but three wolves against one vampire was too much. Chains clinked as they bound him, forcing him to his knees.

 The she–wolf sobbed, throwing herself at Francesco’s feet. “Please! Don’t kill him! I’ll do anything–just don’t take him from me!”

 Her words echoed painfully in my chest.

 I felt Francesco still beside me, the bond pulling tight.

 He remembered.

 So did I.

 We had been on the edge of this once–fate nearly torn from us, lives almost broken by others‘ choices.

 Iid a hand on his arm, my voice steady despite the storm around us. “She speaks truth. Look at her. Look at them.”

 Francesco’s ck eyes flicked from the trembling girl to the vampire straining against chains, his gaze sharp as a de. For a long, heavy moment, silence ruled the courtyard.

 Finally, his voice broke it. “Do not kill them.”

 Gasps rippled again, this time in disbelief.

 The vampire’s head snapped up, crimson eyes burning in shock.

 7:21 Mon, Sep 8 

 The she–wolf let out a broken sob of relief, bowing so low her forehead touched the ground..

 Francesco’s gaze never left them as he growled, “Take them to the manor. They will exin themselves–or they will not leave alive.”

 The warriors hesitated, then obeyed. The vampire was dragged to his feet, still hissing, but no longer fighting. The she–wolf followed, clutching his arm as though the chains around him hurt her as much as him.

 As they passed, whispers stirred among

 the pack.

 “A vampire?”

 “Impossible…”

 “Fated mates?” 

 “What does this mean?” 

 Even Monica, usually steady, pressed close to me, her face pale. “Eine,” she whispered, “vampires don’t… they don’t show themselves anymore. Not for decades. For one to appear here–like this-”

 “—is either fate,” Audrey cut in grimly, her hand resting on her de, “or disaster.”

 I looked at Francesco, his jaw set, his power thrumming around him like thunder. Our eyes met, and I knew- we were both thinking the same thing.

 This wasn’t just coincidence.

 And as the manor doors closed behind us, sealing the vampire and his wolf mate inside, the air outside still carried their scent.

 Wolf…. And vampire.

 A bond unheard of.

 A danger unseen.

 And a truth that would change everything.

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Still His 169