<h4>Chapter 154: A Call</h4>


    Nathan’s POV


    I opened my eyes, and for a moment, I thought I’d finally gone mad. She was there. My Hailee. Her red hair spilled like a river of fire across the white sheets, soft spirals glowing faintly in the dim light. Her face was turned toward me, peaceful, calm—as if she had just woken up from sleep. My breath caught, my chest burning. I didn’t dare move, didn’t dare blink. If I did, maybe she’d vanish like all the other nights.


    "Hailee..." My voice cracked on her name. "Is this real?"


    Hershes fluttered as she looked at me. A small smile curved her lips, bittersweet, almost sad. "It is whatever you want it to be."


    The words twisted in my chest. I let out a shaky breath, my lips pulling into a bitter smile. "So... it’s a dream again."


    My hand curled into the sheets. Gods, how many nights had I begged for this? How many nights had I prayed she would appear before me like this? And yet, it was never enough.


    "Where are you?" The words broke out of me, filled with pain. "Tell me where you are. Please. I can’t—" My voice faltered, a deep ache rising in my throat. "I can’t do this anymore. I’m hurting, Hailee. Every day without you is hell. I miss you. I can’t live without you. My life—" My chest heaved as the truth ripped out of me. "My life is nothing without you."


    Her eyes softened, but her silence felt like a knife.


    I lifted my hand slowly, shaking, reaching for her cheek. Just one touch. Just one chance to feel her skin, warm and alive beneath my fingers.


    But as my hand hovered close, she shook her head. "No, Nathan." Her voice was soft, almost like a whisper carried on the wind. "You can’t."


    Pain mmed into me, fierce and merciless. My hand dropped uselessly, my heart begging, screaming inside my chest. Her image blurred. The warmth faded.


    And when I blinked, the bed was empty. White sheets, cold and untouched. The silence swallowed me whole.


    I dragged my hands down my face, my throat raw, my body shaking. My chest felt hollow, torn open all over again.


    "Moon above..." I whispered, the words breaking into the quiet. "How much longer can I live like this?"


    The door to my room pushed open, and I frowned, lifting my head just enough to re at whoever dared enter without knocking. But when the figure stepped into the light, my frown deepened. Father.


    I wasn’t surprised—it would be just like him to barge into my room as if he owned it too. Still, I turned away, burying my face in the pillow, praying he’d leave me in silence.


    His voice, however, broke through the silence. "Alpha Nathan," he said, his tone calm butmanding, "today is your engagement with Alpha Renard’s daughter. The elders are already gathered. You will prepare yourself."


    My chest tightened, my wolf growling inside me, furious at the words. Slowly, I pushed myself up, my eyes burning as I met his gaze.


    "It’s not happening."


    Father’s brows furrowed, the air around him darkening with his authority. "What did you say?"


    I stood, my fists clenching at my sides, my voice sharp enough to slice through the tension. "I said it’s not happening. I won’t marry her. I won’t marry anyone you pick for me."


    His jaw tightened. "This is not a request, Nathan. This is duty. The pack needs an alliance, and you need a Luna. You will not waste any more years pining for a girl who is gone."


    The words sent a violent surge through me, but I held myself back from exploding. "I don’t care about alliances. I don’t care about your ns. I don’t care about anyone else." My chest heaved, my voice jagged. "I love Hailee. And I will never stand beside another woman as her mate. Not today. Not ever."


    Father’s face hardened into stone, but I repeated my words. "It’s not happening," I repeated, quieter this time but no less fierce.


    Father shook his head. "This is not ordinary," he spat. "She is not even your mate... did that girl spell you or something?"


    I scoffed, shaking my head. "You’ve never been in love, Father," I hissed before moving toward the restroom. At the door, I paused but didn’t turn back. "Tell everyone there will be no engagement. And anyone who dares argue will be branded as disrespecting me—and you know the punishment for that, Father. Even you."


    I didn’t wait for his response. I mmed the bathroom door shut, twisted the knob until it clicked, and turned on the water. Steam curled upward, fogging the mirror. I stood there a long moment, staring at my reflection. My eyes were bloodshot, my jaw tight, my face hollowed by nights without sleep.


    I stepped under the water. It came down hot, pounding against my shoulders, washing over my skin. But it didn’t wash her away. It never did. No matter how many times I tried to scrub myself clean of her, Hailee stayed—herugh, her voice, the way she looked at me like I was more than a title.


    By the time I stepped out, towel around my waist, I still felt the same. Empty. Angry. Starving for something I couldn’t have.


    I pulled on clean clothes slowly, dragging the shirt over my head, when my phone buzzed on the dresser. I frowned, ncing at the screen. Unknown number.


    I almost ignored it. But something in me said, Answer.


    I picked it up and pressed it to my ear. "Hello?"


    Silence. For a few seconds, all I heard was static. Then—


    "I believe you are Nathan."


    The voice was young. A boy. Couldn’t have been older than ten. My brows furrowed. My wolf stirred uneasily.


    "Yes," I said slowly, my tone surprisingly softening. "This is Alpha Nathan. Who is this?"


    The boy hesitated. His breathing was uneven, almost like he was nervous. "My name is Oscar. And I am—"


    Before he could finish, a voice cut through the line, sharp and panicked.


    "Oscar! What are you doing?!"


    I froze. My heart mmed into my ribs so hard I thought it might break them. That voice. Goddess, that voice. I could never mistake it.


    "Hailee?" My voice cracked, low at first, then louder. I pressed the phone hard to my ear. "Hailee! Is that you?!"


    There was a shuffle, the sound of the line being grabbed—then silence.


    The call ended.


    "Hailee!" I shouted into the dead line, my chest heaving. My hand shook around the phone, my whole body trembling.


    For ten years, I had searched. For ten years, I had lived with nothing but her ghost. And now—just now—I had heard her. Not a dream. Not a memory. Her voice. My Hailee was indeed alive!


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