The Snow Wolf's Mate

The Ghost of Annabeth:

[POV: Aria]

“What happened?” I whispered. Noelle’s gaze dropped to the path.

“It was four years ago,” she began, her tone hushed but serious. “The night the rogues attacked. Alpha Hayden with most of our warriors were not in the pack when it happened.”

I turned slightly toward her, drawn in immediately.

“It wasn’t just a raid,” she said. “It was a massacre. They came out of nowhere, hit us from all sides. Fires, screams, wolves howling—it was chaos.”

I stayed quiet, listening, watching her face as she walked. Her jaw was tight, but her voice held steady—mostly.

“One of the rogues managed to grab Annabeth—our Luna,” she continued. “Dragged her deep into the forest. Everyone scattered in the chaos. No one even realized she was missing until it was too late.”

My chest clenched. I didn’t want to imagine it—but I could. That helplessness. That panic. That moment of knowing you were too late.

“They found her hours later,” Noelle said, voice softer now. “Or… what was left of her.”

I pressed a hand to my heart, as if I could shield it from the weight of her words. I didn’t know this woman. But something about the way Noelle spoke—like every detail had been carved into her soul—made me feel like I did.

“She was Alpha Hayden’s mate,” she said. “His true bond. His Luna.”

The pieces started clicking together in my mind. The guarded looks. The silence. The pain behind his eyes. The reason he stood like a fortress, untouchable.

“He lost it,” Noelle whispered. “I mean—completely. Shifted into his wolf form that night and didn’t shift back.”

I looked at her, shocked. “How long?”

She exhaled. “More than two years.”

My breath caught. “Two years?”

She nodded slowly. “He lived like an animal. Wild. Vicious. Hunted down any rogue he could find—killed dozens. Maybe more. There were stories… wolves from other territories claimed he’d turned feral. Said the Crimson Fang Alpha had gone completely mad.”

I tried to picture it—Hayden, the composed, lethal leader I’d come to know… reduced to a ghost, a beast of grief.

“They eventually found him,” Noelle went on, “but it wasn’t easy. He’d crossed into another pack’s land. Almost got himself killed. My brother and some of the senior wolves tracked him down, but he wouldn’t come back. Wouldn’t shift. Wouldn’t speak.”

Her voice dipped lower.

“They had to pin him down,” she said. “Twelve of them. Just to get him still long enough for our healer to pour calming brew into his mouth. Even then, it took hours. They said his eyes didn’t look human anymore. Like his mind was just… gone.”

I couldn’t breathe. My throat burned. My stomach twisted.

“We wouldn’t have just lost our Luna that night,” Noelle added, glancing at me. “We would’ve lost our Alpha, too. And the pack would’ve fallen apart. Brother had to hold things together—lead in Hayden’s absence. But even he never tried to replace him. Not once.”

The silence stretched long between us.

Then Noelle said quietly, “He came back. Eventually. More stable. More focused. But he’s never been the same. That kind of pain… it doesn’t go away.”

I swallowed the knot in my throat.

That kind of pain… I knew something about it. But not like that.

“That’s why everyone was so surprised,” Noelle continued, her voice laced with meaning. “When he let you in.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You’re a rogue,” she said simply. “You came from nowhere. We didn’t know your story, your intentions. But he still allowed you to stay. Allow to train you. Watched you.”

She looked at me closely. “And don’t pretend you haven’t noticed the way he watches you.”

I felt my cheeks flush, but I didn’t respond. I wasn’t someone important. I wasn’t strong or extraordinary. I was broken. Buried under years of pain and rejection.

What could he possibly see in me?

“I swear,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I would never hurt anyone here. I have no bad intentions. I’m… just grateful. That I was even given a chance. I never thought anyone could accept me. Let alone treat me like this.”

Noelle’s expression softened.

“I believe you,” she said. “And I’m glad you’re here.”

I looked at her then, eyes wide.

She smiled. “Glad to have a friend like you.”