Rebecca’s POV
The moment I opened my eyes, I was back in my bedroom.
I stood frozen beside the bed, breathing hard as I stared around the familiar room.
"Shit."
I was back. I actually did it.
My knees suddenly felt weak, and I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, trying to process what had just happened. One second, I had been standing in Kaden’s garden, and the next, I was here. There had been no portal, no warning, nothing. I had simply disappeared from his garden and appeared back in my room.
"So I can teleport," I whispered, looking down at my hands.
It seems so, Laura, my wolf, replied inside my head.
Even saying it out loud sounded crazy. Mother had told me that her family came from a long line of powerful teleporters, but I hadn’t expected my own ability to manifest like this. More importantly, I hadn’t opened a physical portal like Mother did. I had simply thought of a place, and somehow, I had ended up there.
I needed to speak to her. She was probably the only person who could explain what had happened and teach me how to control it, but that conversation could wait until later. Right now, my mind was still stuck on what had happened in Kaden’s garden.
I slowly lay back on the bed and pulled the blanket over myself. If my power reacted to my thoughts that easily, then I needed to learn how to control them before I accidentally teleported somewhere else.
Especially when it came to Kaden.
"I need to learn how to guard my thoughts," I muttered to the empty room.
Good luck with that, Laura replied sarcastically.
I frowned. "You’re not helping."
For the rest of the day, I stayed in my room. I didn’t trust myself to wander around when I had no idea how my new ability worked, and honestly, I didn’t feel like seeing anyone either. When Stephanie finally returned later that evening, I told her everything that had happened.
"You teleported into Kaden’s garden?" Stephanie asked, staring at me in complete disbelief.
"Yes."
"Without opening a portal?" Stephanie pressed.
"Yes."
Her eyes grew even wider. "And Kaden was there?"
I nodded, looking down at my hands. "His wolf recognized me immediately."
Stephanie went quiet for a moment. "And Laura?"
"She recognized him too." I swallowed hard before forcing the heavy truth out. "Kaden is my second-chance mate."
For several seconds, Stephanie didn’t say anything. She simply stared at me before slowly sitting beside me on the bed.
"Well, shit."
"Exactly," I agreed softly.
"What happened after that?" Stephanie asked.
"Nothing. We just stared at each other." I wrapped my arms around myself, remembering the raw shock on Kaden’s face. "He tried to come closer, but I stepped back. Then I panicked and thought about coming back here. The next thing I knew, I was standing in this room."
Stephanie was quiet again before she finally spoke up. "He’s going to come for you, Rebecca."
"I know."
"I’m serious," Stephanie warned, her tone sharpening with concern. "Kaden already knows you’re here. He has his memories back, and now he knows you’re his mate too. There is no way he’s going to stay away."
"I don’t expect him to."
Stephanie frowned. "Then what are you going to do when he comes?"
I looked directly into her eyes. "I’ll be waiting."
"For what?" Stephanie asked.
"For him." I took a slow, steady breath. "And when he gets here, I’m going to tell him I want a rejection."
Stephanie’s eyes widened. "Rebecca..."
"I mean it. I want the mate bond gone."
She stared at me as if trying to decide what to say, but I continued before she could interrupt me.
"I haven’t forgotten everything Kaden did just because the Moon Goddess decided we’re mates. I was his prisoner, Stephanie. He accused me of killing Helen. He put that choker around my neck, treated me like I was nothing, and refused to believe me when I told him I was innocent."
"I know," Stephanie murmured softly.
"Then he forgot me and fell in love with me again." My voice became quieter. That was the part I hated thinking about, because somewhere along the way, I had started falling for that version of him too. "Maybe the bond explains why we kept being drawn to each other, but it doesn’t erase everything that happened."
Stephanie reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.
"So when he comes here, I’ll tell him I want him to reject me."
Stephanie stared at me for a few seconds. There was something in her expression that made me narrow my eyes.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," Stephanie said casually.
"Stephanie..."
She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but then she shook her head and stood up. "It’s late. Tomorrow is your big day, and you need to sleep."
"You’re avoiding the conversation."
"Yes, I am," Stephanie admitted with a slight smile.
She gave me a gentle look as she walked toward the door. "Goodnight, Rebecca."
"Goodnight, Steph."
After Stephanie left, I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes. Almost immediately, Kaden’s face appeared in my mind. I remembered the shock in his eyes when his wolf recognized me, the tear that had rolled down his cheek, and the way he had stopped the moment I stepped away from him.
My eyes flew open in the dark.
"No."
I wasn’t doing this tonight.
I pushed every thought of Kaden from my mind, pulled the blanket higher, and forced myself to sleep.
By the following evening, I had discovered something important about my mother.
She had a very different understanding of the word dinner.
"This is not a dinner," I said, staring at Stephanie through the mirror.
Stephanie laughed. "Why are you looking at me like I planned it?"
"Because you don’t look surprised! Mother said she was having a welcome dinner for me. There are Alphas, Lunas, and probably half of the Stone Pack waiting for me out there."
"You’ll be fine," Stephanie reassured me.
"Easy for you to say."
Stephanie walked closer and placed her hands gently on my shoulders. She was already dressed in a beautiful green slip dress that fitted her perfectly. "Rebecca, you’ve survived things much worse than a room full of people staring at you."
"That’s exactly what everyone wants to hear before walking into a room full of people staring at them," I countered.
Stephanie laughed, and despite how nervous I was, I found myself smiling too.
My eyes returned to my reflection, and for a moment, I almost didn’t recognize myself.
The red beaded gown Mother had chosen fitted me like a second skin. Tiny beads caught the light whenever I moved, and the dress fell beautifully around my body. My hair had been styled neatly, and the subtle makeup I wore made my features stand out.
I looked like royalty.
That thought still felt completely foreign.
For years, whenever I looked at myself, I had seen Alpha Kelvin’s unwanted daughter. Then I became a prisoner—Kaden’s breeder. Later, I became Ruby, because hiding behind another name had been my only way to survive.
Tonight, I wasn’t pretending to be anyone else.
I was Rebecca.
Stephanie smiled at my reflection. "You look beautiful."
"I look like someone else," I murmured.
"No." Stephanie shook her head firmly. "You finally look like yourself."
I turned around to face her.
"You’re Alpha Maria’s daughter," Stephanie continued, her voice filled with pride. "You don’t have to pretend to be a princess or hide behind Ruby anymore. Just be Rebecca."
Something about those words calmed the nervous fluttering in my chest.
"I can do that."
A sharp knock sounded at the door.
"Lady Rebecca," one of the pack guards called out from the hallway. "Alpha Maria is waiting."
My nerves instantly returned.
Stephanie held out her hand. "Ready?"
"No."
"Good enough," Stephanie said with a soft laugh, squeezing my hand tightly. "Let’s go."
Two guards were waiting outside my bedroom. They bowed respectfully the moment Stephanie and I stepped into the hallway.
"Lady Rebecca," the lead guard acknowledged.
I still wasn’t used to the title, but I gave them a small smile before they turned to lead the way. We followed them downstairs, through the main living room, and outside toward the grand Stone Pack hall where the celebration was taking place.
The walk across the courtyard didn’t take long, but my anxiety spiked with every passing second. As we drew closer, I looked at the grand building ahead. Sleek cars filled the surrounding driveway, and formal guards lined the entrance.
I turned toward Stephanie. "You said dinner."
"I didn’t say anything," Stephanie corrected smoothly. "Your mother did."
"Then she lied."
Stephanie chuckled. "Come on."
The guards escorted us to the entrance. Two more guards were standing beside the large double doors, and the moment we approached, they pulled them wide open.
Stephanie stepped inside first.
I remained outside for a single second, staring through the open threshold. I could already hear voices and ambient music coming from inside, and suddenly my hands felt ice-cold.
You can do this, Laura whispered in my head.
I sucked in a deep breath. "I hope so."
Then I stepped inside.
My breath caught in my throat immediately.
The hall was completely packed.
There were far more people than I had ever expected. Pack members filled the huge room, alongside visiting Alphas, Lunas, elders, and nobility I didn’t recognize. Some were talking, others were laughing, but the moment I entered, the chatter closest to the door began to fade.
One person noticed me, then another.
Within seconds, almost every eye in the room was on me.
My immediate instinct was to turn around and walk straight back out.
Don’t, Laura warned gently.
I swallowed hard and lifted my head high.
At the far end of the hall, my mother, Alpha Maria, stood waiting on the raised dais. She was looking right at me, smiling.
I focused entirely on her and started walking forward.
People moved aside as Stephanie and I passed, and quiet whispers followed me through the room.
"That’s her..."
"Alpha Maria’s daughter?"
"She really is alive."
"She looks just like her mother."
I tried not to pay attention, but it was almost impossible when everyone was talking about me.
When I finally reached Mother, she held out her hand. I took it immediately, leaning in close.
"You didn’t tell me there would be this many people," I whispered under my breath.
Her smile widened. "I told you it was a welcome dinner."
"This is not a dinner."
"There is food," Alpha Maria replied with a playful twinkle in her eye.
I stared at her in total exasperation.
Mother laughed softly. "You’ll be fine."
Before I could argue, she turned toward the crowd. The ambient conversations slowly trickled to a stop until the entire hall became dead silent.
Mother tightened her grip on my hand.
"Thank you all for coming tonight," Alpha Maria began, her powerful voice echoing clearly across the vast room. "Many of you have already heard the news, and I know there have been many questions. Tonight, I wanted you to hear the truth directly from me."
My heart began beating faster.
Mother looked down at me, and the playful smile on her face vanished, replaced by an emotion so raw that my throat tightened.
"Many years ago, I lost my daughter," Alpha Maria said to the quiet crowd. "For years, I didn’t know where she was or what had happened to her. I didn’t know the life she was living, and I didn’t know that she needed me."
The hall remained completely spellbound.
"I lost years with her that I can never get back." Mother’s voice shook slightly, but she maintained her royal dignity. "I missed birthdays. I missed watching her grow up. I missed moments a mother should never have to miss."
Tears burned behind my eyelids.
"But somehow, after all these years, she found her way back to me." Mother turned toward me fully, unshed tears glittering in her eyes as well. "And I have been given something I never thought I would have again... a chance to know my daughter. A chance to be her mother."
I swallowed the heavy lump forming in my throat.
Mother turned back to the crowd and raised our joined hands high in the air.
"Stone Pack, I present to you my daughter, Rebecca!"
For one breathless second, the hall remained silent.
Then an explosion of applause broke out.
It started near the front before spreading rapidly through the entire room. People smiled warmly, and several pack members called out over the clapping.
"Welcome home, Rebecca!"
"Welcome home, Princess!"
"Welcome back!"
My eyes burned even more.
Home.
That word still felt strange. I had spent so long feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere that I wasn’t sure I even knew what home was supposed to feel like.
But standing there beside my mother, listening to people who didn’t view me as a murderer, a breeder, an unwanted daughter, or Ruby—people welcoming me simply as Rebecca—I felt something tight inside my chest finally relax.
Maybe one day this really could be home.
"Thank you," I said softly to the crowd.
Mother squeezed my hand reassuringly.
Once her speech ended, the music swelled back up and conversations slowly resumed. I released a long breath, thinking the hardest part was over.
I was wrong.
People immediately began approaching the platform.
An older female Elder was the first to reach us. She smiled warmly before taking both my hands in hers. "Rebecca. Finally."
I blinked in surprise. "You know me?"
"No, but I’ve known your mother for many years," the Elder answered gently. "I’ve never seen her this happy."
I glanced over at Mother, who was busy greeting a visiting Alpha nearby.
The Elder squeezed my hands. "Welcome home, child."
"Thank you," I said sincerely.
After her came a visiting Alpha and Luna couple, followed by several Stone Pack members. Some bowed, which still made me uncomfortable, while others simply smiled and introduced themselves.
A young pack warrior bowed his head respectfully when he reached me. "Welcome home, Lady Rebecca."
"You don’t have to bow," I told him quickly.
His head snapped up in surprise. "I don’t?"
I laughed softly. "I’d actually prefer if you didn’t."
He rubbed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. "Sorry."
"Don’t apologize. I’m still getting used to all this, too."
That seemed to relax him, and he offered a bright smile before moving aside for the next guest.
For what felt like forever, I greeted person after person. Alphas introduced themselves and welcomed me to the territory. Lunas congratulated me on returning to my family. Pack members expressed how happy they were for Alpha Maria. A few guests stared longer than necessary, clearly curious about where I had been all these years, but thankfully no one dared to ask.
Stephanie remained close by my side, occasionally giving me an amused smile whenever another group approached.
After a while, I finally began to relax into the rhythm of the party.
Maybe tonight wouldn’t be as terrible as I had imagined.
I was smiling at something one of the pack guards had just said when Laura suddenly became completely silent inside my mind.
My smile slowly faded.
Laura? I called out mentally.
No answer.
A strange, intense warmth spread through my chest, burning through my blood like liquid fire.
For a second, all the chatter, music, and laughter around me seemed to fade into complete silence.
Laura...
Then my wolf threw her head back and screamed inside my soul, louder and fiercer than ever before.
MATE!
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