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Andrea walked quietly down the hallway with her pillow tucked beneath her arm, her thoughts heavy and conflicted. It wasn’t just about checking on them tonight. No, this was something deeper. Something heavier than her usual role as the peacekeeper.

Her father’s words echoed in her mind like a distant warning—“We’ll be relocating you soon. A new mission. A new place.”

But she didn’t want to leave. Not yet. Not when everything inside her felt like it was crumbling. Not when her heart still pulled her toward them—toward him. She knew the time was running out, and maybe tonight was all she had left. So instead of just checking on Jaxon like usual, she carried her pillow and walked straight to his door with a quiet, steady resolve.

When she pushed the door open, Jaxon was still awake, lying on his side, his phone in his hand, the glow lighting up half his face. His brows lifted the moment he saw her enter.

She stood in the doorway for a second before stepping inside. “Can I sleep here tonight?” she asked, her voice softer than usual. “I… I want to take care of you. Maybe just for tonight.”

Jaxon blinked, stunned. His lips parted, and for a moment, he didn’t speak. Then he smiled—genuinely, deeply—and sat up, brushing his hand through his tousled hair. “Of course,” he said, his voice a little hoarse. “What am I here for?”

Andrea moved closer, her heart hammering as she placed her pillow down and lay beside him. The space between them was small. Intimate. Her eyes met his, and neither of them turned away. They both lay facing each other, silence stretching between them like a fragile thread.

Then Jaxon’s voice broke it.

“That man in the hoodie… he called you Elena,” he said, his gaze narrowing slightly. “Can you please tell me more about that? And which school did you go to before? Be honest with me.”

Andrea’s breath caught in her throat.

“You look so much like someone I used to know,” Jaxon continued, watching her closely. “My mate. We… We had a night. And I’ve never been able to forget her. You remind me of her in every way. I don’t know if I’m going crazy or if you’ve been playing with me this whole time.”

Andrea swallowed hard. Her heart ached. Maybe tonight really was the night. She took a deep breath.

“Well… Jaxon,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “to be honest… my name is Elena.”

Jaxon’s eyes sharpened. He didn’t move, but his entire body tensed.

“I’m a girl, like you already figured out,” she continued. “I came from Night Moon Pack. I’m the daughter of an elder in our pack. And yes, it was me. I was the girl you spent that night with… the girl you rejected as your mate.”

Jaxon’s lips parted slightly. His face froze.

“I shouldn’t be saying this,” she continued, pain rising in her throat, “because honestly, part of me still wants to slap you across the face for what you did. I wanted revenge. I wanted to make you feel what I felt.”

Her voice cracked now, and she blinked back tears.

“I changed my identity. I ran away. I needed to get away from you. It hurt too much.”

Jaxon’s hand slowly reached for hers, but she didn’t let him touch her yet.

“When I got to the city, I found out I was pregnant. We had twins, Jaxon. I had your babies.”

His breath caught.

“Elizabeth isn’t just a school friend,” she added, her lips trembling. “She’s been my friend since childhood. My babies… they’re staying with her mother in the city. That’s why I can’t leave yet. I need to see them again. I need to decide what’s next.”

Jaxon sat up slowly, eyes wide in shock, disbelief painted across every inch of his face. “With you?” he breathed. “Elena… why didn’t you tell me all this time?”

His voice cracked, and he gripped the edge of the mattress tightly as though trying to ground himself.

“I’m so sorry,” he said quickly, tears brimming in his eyes. “Please forgive me. Forgive me for the rejection, the betrayal. For leaving you when you needed me the most… when you were carrying our children.”

Andrea’s lip quivered. She had never seen Jaxon like this—so exposed, so shattered.

“I’ll tell you about myself now,” he said, sitting up straighter as if peeling away every layer of secrecy. “I’m Jaxon Hale. I’m the Demon Alpha.”

Her eyes widened.

“I know I never told you. You never knew because we didn’t have time to bond properly. I graduated school years ago. I only came here for one reason: to find you. My bodyguards tracked your trail. They told me someone who fit your description had enrolled here. So I came.”

Andrea covered her mouth with her hand, stunned.

“And all this while,” Jaxon continued, breathless, “you were right beside me. In my house. In my room. And I didn’t even know. I kept calling you Snowflake, hating you for the feelings I didn’t understand. But it was you. It was always you.”

He grabbed her hand now, and this time she let him. His grip was warm. Desperate.

“When you left, my parents tried to force me to marry another girl. Nikki. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t even touch her. Because I couldn’t get you out of my mind. You’ve haunted me, Elena.”

His voice was cracking now. A tear slipped down his cheek.

“I’m such a fool. A blind, selfish fool. If you want to slap me, do it. If you want to curse me, scream at me—please do. I deserve it. I deserve every bit of pain you felt.”

He clenched his jaw, his voice falling to a whisper.

“I failed you. I failed our kids. I was so caught up in pride and fear… and I became everything I swore I’d never be.”

Andrea’s breath hitched, and before she could stop it, tears spilled down her cheeks. His words weren’t just words—they were raw, broken confessions. He meant them.

“I’m the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the city,” he added. “But none of that matters without you. Elena, please… can you forgive me again? Can you take me back into your life? Can you let me be the man I should have been from the start—the man who will never leave again?”

His voice trembled. “I’m so sorry. I’ve failed you. I’ve failed my kids. I’ve failed myself.”

Andrea choked on a sob, overwhelmed. She had waited so long to hear this. And now that it was here, it didn’t feel real.

Could she forgive him?

Should she?

Her mind screamed no, but her wolf… her wolf had already chosen.

She threw her arms around him and clung tightly. Her tears soaked into his shirt, but she didn’t care. Her voice broke as she whispered, “I forgive you, Jaxon. I forgive you for everything you did.”

He pulled her tighter against him, breathing shakily.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered again. “I tried to kill you. I tried to make you suffer. I caused pain too.”

Jaxon pulled back just enough to hold her face in his hands.

“No,” he said firmly, his voice deep with emotion. “You don’t have to be sorry. In fact, I deserve it. I deserve everything you did to me. And I’ll keep on enduring it if it means you’ll stay. I hurt you, Elena. I hurt us.”

Their foreheads touched.

Her breath trembled.

He leaned in.

Their lips met—soft at first, then deeper, more desperate. Years of pain, longing, confusion and desire poured into that single kiss. It was everything they hadn’t said. Everything they’d broken. Everything they could still rebuild.

And when they finally pulled away, Jaxon cupped her cheek, his voice low and reverent.

“I love you, Elena.”