Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Go to Francesco Point of View:
Howl!!!
The echo of my own voice surged through the forest, shaking the leaves and silencing the wind.
“ROGUES!!!”
The word rang out like a thunderclap across the estate.
Panic stirred in the air like a brewing storm. I could hear the chaos unraveling just beyond the walls—warriors shouting, the rush of hurried footsteps, and the distant cries of frightened children being escorted into the safehouses.
“Why do they dare to come into our territory?!” Beta Alfonso bellowed, his voice commanding yet laced with disbelief. He turned swiftly to the pack warriors, already shouting orders. “Secure the perimeter! Get the women and children to the bunker—now!”
But I knew.
I knew exactly why they came.
Because of me.
Because they thought I was vulnerable—stripped of memory, weakened, exposed.
But not anymore.
I stepped out of my chambers, my feet slow but firm against the cold stone floor.
The moment I appeared at the entrance of the hall, all heads turned toward me—Alfonso, Marlow, the guards nearby. Their expressions shifted rapidly from shock to awe, disbelief to recognition.
“Alpha…” Alfonso’s voice broke slightly, cautious, unsure.
He was wondering—was I whole again?
I didn’t hesitate. I gave him a strong nod, lifting my chin. “I am here. Thank you, Alfonso. For everything.”
Relief flooded his face.
His shoulders finally dropped from their tense frame. Marlow exhaled a quiet, shaky breath. The others—warriors, staff—stood a little straighter.
Because I was me again.
Not a shell. Not a ghost of memory.
I was Francesco Totti Lycaon. Lycan Alpha. Protector of this territory. Mate of Ellaine Rollin.
“The potion…” Alfonso murmured, as though still trying to believe it himself.
“She succeeded,” I replied before he could ask more. “My mate… my Luna… let her sleep. She’s earned it.”
A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes. Respect. Admiration.
And something deeper—loyalty to her.
“She fought hard for you,” he said quietly. “Even when we were unsure. She never gave up.”
“I know,” I replied, my voice rough. “She gave everything… and now it’s my turn.”
The moment I said it, a deep growl stirred in my chest. My wolf—restored and furious. He remembered. We both did.
The visions came back in waves—the cruelty Luca tried to inflict, the mind games, the poison, the hallucinations. But more than that—I remembered her.
My Ellaine.
Her voice. Her trembling hands offering the vial. Her face streaked with tears. Her scent—vanilla and wildflowers—wrapped around me like a balm.
Someone who loves you, she said.
Someone who won’t let you go without a fight.
My heart clenched. No one had ever fought for me like that before. No one but her.
And now?
Now I would fight for her. For us. For this pack.
“They came to see if you were one of them now,” Alfonso stated, already understanding the layers beneath this rogue attack. “If their plan worked. If you would stand down.”
“No,” I said coldly. “They came to die.”
His lips curled into a grim smile. “Then let’s give them what they came for.”
I stepped forward and turned toward the west perimeter—the thick tree line where our defenses were strongest. My eyes narrowed as I saw the figures moving between the shadows—more than twenty rogues, lean and wild-eyed. Filthy. Desperate. Not just here to test us.
Here to destroy.
“They thought I was weakened,” I said, my voice a low snarl. “Let’s show them why I’m Alpha.”
“Understood,” Alfonso said. “No one leaves alive.”
I nodded, satisfied.
“Let’s remind them why this land remains untouched.”
HOOWWWLLL!!!
My howl tore through the night sky like lightning cracking open a black canvas.
It was loud.
It was powerful.
And it carried something no enemy could replicate—Alpha command.
The energy rippled across the pack like a shockwave. Every warrior lifted their head. Every heart steadied. Every hand tightened around their weapon.
Their Alpha was back.
And they felt it.
Even the rogues, just across the boundary, faltered. I could hear the hesitation in their footsteps, the fear now beginning to seep in.
I didn’t stop to gloat.
I shifted.
Bones cracked, muscle expanded, fur exploded across my skin. I landed on four legs, towering and monstrous in my Lycan form—sleek black fur, eyes glowing silver. Energy surged through me like fire in my veins.
And then I leapt.
We stormed the perimeter like a tidal wave. My warriors at my sides—Marlow, Alfonso, the best among them. The rogues didn’t stand a chance.
I saw the first one try to lunge, claws bared, but I moved faster. My jaws clamped around his throat, crushing his windpipe before he even realized I was upon him. I threw his body aside like a ragdoll and spun, catching the next rogue mid-air, ripping through his flank with my claws.
They were scrambling—attacking recklessly.
But we were focused.
United.
We fought with precision, with purpose. With vengeance.
Each scream, each dying breath of a rogue was a reminder—this was my territory. My pack. And my Luna they dared to threaten.
Luca wasn’t among them. Of course not. The coward wouldn’t face me himself. He wanted to test the waters first, to see if I would turn against my own or be too lost in fog to lead.
Let him watch.
Let him see the carnage from wherever he’s hiding.
Let him tremble.
We slaughtered the rogues within minutes. The snow beneath our feet was soaked in crimson, the scent of death thick in the air.
I shifted back, breathing heavy but satisfied. My hands dripped with blood. My chest heaved.
“Status?” I barked.
“All clear, Alpha,” Marlow confirmed. “No survivors.”
“Good.” I turned toward the ridge overlooking the valley.
And I felt him.
Luca.
Watching.
Hiding.
Plotting.
But what he saw tonight was not weakness.
It was a warning.
I stared out at the trees, unblinking, letting the wind carry my scent to wherever he might be.
Come again, I thought, and I will burn your world down.
“Alpha,” Alfonso approached me, his expression unreadable for a moment before it softened. “We’ve secured everything. No injuries on our side. The children are safe. And…”
“And?”
He looked toward the castle. “Your Luna still sleeps.”
My expression shifted. A warmth spread through my chest.
“She’s safe too,” I said quietly. “That’s all that matters.”
He nodded and stepped back, giving me space.
I turned and walked slowly back to the manor, leaving behind the bloodshed and the chaos, letting the victory settle into the soil.
By the time I reached the bedroom, dawn was peeking over the hills, casting a soft golden light across the room. Ellaine still lay curled under the blankets, her face serene.
So peaceful.
So beautiful.
I stepped closer, unable to resist brushing a lock of her hair from her cheek. My hand trembled slightly, not from fear—but from love.
I had almost lost her.
Twice.
Once to rejection.
And now to this madness, this scheme to take me away from everything I am.
But she fought for me.
She never gave up.
Not even when I forgot her.
Who are you?
Those were the words I had once said to her.
How much it must’ve shattered her.
Yet she stayed.
That kind of love? It’s not given. It’s earned. Cherished.
I knelt by the bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“You saved me,” I whispered. “Now I’ll protect you. Always.”
She stirred, her lips parting slightly, and I smiled.
Let her sleep. Let her dream of better days.
Because from now on, I would make sure that her nightmares were over. Her pain ended with me. And anyone—anyone—who tried to touch her again would find themselves beneath my claws, begging for mercy that I would never give.
I rose and turned back to the window, watching the sun rise fully above the forest, painting the world in light.
This was the dawn of a new chapter.
For me.
For her.
For our pack.
Let the rogues come.
Let Luca try again.
I was no longer lost.
I was no longer broken.
I was Alpha Francesco Totti Lycaon.
And I remembered everything.