Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate - Chapter 59: Chapter 59

Back to Ellaine Point of View:
It began with a nightmare.
Darkness loomed, dense and suffocating.
I ran through a battlefield soaked in blood and screams. Fire licked the sky, ash and smoke choking the air around me. I could see him—Francesco—standing tall amidst it all, draped in black, his silver eyes glowing with something terrifying.
Power.
The kind that made mountains tremble and wolves kneel.
He was no Alpha here. He was the Lycan—the last of his kind, the most feared creature to ever walk the earth.
Beside him stood Luca, his head warrior. Their presence was overwhelming, casting fear even into the hearts of their own kind. Blood dripped from Luca’s sword, and Francesco’s claws were stained red. Innocents screamed for mercy, but none came.
Francesco didn’t speak. His gaze was ice. Cold. Unforgiving.
"This is what power demands," Luca's voice growled in my dream, laced with madness. "This is what loyalty looks like."
But then something shifted.
A girl—small, no older than a child—stood in front of Francesco, her eyes wide with fear. Luca raised his blade.
"NO!" Francesco roared, the first word he’d spoken.
He stopped the blade with his own hands, blood pouring from his palms.
Luca turned to him, confused and furious.
"They’re innocent," Francesco whispered, realization crashing into him like a tidal wave. "You lied to me."
The betrayal was complete. Francesco’s eyes widened with truth.
And then the fire swallowed everything.
I blinked...
A small moan escaped my lips. It was faint, but it was enough.
Gasps filled the air. A chair scraped. The room, once silent, burst with life.
"Ellaine..."
The voice I longed for.
Francesco.
He was there in an instant, kneeling beside me, grabbing my hand like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His eyes—wild with emotion, rimmed with exhaustion—locked on mine.
"Hey, mi Amore," he whispered, his voice cracking.
I lifted a trembling hand to cup his cheek. "Francesco... You’re okay…"
His eyes shut as he leaned into my touch, overwhelmed.
"You..." he choked out. "Why did you push yourself like this for me?"
A weak smile curved my lips. "You’re worth the tiredness."
His eyes filled with tears, awe and reverence replacing the torment in his gaze.
Behind him, Monica approached with urgency, her healer’s instincts kicking in.
Francesco moved aside, never letting go of my hand, as Monica checked my vitals and gently scolded me for scaring everyone.
Lira, the witch healer, stood behind her, frowning with concern.
"Her healing is slow because she cannot shift yet," Lira explained. "The experiment drained her. But Mika has returned. That’s the most important part."
I nodded faintly, grateful.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Francesco still watched me like I was a miracle. He hadn’t said much more, but his silence was heavy with emotion.
Beta Alfonso stepped closer. “We’re glad you finally woke, Luna Ellaine.”
Marlow gave a respectful nod beside him.
I offered them a soft wave before they excused themselves, leaving us alone.
As the door clicked shut, Francesco slumped beside me with a heavy sigh.
"You scared me," he whispered.
His hand found mine again, gripping it like it might slip away.
I tugged gently at his arm. "Come here. Lay with me."
He hesitated only for a moment before climbing in beside me, pulling me gently into his embrace.
I studied him.
He looked… worn. Hollowed by worry.
"You look tired, my Francesco. I’m sorry," I whispered.
He shook his head violently and drew me closer, clutching me like I was the last piece of his soul.
"I’m just glad you finally opened your eyes, Amore Luna," he murmured into my hair.
We stayed like that, our bodies pressed close, hearts slowly syncing.
Time stopped. The nightmare, the pain, the war—it all faded in that embrace.
Eventually, I broke the silence.
"I should tell you something."
He looked up.
"While I was unconscious… I had a dream. A nightmare, maybe. I saw your old self. With Luca."
His body tensed.
I reached up and traced his jaw, calming him.
"It felt so real. You were terrifying. Powerful. But not heartless. I saw the moment you changed. The moment you chose not to be him."
Francesco sighed. "Something I’m not proud of."
"But you changed," I whispered. "You faced it. Even now, you’re still facing it."
He gave me a sad, almost broken smile.
"That’s because I have something to protect now. Someone to live for."
I smiled. "Mi Francesco… I love you."
"I love you more," he said, his voice raw, honest, heavy.
He leaned down and kissed me—soft and lingering, a kiss filled with unspoken pain, unshakable love, and the gratitude of a thousand lives.
We stayed like that, lips brushing, arms tangled, until I spoke again.
"What happened while I was out?"
He hesitated.
Then he told me.
Three days ago, as I collapsed from the magical experiment to shield him, Francesco had sensed something was wrong.
The rogues attacked the estate.
And leading them… was Luca.
Francesco had faced his old friend in the courtyard—right outside my room.
The battle was brutal. Two powerful old wolves, a Lycan and strong Werewolf, almost equals in strength once, now divided by purpose.
Luca had taunted him, bringing up their past, mocking him for choosing love over legacy.
But Francesco stood firm.
He fought for me.
For the pack.
For redemption.
And when the final moment came, Francesco didn’t hesitate. He struck everyone down—not out of hatred, but mercy. A firm statement about his path.
The rogues scattered, and make the leader, Luca run away from his hidden place, away from the battlefield like a coward.
"I didn’t want you to wake up to that world," Francesco confessed, his voice cracking. "I wanted you to wake up to peace."
I pressed my forehead to his.
"Then let’s build that peace together."
He closed his eyes. "You always know what to say." He sighed.
I smiled, exhaustion tugging at my limbs, but my heart full.
"Get some sleep," I murmured. "You need it."
He chuckled. "Not unless you do too."
We shifted under the covers, and he cradled me in his arms like I was made of glass.
"Francesco?"
He lift his eyes to meet mine "Yes, Amore?"
"We’ll be okay, right?"
He kissed my forehead. "We already are."
And for the first time in days, we both slept.
Together.
Safe.
In love.