Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate - Chapter 60: Chapter 60

Third-Person Point of View:
Luca ran...
His breath came out in shallow, ragged gasps as he pushed himself harder through the dense forest lining the outskirts of the Italian territory. The night was thick with mist, the scent of blood still lingering in the air. Behind him, silence stretched endlessly, but he didn’t dare believe he was safe. Not yet. Not until he was far away from Francesco’s reach.
He couldn’t afford to be followed. Not now.
The route was familiar—an ancient, winding path known only to him. It led to a place even the most desperate rogues feared to tread, a place hidden for over a century. Luca’s sanctuary. His true fortress. The cradle of darkness he had built with his own hands when the world turned its back on him. A base for rogues, murderers, exiles—a monument to vengeance.
"Damn it!" he growled under his breath, punching a tree trunk in rage as he passed it.
They had failed. Worse, they had underestimated Francesco.
The warriors Luca sent were the best of his forces, killers forged in the darkest pits of the rogue world. And yet, they had fallen. One by one. Slaughtered.
He had trusted that his plan has works. He had believed the Alpha was still weak at heart, because of the poison he gave. It could turn back him like he is once, long time ago Francesco had been like him—ruthless, drunk on power, drowning in bloodlust. But something had changed. Luca had watched in disbelief as that very man, his once-equal, turned merciful. Soft.
"Damn it!!" he shouted again, this time louder, startling nearby crows into flight.
Francesco's strength was unmatched. He was the last of the pure Lycans, born under a blood moon with powers not seen in centuries. It was that strength, that terrifying ferocity, that made Luca once loyal to him. But now, all of it had been twisted, tamed by love and kindness.
"Stupid Lycan," Luca spat as he came to a halt at the edge of a cliff. Below, hidden behind thick vines and an ancient illusion spell, was the entrance to his hideaway.
He thought he had a plan.
He thought Anastasia—the woman who once held Francesco’s heart—would lead him back into the dark. He had hoped her presence would fracture Francesco’s resolve. And for a moment, it almost worked. But love ruined everything.
Francesco fell in love with her. And worse—she loved him too.
“But she betrayed me..." Luca whispered, voice shaking. "She was supposed to help me."
But in the end, Anastasia had protected Francesco. She gave him strength, perhaps even left him secrets he wasn’t meant to find.
As he entered the underground hideout, brushing past the curious stares of his subordinates, he didn’t stop to explain. They could feel his fury. They knew better than to question it. They had seen the casualties. The best of them were dead, lost to Francesco’s wrath.
Luca slammed the door to his private study and grabbed the worn leather-bound book from a hidden compartment behind the shelves. Anastasia's grimoire. The one filled with her poisons, spells, enchantments—magic forbidden even by the oldest covens.
He flipped through the pages in a frenzy.
"How did he recover so quickly? He should have been crippled for weeks!"
His eyes scanned every ingredient, every ritual. Then a thought struck him like lightning.
"Could it be... she left another book with him? Or worse... To his new mate..."
They said her name Ellaine…. The new mate of him.
Luca froze.
There was something different about her. He had sensed it. Not just her connection to Francesco, but her power. She radiated something ancient, something familiar.
Was she... truly like Anastasia?
Was she connected to her?
He slammed the book shut, pacing the room like a caged animal.
"If she has inherited Anastasia’s abilities... then she is the one aiding him now. She’s the reason he's not falling."
He clenched his fists.
"She’s his weakness."
He turned and roared, "KELLAN!"
Within seconds, a tall, lithe man with sharp features entered the room. His eyes gleamed with cunning, and a grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Yes, Leader Luca."
Luca finally allowed himself a small smile. "I need every piece of information on the girl. I want to know where she sleeps, who she speaks to, what she eats. I want to know her nightmares. Check the human we send to spy on her, where is he now?"
Kellan bowed. "Consider it done."
Luca returned to his desk, his expression cold.
"Just wait, Francesco," he whispered. "This time I will make sure you're lose"
Back at Francesco’s Alpha Manor
Ellaine's Point of View
I wasn’t used to this.
The warmth. The kindness. The attention.
Maria, Audrey, and Monica had turned into mother hens the moment I stepped into the dining hall. A feast fit for royalty had been laid out, all of it for me. Fresh bread, seasoned meats, roasted vegetables, warm soup, cakes, and a giant bowl of strawberry pie—apparently my favorite now.
"Don’t even think about protesting," Maria warned, her eyes narrowing when I opened my mouth.
Audrey raised a brow. "After everything you’ve done for us, let us take care of you now."
Francesco just chuckled beside me, leaning back in his chair like a king watching the chaos unfold.
I sighed in defeat, shaking my head as I reached for a spoon.
I had never known this kind of care. Where I came from, I was invisible. An obligation. Here... I was someone.
I sniffled unconsciously, the emotions rising too fast to hide.
They all froze.
"Ellaine?" Monica rushed forward. "Did we do something wrong?"
Maria put down the bowl she was carrying. Even Francesco leaned closer, his hand hovering near mine.
"No," I said quickly, wiping my eyes. "No, it’s not that. I just..."
I looked around at their worried faces, at the warmth in their eyes.
"You’re all just so kind to me."
Maria’s lips parted in a tender smile as she placed another slice of strawberry pie in front of me.
"Then don’t make us worry again, dear," she said, patting my hand.
I nodded, managing a small laugh. "Not promise"
Francesco finally reached out and took my left hand in his. His touch was soft, reverent.
"You don’t have to fight alone anymore," he said.
The words sank deep into my heart.
This man. He had changed everything. This place. These people. He had opened a door to a new world, one where I was not just surviving. I was living.
I looked up at him, unable to contain the emotion in my chest.
"I am so happy because of you, you know that, right?"
He squeezed my hand gently.
"And I will do everything to keep it that way."
As we shared a quiet moment in the middle of the bustling dining room, I didn’t know that far away, deep in the shadows, someone was watching. Plotting.
The storm was brewing.
But for now, in this sanctuary, I felt safe. I felt loved.