Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate - Chapter 84: Chapter 84

I laughed, the sound bursting out of me before I could contain it. “What?”
Francesco grinned, barefoot and shirtless, standing on the balcony railing of our room—the third floor of the west wing of the estate—his golden-brown hair tousled by the wind.
His eyes sparkled with wild mischief, a rare lightness replacing his usual brooding intensity.
“Let’s go. Jump!” he said, holding out his hand to me like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I blinked. “Francesco… we’re three floors up.”
He chuckled. “Exactly. Come on, Ellaine.”
I stared at him, my heart thudding. Not out of fear. But out of wonder.
It was nearly dawn, the sky beginning to pale at the edges, stars winking out one by one. The estate slept in silence—except for the night guards pacing the grounds, and a few warriors stretching before their morning run.
The last thing they probably expected was to see their Alpha and Luna standing on a balcony looking like they were about to do something completely unhinged.
Francesco, my mate, the terrifying and revered Alpha Lycan of this territory, was grinning like a boy who’d just stolen a pie from a window.
I crossed my arms, eyeing him. “Is this your idea of fun?”
“No,” he said with a wink. “It’s my idea of freedom.”
I laughed again, despite myself.
I knew what he was doing. I hadn’t been the same since the nightmare. Even after the comfort of his arms, the warmth of his words, something inside me still felt... wound tight. Restless. I just had able to shifted, so I don’t know if I able to do that. My body itched with suppressed energy, like lightning trying to break through skin.
Francesco knew. He always knew. And this—this insane leap of faith—was his way of breaking the tension. Of setting me free.
I stepped closer to him, until I could feel the heat radiating off his skin.
“You’re crazy.”
He beamed. “For you, amore mio. Always.”
Below us, I heard one of the guards murmur, “Is that… is that the Alpha?”
I turned slightly, and sure enough, a few of the night guards had stopped patrolling and were now looking up, wide-eyed and confused. A couple of warriors on the eastern wall leaned over, their mouths slightly open.
We were not being subtle.
Francesco noticed too. “You think they’ve ever seen me like this?”
“Like what?” I asked.
He turned to me, eyes softer now. “Happy, free.”
I felt the words settle deep inside my chest.
The wind brushed between us.
Then, with a laugh that was almost a roar, Francesco jumped.
My heart stopped.
“Francesco!”
He plummeted from the balcony like a falling star—and then, midair, his body blurred with light and motion. In an effortless, breathtaking shift, he transformed into his Lycan form: massive, furred, and beautiful in a way that defied explanation. Gold and Gray shadow rippled across his fur. His limbs lengthened, paws slamming into the grass below with perfect control.
He landed like a force of nature.
I gasped, gripping the railing as I watched him turn his great head upward.
Then he howled.
Not a call of warning. Not a command.
It sounded like laughter.
Joyful, wild, free.
I covered my mouth as tears sprang to my eyes—not of fear, but something far more overwhelming.
Love.
Gods, how could anyone look at him and not fall to their knees?
Around the courtyard, warriors were now fully alert, though none moved to stop him. Some were grinning. A few looked stunned.
A howl answered him from the western tower. Then another from the trees. Then more—dozens—rising together in the early morning like a song.
And still, Francesco looked at me.
“Come on,” his eyes said.
But I hesitated.
I’d never done a midair shift before. I’d just shift recently. During moments of danger or necessity. But never for the pure joy of it. Never like this.
What if I fell? What if I couldn’t do it in time?
Then, clear as day, Mika spoke.
“Let’s try.”
I sucked in a breath.
Her voice—warm, steady, sure—echoed through my soul like an embrace.
And I nodded.
I trust you, Mika.
So I took three steps back, gripped the robe around me tighter, and without giving myself time to second-guess, I ran.
And jumped.
For a split second, I was falling.
The wind tore at my hair, the sky spun, the ground rushed to meet me—and then Mika surged forward with a triumphant howl.
White light exploded around me.
My bones stretched, reshaped, every cell humming with power and light. Fur cascaded down my limbs like a cloak of snow. My vision sharpened, my heart thundered—not with fear, but with freedom.
When I landed, paws-first, I skidded slightly across the soft grass, then stood tall.
Gasps rippled through the gathered guards and warriors.
Francesco’s Lycan form approached me slowly, reverently, as if I were something sacred.
My white moon wolf stood nearly as tall as he did—slimmer, more graceful, glowing faintly in the breaking dawn. The moonlight clung to my fur like a lover’s kiss.
Francesco lowered his head, pressing his snout to mine in a silent vow.
And I leaned in, touching his jaw gently with mine.
Then he threw back his head and howled again—louder, deeper—and this time, I joined him.
Our voices mingled in the sky, echoing across the mountains and forests. The guards bowed their heads. The warriors howled in return.
And then, without warning, Francesco took off.
He ran—fast, wild, powerful.
I laughed in my mind, my paws digging into the earth as I chased him.
We ran together, cutting through the outer courtyard, racing past startled birds and rustling trees. Our bodies moved in rhythm, two shadows twining across the landscape.
I felt alive.
No fear. No doubt. No nightmares.
Only the thundering of our paws, the wind in my fur, the exhilaration of running beside the one who made my soul feel whole.
We reached the edge of the forest and plunged in.
Francesco slowed slightly to let me run ahead, nipping playfully at my side as I passed him.
I swerved between trees, leapt over roots, skidded through moss and leaves. Every part of me sang. Mika roared with joy inside me, her presence fully alive and whole for the first time in what felt like years.
We weren’t Luna and Alpha.
Not here.
We were wolf and mate. Soul and soul.
Francesco caught up and nudged my shoulder gently. I slowed, breathing hard but smiling wide inside.
The forest opened up into a meadow drenched in dew and early light.
We stopped there, side by side, panting, chests heaving. He turned to me, nuzzling my neck, his golden eyes fierce and soft all at once.
“You were magnificent.”
I leaned into him. “You always believe in me.”
“Because I see you, Ellaine.”
He lowered himself onto the soft grass, and I followed. We curled together, tangled in warmth and breath and bond, watching as the first rays of sunlight spilled across the horizon.
The pack would speak of this for days.
How their Alpha and Luna leapt from a balcony and ran together under the fading moon.
But for me, it wasn’t about the spectacle.
It was about this.
The shift. The leap. The faith.
I had trusted myself.
And I had trusted him.
The shadows of the nightmare still lingered. The prophecy still loomed. The Council, the past, Anastasia—none of it had vanished.
But they couldn’t take this from me.
This wild, unshakable love.
Francesco licked the side of my muzzle, making me huff softly in mock offense.
“Let’s do it again tomorrow,” he teased.
I huffed louder, nudging him playfully.
But the answer was already in my heart.
Yes.