Elaina sat motionless, the broken sapphire necklace cold in her palm. Her mind reeled with Lucien's words.
You are her.
The girl who died. The one who wore this necklace. The one he once loved?
But how could that be possible?
Lucien leaned against the doorframe, watching her carefully. "You look like her. Move like her. Even smell like her."
"I'm not her," Elaina whispered.
"No. You're not." He paused, voice deepening. "But maybe... you were."
She looked up, eyes wide. "You think I was reincarnated?"
He gave a short, humorless laugh. "In our world? Stranger things happen every full moon."
---
Downstairs — With Kade
Kade paced the kitchen, muttering to himself. "Why does he always get the reincarnated love of his life and I get stuck dealing with psycho rogues and grocery runs?"
The housekeeper chuckled. "Because you're the funny one, dear."
Kade scowled. "Funny is not a superpower in this pack."
The toaster popped suddenly, and he jumped.
"I hate this house."
---
Upstairs
Elaina couldn't sleep again. She stared at the ceiling until her feet took her wandering through the old corridors.
She ended up in the library—dusty and forgotten, with books that looked like they hadn't been touched in decades.
She ran her fingers across the spines until one stopped her cold.
A black leather journal.
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
The handwriting was hers.
"Lucien looked at me like I was the moon, but I could feel the storm building behind his eyes…"
She flipped pages.
Entry after entry. Emotions so familiar they made her chest ache. Fear. Passion. Pain.
And on the last page:
"If I die tonight, let him know I never stopped loving him. Even when he chose the pack over me."
---
Lucien's Room
He sat on the edge of his bed, clutching the wolf pendant he always wore.
"She's not ready," he muttered.
"But if I wait too long… Valen will get to her."
There was a knock.
He opened the door to find Elaina standing there, journal in hand, eyes wet with tears.
"I remember… something," she whispered.
And then she broke.
Lucien caught her before she fell, arms wrapping tightly around her shaking form. She sobbed into his chest as memories flickered like lightning—flashes of past kisses, of blood, of betrayal, of love that never had time to heal.
He pressed his lips to her hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should've saved you. I will this time."
---
Far Away — In the Woods
Valen stood by a stream, watching the moonlight dance on the water.
"Let him play hero," he murmured. "She'll come back to me when she remembers how he failed her."
And in his hand, he held another necklace.
An exact replica of the one Elaina now wore—except this one pulsed with dark magic.
---
Elaina sat curled in the armchair beside the fire, the journal resting in her lap like a silent witness. The embers crackled, casting a soft golden glow over her tear-streaked face. Across the room, Lucien stood motionless, his fists clenched as if restraining himself from coming closer.
"How much do you remember?" he asked at last, his voice low.
"Pieces," she whispered. "Flashes. A moonlit forest. Blood on my hands. Your voice, calling my name like it was your last breath."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "It was."
A heavy silence filled the room. The kind of silence that held unsaid things—regret, guilt, grief.
"But there's more, isn't there?" Elaina's eyes lifted to meet his. "Something you're not telling me."
He looked away, guilt flashing across his face. "You died protecting me. That night… it was an ambush. Valen tricked you into coming alone, and when I got there—"
He stopped, voice cracking.
"I found you already gone."
Elaina's breath hitched.
"I saw a woman's face," she said slowly. "In my vision. She was smiling when I fell. Who was she?"
Lucien's expression darkened. "A traitor. My brother's mate. She hated you for what you were… and what you meant to me."
---
Kitchen – A Moment of Lightness
Kade entered with an armful of grocery bags, kicking the door shut behind him. "I swear, if I see one more couple crying or soul-bonding in this house, I'm going to demand hazard pay."
He paused mid-rant when he saw the untouched dinner on the counter.
"Are we ghosts now? Why do I even cook if no one eats?!"
From upstairs, a soft sob echoed.
Kade sighed, dramatically grabbing a piece of bread. "Guess I'm eating for three emotions tonight: hunger, heartbreak, and helpless sarcasm."
---
Later That Night – The Ritual Room
Lucien took Elaina deep beneath the estate, to a room carved in stone. Candles lit themselves as they entered, casting long shadows over arcane symbols.
"What is this place?" Elaina asked.
"It's where we mark the bond," Lucien said softly. "The moon ceremony. If we do it, your memories could return faster. But once it's done—there's no undoing it."
She stepped closer. "And if we don't?"
"Valen will find you. And he won't wait for your consent."
Elaina's fingers brushed the sapphire at her neck. The one Lucien gave her. The one from the night she died.
"I trust you," she said.
His eyes flickered with golden light.
"You shouldn't," he replied, voice tight. "Because if I lose you again… I won't survive it."
---
In the Shadows – Valen Watches
Through the eyes of a raven perched in the trees, Valen watched them enter the sacred chamber.
"So… he's going to claim her again." His tone was amused, but his eyes burned with fury.
The raven cawed once, then flew into the night.
Valen turned to the woman beside him—the one with the smile from Elaina's vision.
"She still remembers you," he said. "Make sure her memories keep haunting her."
The woman's lips curled into a grin. "Oh, they will."
---