CHAPTER 5 - SHADOWS AND VENOM

The vision vanished as quickly as it came, leaving me gasping and disoriented. Selene's concerned face swam back into focus, her expression the perfect mask of worry. But now I could see the truth beneath—the calculating gleam in her amber eyes, the way her fingers twitched toward that poisoned pouch in her pocket.

She was already hunting me, six years before she should be.

My rebirth had changed more than I realized. The timeline was fracturing, events spiraling out of their original order. Whatever cosmic force had sent me back was not guaranteeing the same sequence of events. I was in uncharted territory.

"Aria? You look pale. Here, drink this." Selene pressed the vial toward my lips with gentle insistence.

My enhanced senses—unstable as they were—screamed danger. The tonic reeked of something wrong, something that would make me vulnerable. Not enough to kill, not yet. But enough to weaken me further, to make me dependent on her "help."

"I appreciate it, but I think I just need rest," I said, setting the vial on my nightstand with shaking hands. "Training exhausted me more than usual."

"Are you sure? It will help restore your energy." Selene's smile never wavered, but I caught the flash of frustration in her eyes when I refused.

"Positive. Thank you though."

She stood slowly, and for a moment I saw the predator beneath the friendly exterior. "Well, if you change your mind, just let me know. I am always here to help."

The threat was subtle but clear. She would keep offering, keep pushing, until I either accepted or became suspicious enough that she had to change tactics.

"I will. Thank you, Selene."

The moment she left, I grabbed the vial and sniffed it carefully. Beneath the sweet honey scent was something bitter—not quite wolfsbane yet, but a sedative mixed with something that would cloud judgment. A preparation poison, designed to make the real thing more effective later.

She was already laying groundwork for my murder.

I poured the contents down the small sink in my room, then refilled the vial with water and honey from my secret stash. If she checked back, it would appear I had drunk it.

My hands trembled as I hid the evidence. In my first life, I had trusted Selene completely. She had been my friend, my confidant, the one who helped me navigate pack politics. Now I understood she had been my executioner from the very beginning, slowly poisoning not just my body but my relationships, my reputation, my connection to Zack.

But why? What had I done to earn such hatred before I even met Zack? Unless—

The realization hit like a physical blow. Selene had not hated me because of Zack. She had hated me because of what I represented. Luna bloodline. Power. Everything she wanted but could never have.

And now, with my unstable rebirth powers flickering unpredictably, I had painted an even bigger target on my back.

A sharp knock on my door made me jump. "Moonstone. Alpha wants you in his office. Now."

I recognized the gruff voice of Delta James, one of Zack's senior warriors. My stomach dropped. It was barely past dinner, earlier than Zack had specified.

"I will be right there," I called, quickly splashing water on my face and trying to calm my racing heart.

The walk to the Alpha's office felt like a march to execution. Pack members stared as I passed, whispers following in my wake. News of the violet eyes had spread like wildfire, and now everyone was speculating about the weak orphan who might have Luna blood.

Delta James deposited me outside Zack's office door and knocked twice before leaving me alone in the hallway. I pressed my sweating palms against my training pants, trying to steel myself.

"Enter."

Zack's voice sent shivers down my spine. I pushed open the heavy door and stepped into a room that smelled overwhelmingly of him—pine, rain, and pure dominant male. He sat behind a massive oak desk, papers spread before him, but his attention was entirely on me.

"Close the door."

I obeyed, feeling trapped the moment the latch clicked.

"Come here." He gestured to a spot directly in front of his desk.

I moved on trembling legs, hyperaware of how small and weak I felt under his golden stare. This was the man who would eventually reject me, break me, destroy me. Yet my traitorous body still responded to his dominance with shameful eagerness.

"I spoke with Elder Thomas about your family," Zack said, leaning back in his chair with predatory ease. "He confirmed your grandmother Iris was indeed from the ancient Moonstone Luna line. One of the most powerful bloodlines in werewolf history."

"I know my heritage, Alpha."

"Then you also know that Luna powers do not simply manifest randomly." His eyes narrowed. "They require a catalyst. A traumatic event, a life-threatening situation, or—" he paused meaningfully, "—a death and rebirth."

My blood turned to ice. How could he possibly know?

"I have no idea what you mean, Alpha."

"No?" Zack stood slowly, moving around his desk with lethal grace. "Then explain why your scent has changed. Why your eyes flash violet. Why every instinct I have is screaming that you are something other than what you pretend to be."

He was too close now, invading my space, using his size and power to intimidate. I forced myself not to back away, not to show the fear coursing through me.

"I am just an orphan, Alpha. Whatever you think you sense—"

"Is real." He gripped my chin, forcing my face up toward his. "And you will tell me the truth, Aria. One way or another."

His touch ignited the mate bond—faint but undeniable—and I saw recognition flash in his eyes the same moment I felt it. The connection snapped into place between us, golden and inescapable.

"Impossible," Zack breathed, his pupils dilating. "You are—"

The office door burst open, and Marcus rushed in, his face urgent. "Alpha, we have a situation. The northern patrol found three dead rogues on our border. Their throats were slit, and they were arranged in a ritual pattern."

Zack's grip on me tightened reflexively before he released me and turned to Marcus. "What kind of ritual?"

"Dark magic. The symbols match the forbidden texts your father burned twenty years ago." Marcus's eyes flickered to me briefly before returning to Zack. "Whoever did this has access to knowledge that should not exist."

I felt the blood drain from my face. In my first life, this had not happened until months later. The dark magic attacks, the ritual murders—they were Marcus's work, his way of creating chaos to hide his own schemes.

But he was starting early. Because of me. Because my rebirth had disrupted his timeline.

"Lock down the pack borders," Zack commanded. "Double patrols. I want—"

Another knock interrupted him. A young warrior poked his head in, face pale. "Alpha, there is more. We found a message carved into the trees near the bodies."

"What does it say?"

The warrior's voice shook. "The false Luna must burn before the true Alpha can rise."

Every eye in the room turned to me.