The Weight of Centuries

Kael Varyn's POV

I had imagined this moment a thousand times.

The moment Calista learned the truth. The moment she looked at me with hatred in her eyes and asked the question I had been dreading for three centuries.

Did you kill me?

And every time, in every version of this moment I had played out in my mind, I thought I would have something to say. Some explanation that would make her understand.

But now, standing in Elena's shop with Calista staring at me like I was a monster, I had nothing.

Because I was a monster.

"Yes," I said. "I killed you."

She flinched. It was a small movement, barely noticeable, but I saw it. And it cut deeper than any blade ever could.

"Why?" she whispered.

I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to explain that three hundred years ago, a dark sorcerer named Morgath had threatened to wipe out my entire pack. That he had given me a choice: sacrifice my mate to the Moon Goddess, or watch every wolf I had sworn to protect die screaming.

I wanted to tell her that I had believed the Goddess would accept her death as payment and spare my people. That I had thought I was saving thousands of lives by taking hers.

But none of that mattered.

Because in the end, I had still driven the dagger into her heart.

"I thought I was saving my pack," I said. My voice was hollow. "I was wrong."

Calista stood up. Her hands were shaking, but her eyes burned with fury.

"You murdered me," she said. "And now you expect me to what? Forgive you? Break some curse so you can finally die and stop feeling guilty?"

"No," I said. "I do not expect anything from you, Calista. I never have."

"Then why are you here?" she demanded. "Why did you save me in the parking lot? Why bring me to this place?"

"Because Morgath is back," I said. "The sorcerer who cursed us. He is hunting you. And if he gets to you before the blood moon, he will consume your soul and become unstoppable."

Calista laughed. It was a bitter, broken sound.

"Of course," she said. "Of course there is more. Because why would my life ever be simple?"

Elena stepped between us. "Calista, I know this is overwhelming. But Kael is telling the truth. Morgath has been waiting for centuries for your soul to return. And now that you are here, he will not stop until he has you."

"Then let him come," Calista said. Her voice was ice. "At least he is honest about wanting to kill me."

The words hit me harder than I expected. I had been called many things over the centuries. Monster. Betrayer. Murderer. But hearing Calista say it, hearing the pain in her voice, was unbearable.

"I will not let him hurt you," I said.

"You do not get to decide that," Calista snapped. "You do not get to play hero now, Kael. You lost that right the moment you chose your pack over me."

She was right. I knew she was right.

But I also knew that if I walked away, if I let her face Morgath alone, she would die. Again.

And I could not live through that. Not again.

"I am not asking for your forgiveness," I said quietly. "I am asking for a chance to protect you. That is all."

Calista stared at me for a long moment. I could see the war happening behind her eyes. She wanted to tell me to leave. To never come near her again.

But she was also smart. She knew she could not fight Morgath alone.

"Fine," she said finally. "But the second this is over, I never want to see you again."

I nodded. It was more than I deserved.

Elena cleared her throat. "Good. Now that we have that settled, we need to talk about what happens next. The blood moon is three weeks away. If we do not stop Morgath before then, the curse will spread to every werewolf in existence. They will lose their wolves permanently."

"How do we stop him?" Calista asked.

"We find him first," Elena said. "And we kill him."

Calista crossed her arms. "And how exactly do we do that?"

Elena looked at me. "That is where Kael comes in. Morgath has been sending shadow creatures after Calista to weaken her before he makes his move. Those creatures are extensions of his magic. If we can track them back to their source, we can find Morgath."

"And then what?" Calista asked.

"Then we fight," I said.

Calista shook her head. "I am a doctor. I do not fight monsters."

"You will learn," I said. "Because if you do not, you will die. And this time, I will not be able to bring you back."

Her jaw tightened, but she did not argue.

Elena handed her a small leather pouch. "This is a protection charm. Keep it with you at all times. It will not stop Morgath's creatures, but it will slow them down."

Calista took the pouch without a word.

I wanted to say something. Anything. But there was nothing I could say that would make this better.

So I stayed silent.

And I watched as the woman I loved more than life itself looked at me like I was the villain in her story.

Because I was.