Luxian’s POV
Remembering what Mr. Damien said to me at the hospital, I thought it would be smart to stay away from him — spend time with my dad and hang out with my friends. But I didn’t know what excuse to give my father. How could I explain that my new boss tried to kill me because he thinks I’m the reincarnation of his ex-girlfriend? I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering how my life spiraled into this mess. Just a month ago, I was celebrating graduation. Now, I’ve been told I have only four months to live… and a mysterious man keeps calling me Lu. I scoffed at the thought of me being a girl in another life. “Maybe he’s the one who needs a brain scan,” I muttered, sitting up. “Shit… I need air before I completely lose it.” I got up, grabbed my hoodie, and headed outside. ⸻ Damien’s POV The universe is cruel. How could Lu—that Lu—be reincarnated… as a boy? No. That’s impossible. Unacceptable. “Damien,” a voice called. I turned. It was Cris, walking toward me with a wary look. “What did you do to that kid?” he asked. “Go away, Cris. I’m not in the mood.” “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.” I sighed and looked down. “That kid… he’s Lu.” Cris blinked. Then laughed. “You’re kidding. The universe is really screwing with you, huh?” “I don’t care if she’s a girl or a boy. I’ll make her pay. She ruined me.” “What’s your plan now?” he asked, frowning. “I was going to let him die naturally. He only has four months left, anyway…” I paused and smirked. “But I’ve changed my mind.” I grabbed my coat and walked past Cris, leaving him standing there confused. “Damien!” he shouted. “Don’t be heartless. That boy might not be Lu!” But I didn’t look back. Lu… betrayed me. She poisoned me. Left me in the forest to die — after I gave her everything. After I loved her. She used me… then tried to kill me. That little rat. Now I have a chance for revenge. I won’t let it slip, even if her punishment has already begun. ⸻ Flashback – The Forest “Let’s go — we can make it!” Lu said, tugging on my hand. But I didn’t move. I stared at her, heart torn apart. Her big blue eyes filled with worry. A single tear slipped down my cheek as I pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s too late, Lu.” Before she could reply, we were surrounded. The men appeared from the shadows like wolves — eyes full of hatred and disgust. “You betrayed your kind,” one sneered. “And now you think you can run?” “I won’t let you hurt her!” I growled, shielding Lu behind me. The leader laughed. “You pathetic outcast. Try protecting yourself before worrying about her.” He turned to Lu. “Did you give it to him?” Lu nodded… and stepped forward. I froze. “Lu… what’s going on?” My voice shook. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, eyes lowered. “What do you mean? Tell me you’re joking. Tell me—” A sudden pain stabbed through my chest. I gasped, clutching my shirt, collapsing to my knees. The poison burned through me like fire. My heart raced. My vision blurred. I looked at her — really looked — and saw something that broke me. She was smiling. Maybe it was an illusion. Maybe it wasn’t. All I saw was her — and them — laughing at me. “I… I’ll… make you pay, Lu,” I choked out, falling. “So weak,” the man scoffed. “And the Seer thought this boy could suppress me?” “Lu… how could you do this?” My voice cracked. “Why?” I couldn’t fight it anymore — not the poison, not the betrayal. I just lay there, waiting to die. Images from my life flashed through my mind — pain, rejection, lies. All I ever wanted… was to be loved. First my parents. Now her. I blinked back tears, my body going cold. “Shut up and die,” the man sneered. “You were never meant to be with her. She never loved you. It was all a trick.” “Tell him the truth, Lu,” he hissed. I forced my head up to look at her, one last time. Her lips parted. And what came out destroyed me. “I never loved you, Damien. I used you. I’m sorry.” My world went dark. ⸻ End of Flashback I still hear her voice in my nightmares. And I never got the chance to make her pay. By the time I woke from the poison—two years later—she was already dead. But now… Now I have a second chance. Even if her soul came back as a boy… even if he only has four months to live… I will make those four months a living hell. He’ll beg me to stop. He’ll beg for death — and I won’t give it to him. And when I’m done with him, I’ll go after her father — that coward who’s been hiding all these years. He knew she was alive. He must’ve known. He helped her disappear. I’ll find him. And I’ll finish what she started. Even if it kills me.Ashiel POVI sat on the balcony rail, staring at the stars like they might give me answers. Footsteps came from behind, and the scent told me who it was before he even spoke.“Since you came back, you’ve been different,” Derick said quietly, stepping up beside me. His hands gripped the railing. “What’s the matter?”“I’m fine,” I muttered, eyes fixed on the sky. “Just… too much on my mind.”He leaned closer. “Are you sure?” His hand brushed mine, steady, grounding.For a heartbeat, I froze at the contact. Then I forced myself to relax, looking at the worry in his eyes. “I’m okay. I just need some time alone.”“We promised, remember?” Derick’s voice softened. “To be there for each other. Especially when it gets hard.” He squeezed my hand gently.“…Yeah. I know.”“What is it? You can tell me.”I hesitated, then let the truth slip, low and bitter. “Leif’s in my head. He wants me to meet him.”Derick’s eyes widened. “What? Did you tell Damien?”“They already have too much on their plate. I
Damien POVThe silence after Leif’s disappearance clung to the forest like a curse. The men shifted uneasily, their confusion plain, but I cut them no slack. My voice was a low growl.“Go back. Tell the others… they’ll be meeting my Four.”They hesitated, then obeyed, boots crunching as they retreated until it was only me, Cris, and Ashiel beneath the shrouded trees.Ashiel’s breath came ragged, fists trembling, his eyes wild as if Leif’s whispers still crawled beneath his skin.“Don’t,” Cris murmured, catching him by the shoulders. “Don’t let him in. That’s what he wants.”Ashiel shook his head violently. “He knew about Ashra. He knew. He spoke like he was there when I lost him.” His voice broke, anguish tearing from him raw and unguarded.“You didn’t lose him because of you,” Cris snapped, fierce with urgency. “That wasn’t your fault.”Ashiel’s nails cut into his palms until blood welled. “But what if he’s right? What if I—” His voice cracked again, muffled as he buried his face in
Third person POV Damien stared down at the lifeless clone sprawled on the ground, his jaw tightening. Running a hand through his hair, he muttered, “This clone can’t be that strong…”“Maybe he switched mid-fight,” Cris said quietly, but his tone was tense.Damien’s eyes narrowed. “Even if he did… how the hell did he pull it off?”Luxian and the others had already left, leaving only Damien, Cris, Ashiel, and a handful of armed men. Damien crouched beside the corpse, gripping its jaw as though he could force the truth out of it.“I felt something shift during the fight,” he said through clenched teeth. “But I didn’t realize it was Leif.”“Maybe he’s a hybrid now,” Cris suggested, eyes flicking to Ashiel. “Every hybrid has a gift. Maybe this… is his.”Damien rose, towering, restless. “Leif’s near.” His gaze sharpened toward the shadows of the forest. “Take this body to the lab.”He stalked forward into the woods, Cris and Ashiel falling in close behind, the men trailing with
Luxian POVWe tore through the forest, branches whipping against my skin, when a gunshot cracked the air. My nose burned with the stench of werewolves—too many. At least ten.I clutched the gun tight, following behind the others. I couldn’t keep waiting for Damien to save me. I had to protect them—my father, Ken, Derick. But how? Even in wolf form, I couldn’t carry them all.“Stop!” I called, breathless. “We can’t outrun them forever. They’ll catch us.”Ken’s eyes cut toward me. “So what’s your plan, then?”I swallowed. “Fred and the doctor are wolves. If we shift, we can carry people on our backs. I’ll try… but my wolf hasn’t even spoken to me yet.”The doctor shrank back. “I’m an omega. If I carry someone, I won’t be able to run fast.”I muttered, frustrated. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean…”Fred straightened, eyes firm. “I’ll take two. You take one.”I studied him. “You sure?” He nodded without hesitation.We shifted, handing our clothes and my gun to Ken and Derick. I car
Damien’s POVCris led me into the house and sat me down at the small bar on the first floor. He poured a glass of whiskey, slid it toward me, then fixed one for himself and Ashiel.“You okay?” Cris asked.I gave a slight nod. The truth was—I didn’t know if I was okay. I felt… nothing. Back in that room with Luxian, I couldn’t even bring myself to leave. I hated how weak and vulnerable I’d become, but for him… I’d endure it. Thank the gods Valekar came to my aid when I was about to break.“He didn’t reject you,” Ashiel reminded gently. “There’s still a chance he’ll come back.”“He has to come back,” I said calmly, never lifting my eyes from the glass in front of me.“What happened in there, anyway?” Cris pressed.“Lucy wasn’t my mate,” I muttered. “She was mated to Leif.”“Fucking hell,” Ashiel breathed.“So the whole time his main target was Luxian?” Cris said, almost to himself. “Because Luxian’s likely his true mate.”“But… you said you felt the bond,” Ashiel asked, confused.“Lucy
Damien’s POV I walked into the room where Luxian lay, pale and still. My chest tightened as I sat beside him, reaching for his hand. I held it tightly, as if letting go would mean losing him forever. The doctor stepped in, eyes low. “Mr. Damien… I’m sorry for your loss.” I didn’t move. I just stared at Luxian’s face until I felt something warm slide down my cheek. Tears. Me—crying. Quickly, I wiped them away. No one could call me weak. Not now. “What caused the miscarriage?” My voice was sharp, demanding. The doctor hesitated. “Stress. He hasn’t been taking care of himself… and his body wasn’t strong enough for the pregnancy.” My heart twisted. Before I could speak again, Luxian stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and immediately my pulse jumped. “Leave us,” I ordered the doctor without looking at him. He bowed out quickly. ⸻ Luxian’s POV I opened my eyes to a stabbing pain in my stomach. My hand instinctively pressed against it. I tried to sit up, but Damien’s voice stopped m