Chapter 3: The Alpha Who Remembers

The name on the parchment wouldn’t leave my mind.

Cassian.

I stared at it until the ink seemed to blur.

The Alpha King.

Damon’s greatest enemy.

The man I had barely known in my first life.

The man who, according to this mysterious message, was supposed to be the key to my survival.

My fingers tightened around the parchment.

Who had written this?

And how could anyone know that I would remember my first life?

I looked toward the library door.

Damon had left only moments ago.

If he discovered this parchment, I had no doubt he would destroy it.

I folded it carefully and slipped it inside my dress.

Then I closed the ancient book.

I needed to get out before anyone noticed I had been here.

The corridor outside was empty.

I walked quickly toward my room, keeping my expression calm.

Inside, I locked the door.

Only then did I allow myself to breathe.

I pulled out the parchment again.

There was no signature.

No explanation.

Just one instruction.

Find the Alpha King before Damon does.

I whispered the name.

“Cassian.”

The sound felt unfamiliar on my tongue.

I had heard stories about him growing up.

Ruthless.

Cold.

Unforgiving.

Some called him the strongest Alpha alive.

Others called him a monster wearing a crown.

In my first life, I had believed the rumors.

I had never questioned them because Damon hated him.

Now I wondered whether that had been the reason.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

I quickly hid the parchment beneath my mattress.

“Who is it?”

Martha’s voice came through the door.

“It’s me.”

I opened it.

She immediately frowned.

“Why did you lock yourself inside?”

“I needed some privacy.”

She looked at me suspiciously.

“You’ve been acting strangely all day.”

“I know.”

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

I hesitated.

Martha had been loyal to my mother.

She had protected me since childhood.

In my first life, I had trusted very few people.

Martha had been one of them.

Maybe she could help.

“Do you know anything about Alpha King Cassian?”

Her expression changed.

Only slightly.

But I noticed.

“Why are you asking?”

“Just answer me.”

She lowered her voice.

“Cassian isn’t someone you should involve yourself with.”

“Why?”

“He’s dangerous.”

“So everyone says.”

“Everyone is right.”

“Have you met him?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know?”

Martha sighed.

“Because your mother feared him.”

My heart stopped.

“My mother?”

“Yes.”

“What did she say?”

“She never told me much.”

“But she said something.”

Martha looked toward the window.

“She said if the Blood Moon ever returned, Cassian would come looking for it.”

A chill ran through me.

“Why would he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did she know about my blood?”

Martha didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

“You knew.”

“I knew your mother was hiding something.”

“What?”

“She never told me everything.”

I stepped closer.

“Please.”

Martha’s eyes filled with sadness.

“Your mother wanted you to have a normal life.”

“I don’t think I ever had one.”

She reached for my hand.

“Perhaps she was trying to give you the chance to.”

I pulled away.

“By hiding the truth?”

“She was trying to keep you alive.”

Those words stayed with me.

Keep you alive.

My mother had known.

She had known someone would come for me.

And somehow, despite all her efforts, Damon had found me.

Or perhaps he had been sent to find me.

The thought made my stomach twist.

A bell rang from downstairs.

Martha glanced toward the door.

“Dinner.”

“I’ll come later.”

She nodded and left.

I waited until her footsteps disappeared.

Then I retrieved the parchment.

If I was going to find Cassian, I needed information.

Fortunately, there was one person who might know how to contact him.

Captain Rowan.

I found him near the training grounds.

He was supervising several young wolves when I approached.

“Captain.”

He immediately bowed.

“My lady.”

“Can I speak with you?”

He glanced at the warriors.

“Privately?”

“Yes.”

He dismissed them.

Once we were alone, I lowered my voice.

“Do you know Alpha King Cassian?”

His expression became cautious.

“I know of him.”

“Have you ever met him?”

“Once.”

“When?”

“Three years ago.”

I frowned.

“Why?”

“Your father sent me to deliver a message.”

“To Cassian?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of message?”

Rowan hesitated.

“I wasn’t told.”

I studied his face.

“You’re lying.”

His eyes widened.

“My lady…”

“I’m not accusing you.”

I took a breath.

“I need to know the truth.”

He looked around.

Then lowered his voice.

“Cassian was investigating something.”

“What?”

“The Blood Moon.”

My pulse quickened.

“Why?”

“He believed someone was searching for the ancient gate.”

“Damon?”

Rowan’s expression tightened.

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

He looked at me carefully.

“You shouldn’t involve yourself in this.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that.”

“Because it’s dangerous.”

“I’ve already died once.”

The words slipped out.

Rowan froze.

I realized what I had said.

“What?”

I looked away.

“Nothing.”

He stared at me.

“You said you’ve died.”

“I had a nightmare.”

“That wasn’t what you said.”

I turned to leave.

“Forget it.”

“My lady.”

I stopped.

Rowan’s voice softened.

“If you truly want answers, there’s someone you should speak to.”

“Who?”

“An old seer named Mara.”

“Where can I find her?”

“The northern forest.”

My heart sank.

“The place Damon warned me about?”

Rowan nodded.

“She lives beyond the Moonstone.”

I remembered the book.

The Blood Moon.

The Moonstone.

My mother.

Everything was beginning to connect.

“When can we go?”

Rowan looked startled.

“We?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because if Damon discovers you’re going there, he’ll stop you.”

“Then he won’t discover it.”

Rowan stared at me.

“You’re serious.”

“Very.”

He sighed.

“Tomorrow night.”

I nodded.

“Good.”

Before I could leave, a familiar voice came from behind me.

“You’ve been busy.”

My entire body stiffened.

Damon.

I slowly turned.

He stood beneath the archway, arms crossed.

His eyes were fixed on Rowan.

“How long have you two been meeting?”

Rowan bowed.

“Alpha.”

Damon ignored him.

He looked at me.

“You’ve been asking questions.”

“Is that forbidden?”

“Not when the questions concern things that don’t belong to you.”

I smiled.

“Everything concerning me belongs to me.”

His jaw tightened.

“Seraphine.”

“Damon.”

He stepped closer.

“You need to stop.”

“Or what?”

His eyes flashed red again.

This time I saw it clearly.

Not a trick.

Not my imagination.

Something inside Damon wasn’t normal.

“What are you?” I whispered.

He froze.

“What did you say?”

“Your eyes.”

For a moment, he looked almost frightened.

Then his expression hardened.

“You should forget what you saw.”

“I don’t think I can.”

He moved closer until there was barely any space between us.

“You don’t understand what you’re dealing with.”

“Then explain it.”

“I can’t.”

“You won’t.”

He lowered his voice.

“You keep digging, Seraphine, and eventually you’ll find something that will destroy you.”

I stared at him.

“Like you did?”

His expression changed.

“What?”

“You destroyed me once.”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Damon went completely still.

I watched his face.

Confusion.

Fear.

Then something darker.

“What do you remember?”

My heart stopped.

He knew.

Not everything.

But enough.

I stepped backward.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I said nothing.”

He grabbed my wrist.

His grip was painfully tight.

“You’ve been behaving strangely since yesterday.”

I pulled against him.

“Let go.”

“Tell me what you remember.”

“Let me go.”

His eyes flashed red again.

I gasped.

A strange pressure filled the air.

Then Rowan stepped forward.

“Alpha, release her.”

Damon looked at him.

For a second, I thought he might attack.

Instead, he released me.

I immediately stepped away.

Damon’s breathing was heavy.

Then he leaned toward me.

“If you remember anything about your first life…”

He paused.

His voice dropped to a whisper.

“…you need to forget it.”

My blood ran cold.

He walked away.

I watched him disappear.

Rowan came toward me.

“My lady…”

I raised a hand.

“Don’t.”

He stopped.

My mind was racing.

Damon knew something.

He knew I remembered.

And worse, he had reacted to the phrase “first life” as though he understood exactly what I meant.

I pulled the parchment from my dress.

Rowan read it.

His face went pale.

“Where did you get this?”

“The library.”

“You shouldn’t have found this.”

“Why?”

He looked toward the direction Damon had gone.

“Because this message wasn’t written for you.”

I frowned.

“What?”

Rowan turned the parchment over.

There was something on the back I hadn’t noticed.

A symbol.

A black crescent surrounding a red moon.

Underneath it were three words.

HE REMEMBERS TOO.

My blood turned cold.

“Who?”

Rowan looked at me.

Before he could answer, a howl echoed from the northern forest.

Then another.

Then dozens more.

The wolves in the training grounds fell silent.

Rowan’s face drained of color.

“What is it?”

He whispered the answer.

“The Blood Moon has risen.”

I looked toward the dark forest.

The moon above it was no longer silver.

It was red.

And somewhere beyond those trees, something ancient had awakened.

Something that had been waiting for me.

Something Damon had been terrified of.

And suddenly I understood the final line on the parchment.

He remembers too.

Cassian wasn’t the only one who knew about my first life.

Someone else remembered everything.

And they were coming for me.