chapter 5: THE MAN WHO SHOULD NOT EXIST

AURENNA’S POV

I had been staring at the pendant on my camp table for nearly an hour now, cross-referencing it with every historical document I had access to in my traveling chest, which was not much but enough.

The symbol matched perfectly with the ones in the document, no doubt. The mark engraved on the pendant belonged to the Ashryn bloodline, a powerful wolf clan mentioned in old records. Long ago, they had been strong enough to challenge the Drakhar family itself.

Then, forty years ago, they vanished.

The official record used words like dissolution and departure, but I knew better. During my first life, after becoming Alpha Queen, I had gained access to older documents buried within the palace library. Those records told a different story. The Drakhar family had seized power through bloodshed, ruthlessly, leaving no witnesses behind. At least, that was what everyone believed.

I turned the pendant over in my hand. It had been left for me on purpose by the figure who moved like a wolf, fought like a trained warrior and appeared whenever my life was in danger. Someone who did not want to be identified yet had chosen to reveal this one clue.

I closed my hand around the pendant and made a decision. I was going to find him.

***

The next morning brought another problem. Zevran. He requested a private meeting before his convoy departed. Officially, it was to discuss the assassination attempt.

The meeting took place in Elder Cass's receiving room with two advisors from each side present which was formal enough to be appropriate and personal enough to be intentional.

Zevran sat opposite me, speaking about security, diplomacy, and preparations for the upcoming summit. As always, every word was carefully chosen. I sat quietly and studied him.

Meanwhile, I couldn't stop thinking about the letter hidden inside my jacket. The letter proving he had ordered the massacre at Vethara.

"The summit begins in six days," Zevran said. His gaze settled on me. "I'd like to suggest something beyond the original agenda. A formal alliance, publicly announced during the opening ceremony. Commander Voss standing beside the Alpha Court as a symbol of unity between the humans and wolves.

One of his advisors nodded.

"It would send a strong message to those on both sides who want the peace talks to fail."

The room fell silent. My own advisors were looking at me carefully. They saw the trap and they were waiting to see how I handled it.

If I rejected Zevran publicly, it could damage the fragile ceasefire. Violence might break out before negotiations even started and people could die. But accepting his proposal felt like stepping back into the same trap that had destroyed me before.

"A formal alliance is a major commitment," I said calmly. "It deserves careful discussion with the full coalition council. I can't make a decision of that size alone."

"Of course." Zevran smiled warmly. “I'd expect nothing less from you, Commander. Take all the time you need. I'll look forward to your answer at the summit."

His response was reasonable and patient. However , it made it worse. Because this was how he operated. He never rushed people. He gave them space and let them believe they were making their own choices. All while quietly guiding them where he wanted them to go.

***

I spent the next three days preparing for the summit and searching for the masked stranger.

The search proved far more difficult. All I had was the pendant and a memory of how he moved. I secretly asked trusted contacts for information. I instructed Wren to listen for rumors about a lone wolf operating near the valley but nothing useful came back. Whoever he was, he was skilled at staying invisible.

***

On the fourth evening, I was walking around the perimeter of the camp alone. It has become a habit. One peaceful hour when nobody needed anything from me.

The sun was setting and the camp was growing quiet. I had made it halfway around the perimeter when I sensed I was not alone.

I stopped walking. "You've been following me for ten minutes," I said to the trees on my left. "If you wanted to talk, you've had plenty of chances."

Silence.

Then a figure stepped out from the shadows. Masked. This mask was simpler than the previous one, much plain.

"You are more observant than you appear,” his voice was low and calm.

"People underestimate me," I replied. "I stopped being offended by that years ago." I crossed my arms. "What do you want?"

"To speak with you privately." He stayed where he was. A distance away that I could leave if I wanted. I noticed that immediately. It wasn't the posture of someone trying to threaten me.

"You left the pendant."

"Yes."

"You're Ashryn."

A slight shift in his posture confirmed it. "I'm connected to that bloodline."

"The Ashryn family was wiped out forty years ago.”

"Apparently not." He tilted his head slightly. "You identified the symbol quickly."

"I know where to look."

"Most commanders don't spend their time studying ancient bloodlines." He paused. "Most commanders also don't predict wolf wolf raids that no intelligence network predicted before they happen."

My body went still.

"Nor do they survive assassination attempts that were never listed in any threat report."

The hairs on the back of my neck rose. "You've been watching me longer than three days."

"Yes."

"Why?"

He was quiet for a moment. Then he answered. "Because you're doing things that shouldn't be possible." His pale eyes remained fixed on mine. "You knew about Vethara before anyone else. You positioned your soldiers exactly where the attackers entered. You noticed the assassin before he acted." He paused. "You're not guessing, Commander." Another pause. "You already know."

The silence between us felt heavy.

I studied him. He had saved my life twice, risked exposing himself to leave me evidence, approached me alone at a distance. Everything about him suggested someone trying to earn trust rather than demand it. And somehow, he knew too much.

"Who are you?" The words felt less like a question and more like an invitation.

Slowly, he reached up and removed his mask. I stared. He wasn't what I expected. Though honestly, I wasn't sure what I had expected. He looked a few years older than me with sharp features, eyes pale and the traits of an old wolf bloodline. A scar ran along his jaw. His expression was calm and steady.

"My name is Kaelor Ashryn," he said.

I let the name settle. “The last Ashryn?"

"One of them." He took a breath. "Commander Voss, I need to ask you something and I need you to answer honestly. What I tell you next depends on your answer.”

I nodded. "Ask."

His gaze sharpened. "The night you died."

Every muscle in my body froze.

He continued quietly. "The night you lay on the palace floor while Zevran stood over you."

My heart skipped.

"What were the last words you heard before everything went dark?"

Every hair on my arms stood up. I had never told anyone. Not in this life. I couldn't. Because in this life, that night hadn't happened yet. It only existed in my memories. A future that no longer existed. No one should know about it. No one.

My voice came out barely above a whisper. "How do you know about that?"

Kaelor looked at me with those steady pale eyes. What I saw in them was not manipulation, hidden agenda, or deception. Instead, I saw something I recognized immediately because it was the same burden I had carried since waking up in my command tent.

The weariness of someone who had already lived through this once.

"Because I was there," he said softly. "Not in the room." He paused. "But I saw what happened afterward."

My pulse pounded in my ears.

Kaelor's expression remained serious. "Commander… You are not the only person who came back from the future.”