#Chapter 3: The Wolf’s Return

Lyra & Kael

Lyra

When I was thirteen—four years before the day I found myself reborn into—my entire pack, Silvercrest, was slaughtered by a group of unknown werewolves.

My father’s Gamma, Ronan, desperately saved me while the rest of my family was murdered.

The very last thing he did before he died was seal my wolf, ensuring that my scent couldn’t be detected; but this spell also restricted me from shifting.

Therefore, I would be wolfless until I reached adulthood.

It was a desperate but necessary safety measure, and I would always be grateful for the second chance that Ronan had given me when he had sealed my wolf. For years after that night, I waited patiently for my wolf to return. I didn’t tell anyone who I truly was—only that I was Ronan’s daughter.

Even when they tormented me for being wolfless, a disgrace in our world, I didn’t reveal my true identity. And since Silvercrest was notoriously isolationist, no one knew that I was the sole surviving Alpha heir.

Hearing Jade’s voice again after all this time made my eyes immediately fill with tears. In my past life, my wolf had died while saving Kael, which ultimately led to my early death.

But not this time. No, I wouldn’t repeat my past mistakes, even if Kael was my fated mate.

I had made a vow just before my death that I would stay away from Kael. That I would never love him again.

And I planned to hold myself to that.

“Jade,” I thought, reaching into that soul bond that connected me to her familiar, comforting presence—like slipping into a well-loved sweater that fit just right. “We’re back.”

“Yes. My sleep was long, but I knew I would return once you reached adulthood.”

“No. That’s not what I’m talking about.”

My wolf hesitated, clearly confused. Reaching deeper into the bond we shared, I did my best to relay everything that had happened, showing her in scattered images and feelings: marrying Kael, saving him, losing her, the sickness that followed, and my eventual death.

“But now we’re here,” I finished, and even just saying the words in my mind felt uncanny, like I was talking about a fairytale and not my real life. “I don’t know how or why, but somehow, we came back six years before our death.”

Jade was silent for a long moment, processing it all. Finally, she whispered, “It’s a gift from the Moon Goddess, then. A second chance.”

That was the only reasonable explanation at this point; how else could I have come back if not by the Moon Goddess’s grace?

“I should visit her shrine as soon as possible, then,” I thought back. In my past life, I had been too consumed by my love for Kael to think about leaving offerings for the goddess.

Jade chuffed in response. “You know she cares little for material offerings and prayers.”

“Still. It would be nice to thank her for giving me another chance to do everything right.”

Celene cleared her throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Anyway,” she said, oblivious to my inner turmoil, “your father won’t be seeing you two off today, I’m afraid. He’s tracking down that fugitive from Silvercrest.”

I tilted my head, momentarily wracking my brain to recall the fugitive in question; finally, I remembered hearing about various rogue orphans from Silvercrest who had somehow survived the attack. It seemed that this life and my last were indeed the same. I was the only thing that had changed.

Cassidy snorted. “Well, I hope he finds him soon before he kills more innocent people.”

My stomach clenched as I recalled that second detail. The rogues were killing indiscriminately, so anyone discovered to be from Silvercrest would be captured and brought in for questioning.

“Those people from Silvercrest really must have all been insane after all,” Cassidy went on.

I frowned. “Or maybe something happened to them that changed them,” I blurted out.

All of the eyes in the room snapped to me. “Careful,” Jade warned. “You’re supposed to keep your identity a secret.”

“They’re insulting our people. They were pacifists and never would have killed innocent people.”

“Yes, but revealing yourself now will only make it worse for the others who survived.”

I took a deep breath, calming my frayed nerves. Jade was right; I had to be strategic from now on. I was no longer the young, naive, lovesick girl who would allow my wolf to die saving a mate who didn’t want me. I had given him everything, even my wolf, only to meet a tragic end myself.

Losing Jade had been the worst thing that ever happened to me in my past life—even worse than the death that came from it was losing my strength, and thus my ability to avenge my parents and save my pack.

I had died accomplishing nothing, being nothing but a slave to a man who hated me.

No. I couldn’t risk anything now.

Fingers tightening around my fork, I made another silent vow. In this life, I would not be so foolish. This time, I would uncover the true culprit behind my pack’s destruction.

And then…

I would finally seek out revenge.

…

Kael

Lyra was acting… differently today.

I wasn’t sure what happened between yesterday and today, but when her eyes opened this morning after crying my name out in her sleep, it was as if she had changed completely. Even her blue eyes seemed to have a different shade to them, like she had lived an entire lifetime in that dream.

The irritation I felt over her sudden attitude toward me was immediate and intense. I had done so much for her, and now out of nowhere, she was giving me a sour look and wouldn’t even sit next to me at the breakfast table.

Ever since I found her four years ago, alone and covered in blood in that forest, we had been close. She had quickly become a good friend to me—our connection was unlike anything I’d felt before.

And then I found out that she had feelings for me.

When my friends caught on that my wolfless orphan of a foster sister was following me around like a lost puppy because she was in love with me, they teased me relentlessly. A future Alpha like me, romantically involved with a wolfless girl?

It was a recipe for disaster. Not just for me, but for her, too. She would never be accepted as a potential mate for an Alpha. And I could never be with her.

So it wasn’t as if I truly wanted to distance myself from her, but I had to. I didn’t like hurting her, but what else was I supposed to do? I had to nip her feelings in the bud.

And let she still lingered. Wherever I looked, Lyra was always there, watching me with those big blue eyes, cheeks flushed, lips parted as if hoping for a kiss.

Not today, though. Today, whenever she looked at me, I saw only hatred in those blue depths.

The nightmare she’d had this morning must have been truly horrible, I decided; Lyra had always had nightmares of whatever had happened to her, and I had always helped her through them.

As we gathered our things to leave, I decided I would talk to her and ask what happened on the way to school. She was checking her bag by the front door, muttering to herself in a way she never did before.

“Lyra,” I said, opening the door, “let’s go. I’ll drive you to school.”

Lyra walked past me and said calmly, “No thanks. I’ll find my own way.”