The wind howled as night fell over the pack grounds, carrying with it the scent of frost and foreboding. I stood just outside the Alpha's cabin no longer welcome inside, yet unable to leave.
Inside, Callum was awake.
That much I knew.
I could feel it. Not through our bond because that connection had frayed the moment he forgot me but something deeper. A pull beneath my skin. A current that never stopped humming when he was near.
My hand drifted protectively over my stomach. The child growing inside me deserved answers. Deserved a father who didn't look at me like I was poison.
A loud thud echoed from inside the cabin, followed by the sound of splintering wood.
He was angry again.
The third outburst today.
"Don't go in there," a voice warned softly behind me.
I turned and met the eyes of Kael Callum's beta and once, my friend. Now, his gaze held a storm I couldn't decipher. Pity? Suspicion? Something colder?
"You think I'm afraid of him?" I asked.
"No," he said flatly. "But I think you should be."
I didn't reply. Instead, I stepped forward, hand on the doorknob, and pushed inside.
The air was thick scented with rage, sweat, and something more feral. Callum stood at the center of the room, his chest bare, eyes glowing faintly. Shattered glass and broken furniture surrounded him like the aftermath of a hurricane.
He turned slowly.
And for the briefest moment, the way he looked at me Recognition.
Then it was gone, replaced by a wall of cold detachment.
"You again," he growled. "Why do you keep showing up?"
Because I love you.
Because you're the father of my child.
Because the truth could kill us both.
Instead, I whispered, "Because you used to love me."
His jaw clenched. "Used to?"
"You don't remember... but your heart does," I said, stepping closer. "I see it every time you look at me."
He stalked forward, stopping just inches away. "My wolf reacts to you, yes. But that doesn't mean I trust you."
Pain twisted in my chest. "Do you trust anyone right now?"
He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The walls were closing in around him just as fast as they were around me.
"I'm going to the Vale," I said quietly. "There's a witch there who may be able to help."
He stiffened. "The Forgotten Vale? That's cursed land."
"I know," I said. "But I don't have a choice."
Something flickered in his gaze concern, quickly masked by frustration. "You'll die out there."
"Then I'll die trying."
A long silence stretched between us. Then he turned his back to me. "Do whatever you want."
I stared at him for a heartbeat longer, then walked out before I said something I couldn't take back.
---
The forest that bordered the Vale wasn't just cold it was alive with whispers. The kind that slithered through trees and brushed your spine with icy fingers. I'd brought nothing but a cloak and the pendant around my neck Callum's old token, etched with the crescent symbol of his bloodline.
It was the only thing that hadn't been burned after I was branded a traitor.
The path to the Vale was ancient. Overgrown. Few dared to walk it. They said it swallowed the unworthy.
I walked anyway.
Each step forward was a step away from the life I once knew… and deeper into the secrets I'd spent years burying.
By the time I reached the edge of the Vale, night had swallowed the sky completely. A thick mist clung to the air, distorting shapes and muffling sound. The trees twisted unnaturally here. The moonlight didn't dare enter.
And then she appeared.
The witch.
A figure stepped from the shadows, tall and cloaked in deep crimson, with glowing violet eyes that seemed to peer into my soul.
"You shouldn't be here," she said.
"I need your help."
"I don't help liars."
I froze. "I'm not"
"You carry death with you, child. I smell it. It clings to your aura like smoke."
I swallowed hard. "Please. He doesn't remember me. The bond is fractured. I need to restore it."
The witch tilted her head. "Even if it costs you more than memory?"
"What do you mean?"
She stepped forward, holding out her palm. A flicker of flame ignited in the air between us, revealing a vision Callum, covered in blood, howling in agony… standing over a body I couldn't fully see.
"Magic cannot rewrite fate," the witch murmured. "Only reveal its true path."
The fire dimmed.
"You seek truth… but truth seeks vengeance."
I clenched my fists. "He deserves to know. Even if it destroys us."
The witch studied me for a long, chilling moment. Then slowly, she reached into her robe and pulled out a vial glowing with dark, swirling liquid.
"Give him this," she said. "When the moon is high. It will unlock what's hidden."
"And the cost?"
Her lips curved. "That… is still unfolding."
I took the vial.
I didn't ask what would happen next.
Some truths were too heavy to speak aloud.
---
Back at the pack house, whispers grew louder.
"They say she's cursed."
"She's carrying a bastard."
"She's going to bring the Alpha down with her."
Kael cornered me just as I stepped off the forest path, face etched with fury. "What did you do?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"The patrols saw you near the Vale. Do you realize what you've risked?"
"I risked everything the day he forgot me," I snapped.
Kael's expression twisted. "If you unleash something dark, I won't be able to protect you. Callum won't either."
I walked past him without answering.
Because deep down… I knew he was right.
---
That night, I stood outside Callum's room, the vial burning in my palm. Inside, he slept restlessly, sweat glistening on his brow, his breathing uneven.
I stepped in quietly.
One drop. That's all it would take.
"Forgive me," I whispered, brushing the vial's contents over his lips.
His body jerked. A gasp tore from his throat.
Then silence.
And a scream that shattered the air.
His eyes flew open glowing gold.
And he looked at me.
Truly looked at me.
"Rhea?" he whispered.
I barely had time to answer before he convulsed violently and collapsed unconscious.
And outside the window… a howl echoed through the trees.
Not from a wolf.
But something darker.
Something watching.
Waiting.