Emira stood just outside the territory of the Moonville Pack and took a slow, steady breath. The air felt familiar in a way that made her chest tighten. Never had she imagined that she would return here soday of her own free will. No, she corrected herself.
She had planned to co here. After all, the box with her mother’s belongings was still hidden within these lands. She had always known she would have to return for it one day. She had just never thought that day would co so soon, or that she would be standing here alone, staring at the invisible line that marked the pack’s boundary.
Once she stepped onto the pack lands, they would know she was here. There would be no hiding it. The mont her foot crossed that line, her presence would be sensed.
For a brief mont, fear curled tightly in her chest. The thought of seeing Alpha Soier again made her palms turn cold. Especially now that she had chosen to co alone, without anyone by her side.
She could have gone directly to the Ruins instead of coming here. It would have been easier. Safer. But she hadn’t. After all, she might feel a bit of fear but that would not stop her. For so reason, she was sure that everything would be okay.
Just as she lifted her foot, ready to cross into Moonville territory, her phone rang.
Emira paused. Her brows knit together as she looked down at the screen. An unknown number. After a second of hesitation, she answered. Only to hear his voice.
"Mira."
Her jaw tightened instantly. Emira hated the way he said that na. It had been only a few hours that she had learned the truth and yet, for so reason, she hated hearing it.
Because it stirred sothing sharp and aching in her chest, the mories of a past life that had been taken from her, choices that had never truly been hers. And yet, no matter how much she despised it, she found she could not bring herself to snap at him and tell him not to use it. And that made her even more wary because she could feel herself being pulled in two different directions- the past that had been taken from her and the future that she saw for herself.
"Yes?" she replied in a calm voice.
"Have you reached the Moonville Pack?"
The casual query made her go still. Her fingers tightened around the phone. How did he know?"Are you keeping an eye on ?" she asked quietly.
He laughed. It was soft, almost amused. But she knew that the dark lord had long ceased to be amused. "No. As much as I would like to keep an eye on you, your ntal defences are strong. You’ve pushed out of your head completely, which was quite surprising because you never did that in the past... And I dare not try again."
There was a brief pause before he continued, his tone shifting just enough to carry aning. "Besides, having you followed by soone to keep inford? Unfortunately, I cannot do that too because those three have you well guarded."
The implication was clear. He might not be watching her but they were.
Emira raised an eyebrow. Did he expect her to be angry? The thought that Lance, Kael, and Zen still cared enough to protect her, even now when she had hurt them so badly, made sothing warm settle in her chest. She would have to be blind not to feel grateful for their quiet, unwavering support.
So, since she chose to see them as protectors and not spies, she said nothing.
"I simply guessed your location" Aron continued. "I knew you would co here. As I said before, you haven’t changed much, Mira."
Emira didn’t respond. She didn’t like that he could predict her choices so easily while she still felt lost, piecing things together one step at a ti.
"But are you sure you want to go there?" Aron asked suddenly.
She frowned. "What do you an?"
He laughed again. It was strange—how soone could laugh and still sound so empty, so distant, as if emotion had long since drained out of him. "I’m worried," he said lightly. "If you go there, you might recover all your mories. And then what will you do? You’ll have to make the choice all over again." His voice softened, but the weight of his words pressed down on her. "And what if this ti... you don’t choose ?"
Emira’s grip tightened.
"After all," he continued, "you are my bride. The only one who can bring back whole."
Emira let out a slow breath, exhaustion creeping into her bones. "I am not your bride," she said quietly. "At least not in this life. In this life, I am Emira and not Mira."
There was silence on the other end then, before a cold voice sounded," Then you better have a way to bring back whole, Emira. Because I will co back. I might be tolerant of my Mira but I have no patience for soone who insists on not being my person. Especially when I have already waited long enough. No one can stop . Not even you."
Even though the words were said in the sa casual tone he had been talking in, Emira felt a chill run down her spine. This man... from the mories he had shown her might indeed have been patient but he was full of resentnt. Resentnt for the person who had imprisoned him. And now, near his coback, he would definitely not let her stand in his way.
"I understand." She said slowly. And just when he seed to be satisfied with her answer, she said, "But don’t confuse what I was with what I am willing to be. I, too, won’t make choices out of obligation to a past life. I will decide based on what protects the future I want. And if that future does not include you, then no mory will change that. Or induce to help you. Threat or no threat."
And yet, as Aron gave no answer to that, Emira could not have imagined that the person she was seeking for revenge, in this life and of the past life were the sa....
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