I opened my eyes, and my head pounded like soone had smashed it with a rock. Everything around was blank—pitch black, like I’d fallen into a bottomless hole. I blinked hard, trying to make sense of it, but there was nothing. No walls, no floor, no light. Just endless void. I spun around, arms flailing. "Hello? Where the hell am I?"
A flicker appeared in the distance, and then a woman materialized right in front of . I jumped back, heart slamming. It was her—the witch who’d given the grimoire, the one who’d warned about Devon’s mory wipe. Her eyes glead with that sa eerie glow, her lips curling into a smirk.
"You," I snapped, stepping forward. "What did you do? The ritual—Devon opened his eyes, but then everything went black!"
She tilted her head, chuckling softly. "Oh, sweetheart, the ritual worked just fine. Devon’s back in the land of the living, mory of you scrubbed clean. But I forgot to ntion sothing important."
I crossed my arms, glaring. "Forgot? Or conveniently left out? Spill it."
She waved a hand dismissively. "You’ll be stuck in a ti loop as long as Devon’s mory is lost. Until he rembers you, you’ll keep reliving monts, over and over."
My stomach dropped. "A ti loop? What does that even an? Reliving the sa day?"
She shrugged. "Not exactly. But close enough. You’ll bounce around, trapped in fragnts of ti until he pieces you back together in his mind."
I grabbed her arm—surprisingly solid for a vision. "And what if he doesn’t rember ? What then?"
Her smile faded a bit. "Then you’re stuck in the loop till he dies. Could be years. Could be forever, if he lives long."
I shook her. "That’s bullshit! You can’t just—"
She yanked free, eyes flashing. "I can, and I did. Consider it the price for ddling with death."
"Wait, what kind of ti loop are we talking about exactly? How do I—"
The connection snapped like a rubber band breaking. Her form dissolved into smoke, and the blackness swallowed whole. I reached out, screaming, but everything faded to nothing.
When I woke up again, my head still throbbed, but now I was standing upright. I blinked against soft lighting, voices murmuring around . I looked down—sage green dress, skimpy as hell, barely hitting upper-thigh. My hands ran through my hair—black now, straight and sleek instead of my usual red waves. What the fuck? I caught my reflection in a nearby glass panel: I looked... beautiful, but different. Sharper features, maybe? Older?
The room ca into focus—a fancy dinner party, tables laden with food, people in elegant suits and gowns chatting and laughing. Crystal chandeliers overhead, waiters weaving through with trays. I knew so faces—pack mbers from Ironfang, a few from Silverclaw. Then my eyes landed on Brielle. She was across the room, heavily pregnant, glowing in a flowing blue dress.
"Brielle?" I muttered, weaving through the crowd toward her. Okay, ti loop. This had to be it. But when? What year? I scanned for clues—decorations scread so kind of celebration, maybe an anniversary or alliance event.
Before I reached her, Beta Zane appeared at her side. He leaned in, kissed her full on the lips, then gently rubbed her baby bump. "You okay, love? Need to sit?"
She smiled up at him. "I’m fine, Zane. Go mingle—I’ll catch up."
He pecked her again and walked off, nodding to a few guests.
I froze mid-step. Zane? With Brielle? Kissing her like that? What the actual hell? Last I rembered, Zane was Devon’s beta, loyal to a fault, and Brielle was... well, not with him. I shook off the shock and closed the distance.
"Brielle!" I said, grabbing her arm lightly.
She turned, and her face imdiately twisted into a frown. "Irene? What are you doing over here? Wouldn’t you rather join Molly and Christopher at their table?"
Molly and Christopher? Who the—wait, from the frozen world? I ignored that. "Brielle, what the hell is going on? How are you with Zane? When did that happen?"
She blinked, stepping back. "With Zane? Irene, we’ve been together for years. Married, even. You were at the wedding. What’s wrong with you? You’re acting weird."
"Weird? This whole thing is weird! I—" I stopped as a clinking sound cut through the chatter, soone tapping a champagne glass for attention.
Everyone turned toward the podium at the front. I looked up, and my breath caught. Devon. Standing there in a black button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up, paired with light brown pants. His hair was parted in the center, falling just right. He looked... alive. Bouncing, even, with that commanding presence. My eyes brightened—I couldn’t help it. He was back. Really back.
"To another year of unity," he said, voice booming, raising his glass. The crowd echoed him, clinking glasses.
I smiled, the urge hitting hard to shove through the people and wrap my arms around him. Hug him tight, feel his warmth again.
Brielle nudged my side. "Whoa, hold up. You and Devon reconciled? When did that happen?"
I turned to her, confused. "Reconciled? We never fought. What are you talking about?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Co on, Rene. That is a bunch of lie. The whole Pack knows both of you are sworn enemies. Because it sure didn’t seem like you two were on good terms when you ripped off Gamma Harlan’s head—and that other guy’s—just to get to Devon and try to kill him. During Gideon’s funeral, no less."
I froze, blood turning to ice. "Gideon’s... funeral?"
"Yeah," she said, sipping her water. "Gideon’s funeral. It was quite the scene. Claiming a conversation you had with the day before his death exposed Alpha Devon as the killer. You went full berserk mode."
My world went blank.
My mouth went dry. Gideon dead? Funeral? "Brielle, what day is it? Exactly."
She tilted her head, still looking at like I’d lost it. "December 23, 2035. Why? Irene, seriously, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
2035? Ten years. Ten fucking years into the future. The ti loop had dumped here, in so twisted future where everything had shifted. Brielle with Zane, Gideon dead, apparently trying to kill Devon at his funeral? And Devon—alive, leading whatever this was. And we, back as sworn enemies. So, which ant he later rembered , right? Since I’m ten years into the future.
I glanced back at the podium. Devon was stepping down now, shaking hands with a few alphas, smiling that sharp, controlled smile. I wanted to run to him, scream his na, make him rember. But the witch’s words echoed: stuck until he rembers.
"Brielle, I need to talk to you. Privately," I said, pulling her toward a quieter corner.
She resisted a bit. "Irene, you’re freaking out. If this is about the past—"
"The past? Tell more about what happened at Gideon’s funeral."
She frowned. "Are you serious? Is this so joke? Are you drunk?"
"Just talk, Brielle!"
She sighed, glancing around. "I have zero strength for whatever this is but, it was right after Gideon died—heart attack, they said, but rumors flew. Eye witnesses said they saw Devon ripping out Gideon’s heart and holding it to his face like a piece of chicken. You showed up uninvited, eyes wild, screaming about so betrayal. Apparently, Alpha Devon banned you from accesing Gideon’s funeral venue. Harlan and his buddy tried to stop you from charging the stage. You decapitated them on the spot. Claws out, blood everywhere. Devon barely dodged your attack. Security hauled you off, but you vanished after that. No one saw you for months."
I rubbed my temples, piecing it together. "And now? What’s the deal with and... everyone?"
She shrugged. "You popped back up a year ago, acting like nothing happened, promising vengeance for Gideon’s death. Tried to kill Alpha Devon 74 tis already."
My eyes widened. "74 tis?!"
Brielle eyed , "Yes. You told that yourself. Molly and Christopher are helping."
Molly and Christopher again. From the frozen world—Devon’s old allies? Wait, they escaped the frozen world, too? "Where are they? Christopher and Molly?"
"You are supposed to join them," she pointed across the room. "Over there, by the bar.
Molly’s in that silver gown, Christopher’s the tall one next to her.
I spotted them—her chatting animatedly, him scanning the crowd like a guard.
I nodded, but my mind raced. "And the baby?"
"Due in a month. A boy." She rubbed her bump. "We’re naming him after Gideon, actually. As a tribute."
Gideon’s na hit like a punch. "That’s... nice. Brielle, listen—I know this sounds crazy, but I think sothing’s wrong. Like, really wrong. I believe I am stuck here and everything is overwhelming. Gideon’s dead..."
I glanced back—Devon was deep in conversation with so elders, laughing at sothing. From here, he looked untouchable. He really killed Gideon? My Gideon?
Before I could say another thing, Zane reappeared, wrapping an arm around Brielle. "Everything okay here?"
"Yeah," Brielle said quickly. "Irene seems to be feeling under the weather."
He eyed suspiciously. "Good. Devon wants a word with the inner circle soon. You coming, Bri?"
She nodded, then turned to . "Join Molly, okay? We’ll talk later."
They walked off, leaving standing there. I pushed through the crowd a bit, trying to get a better look at Devon. He clinked another glass with soone, his voice carrying snippets: "To the future of the packs."
Future. Ten years ahead, and I was trapped in it. Gideon gone, Brielle settled with Zane, Devon and I as sworn enemies again.
What the hell kind of loop was this? I needed to figure out how to break it.
A hand tapped my shoulder. I spun—Molly, smiling brightly. "Irene! There you are. Christopher and I were wondering where you wandered off to." The brightest I have seen her smile
Christopher nodded from behind her, arms crossed. "You good?"
I forced a smile. "Yeah. Just... mingling."
Molly linked arms with . "Co on, our table’s this way. Devon’s speech was killer, right? Man’s got charisma for days."
I let her pull along, glancing back at Devon one last ti. He caught my eye for a split second—or did he? No, just scanning the room. No recognition. Nothing. How bad are we sworn enemies now? Before, when we were enemies, he would ALWAYS indulge . Now, he was avoiding .
"So," Molly chattered on, "what’s the plan for tonight? Are we still going with it?"
"What are you...?"
"Devon seem really occupied. He might retire to his wing very late so, we shift our operation to late at night."
Molly nodded, gaze dark.
What operation again? Goodness...
Christopher frowned at . "Don’t tell you are giving up on finally putting Devon in an early grave for good?"
I frowned. Okay, how many more frowns for the night?
She grabbed my hand. "Devon must pay for the pain he has caused us. We must not give up—"
"And there goes the traitors." Molly interrupted, staring ahead of us. I looked to her direction and froze again for the third ti that night.
Devon hand hid hand around Astrid. They hyper-active Astrid from the frozen world.
"I can’t believe that bitch betrayed us just to marry Devon."
"They are married?!" I echoed
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