Died Once

Sana's pulse roared in her ears.

Moonborn.

Lucien's fated mate.

The only thing he's ever feared.

The words settled like a blade to her throat. They felt like a lie—but something deep inside her whispered that they were true.

She took a sharp step toward Kael, her silver eyes flashing.

"I don't believe you."

Kael didn't move. Didn't even blink. He had expected that.

"You don't have to," he said calmly. "But whether you remember or not, Lucien does. And if he finds you before you're ready…"

His jaw tensed. "You won't get another chance."

Sana's nails dug into her palms. "And why do you care?"

Kael hesitated.

For the first time, something uncertain flickered in his golden gaze.

"Because I made a promise," he finally said.

Sana's stomach dropped.

She didn't know why, but the way he said it—the weight in his voice—made something inside her ache.

She took a breath. "A promise to who?"

Kael's silence was deafening.

Sana stepped closer. "You're keeping something from me."

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me the truth."

Kael exhaled sharply, his hands clenched at his sides. "The truth is—"

A howl split the night.

Sana's body locked.

Kael swore under his breath. Lucien's wolves.

Another howl answered the first. Closer.

Sana's throat went dry. They had found them.

Kael turned to her, his golden eyes sharp and burning. "We have to go. Now."

Sana barely had time to nod before Kael grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the night.

Branches tore at them as they ran, the forest closing in—but behind them, the wolves gave chase.

Lucien was coming.

And this time, he wouldn't let her slip away.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Kael's grip on Sana's wrist was firm but not painful as they sprinted through the dense forest. The night was alive with the sounds of the hunt—snapping branches, distant howls, the whisper of something unseen moving between the trees.

Sana's breath tore through her lungs. She had never run like this before, yet somehow, her body knew how.

Instinct.

The thought chilled her more than the wind cutting through the trees.

Then, just as her legs threatened to give out, Kael yanked her sharply to the right, pulling her up a narrow, overgrown path.

"There," he said, his voice low.

Sana followed his gaze and saw it—a cabin, barely standing. The wood was dark with age, its roof sagging slightly under the weight of time.

A hiding place.

Kael didn't hesitate. He pushed open the creaking door and pulled her inside. The scent of dust and damp wood filled the air, but it was shelter.

Kael shut the door behind them and exhaled. His sharp golden gaze scanned the shadows of the small space, checking for danger.

Then he turned to her. "We stay here until the wolves pass. No fire. No sound."

Sana nodded, though her heart still pounded. She leaned against the rough wooden wall, trying to calm the storm inside her.

Kael paced. He was restless. His body was tense, his breathing controlled—too controlled.

Sana crossed her arms. "Are you always this pleasant?"

Kael huffed a quiet laugh. "I could've left you out there."

She scowled. "I don't need saving."

He turned, eyes flashing. "Then next time, I'll let Lucien's hunters carve you open."

Silence fell between them, thick and electric.

Sana hated that she had no answer.

Because deep down, she knew—he was right.

She had no idea how to survive this world.

No idea who she really was.

No idea why her body burned from the inside out every time she ran, every time she fought, every time she was close to him.

Sana swallowed hard. She needed answers.

She lifted her chin. "You said Lucien fears me. Why?"

Kael didn't respond at first. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

Then, finally, he said, "Because he killed you once before."

Sana's breath hitched.

Kael's golden eyes burned in the dim light.

"And now you're back."

Outside, the wind howled.

And in the distance, so did Lucien's wolves.

The silence between them was thick, heavy with truths Sana wasn't ready to face.

'Lucien killed you once before.'

The words echoed in her skull, twisting into something cold and sharp. She didn't remember. But she felt it. Deep in her bones.

And then—

A growl rumbled outside the cabin.

Low. Menacing. Close.

Sana stiffened.

Kael's golden eyes snapped toward the door, his body going still. Listening.

Then—another growl.

Closer this time.

Kael swore under his breath. "They tracked us."

Sana's stomach dropped.

A clawed hand scraped against the wooden door. The slow, deliberate sound of a predator playing with its prey.

Kael moved first. He grabbed Sana's wrist and pulled her behind him, his stance shifting—ready to fight.

"Stay behind me," he murmured.

Sana's pulse pounded. She didn't know whether it was fear or something worse.

Then the door shattered.

A massive wolf lunged inside, its eyes glowing like molten gold.

Lucien's wolves.

Sana barely had time to react before Kael moved like a shadow.

He grabbed the wolf mid-air, twisting with raw, deadly strength. The beast yelped as Kael slammed it into the ground, claws sinking deep into its throat.

One down.

But there were more.

Another wolf crashed through the broken door, snarling, and this time—it wasn't alone.

Four more followed.

Sana's breath caught. They were surrounded.

Kael growled, his body tensing to strike—but then Sana felt it.

A pull deep inside her. Something waking up.

Her blood burned. Her skin tingled, stretched too tight.

The wolves hesitated.

They could sense it.

Sana's vision blurred—silver flashing through her mind, through her veins.

Then the largest wolf stepped forward. Its golden gaze burned into hers, waiting.

Testing her.

Sana clenched her fists.

Then—she moved.

Faster than she should have been able to.

She lunged, her body reacting on pure instinct.

And when she struck—she didn't feel human anymore.