Chapter 4 004 Fractured threads

"What?" My voice barely left my lips, the confusion tightening around my chest like a vice.

Xylara burst into laughter, her delicate features lighting up as if she had said something amusing instead of... whatever that was. "Oh, Astrid, don't look so serious," she said smoothly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It was just a passing thought. A line I read somewhere-do you think it sounds dramatic enough?"

I swallowed, my pulse still uneven. Something about her tone made my skin prickle, but I forced a small laugh. "A bit too dramatic, Luna."

She tilted her head, her lips curling slightly. "Hmm, I suppose you're right." Then, as if remembering something, she turned to me with curiosity. "Speaking of fate... have you found someone yet?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"A mate," she clarified, eyes glinting under the chandeliers. "I know you never seemed too interested before, but surely there's someone who's caught your eye? A strong Alpha, maybe?"

A sharp pang shot through me, but I kept my face carefully neutral. "No," I said shortly.

Xylara sighed, as if she pitied me. "Astrid, love is such a powerful thing. It changes you, strengthens you." She smiled, a wistful look in her eyes. "Kaiden and I... he's everything I ever wanted. The way he takes care of me, of us-" She placed a gentle hand over her stomach, her expression softening. "You wouldn't believe how protective he is. Some nights, he barely lets me out of his sight. And when he marked me-" She exhaled, almost dreamily. "It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I could feel how much he wanted me, how deeply he loved me."

My throat burned.

I swallowed down the ache clawing up my chest and forced a small smile. "That's... wonderful, Luna," I murmured.

"Oh, it is," she agreed, her voice light, almost teasing. "I hope one day you find something just as special."

I nodded, but I didn't trust myself to speak.

Because once, I had dreamed of being in her place. Once, I had imagined a life where I was the one Kaiden protected, the one he marked, the one carrying his child.

But that life was never meant to be. And no matter how much I tried to push it down, the truth was suffocating.

I was still in love with a man who was never mine to begin with.

I needed to get out of here.

The air in the ballroom suddenly felt stifling, the golden glow of the chandeliers too bright, the music too loud. My heart pounded painfully against my ribs as I forced myself to stand still, to keep my face impassive, even as my entire body screamed at me to flee.

"I should-" My voice came out too tight, too thin. I cleared my throat and forced a polite smile. "I should go find Beta Silas. He wanted an update on the healers' supplies."

Xylara waved a dismissive hand. "Of course, don't let me keep you." Then, just as I turned, her voice stopped me.

"Oh, and Astrid?"

I swallowed hard before glancing back at her.

She smiled, sweet and serene, but there was something unreadable in her eyes. "Don't wander too far. Kaiden doesn't like it when his people disappear on him."

Something about the way she said it made my skin prickle.

I didn't respond. I just nodded, turned, and walked away.

Each step away from her felt heavier, my heart slamming against my ribs. I needed air. I needed space. I needed to rip this ache out of my chest and burn it before it consumed me whole.

The moment I stepped out onto the balcony, I exhaled shakily, gripping the cold railing as the crisp night air rushed against my burning skin.

Pathetic. That's what I was.

A foolish girl still nursing a love that never truly belonged to her.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Get it together, Astrid.

"You look like you just got punched in the gut."

The deep, familiar voice sent a shiver down my spine.

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Kaiden.

His presence was undeniable-an intense, electric force that settled around me like a storm about to break.

I inhaled slowly, composing myself before I faced him. "And you look like someone who should be inside, enjoying the party with your mate."

Something flickered in his gaze, but it was gone before I could decipher it. He stepped closer, the space between us shrinking. "I needed air."

I huffed out a humorless laugh. "Join the club."

For a moment, we just stood there, side by side, staring at the moonlit forest beyond the balcony.

Then, Kaiden spoke, his voice quieter. "Did she say something to you?"

I stiffened. "Who?"

His eyes never left mine. "Xylara."

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. "She was just telling me how wonderful it feels to be loved."

His expression darkened, but he didn't say anything.

I exhaled, shaking my head. "It's fine, Kaiden. Really. I'm happy for you."

The lie tasted like poison.

His jaw clenched. "Astrid-"

But before he could say whatever it was he wanted to say, the world around me shifted.

A sharp, searing pain shot through my skull.

My breath hitched as my vision blurred, colors bleeding into darkness before something else took its place-

A bed, tangled sheets, the scent of cedar and something distinctly familiar.

Warm hands tracing the curve of my waist.

A deep, hushed voice murmuring against my skin.

"From this day on, you are mine, Astrid."

Kai-

The name never fully formed.

The memory-if it was a memory-ripped away from me like a thread being violently severed.

I gasped, stumbling back as reality came rushing in.

Kaiden caught me before I could collapse, his strong hands gripping my arms. "Astrid!"

I blinked rapidly, my head spinning, my breath coming in sharp, uneven gulps. Kaiden's grip on my arms was firm, steady, grounding-but it did nothing to stop the chaos roaring inside my head.

I could still feel it. The warmth of phantom hands on my skin. The echo of a voice that sounded so much like Kaiden's, but wasn't. The overwhelming certainty that what I saw wasn't just a dream.

It was real.

It had been real.

But how?

"Astrid." His voice was sharp now, laced with something I couldn't place. "What the hell just happened?"

I swallowed hard, my lips parting, but before I could force out an answer-

A sharp pain sliced through my skull again.

And then-

Another vision.

Another memory.

A blood-red moon.

A battle.

Kaiden, bloodied and bruised, standing in front of me-protecting me.

His voice, raw and desperate. "No one takes what's mine."

Then-darkness.

I gasped, wrenching myself away from Kaiden's grasp, clutching my head as the vision shattered.

And when I looked up at him, heart racing, breath shaking, I barely recognized the words that slipped from my lips.

"Kaiden... who were we?"