CHAPTER 01
KAELION ♠
I don’t remember the last time I was happy. I don’t even remember what peace feels like anymore. Every day has become a constant battle for survival.
Hunt. Eat. Sleep. That was all I did.
The sky had turned an ugly gray color, revealing that night was about to fall. I needed to get back to my cabin before the moon rose. That’s when the real monsters come out to feed.
I had set up traps the day before, so I walked the line to check them. The first three were empty. I hissed through my teeth and kicked the snow. The fourth one was empty too. “Empty again. Great.”
Just as I turned to head home, I heard a soft noise coming from the small cave nearby. It sounded like a whimper, making my body go still.
Inside my chest, my beast lifted its head, its ears pricked, a low growl vibrating through my ribs. ‘Prey?’ it seemed to ask, pacing.
I listened. And the sound came through again.
I should have just ignored it. But something pulled me toward the cave. I moved quietly, stepping through the narrow entrance.
At first I saw nothing. Then my eyes adjusted and I froze.
A woman was lying on her side on the cold stone floor. She was shivering, her thin clothes torn and dirty. Both her ankles were bleeding badly, like someone had chained her, and she had fought to get free. Blood had dried on the surrounding rocks.
My stomach twisted. I shook my head and took a step back. This wasn’t my problem. I had enough to worry about.
But I couldn’t move.
The beast inside me lunged forward, snapping its jaws. ‘No! Don’t leave her!’ it roared. It clawed at my insides, forcing me to stop. I lingered against my better judgment, cursing the weakness that kept my feet planted.
“Damn it,” I whispered through gritted teeth.
I turned back and walked over to her. She looked so small and fragile. I crouched down and carefully shook her shoulder.
“Hello?” My voice came out rough. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer. Her breathing was shallow and fast.
The beast whined softly inside me, pacing in tight circles. For some reason, it didn’t like seeing her like this.
I gently rolled her onto her back so I could check if she was still breathing properly. The moment her face turned toward me, my entire body went cold.
I couldn’t breathe.
Her face… it was exactly like Elyra’s.
Same luminous pearl-white skin. Same silver-white hair. Same delicate features.
My hand moved on its own, reaching out to touch her cheek, but I stopped just before my fingers brushed her skin. My trembling hand hung in the air.
“Elyra…” I whispered. My heart clenched as her name left my lips.
My beast howled in pain. It scratched and twisted, wanting to curl up around her like a protective dog.
No. Elyra was dead. I watched them kill her along with our unborn child. This woman was not my Elyra. She couldn’t be.
I closed my eyes tight and breathed out slowly. “Who are you?” I said under my breath.
She shivered again, a small moan escaping her lips.
I couldn’t leave her here. Not with the night coming and her ankles torn up. Several creatures would smell the blood and come running.
I sighed heavily. “This is a mistake,” I muttered to myself. “A stupid mistake.”
Still, I slid my arms under her — one under her knees, the other behind her back. She was lighter than I expected. When I lifted her, her head fell against my chest, and the calming scent of lavender drifted up from her hair.
I carried her out of the cave and started the long walk back to my cabin. The wind picked up, biting cold against my face. I kept her close, trying to share what little warmth I had.
“Of all the faces in the world… why hers?” I whispered to her unconscious figure. “Why do you look like her?”
She stirred a little in my arms. Her eyes fluttered but didn’t open.
“Easy,” I said softly. “I’ve got you. You’re safe…”
The cabin came into view — it was small, and eerily dark. I kicked the door open and carried her inside, carefully laying her on my bed.
I grabbed a rag and a bowl of water. As I started cleaning the blood from her ankles, my hands shook. Every time I looked at her face, the same pain hit me again.
I wrapped her ankles with strips of cloth, tight enough to stop the bleeding but gentle, so I wouldn’t hurt her more. When I finished, I sat back on the wooden chair and stared at her.
She looked so peaceful lying there, but she didn’t belong here. How did a fae end up in the Wastelands? That was practically a death sentence.
I ran a hand over my short dark hair and let out a long breath.
“What am I supposed to do with you now?” I asked the silent room.
Outside, the first howl of a night beast echoed across the Wasteland. The moon was rising.
I stood up, checked the locks on the door, and added more wood to the fire. Then I sat down again, my eyes never leaving her face.
I had brought a fae into my home. A fae who looked exactly like the woman I loved and lost.
This was going to end very badly.
But as I watched her breathe, a small part of me — a part I thought had died seven years ago — felt something warm flicker in my chest.
Hope.
