Chapter 9: The Crimson-Eyed Monster
1065 Words
A war.
We were sent back to stop a war.
The words echoed in my mind as I stared into the darkness of the forest.
Every instinct screamed at me to run.
To leave.
To hide.
But I couldn't.
Because deep down, I knew the truth.
The Shadow Wolves were connected to my death.
Connected to Kael's death.
Connected to everything.
And somehow, we had only scratched the surface.
The crimson eyes disappeared.
Just like that.
One moment they were there.
The next, they were gone.
As if they had never existed.
A shiver crawled down my spine.
"Did you see that?" I whispered.
Kael's entire body was tense.
His gaze remained fixed on the forest.
"Yes."
My stomach dropped.
Good.
At least I wasn't imagining things.
Several warriors approached cautiously.
"Alpha?"
Kael immediately masked his fear.
His expression returned to stone.
Cold.
Controlled.
Untouchable.
"No one enters the forest."
The warriors frowned.
"But Alpha—"
"That's an order."
His voice left no room for debate.
The warriors instantly obeyed.
Yet I could tell they were confused.
And honestly?
So was I.
Because Kael had never looked afraid before.
Not even during my execution.
But tonight?
Something had shaken him.
Something he wasn't telling me.
---
The journey back to the pack house was silent.
The tension between us felt different now.
Heavier.
Not because of our past.
Because of our future.
For the first time, Kael and I were standing on the same side.
Neither of us wanted that.
Yet neither of us could deny it.
The enemy was bigger than both of us.
Much bigger.
The moment we arrived, Kael called an emergency council meeting.
Every elder.
Every Beta.
Every trusted warrior.
The meeting hall quickly filled.
Anxiety hung in the air.
Everyone knew something was wrong.
Nobody knew how wrong.
I sat quietly near the back.
Watching.
Listening.
Learning.
"The attacks are increasing."
Kael stood before the council.
Power radiated from him naturally.
Commanding.
Dangerous.
A true Alpha.
"We have lost contact with three border stations."
Gasps filled the room.
Three?
My blood ran cold.
That hadn't happened before.
Not even in my previous life.
The timeline was spiraling out of control.
One elder stood.
"Could this be the royal family?"
Another shook his head.
"No. The Alpha King would never risk civil war."
"Then who?"
Silence.
Nobody had an answer.
Because nobody knew about the Shadow Wolves.
At least not yet.
Suddenly, the council doors burst open.
Everyone jumped.
A guard rushed inside.
Breathing hard.
Terrified.
My heart sank.
More bad news.
The guard fell to one knee.
"Alpha!"
Kael frowned.
"What happened?"
The guard looked pale.
Almost sick.
"We found another body."
The room went silent.
Kael's jaw tightened.
"Where?"
"The southern forest."
Fear flickered through the room.
One body could be dismissed.
Two bodies created concern.
Multiple bodies?
That created panic.
The guard swallowed.
"There was something else."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The guard's voice trembled.
"A message."
A horrible feeling settled in my stomach.
A message?
For who?
The guard slowly unfolded a bloodstained piece of cloth.
Every wolf in the room stared.
My pulse thundered.
The words had been written in blood.
Fresh blood.
And they were directed at me.
"Welcome back, Aria Blackwood."
The room exploded into chaos.
My vision blurred.
My heart stopped.
No.
No.
No.
This wasn't possible.
Nobody should know.
Nobody except Kael.
Vanessa.
And me.
Yet someone out there knew exactly who I was.
Exactly what had happened.
Exactly what we had done.
The blood drained from my face.
Kael noticed immediately.
His eyes locked onto mine.
Sharp.
Protective.
Concerned.
The room spun around me.
Because suddenly...
I realized something terrifying.
What if we weren't the only ones who remembered the previous timeline?
---
Later that night, sleep remained impossible.
Again.
I paced inside my room.
Thinking.
Planning.
Panicking.
Someone knew.
Someone remembered.
And they wanted me to know it.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Martha?"
The door slowly opened.
But it wasn't Martha.
It was Kael.
I immediately groaned.
"Why are you here?"
His eyebrow lifted.
"Good evening to you too."
I pointed toward the door.
"Leave."
"No."
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Moon Goddess.
He was impossible.
Kael stepped inside.
Closing the door behind him.
A dangerous move.
A very dangerous move.
My wolf immediately became excited.
I mentally smacked her.
Traitor.
Kael leaned against the wall.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then his expression became serious.
"Someone is hunting you."
The words chilled me.
"I know."
"No."
His voice hardened.
"You don't."
A strange fear flickered across his face.
The sight surprised me.
Kael wasn't afraid for himself.
He was afraid for me.
The realization made my chest ache.
"I found something in my memories."
My heartbeat quickened.
"What?"
Kael hesitated.
As though debating whether to tell me.
Then he finally spoke.
"Three days before your execution..."
His jaw tightened.
"I received a letter."
I frowned.
"What letter?"
His silver eyes darkened.
"The letter that convinced me you betrayed us."
Pain twisted through me.
The memory still hurt.
Even now.
Kael looked furious.
Not at me.
At himself.
"The handwriting wasn't yours."
I froze.
What?
"What?"
His voice dropped dangerously low.
"The handwriting wasn't yours."
The room fell silent.
My pulse roared.
Because if that was true...
Then everything changed.
Everything.
Kael took a step closer.
"I didn't notice before."
His eyes burned with regret.
"I wanted someone to blame."
The confession hit like a punch.
Honest.
Raw.
Painful.
"I was angry."
Another step.
"I was grieving."
Another step.
"And I failed you."
Tears burned behind my eyes.
Not because I forgave him.
I didn't.
Not yet.
But because for the first time...
He was finally telling the truth.
A loud crash suddenly echoed outside.
Both of us froze.
Then came a scream.
A horrible scream.
The kind that makes your blood freeze.
Kael moved instantly.
So did I.
We rushed toward the window.
And what we saw below made my heart stop.
The pack was burning.
Flames swallowed buildings.
Wolves ran in every direction.
Chaos erupted everywhere.
And standing at the center of it all...
Was a woman.
A woman with silver eyes.
My face.
My hair.
My voice.
My everything.
She slowly looked up toward my window.
And smiled.
Then she whispered words I somehow heard despite the distance.
"Hello, sister."
- Writer
