CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1 : Death and Rebirth

ARIA POV

"You’ll die before the next moonrise."

The words reverberated in my head, icy and definitive. His golden eyes, which had before been warm, pierced through the fog of anguish that obscured my vision and took on a ruthless, cutting look. The blood pooling under me while I lay on the chilly ground served as a sobering reminder of his treachery.

"Darius." I could hardly raise my head and croaked.

With no remorse in his voice, he replied, "You brought this on yourself, Aria." Under the faint moonlight, the sword in his palm shone, its edge still slippery from my blood.

Around me, the world became darker, and as my power diminished, I could see just the outlines of what was there. Even though I could feel death's cold grasp pulling at my spirit, I clung to my hatred and rage.

With my dying breath, I cursed him.

The Moon Goddess was cursed by me.

Then—nothing.

I gasped as oxygen flooded my lungs like fire as I opened my eyes again. Expecting to see the deadly wound, my hands sprang to my chest, but nothing was there. No blood. No discomfort.

Rather, I was in my former bedroom, surrounded by artifacts from a past life that I hadn't seen in a long time.

My heart thumping, I leaped to my feet. The room looked just as I remembered it, with old drapes that hardly blocked the moonlight and a broken mirror over the dresser. I dangled my legs over the edge, bare feet touching the old floors as my bed groaned under me.

"This isn't possible," I said, my voice shaking.

I needed to be sure I wasn't going crazy, so I looked in the mirror. Young and untouched by the atrocities I had experienced, my mirror gazed back at me. I recognized the face for the first time in years—smooth skin, sparkling eyes, untarnished by death or treachery.

Then I noticed it.

The mate mark on my neck, glowing faintly.

"No," I stammered back, choking. When Darius turned me down, that mark ought to have disappeared. It ought to have remained a bitter, faraway memory.

A bitter reminder of the relationship that had doomed me was there, however.

My breath came in short, irregular gasps as I held on to the edge of the dresser. The treachery, the sorrow, and the icy finality of his words brought back memories of my dying.

"How?" With my voice cracking, I whispered.

I was startled by a knock at the door.

"Aria? Are you ok in there?

The voice of Cassie. Her voice seemed younger, less weighed down by the catastrophes that were yet to come.

I forced myself to regulate my breathing and swallowed hard. Yes, I called back in a tremulous voice. "Just a nightmare."

Cassie entered as the door creaked open. She wore her favorite oversized sweater, the same one she wore every day as a teenager, and her brown hair was pulled back in a loose braid.

"You appear pale," she said, her eyes glimmering with worry. "Are you certain you're alright?"

I forced a grin as I nodded. "I'm all right. Give me a minute, please.

After a moment of hesitation and staring at me, Cassie nodded. "Don't be too slow. Alpha Marcus becomes irritated when individuals arrive late, and the pack meeting is about to begin.

The meeting of the pack. My stomach turned over. I had first met Darius's gaze there, and that was when it all began.

I dropped to the floor with my back to the wall as the door snapped shut behind Cassie. I was trying to piece together the inconceivable facts while my thoughts raced.

I wasn't only living. I had returned.

Five years ago, before my world collapsed and before I died, the Moon Goddess had transported me back in time.

However, why?

My gut churned with dread as I saw the mate mark's faint glimmer once again. Darius was here, too, if I was. I was suddenly seized with cold horror at the prospect of seeing him again and those golden eyes that had previously made my pulse beat.

I said, "No," and shook my head. "This time, no."

Grasping the edge of the dresser with quivering hands, I forced myself to stand. I looked back at my mirror, but this time I didn't see the girl who had put her blind faith in destiny. I saw a person who was resolute in their survival and had been hardened by betrayal.

To the girl in the mirror, I said, "This time, I'll destroy you before you destroy me."

However, a chill went down my spine even as I was speaking. Was I destined to make the same errors again, or could I alter my destiny?

My thoughts were again disturbed by a gentle tap.

Cassie cried out through the door, her voice muffled, "Aria." "The Moonshine Pack arrived just now."

My blood became icy.

The Moonshine Pack. Darius's pack.

My nails dug into my hands as I clinched my fists. Already, fate was at work, drawing me back to the guy who had broken me.

Not now.

I took a long breath to regain my composure before grabbing a coat off the back of the chair and throwing it on.

I inhaled deeply to steady myself before snatching a coat from the chair's back and putting it on.

As I stepped out of the room and into the hallway, I could hear the soft whispers of voices from the assembly beneath. Each step I took accelerated my heartbeat, yet I compelled myself to continue.

I wouldn't run. I wouldn't back down.

I would confront him.

I froze as I got to the top of the stairs. Wolves from the Moonshine and Golden Claw packs crowded the main hall. I looked around, fearing, scouring the crowd.

Then I caught sight of him.

Blackthorn, Darius.

His golden eyes scanned the throng as he stood in the middle of the room. As I recalled, his presence was authoritative and fascinating. However, a peculiar glimmer of recognition appeared on his face as we locked eyes.

A slow, piercing, and rapacious grin appeared on his lips.

"Aria," he continued, his voice low and tinged with an unidentified substance.

My heart stopped beating.

He recalled.