Sleep came only after exhaustion finally overcame Calix.
The celebrations had lasted long into the night.
Becoming Alpha should have filled him with triumph, yet his thoughts had never truly left the hidden spring…
or the woman waiting for him.
Before dawn, his mind drifted into a dream.
It was warm.
Golden sunlight filtered through the towering pines, bathing the forest in a gentle glow that felt almost unreal.
There were no councils waiting for him, no Alpha duties, no expectations pressing against his shoulders.
Only her.
She walked beside him with her fingers intertwined with his, their hands fitting together as though they had always belonged that way.
His wolf was quiet.
Content.
For the first time in what felt like years, there was no restlessness inside him.
No guilt over rejecting his fated mate.
No fear of disappointing his father.
There was only peace.
She laughed softly, looking back at him with the smile that had slowly returned over the past three months.
The same smile she had worn when she whispered, “Not Alpha.
Just Calix.”
His own lips curved upward without effort.
They continued walking through the familiar forest trails until they reached the hidden spring-the secret sanctuary she had trusted only him to see.
She sat comfortably on his lap, wrapping his cloak around herself against the cool mountain breeze.
Looking into his eyes, she smiled with quiet happiness before slowly standing.
For a brief moment, everything felt perfect.
Then…
The ground beneath her feet cracked.
The peaceful clearing disappeared.
Darkness swallowed the world.
She reached toward him as she began to fall into an endless void.
Calix’s heart stopped.
“No!”
Without hesitation, he threw himself after her.
The darkness consumed them both.
…
He hit solid ground.
Hard.
The world changed again.
He was no longer in the forest. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
He stood inside the ancient throne room of the Werewolf Kingdom.
Heavy ceremonial robes rested on his shoulders.
A crown weighed upon his head.
Before him stood Veyl.
His father smiled with unmistakable pride as he lifted another crown and placed it firmly upon Calix’s head.
“My son,” Veyl declared.
“From this day forward…
you are King.”
Thunderous applause echoed through the hall.
Calix barely heard it.
His eyes searched frantically until they found her.
She stood beside the throne.
She wore the same simple clothes she had always preferred instead of royal garments.
One hand rested protectively over the gentle curve of her stomach.
She was heavily pregnant.
Nine months.
The sight stole his breath.
His child…
Their child…
Joy flooded through him so suddenly that he instinctively stepped toward her.
But before he could reach her, another woman entered the hall.
She was an Alpha noblewoman dressed in magnificent royal attire.
Without warning, his dream-self walked toward the stranger.
He took her hand.
Calix watched in horror as though trapped inside his own body.
“No…”
His other self gently helped the Alpha woman onto the Queen’s throne beside him.
The court cheered.
His father nodded approvingly.
Everything around him celebrated.
Everything…
Except her.
She remained standing alone.
Confusion clouded her eyes.
Then her body began to dissolve.
Tiny silver fragments drifted away like ash carried by the wind. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
She looked at him one final time.
Not with anger.
Not with hatred.
Only quiet sadness.
“Wait…”
He reached desperately toward her.
“No…”
Her fingers disappeared.
Then her arms.
Her face.
Her smile.
“No!”
His voice cracked.
“NO!”
She vanished completely.
Nothing remained.
Calix bolted upright in bed.
His chest rose and fell violently as sweat soaked his tunic.
His heart hammered against his ribs so fiercely it almost hurt.
The room was dark.
Silent.
Only the faint light of dawn slipped through the curtains.
There was no throne.
No crown.
No Alpha woman.
No pregnant mate.
Only the memory of her turning to ash before his eyes.
He pressed a trembling hand over his face, struggling to steady his breathing.
His wolf paced frantically inside him, unsettled in a way he had never experienced before.
It didn’t feel like an ordinary nightmare.
It felt…
Like losing her.
Calix threw aside the blankets and stood abruptly.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
I need to find her.
He had promised he would return to her.
He intended to keep that promise.