CHAPTER 69

**The Importance of Veracity**

There was an overwhelming quiet in the room. Like a thundercloud, Kai's comments lingered in the atmosphere, thick and unavoidable. *I think you are a reincarnation of my fated partner.

I felt as if my head was whirling in a vortex, with too many questions and not enough answers. After spending so much time attempting to discover who I was in this new life, this realization threatened to completely alter my preconceived notions.

Kai was a few paces away, staring at me with his amber eyes. His face was filled with patience and something more profound than doubt: hope.

But I was unable to look him in the eye. My heart was a battlefield of feelings, including bewilderment, terror, and an unidentified anguish. I walked to the window and looked out at the moonlight woodland after turning away.

"How should I interpret this?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

With a calm yet worried tone, Kai said, "You do not have to make any decisions right now." "I just wanted you to be aware of it. I was no longer able to keep it to myself.

"But what if I am not who you believe me to be?" My comments came out quickly as I turned to face him. What happens if I am not your destined partner? Or maybe I was, but I have changed so much that I am no longer her.

Kai stepped forward, his presence overpowering yet solid. "Luna, you are still *you*. Whatever or whatever you were in the past, it does not alter the reality of the connection I have with you. What matters is who you are today, not who you were.

I wanted to think he was real. I wanted to let his words lessen the burden in my chest and find solace in them. However, I was not even certain of my identity, so how could I?

Finally, in a shaky voice, I answered, "I need time."

Although I could see the glint of disappointment in his eyes, Kai nodded. "Take as much time as you need. I will be present.

My heart hurt because of the honesty in his speech, but it also made the strain even more intolerable. I wanted the room to think, to breathe, to understand the significance of all of this.

I left the room without saying anything more, my footsteps resonating through the pack house's silent hallways. As I went outdoors, the refreshing night air welcomed me and provided a much-needed break from the oppressive weight of my thoughts.

My head whirling, I roamed across the pack grounds. My mind was filled with flashbacks of the sacrifice, love, and suffering I had experienced in that vision. What did it imply for me now if Kai was correct and I was his reincarnated mate?

Would I ever be able to accept that aspect of who I am?

I ended myself close to the training grounds' edge, lost in my thoughts. Other than one guy sitting on a seat, the place was empty. It was one of the warriors from the pack, Lyra. As I got closer, her countenance softened and she glanced up.

"Had trouble sleeping, too?" Her tone was light yet understanding as she requested.

I sat down next to her and shook my head. Before she spoke again, there was a little pause between us.

"You have experienced a lot, haven't you?" Her voice was soft as she said.

I gave a tremulous chuckle. "That is one way of saying it."

After examining me for a while, Lyra nodded. "You know, I did not feel like I belonged in this pack when I first joined. Like I would never be enough, no matter what I accomplished.

Her remarks resonated with me. "What went wrong?"

She gave a little, sad grin. "I stopped attempting to live up to the expectations I believed others had of me. I began to concentrate on who I wanted to be and what *I* desired. And gradually, I settled in.

Her words sank into my heart like a seed ready to sprout as I gazed at her. Is that that easy? Could I discover my position by choosing who I wanted to be right now rather than by looking to the past?

A howl broke the night air before I could say anything, sending a chill down my spine. In a moment, Lyra was standing, her posture attentive.

She answered sharply, "That is the border patrol." "Something is going on."

I felt a rush of adrenaline as we both flew toward the direction of the disturbance. As we got closer to the boundary, the cries became louder and more intense.

There was already several warriors assembled, their faces grim, when we arrived. Kai was also there and gave directions with a dominating presence.

"What is happening?" Breathless, I asked.

Kai's jaw tensed as his gaze shifted to mine. Scouts saw activity close to the northern boundary. They may be rogues.

As I gazed out into the darkness across the border, my pulse raced. I kept thinking about the renegade woman's terrifying words: *We will be back, Luna. And you will voluntarily come when we are.

I stiffened as I saw a startling movement in the darkness. Kai became aware of it as well, changing his position in anticipation of a battle.

However, a man sprang out of the shadows before anybody could respond.

It was not a rogue.

It was an elderly guy, his ragged robes falling over his slender body. Despite their age-related cloudiness, his eyes had a sharpness that made me shudder.

His voice was clear yet hoarse as he said, "Luna." "I have been trying to find you."

The stress in the warriors surrounding us was evident when they blinked. Kai moved forward to put himself in the way of the stranger and me.

"Who are you?" His voice was icy and uncompromising as he ordered.

The elderly guy looked at me and ignored him. "I take it you do not remember me?"

With a parched throat, I shook my head. "Should I?"

He laughed, a sound more disturbing than comforting. Maybe not. But, kid, I do remember you. I recall what you did. And I am here to pay it back.

As his words took hold, a chilling fear descended over me. "What debt?"

His slow, unsettling grin made my skin crawl. "You will learn soon enough."

The guy held out a hand before anybody could respond, and a dazzling light burst all around us. Something seemed to be pulling at me from deep within, and I felt a sudden, sharp tug in my chest.

Then there was darkness.