Chapter 85

**Glimpse Into the Past**

I had no idea when I had fallen asleep. I had been drawn into the depths of exhaustion by its massive arms. I was on the verge of unconsciousness at one point, the sounds of the battlefield still reverberating in my head. The next, I was in a completely different place.

The field was huge and unspoiled, with undulating hills covered in wildflowers of every hue imaginable. The sky above was a vast expanse of blue, and the air had a lovely scent. After days of constant stress, I had a strange sense of calm.

A deep, familiar voice cried out, "Luna."

I froze when I turned. It wasn't the Kai I knew, but it was Kai. This Kai appeared younger, but in some ways more confident. His golden eyes were filled with an intensity that left me speechless, and his presence was bigger and more imposing.

He took a step closer and stated, "You found me."

"Did you find you?" With a shaky voice, I asked. "Where are we?"

His eyes never left mine as his face softened. "This is the past—the past of *us*."

The words made my spine tingle. I started to say something, but the situation changed before I could.

All of a sudden, we found ourselves in the midst of combat. Around us, wolves fought, their howls resonating through the confusion. The same power that I had used in the most recent combat was still flowing through me.

However, this was a different me. I was more than simply Luna; I was someone else. I moved with purpose and fluidity, as if I had mastered the art of combat for years.

With his wolf form bigger and more dangerous than I had ever seen, Kai was at my side. We moved as one, tearing like a whirlwind into the enemy.

I could still hear him say, "We were unstoppable." "There was nothing we couldn't conquer when we battled together."

The connection between us was so strong that it was nearly painful, and I felt a twinge of need. Something else, though, something darker.

Once more, the scene changed. The blossoms had vanished by the time we returned to the field. The sky was cloudy and the grass was burnt. Kai was standing in front of me, looking conflicted.

His voice broke as he replied, "I couldn't protect you." "I wasn't enough, no matter how hard I tried."

I extended my hand to touch him, but it went through his. My chest erupted in panic. "What are you talking about, Kai?"

With agonized eyes, he murmured, "You died, Luna." "You gave your life for me and the pack. Since then, I've been waiting for you.

His comments were like a tidal wave of weight. My mind was filled with memories that weren't mine—pictures of struggles, love, and sorrow. With Kai's howl of pain resonating in the background, I saw myself plummeting.

With my knees giving out, I muttered, "This can't be real."

Kai knelt down in front of me and cupped my face. I felt his contact this time, grounded, warm. "It's real," he declared. And we have an opportunity to complete what we began now that you are here. Together.

Tears were running down my face as I closed my eyes. The force inside me awoke, reassuring and commanding. "But what if this time I'm not enough?"

"You are," he asserted. "You were and always were."

The landscape dissolved into darkness as the scene started to fade. "Kai!" I reached for him and called.

"Luna, I'll always find you," he said. "No matter what."

My chest was heaving when I woke up. The moon's dim shine through the window was the only source of light in the otherwise gloomy apartment.

Every aspect of the dream was seared into my memory, and it held on to me like a second skin. It was a memory, not merely a dream.

I shoved the blankets away with shaking hands and stepped onto the chilly floor. I wanted room to ponder, air.

I crept outside and discovered the camp to be eerily silent. Everyone was exhausted from the battle's aftermath, but tonight's silence felt more pressing.

I strolled to the camp's edge, where I could see the forest infinity. The tempest that was roaring inside of me was not much calmed by the cold breeze.

"Had trouble sleeping?" The silence was broken by Kai's voice, and I turned to see him with his arms crossed and resting against a tree.

I just stared at him for a time, the dream pushing down on my chest. At last, my voice was hardly audible above a whisper, "I had a dream."

His forehead furrowed as he took a step closer. "What sort of dream?"

Unsure if I could articulate it, I paused. "It was more than a dream. It seemed real. As if I were recalling something.

Kai's golden eyes searched mine as his face stiffened. "What did you observe?"

"Us," I murmured, the word seeming both familiar and alien. Together, we were fighting like a natural force. But then I noticed... I witnessed my own death.

With his hands on my shoulders, he drew us closer together. "Luna, it was real. Everything.

His affirmation chilled me to the bone. "What kept you from telling me?"

With a regretful tone, he remarked, "I wanted to, but I wasn't sure if you were ready to remember." "Our relationship is ancient than time itself. However, there is a price for it.

"How much does it cost?" With my heart racing, I inquired.

His jaw tensed as he averted his gaze. We are drawn to one another each time we are reborn. But we are cruelly torn apart by fate. I couldn't stand to lose you once more.

I was overcome with feelings of rage, grief, and love as his words lingered in the air. However, isn't it something we can alter? We can resist fate.

Kai's ferocious eyes met mine. "We could try. However, Luna, you must realize that there are forces at work here that we do not fully comprehend. Your memories and your strength are all a part of something greater.

The night was suddenly broken by a loud howl before I could reply. It was a warning—one that made my skin crawl.

Kai's muscles tensed and his face darkened. "They're present."

"Who?" My voice trembled as I asked.

He kept his eyes on the forest and didn't respond. "Remain near me."

The shadows appeared to shift as we stood there, and a recognizable, ominous figure appeared out of the trees.

The competitor Alpha was there, his eyes shining vilely. He hissed, "Luna, you can't hide forever."

With a growl in his voice, Kai moved ahead of me. "Coming here was a mistake on your part."

With a sly smile, the rival Alpha turned to face me. "Kai, I want her." You cannot keep her safe indefinitely.

A snarl rose in my throat as my wolf roused. I was stronger than the Luna I had been before, and I refused to let anyone take that away from me.

I knew this was onl

y the beginning as the tension crackled in the air. The fight for our future was just getting started.