Judgment - Valeria's POV

Judgment - Valeria's POV
“So I was right in my earlier judgment as well. Kendric has always been my fated mate. Look, we may have loved each other before that moment, but a fated mate bond isn’t something you can stop..”

His gaze lifts and meets mine. “Yes, but that doesn’t change what we have. Wolves and their stupid fate. If it didn’t exist, then you would have never had to go through all of this and I would have never made the choices I have. I became a vampire because of—”

He cuts himself off, and I realize the rest.

“That’s why you became a vampire, and the curse was made for us to be reborn.” My voice trails off. “That’s why midnight is so significant.”

“Technically, becoming a vampire was the price I paid for the curse. The person who cast it didn’t tell me what the terms would really be. Only that it would change me so I could live to see you again.”

Tears prick at the corner of my eyes again, causing them to burn. All my life, I thought I had bad luck or something. The dreams and all the abuse were because of it. Now I understand this all goes back to something else.

“Your greed has cost me.” Those words are barely a whisper once they leave my mouth, but their meaning strikes true.

“What?” He snaps. “What has it cost you?”

“You cost me. Do you realize how much pain and suffering I’ve gone through? Did you know Jackson abused me? I’m sure it’s tied to Micah, who worked for you. Each life, I’ve had to ensure some sort of abuse or be used for some man’s gain before Kendric saves me.”

He chokes on nothing and looks at me with a confused expression. “No, that can’t be true.”

“Jackson used a whip, just like your men did when you first captured me. It doesn’t matter that the wounds are healed now. It still happened.”

“I did it to get to Kendric and break him to serve me as he should have all these years.” He pauses, looking off into the distance. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But you did. You don’t hurt the one you love, Ramsey. So maybe you never loved me at all.”

He gawks as he tries to form words, but ultimately fails. “I’m sorry it happened. You don’t understand the bigger picture. This is what needs to happen, so we can have our happily ever after, just like it should have been all those years ago.”

“I think I’m beginning to. We go to war in every life, and it always ends with some kind of reprieve where Kendric and I grow old. We die at the strike of midnight together to be reborn another time to do this all over again. You live on as a vampire and wait. But if one thing has become clearer, it’s the fact that it isn’t because of me that Kendric is feral. It’s because of the curse, isn’t it? The curse is what makes him that way.”

Ramsey laughs and takes a step back as he rubs his chin. “Oh no, Valeria. That is not what made him feral. You see, I’m not the only one who made a deal with a witch. Though your outcomes of the supposed curse are correct, some aren’t because of me. And because of some of the things your dear Kendric did and what he felt you made him do, that is why he is feral. This is why I’ve told you, you don’t know the bigger picture. Your mind is only starting to remember, and you need to see it all.”

“What? What more is there to see? Haven’t you shown me enough?”

He laughs, the sound low and almost seductive, echoing strangely in the open air around us. His voice wraps around me like mist as he steps closer, eyes glinting with something ancient and amused.

“Your mind,” he says, sweeping a hand in a lazy arc through the sky, “is a playground I could lose myself in all day. Dark corners. Locked doors. Golden memories buried in blood. Are you ready to see more, Valeria?” His voice drops an octave, heavy with promise. “Or are you afraid of what your past may reveal?”

I don’t answer him. I can’t.

My feet are planted at the very edge of the cliff, toes curling against the rocky ground as the wind tugs at my clothes and hair, threatening to pull me forward. I stare down into the vast chasm below as mist coils up from it like it's breathing, alive and waiting to swallow me whole.

“What am I doing here?” I whisper, more to myself than him. My voice sounds thin in the open space, as fragile as I feel.

The world around me feels dreamlike but painfully real with the sky painted in shades of violet and deep gold, as if the sun were rising and setting at once. The cliff is high, jagged, and unwelcoming, but across the distance, a towering stone castle sits nestled between snow-dusted peaks. It rises from the earth like a crown carved by giants, with high spires, flags blowing in the wind, and light spilling faintly from the windows.

That castle… I’ve seen it before.

The feeling slams into me like a storm tide. I know this place. I’ve stood on this very cliff before.

It clicks.

This isn’t just a dream. This is my second life.

A chill seeps into my bones that has nothing to do with the cold. My knees weaken and I grip the front of my tunic as a wave of vertigo washes over me.

“No,” I whisper. “I thought I’d wake up by now.”

But the world doesn’t dissolve. The castle doesn’t vanish. And the wind doesn’t fade. If anything, everything sharpens. Every detail, every shadow, every memory stirs at the edge of my mind.

Behind me, Ramsey hums softly, as if he’s amused by my denial. “You always had trouble accepting what’s right in front of you.”

I turn slowly to face him, the rising dread clawing up my spine.

“Why are you showing me this?” I ask, my voice shaking. “What happened here?”

His smile fades into something unreadable, like even he isn’t sure if he’s enjoying this anymore or bracing for what comes next. He tilts his head slightly, studying me with those dark, fathomless eyes.

“Because this,” he says softly, “is where everything began to fall apart.”

The wind howls, and far in the distance, the castle bell begins to toll.

When I say nothing, he laughs again.

“Wishing to go back so soon?” Ramsey calls out as he walks closer. He peers over the edge, completely unafraid, while I tremble with fear and can’t stand looking over the edge. “It’s not like you’ll die here.”

“Why am I here? What does my second life have to do with this? You weren’t in it.”

He makes a clicking sound as he edges closer, forcing me to take a step away from the edge. “My, my, Valeria. Do you not remember what this life held? Maybe you should think again.”

My eyes grow heavy, but how can they when I’m already in a dream-like state? I wait a few minutes, not understanding what is happening before everything becomes crystal clear.

“You were part of this life too, but how?”

A wicked smile pulls across his lips, revealing his fangs. “At this point, I was a vampire. You were the dainty princess of that castle in the distance. Tell me you remember the rest.”

I glance toward the castle, trying to remember what happened, but nothing is coming to the forefront of my mind. “It’s all blank except for Kendric arriving. He was a prince from another land. We were once again being pulled together to stop a war.”

“A war?” He muses. “Oh, that one. Once again, your father saw you as something to use. He called in another pack to help defend him, which resulted in your being married off to their prince.”

I shake my head, not sure where this is going. “Okay, and? What is wrong with that? You weren’t around and if I’m not mistaken, you were behind this war.”

He reaches up to cup my cheek as he forces me to look into his eyes. “Do you not remember what I was to you before that?”

Flashes of him sneaking in through my window after dark fill my mind. The stolen kisses, showing up at court to sneak a dance in, and so much more are right there. “You were part of my life.”

“Of course. As I told you, I was a vampire by this stage. This was after I made a deal.”

Even though that part makes sense, there is one part that doesn’t yet. “What does it have to do with Kendric becoming feral?”

He bursts out laughing as his hand drops to his side. “Oh, I guess I need to fill you in on that as well. You see, in this life is when he discovered us together. I was in your room when he arrived, hiding from the light. You knew what I was and loved me, regardless. Because of our love, he sought out a witch.”

“Are you saying he made a deal to get me to love him?”

Ramsey shrugs. “Not quite. The fated mate bond made sure of that. You were going to love him, but there were more things at play. He wanted to ensure his victory in the war.”

“So he became feral to do so? Then how does that tie us to you?” For once, I feel like I’m getting somewhere.

“Well, little did he realize he met with a descendant of the witch who made me a vampire.” He bursts out laughing, completely thrilled with this revelation. “Do you know what else?”

“What?” I snap.

“They all worked for me.”

I pause for a second, sucking in a breath. “They tricked him.”

He nods. “And he fell for it. Once the spell was cast, sure he became a beast in battle, but it has haunted him for the rest of his life. Not only that, but they tied it to me because they needed an anchor that would live for all times and ensure you two kept coming back. Now, do you understand?”

I softly laugh under my breath. “And let me guess. This all took place at midnight and that is why midnight is significant.”

He claps his hands together as he laughs with amusement. “Exactly. Midnight is such a special time, though they claim there’s a different hour for witching. No, midnight is perfect, especially for us. You’ll know soon enough.”

I swallow back the bile shooting into my throat. “You aren’t done showing me the rest of my lives, aren’t you?”

As soon as he calms, he nods in agreement. “Oh, yes, Valeria. I’m going to show you everything and then you won’t see your dear fated mate the same way ever again. This life, you will be mine.”

I look around behind me, staring at the water lapping at the bottom of the cliff. “What’s the point, Ramsey? I’m just going to die from old age. Have you forgotten I’m a shifter?”

He reaches forward, slipping his fingers under my chin and making me turn my head to face him. “It doesn’t matter. There are ways of making this work and you will live forever by my side, just as you should have all these years.”

“And if I refuse?” I take a step back, putting myself closer to the edge.