ANITA
I jolt upward with a gasp. My heart racing.
This vision feels different than the others.I feel...connected to her, Aurore. I understand her. It's left me with an ache in my heart.
An ache for what could've been. But that makes no sense.
Why should I be feeling the emotions of a stranger who lived over three hundred years ago?
A cool wind dances over my skin, a shiver runs down my spine.
I came here to find answers, looks like i'm leaving with more questions instead. As per usual.
I glance to the book where it lays beside me, and then I know, she left this book for me to find. I grab it and tuck it under my arm, standing, I glance around the room for anything I might have missed.
Nothing.
The room has an eerie feeling to it- almost watchful.
I don't want to be linger much longer. I tip toe out of the room and shut the door gently behind me.
I head out of the library and run upstairs to the bedroom. It's around mid afternoon and I know Anthony and Ash are usually in their study around this time.
I set the book down gently on the bedside table and pace the room thoughtfully.
I know I at least need to open the book, that much is obvious.
But I'm scared- scared of It's contents. Scared of what this all means for me.
Funny how life goes. If anyone had told me just days ago, that I would be here, living in the blood moon pack with my- mates.
I would've laughed in their face. I would've laughed even harder if they had told me that I would be having dreams of a dead girl or, that I apparently have powers?
Who am I? I don't know. I might never know, because the only person who would know for sure is gone. I wonder what my mum would make of all this if she were here...
I exhale shakily, in a bid to steady myself.
I perch on the edge of the bed, the mattress creaking softly beneath me.
I reach for the book.
Its leather cover is worn and warm to the touch, as though it's been waiting for me. Strange golden patterns seem to shimmer faintly under the light, forming shapes I can't quite understand—stars, maybe. A rose wrapped in a crescent moon stares back at me from the center.
I run my fingers over it.
The moment I open the cover, a faint shiver travels down my spine. The pages smell of earth and time, ancient and familiar all at once.
Then I see it.
The inscription.
To the one who bears my soul across lifetimes—
If you are reading this, then the stars have aligned once more.
Find me when the moon is full and the air hums with memory.
Follow the frost. Trust the ache in your heart.
Love does not die. It only waits. My Antoine, I will find you again.
Remember when I told you it wasn't goodbye?
— A.
This belongs to Aurore, it has to. Maybe some sort of journal?
My heart bleeds for her, I wonder what happened between them...
They seemed like they were meant for each other. His destined, he had called her...
Suddenly, I hear footsteps pounding up the stairs. My heart leaps into my throat.
Shit. I have to hide the journal.
I don't know what it is- but something tells me I shouldn't tell anyone about what's going on yet.
Not until I know more.
I shove the journal under my pillow just as the door creaks open.
Asher's voice follows. "Anita?"
I turn, forcing my features into something neutral. "Yeah?"
He steps inside, steel eyes sweeping over me. "I thought I heard footsteps. You okay?"
I nod a little too quickly. "Yeah. Just needed a moment to think."
His brows furrow slightly, but he doesn't press. He walks over and places a kiss on my forehead.
"We'll be downstairs if you need us."
"Thanks," I murmur.
Once he's gone, I let out a shaky breath and sink back down onto the bed.
That was close. Too close.
I reach under the pillow and pull the book out again, clutching it to my chest this time. It doesn't feel like just a book anymore. It feels like a key.
To what, I don't know yet. But something deep inside me—something old—whispers that I'm not imagining things.
That I've been here before.
Not in this pack, not in this life… but somewhere. With her. With him.
I flip through the pages, faster now, searching for answers.
The entries are written in the same delicate script. Some are journal entries. Others are spells. Notes. Drawings of the moon and its phases.
And there—pressed between two pages like a secret—
A dried flower.
Lavender. Crushed and brittle, but still holding its scent.
The meadow...
The smell triggers something sharp inside me. A memory that's not mine. A man's voice whispering mon destin... followed by laughter. My laughter.
I jerk back, heart pounding.
What the hell is happening to me?
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push it away, but the ache only deepens. It's not fear. It's grief.
Not mine. Hers.
Or...ours?
We are one, Ani...do not fight it. A voice whispers.
No. That's insane.
I slam the book shut again and cradle it in my lap, head bowed.
"I don't know what you want from me," I whisper to the silence. "I'm not her. I don't remember anything. I'm just… me."
But even as I say it, I'm not sure I believe it anymore.
Something is waking up inside me.
And whatever it is… it's only just begun.
I sit there for a long moment, the book heavy in my lap.
But one thing is clear now—clearer than the fear, clearer than the ache pulsing in my chest.
This wasn't just a coincidence.
This book, the visions, Aurore… it's all connected.
And I'm done waiting around for answers to fall into my lap.
I stand, straighten my clothes, and tuck the book carefully back under the pillow for now.
Then I square my shoulders, turn on my heel, and head for the door.
I don't know exactly where to start. But someone in this pack knows something.
And I'm going to find out what.