Cynthia stood abruptly, and her expression was uneasy. "Get out of my house now! How dare you accuse my daughter of something she knows nothing about?"
Henry remained calm, almost amused. He reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek, metallic device, long and shaped like a flashlight.
"This," he said, turning it on, "detects non-human life forms."
The light on the device turned bright red. "See? Red means both of you aren't human."
Jerry immediately pulled out his phone. "Suspect confirmed," he said, his voice void of emotion.
Kelsey's brows furrowed as she turned to Cynthia. "What are they talking about?"
"Watch out Kelsey!!!" Cynthia screamed.
Kelsey's reflexes kicked in before the words even registered. As if she could see the attack coming from Jerry, she dodged it effortlessly and spun around grabbing his arm and snapping it with ease. Jerry screamed in agony.
"You're the strongest immortal," he gasped. "The mate of the Alpha of the Alphas!"
Henry smirked and pulled out a small round weapon, swirling with faint energy. "This will paralyse you," he said calmly, as smoke began to leak from the orb.
Just as Henry was about to throw it...
Everything disappeared. Kelsey blinked, disoriented, and realised she was no longer in the house.
She stood on the roof of a tall building, the wind tugging at her clothes. Her heart raced nervously.
'Did we just teleport?'... she thought in surprise.
She turned sharply toward Cynthia, who stood beside her, downcast. Kelsey's eyes narrowed, her voice colder than ever. "Who are you?" she asked, taking slow steps toward her.
Cynthia stepped back. "Kelsey...." she started "Tell me the truth!" Kelsey snapped...
"Listen, Kelsey…" Cynthia's voice trembled. She didn't know how to begin. That foolish human had uncovered the secret she had been hiding for so long.
"Whose servant are you?" Kelsey's voice cut through the silence, colder and more commanding than ever. There was power in her tone now ancient, sharp and undeniable. Everyone had always known Cynthia as her mother, but deep inside, Kelsey never felt that bond. She didn't feel like she belonged here… not in this time, not in this world. That was why everyone around her seemed strange and annoying.
"I am your mother," Cynthia whispered with pleading eyes. " I've been trying to protect you…"
Cynthia was unable to complete her sentence before she froze. Her lips remained slightly parted, and her hands were suspended mid-air from her last gesture. Everything around her stopped. Even the people, the cars and the birds stopped.
Kelsey frowned. "What the hell…?" Then she heard a low, ancient howl from behind her. She turned around, and her eyes widened in awe.
A majestic, moon-white wolf stood there, luminous and ethereal. Its ocean-blue eyes glowed like stars submerged in water. It sat gracefully on its hind legs, rising nearly as tall as Kelsey. But what shocked her more was what happened next, the wolf bowed to her with reverence.
Kelsey blinked. "Hi…" she whispered. This was no ordinary wolf. This is an ancient being. A creature from a mythical realm...a being that's powerful enough to stop time itself.
The wolf stared at her for a long moment, its glowing eyes reflecting ancient knowledge. Then, in a flash of soft golden light, it transformed.
Kelsey's heart skipped a beat. Standing before her now was a woman in her mid-twenties, breathtakingly beautiful. Her skin was flawless and pale like snow, and her long silver hair shimmered like threads of moonlight. But it was her eyes, glowing and wild, that made her seem not just human, but divine.
Kelsey took a cautious step back and narrowed her eyes. "Can you speak?"
The woman laughed in amusement and found it strangely familiar. "I knew it," she chuckled, her voice like wind in a forest. "Our Luna would be fire… just like our Alpha."
Kelsey blinked in confusion. "Luna? What Luna?"
The woman sobered slightly, glancing toward frozen Cynthia, then let out a soft sigh. "You're not from this era. She," she nodded toward Cynthia, "A time demon, was assigned to stay with you in this realm… no matter what it takes."
Kelsey felt a chill crawl down her spine. "Then… what era do I belong to?"
"You're from the past, Luna," the woman said gently. "You were born under the Blood Moon… bound to the Alpha of all the Alphas in the history of Werewolves. Your purpose is to break his curse. He was lured into a deep, eternal sleep by a powerful dark spell. But only you can set him free."
"Luna Kelsey… the bond is already waking." Before Kelsey could speak, Cynthia's voice ripped through the stillness.
"Don't believe her!" Kelsey turned. Cynthia had broken through the time-freezing spell, but her body still couldn't move from where she stood. Her eyes were wide with fear and desperation.
"She's lying to you!" Cynthia shouted, trembling. "She's from their side, she wants to use you to awaken the beast!"
"She's not even your real mother." The silver-haired woman ignored her, watching Kelsey with her golden eyes. "Once you return, you'll see your true mother… and your sister. You were hidden here, sent to the future by the Queen Witch to prevent you from breaking the curse. I'm here to take you back, Luna."
Kelsey's heart skipped once again. Cynthia's voice cut in like a blade. "Don't listen to her! She's a demon! Have you ever heard of a werewolf that can control time? Or send their spirit through dimensions?" She laughed bitterly. "They're tricksters, manipulators of fate!"
But something in Kelsey resisted the fear Cynthia was planting. The woman in the photo… her aura, her posture, even the way she stood, it felt like her. Something deep inside her stirred like a thread of unravelling truth.
"You know the truth," the silver-haired woman said gently. "We were cursed by the Book of Aethers. And you..." she turned to Cynthia with glowing eyes and lifted a hand " have stood in her way long enough."
A sudden pulse of energy struck Cynthia. Her body froze mid-sentence and was paralysed, her eyes locked open in shock.
Oops, she froze again.
Kelsey stepped back and sighed. She suddenly found the woman noisy. The woman faced her again. "I was sent to retrieve you before it's too late. You must fulfil your past to protect the future. Your future self is still alive in this realm… but if the two of you meet before the curse is broken, time itself could collapse."
Kelsey swallowed in a daze. " I saw him in my dream," she whispered. Her fingers unconsciously touched her lips.
The silver-haired woman raised a brow playfully, a knowing smile forming. "He kissed you," she teased. "Looks like our Alpha is romantic."
Kelsey's cheeks flushed, but her thoughts were storming. What is this real? No wonder she always feels something has been stolen from her... And always felt like her entire life had been a well-crafted illusion...
"Tell me more about him," Kelsey said, gazing over the frozen city. For someone's servant to wield this much power… just how powerful is the master?
"He's just unique," the woman replied, sitting on the edge of the roof with her legs dangling. Kelsey eventually joined her, eyes fixed on the woman's face.
"An Alpha feared by all immortal races. Luna, your mate is not an ordinary werewolf," she said with a soft laugh. "Even in his unconscious state, he's still searching for you to break the curse."
She sighed, her tone suddenly serious. "I wish I had more time to tell you everything about him, but I don't. You need to return to the past… to where your real body is."
"Where is my body?" Kelsey frowned. She hadn't felt anything strange, she could eat, drink, and move just like normal.
The lady smiled gently and touched her chest. "This is your soul. It exists here, but you don't belong here."
She stood up and extended her pale hand toward Kelsey. "You'll remember who you are once you return. And you'll be guided to your mate. Don't question it."
Kelsey stood as well. "How will I know?"
"Whispers… signs… and most importantly, your instinct," the woman replied. "Don't fight it. Your instinct is your strongest connection to him."
Kelsey swallowed hard and reached for the woman's hand, but just as she was about to touch it, the sky above them turned dark and ominous.
"Shit… the Queen Witch must have sensed it. She's trying to stop the return," the woman said nervously. "If she finds out you're going back to the past now… it will be much harder for Alpha Lease to rise again."
Cynthia's body suddenly moved, a devilish smile spreading across her face. Just as she was about to vanish into thin air, a sharp object came out of nowhere, slicing cleanly across her neck. Her red eyes rolled back as her body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
The white-haired lady turned to Kelsey with a small smile. "Did you feel that?" Kelsey's eyes widened in awe. "Wow… that was so cool! You did that?"
She rolled her eyes playfully. "I didn't. Your mate did. That's why I asked Did you feel it?" Kelsey froze and looked around "You mean my mate is here?"