Ariella's POV
PACK HOUSE
The pack house felt different that morning, and not in a way anyone could ignore. The usual noise was there, footsteps echoing across the halls, low conversations between pack members, the distant sound of training outside, but underneath it all was something heavy. Something wrong. It felt like the entire place was slowly sinking into silence, even when people were speaking.
I walked beside Lysa, keeping my steps slow so she would not have to rush. She looked nothing like herself. Her long black hair was loosely tied back, strands falling around her face like she had not bothered fixing it properly. Her brown eyes were red and swollen, her lips dry, and her hands would not stop trembling no matter how hard she tried to steady them.
Sky shifted inside me, restless.
"She's getting worse."
I swallowed and nodded slightly. "I know."
Lysa suddenly stopped walking, her fingers pressing hard against her chest as if she was trying to hold something together inside her. I turned to her immediately.
"What is it?" I asked.
Her voice came out low, almost breaking. "I can feel it."
My heart tightened. "Feel what?"
She looked at me then, and the fear in her eyes made my stomach drop.
"Our bond," she whispered. "It's weakening."
For a second, I could not breathe.
Sky reacted instantly. "That's not good."
Lysa shook her head slowly, like she was still trying to deny it. "He's still alive… I know he is. But it feels like… like he's slipping away from me."
Her voice cracked at the last words, and I felt something twist painfully in my chest. I did not know how to comfort her. I did not even know if comfort was enough anymore.
"And Kael?" Sky asked quietly.
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. "He hasn't come out since yesterday."
That alone said everything. Kael was not the kind of Alpha who stayed hidden. He ruled with presence, with control. But since Rohan collapsed, he had withdrawn completely. No orders, no meetings, nothing. The pack was waiting, and he was not responding.
Lysa let out a shaky breath. "Everything is falling apart."
Guilt hit me again, harder this time.
Sky's voice dropped. "We saw it."
I clenched my hands. "I know."
If I had spoken. If I had stopped Celene. If I had trusted my instincts instead of walking away.
Lysa suddenly grabbed my wrist, her grip tight despite how weak she looked. "Ariella… we need to do something."
Her voice broke again. "I can't just stand there and watch him die."
My chest tightened. "We won't."
But the truth was, I did not know what we could do.
FOREST PATH
We did not plan to leave the pack house.
At least, I did not remember making that decision. One moment we were inside, and the next we were walking along a narrow path leading into the forest. The tall trees stretched above us, their branches blocking out most of the sunlight. The air grew cooler the deeper we went, and the sounds of the pack slowly disappeared behind us.
Sky stirred uneasily. "Do you feel that?"
I slowed down slightly. "Yes."
It was strange. Like something was pulling us forward. Not physically, but inside. A quiet force guiding us deeper into the forest.
Lysa spoke softly, almost like she was afraid the feeling would disappear if she spoke too loudly. "It's like… we're meant to be here."
I nodded. "I feel it too."
Neither of us questioned it.
We just kept walking.
Until the trees opened.
CLEARING
The clearing was small, surrounded by tall trees that formed a circle around it. The ground was covered with dry leaves, and the air felt colder than the rest of the forest.
And in the center stood a woman.
She looked old, but not weak. Her grey hair fell freely around her shoulders, slightly tangled as if she did not care to keep it neat. Her skin was pale, lined with age, but her eyes were sharp, too sharp, like they could see through everything. She wore a long dark cloak that reached the ground, the fabric worn and faded in some places, with thin patterns that looked almost like symbols stitched into it.
Sky went still.
"It's her."
My breath caught slightly.
The same woman.
The one who had already spoken about Rohan.
The seer.
The woman looked at us calmly, like she had been expecting us all along.
"You came," she said.
Lysa did not hesitate.
She rushed forward and dropped to her knees in front of the woman, grabbing onto the edge of her cloak like it was the only thing holding her together.
"Please," she cried, her voice breaking completely. "You have to help me."
Tears fell freely down her face now, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to breathe properly. "You said he would die in seven days. There has to be something… anything. Please."
The woman looked down at her quietly, her expression unreadable.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she spoke.
"Fate is not always kind."
Lysa shook her head violently. "I don't care about fate," she said, her voice desperate. "He is my mate. I can't lose him."
Sky shifted softly, her voice filled with emotion. "She's breaking."
I felt it too.
It hurt to watch.
The woman sighed quietly, like she had seen this kind of pain too many times.
"My name is Beth," she said.
Lysa tightened her grip. "Beth… please," she begged again. "If you know anything, tell me."
Beth watched her for a long moment, her sharp eyes studying her carefully. Then she spoke slowly.
"There may be a way."
Hope flickered instantly.
Lysa froze. "May?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"It is not certain," Beth replied calmly.
"I don't care," Lysa said quickly. "Just tell me."
Beth's gaze shifted between both of us before she continued.
"There is a place far from here. A place most wolves do not return from."
The air around us felt colder.
"What place?" I asked quietly.
Beth's eyes rested on me.
"The Crystal Moon Lake."
The name sent a strange feeling through me. Something deep. Something powerful.
Beth continued, her voice steady.
"The water there is not ordinary. It holds something ancient. Something pure."
Sky stirred. "That kind of power always has a cost."
Beth nodded slightly, as if she heard her.
"It is dangerous," she said. "The path is not easy, and many who go there never come back."
Lysa did not hesitate.
"I'll go."
Beth looked at her carefully. "You may die."
"I don't care," Lysa replied immediately.
Silence fell between us.
Then Beth spoke again.
"If you reach it… a single drop of its water may be able to fight the poison."
Hope rose again, stronger this time.
But Beth's next words crushed it slightly.
"It is only a possibility."
Lysa nodded anyway. "That's enough."
Beth stepped back slowly, her cloak moving softly with her.
"Be careful," she said.
And then…
She was gone.
No sound. No movement.
Just gone.
The clearing felt empty again.
Lysa stood there, breathing heavily, her eyes filled with determination now instead of fear.
She turned to me.
"We're going," she said.
Sky's voice was quiet but certain.
"This won't be easy."
I looked at the empty space where Beth had stood.
And deep down, I knew…
Nothing would be the same after this.