2. Encounters

I move quickly through the dark abyss that surrounds me. Everything is pitch-black, and I am lost. The last thing I remember is the pain of something, or someone, tearing apart my soul.

This day has been filled with strange and inexplicable events, such as freshly-picked flowers wilting and a mysterious voice whispering in my head. Perhaps I am unlucky in this town.

"Hello?" I call out, my voice echoing through the seemingly endless void of darkness. Fear grips me as I wonder if I am trapped here. The sound of my racing heart is the only thing I can hear.

Exhausted and weak, I stop and slump down on the ground. I stare into the darkness, tears streaming down my face.

"Mate will get us out of here," a disembodied voice lulls, offering some comfort. I let out a heavy sigh and cry freely, unable to contain my emotions.

Suddenly, I feel someone embrace me. I sniff and wipe my eyes, recognizing the familiar scent and warmth. "You again?" I ask, looking up. The darkness has disappeared, replaced by a bedroom with dim wall lights.

He smiles, "How did you find me? What happened at the flower shop?" I fire off questions before pulling away from the hug.

"I didn't find you. You found me, Aria," he replies seriously.

Confused and overwhelmed, I ask, "What does that mean? I felt like I died."

"I'm sorry, Aria," he says with sincere regret in his voice.

Holding back my tears, I tilt my head in confusion. "For what?"

"For not being able to save you," he answers. I bury my face in my hands, still trying to make sense of everything.

"What's your name?" I ask, looking up with tear-filled eyes.

"I am Jax Lucious, the alpha of the Red Nyx pack," he introduces himself with a nod.

His explanation and introduction sound cold, and I can only fake a laugh. I hope that Jax will smile and tell me this is all a joke.

"Stop lying. I am serious now," I try to smile, even though my eyes hurt from crying. I lean closer to him, but his expression turns to a look of disdain.

"Stop making yourself look pathetic. You're already human, and that makes it even sadder," he says with hatred and disgust in his voice.

I am speechless. Did I anger him by removing the thorns from his rose without his permission?

"Oh, Aria. It must have been so hard for you," he continues, his tone full of annoyance. "I pulled your glazed soul from the nightmare you were in, and this is the best you can offer me?"

"Even so, you are already dead. You're an Astral soul, to be exact. It has been a day since -"

"A day?!" I shout, getting out of bed and pushing Jax away. I try to run to the door, but my hands pass through it.

I am indeed a ghost. I stand in front of the door, shocked at my situation. I turn my head to see Jax smirking comfortably on the bed.

"How can I touch you, and how can you touch me if I am a ghost?" I ask, trying to touch the wall with no luck.

Jax shrugs and stretches like a cat, cracking his bones. "An Astral ghost, huh?" I wonder.

"Get out of my house, or you'll regret ever trespassing here."

With a stern gaze, I attempt to intimidate the intruder, but he is not deterred. His threats lack conviction, and his monotone voice makes it impossible to gauge his true intentions. I step back, maintaining the distance between us.

"Fine," I concede.

"I'll find you, no matter where you go," he whispers menacingly.

With one final look at his face, I flee through the door, not bothering to open it. Instead of a hallway as one would expect in a typical house, I find myself plunged into darkness. But the darkness is fleeting, and I find myself in a living room with a luxurious red and black theme. Tall curtains and windows, reminiscent of a medieval castle, dominate the room.

This was not the first time I had mysteriously teleported to another location.

In front of one of the high, tinted windows stood a tall, pale man. I wondered if he could help me understand what was happening.

"So, the royal blood has finally arrived," he proclaimed.

JAX

As I try to assess my surroundings, I can hear faint whispers coming from upstairs. I strain my ears to listen, ignoring the meeting of pack leaders that was taking place in the hall below.

I am at the gathering hall, where all pack leaders are expected to report on their respective packs. The Red Nyx pack has grown to a vast size, making it impossible for me to oversee everything alone. I have therefore delegated some of my most trusted leaders to manage specific regions of the pack, while I remain in charge of the Mainland.

"The Northside has been hit hard by recent attacks from rogue wolves," reported Theochris, the sub-alpha of the North pack. All eyes are on me as I examine the red pins scattered across his side of the map.

But my thoughts are elsewhere, consumed by the whispers coming from upstairs. My wolf is restless, eager to track down the source of the sounds.

"What about the other regions?" I ask, trying to keep my focus on the matter at hand. The leaders confer amongst themselves before giving a unified response.

"No issues have been reported in any other areas," stated Connor, the sub-beta of the South pack, as he bows respectfully.

I nod, quickly giving my instructions to the leaders before I can finally attend to the whispers upstairs.

"The other regions must gather resources to help the North recover. The Mainland will send additional troops to guard against further nighttime attacks. I will go on a hunt outside of pack territory tonight. Keep in touch with your respective regions, and wait for my return."

It is a routine I have repeated every year. The leaders are always in awe of my resolve, despite knowing how I will always strengthen the pack until my Luna bears the next successor.

"Dismissed."

The leaders depart, leaving only Theochris behind. "You know, these frequent attacks are from wolves who want to overthrow you," he warns. "An alpha without a Luna? They see it as a curse."

"What choice do I have?" I shrug, walking over to stand beside him.

Theochris gazes out the window at the view of the village below. "You have one last chance, my friend. Find her. The last two mates you rejected were pure werewolves, so I'm confident you won't end up with a hybrid. If you do, you're screwed."

I laugh at his humor, but I can already feel the guilt weighing on my conscience.

My mate is a human, a mysterious human.

I quickly turned around and jogged upstairs when he was out of the room.

Careful, you have no idea what or who is up here.

I shrugged the warning of my wolf. The scent of Rose and rain fills my nostrils. I've already found the owner of this scent. But why do I smell her here?

She already died yesterday.