My fingers tighten around the phone 143

Emma’s POV
I staggered down the corridor of the veterinary clinic, each step sending waves of agony through my mangled body. The
events from earlier flashed through my mind like a horror movie on repeat, causing me to stumble and crash to the floor.
A scream tore from my throat as my arm twisted at an impossible angle. I wasn’t sure of the extent of my injuries, but I
suspected broken bones, dislocated joints, and wounds too deep for even my werewolf blood to heal quickly.
Damn it. How could this have happened? Aria was supposed to be wolfless, powerless, easy prey. But the creature that
had partially emerged from her body was definitely a wolf. Dark and grotesque like something from a nightmare, but
unmistakably a wolf. I only managed to escape when Aria slipped in the pool of my own blood and tumbled over the
sofa.
The clatter of metal instruments jerked my attention upward to see a veterinary assistant’s terrified face. I channeled all
my pain-fueled rage into my voice: “Get the fucking vet here NOW! That idiot owes me!”
Fear flooded the assistant’s eyes as she stumbled backward before bolting toward the clinic owner’s office. Seconds later,
the handsome vet I’d slept with a few months back rushed down the hallway and dropped to his knees before me. I
grabbed his tie, yanking his face close to mine.
“Fix me up like a good doctor, and I’ll make it worth your while,” I hissed through clenched teeth, feeling warm blood
seeping through my designer blouse.
The vet nodded nervously, shouting instructions while I continued bleeding all over his pristine clinic floor. “Jesus,
sweetheart, your arm is nearly torn off. I’m not sure your ligaments will heal properly,” the vet exclaimed, examining my
shoulder with wide eyes.
A hysterical laugh bubbled up from my chest as I remembered Aria yanking my arm backward, then plunging those
pitch-black claws into my shoulder. The pain had been so intense I’d blacked out for a full minute until the sound of
bones cracking forced a scream from my lungs.
“Yeah, you should see the bitch. She’s as good as dead,” I managed through gritted teeth, a bloody smile stretching
across my face as darkness began creeping into the edges of my vision.
Aria’s POV
A gentle warmth tickled the soles of my feet, coaxing my eyes open reluctantly. After drifting in darkness for what felt like
eternity, the sudden brilliance made my vision swim. Birdsong floated through the air like crystalline notes, nearly lulling
me back into peaceful oblivion. My thoughts drifted like clouds, my body weightless and tranquil.
“I believe you’ve slumbered quite enough, little one.” A melodic voice rippled through the silence. The sound cut through
my serenity like a silver thread tugging at my consciousness.
My eyes flew open wide, disregarding the piercing light as I searched frantically for whoever had spoken. I’d believed
myself to be alone. The realization that some presence shared this space with me sent unease crawling along my spine. I
attempted to stand but discovered my body had no weight—I was suspended in mid-air. My legs kicked futilely, seeking
purchase where there was none, while cool currents caressed my exposed skin. Glancing down, I found myself dressed in
a whisper-thin black nightdress, delicate straps barely clinging to my shoulders. Where did this come from? I don’t recall
owning anything like this.
I surveyed my surroundings, awestruck by the impossible vista before me. Below stretched an immense, mirror-smooth
lake reflecting the surrounding mountains, though something about the reflection seemed… altered. Above me, the
heavens were split dramatically in two: one half blazing with the golden radiance of twin suns illuminating verdant peaks,
the other cloaked in midnight where a silver moon hung suspended against absolute darkness.
“It’s captivating, is it not?” The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. I rotated completely, scanning for its
source.
“Have I died?” The question escaped my lips, my voice sounding foreign even to my own ears—musical and fluid, as
though I were speaking through rippling water.
“Maybe. Should have been. Supposed to be. Twice.” The ethereal voice grew deeper, darker, almost viscous, as a
blackness from the opposite side of the silver light froze the other half of my body.
I whipped my head around to see who was speaking, but there was nothing. I looked around again, thoroughly confused.
Silver light flashed again with a giggle, the sound tinkling like bells: “No, silly one, not dead.”
I sighed and arched an eyebrow. “Alright then, not dead. Just dreaming, I suppose.”
1/2
“Precisely! Dreaming!” The luminous voice trilled with childlike excitement.
“Liminal dream. Threshold space. Neither alive nor gone.” The shadowed voice intoned, each word falling heavy as stone.
“Is this some cosmic version of good cop, bad cop? Or will you actually tell me who you are?” I challenged, extending my
fingers toward the dancing motes of light that spiraled around us like miniature galaxies.
Without warning, a face materialized inches from mine, causing me to jerk backward. It was perfectly bisected—the right
half radiant silver like polished moonlight, the left a bottomless obsidian that absorbed all light. When it smiled, the
contrast became even more jarring: needle-sharp obsidian teeth set in midnight gums on one side, opposite perfect
ivory teeth nestled in rose-pink on the other. Warm breath caressed my face as two voices spoke as one: “Greetings. Welcome.”
“Um, hi…” I managed, finally exhaling. The creature responded with a discordant harmony—bell-like laughter intertwined
with deep, rumbling mirth.
The luminous half extended a glistening tongue that swept across both sides of the divided mouth in a fluid motion. The
entity drifted backward slightly, allowing me to fully appreciate the perfect division that ran exactly down its centerline. I
tracked the division downward, past the elegant neck, across the torso, to where a flowing garment rippled as though woven from starlight and shadow. Understanding dawned on me like a sunrise.
I lowered myself in a deep, respectful bow, eyes downcast. “Lady of the Moon. I’m… I never thought I’d stand in your
presence.”
The bright half tittered with pleasure. “I knew she would recognize us.”
With a gesture so swift I couldn’t track it, our surroundings transformed. We now sat across from each other at an ornate
circular table that seemed forged from liquid mercury. The Goddess leaned forward on her silver arm, studying me with
unnerving intensity. “Forgive this… unconventional meeting, but circumstances demanded intervention.”
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“The honor is mine,” I replied, struggling to maintain composure. “Though I’d appreciate knowing if I’m truly alive. My
children need me. I was attacked with wolfsbane poison.”
The Goddess made a musical sound of amusement, but when she spoke, it was her brighter aspect that answered: “Oh,
precious one. The wolfsbane found its target—but that target wasn’t you.”
I frowned, confusion clouding my thoughts. “That’s impossible. My wolf, Cassandra—she perished years ago.”
“Listen carefully, Aria. Long ago, when poison threatened to destroy you both, your wolf made the ultimate sacrifice—she
cut herself away, absorbing the toxin to preserve your life. But in doing so, something else was lost… the recognition
between you and your true mate.”
“Mate?” I repeated numbly, feeling as though the conversation had suddenly veered into madness. “There’s been some
mistake. I would know if I’d found my mate. That connection is unmistakable.”
“I know it’s difficult to believe,” the Goddess said, her dual nature creating an otherworldly harmony as both voices merged, “but she has been here all along.” The silver half’s expression softened with compassion while the obsidian side
regarded me with solemn intensity. “I thought it was time you two were properly reunited.”
The words hung in the shimmering air between us, each syllable weighted with significance that made my heart pound
against my ribs. The Goddess gestured with a fluid motion—half light, half shadow—toward the approaching figure, her
mismatched eyes gleaming with something that looked almost like maternal pride. Movement caught my attention—a
flash of familiar tawny fur approaching our table.
My breath caught painfully in my throat as I beheld a sight I’d given up hope of ever seeing again. My wolf, my
Cassandra, her golden-brown coat gleaming with vitality, amber eyes alert and intelligent. She settled beside the dark
half of the Goddess, who stroked between her ears with surprising gentleness. The sight pierced something deep within me—a wound I’d carried for so long I’d forgotten it was there. Tears gathered, but I refused to let them fall, swallowing
hard against the knot of emotion.
“Cassandra?” I whispered, my voice cracking on the second syllable, reaching one trembling hand toward her.