Chapter 2
I'm dead, but I'm still here.
'I have to get away from here.'
This thought echoes frantically in my mind. I can't keep watching Kaelan take care of that woman, can't watch Serena occupy the place that should be mine. Death should bring release, should free me from this pain. So why am I still trapped here?
I try to move toward the deeper forest, drifting in the direction of the pack's boundaries. Maybe if I leave this place, I can find the path to the ancestral lands. Maybe I can escape this torment of forced observation.
The forest becomes blurred around me, as if I'm passing through some kind of barrier. I feel hope rising—maybe I really can leave, maybe I can find true rest.
But just as I'm about to reach the pack's border, a tearing agony suddenly strikes.
"Ahhhh—!"
My scream echoes through the empty forest, but no living creature can hear it. The pain is indescribable, like countless silver needles piercing my soul simultaneously, each one burning the very core of my existence.
Then an invisible force wraps around me like iron chains, forcibly dragging me back. I struggle desperately, but it's useless. My spirit is pulled by that force, flying over treetops, through morning mist, straight back to the vicinity of the Moon Temple.
When the pulling sensation disappears, I find myself back at the starting point—beside Kaelan.
"Why! Why can't I leave!" I rage, but the sound only reverberates in my consciousness. 'Can't even death set me free?'
I try to understand what just happened. Something is binding me, some force I can't see or comprehend. I'm permanently trapped here, trapped around Kaelan, my range of movement like an invisible circle drawn around him. I'm his shadow, his ghost, forced to witness every moment of betrayal in his life.
'This isn't fair.' My heart fills with despair. 'I should be able to leave, should be able to find peace. Why make me watch this?'
But reality won't change because of my anger. I'm trapped, completely and utterly trapped.
I follow Kaelan back to the Moon Temple.
Kaelan carries a steaming cup of herbal tea into the inner chamber. That familiar aroma—chamomile, mint leaves, and a hint of honey's sweetness. It's the calming tea I used to prepare for him. Now he's making it for another woman.
Serena half-reclines against silk cushions, her red hair gleaming in the candlelight. She looks fragile and elegant, like a flower in need of protection.
"Thank you, Kaelan." she says softly, deliberately letting her fingers brush his as she takes the cup. "All these years, I've remembered the way you used to take care of me."
Kaelan sits across from her, his expression complex. "You need rest. Your injuries haven't fully healed."
"I don't want to talk about injuries." Serena says directly, her green eyes fixed intently on him. "I want to know... over these years, have you thought about me?"
She's testing him.
Kaelan remains silent for so long I think he won't answer. Then he says, "Serena, what happened in the past—"
"Answer me." She interrupts him. "Did you love me? Do you still love me now?"
His expression twists painfully. I can see his inner struggle, can feel the waves of his emotions. As his mate, even in death, the connection between us still exists.
"I hate you." he finally says, his voice hoarse. "For leaving, for marrying someone else. But..." he pauses, "I've never forgotten you either."
I hear the sound of my heart breaking. Even though I'm already dead, the pain of betrayal feels so real.
Serena smiles—a victorious smile. "All these years, I've thought about you every day. Every single day, Kaelan. I never stopped."
"Then why did you leave in the first place?" Kaelan's voice is full of suppressed anger. "Why marry someone else? Why tear apart everything between us?"
"Because I was young, because I was stupid." Tears well up in her eyes. "Because I thought we had time, thought you'd wait for me. But by the time I realized what a huge mistake I'd made, it was too late."
I can only watch helplessly as she weaves beautiful lies, watch Kaelan's defenses crumble bit by bit.
The atmosphere grows increasingly intimate. Serena sets down her teacup and slowly moves closer to Kaelan.
"I know you have a mate now." she says quietly, "but can you honestly tell me you love her as deeply as you loved me?"
Kaelan's breathing becomes rapid. "Serena, don't do this."
"What's the answer, Kaelan?" She reaches out, gently caressing his cheek. "Tell me you've completely forgotten everything between us, tell me your love for her runs deeper than what we had, and I'll stop."
I see the flash of pain in Kaelan's eyes. He doesn't push her hand away, doesn't immediately deny it. In that moment, my world completely collapses.
'He's hesitating. Dear God, he's actually hesitating.'
Serena senses his hesitation and moves even closer. "I know where your heart is, Kaelan. It's never changed."
Her lips draw closer and closer to his. I can feel Kaelan's heartbeat accelerating, can sense his inner desire and struggle. They're almost kissing, almost crossing that line that shouldn't be crossed.
At the very last second, Kaelan suddenly stops.
"Kiley..." he murmurs my name, "I can't betray her."
Serena smiles understandingly, but there's deep calculation in that smile. "I know you're a man of honor. That's one of the reasons I love you." She kisses his cheek lightly, "I can wait, Kaelan. I've waited all these years, I can wait a little longer."
'No, no, no!' I scream frantically. 'He's hesitating! He's actually hesitating! My Kaelan, the man I love deeply, still has feelings for that woman who betrayed him!'
I try to touch him, try to make him feel my presence, but my hand just passes through his body. I'm a ghost, a powerless observer, forced to witness the most important person in my life considering betraying me.
Kaelan stands up, clearly struggling with his own desires. "You should rest. Tomorrow we need to discuss your safety."
"Of course." Serena agrees gently. "Good night, Kaelan. Remember, I'll always be here."
As Kaelan leaves the room, I see a satisfied smile cross Serena's face. She knows she's winning this war. She knows Kaelan's heart doesn't completely belong to me yet.
And me—I can only follow behind Kaelan, bearing this pain of betrayal, enduring this torment I can neither stop nor escape. I'm bound by invisible chains, destined to witness the most precious thing in my life being slowly taken away.
Moonlight streams through the window onto my translucent body, reminding me of my own death, reminding me that I can never truly embrace my love again. But the most painful thing isn't death itself—it's discovering that even after my death, our love isn't the only love in his heart.
