Sleep didn't come easily anymore.
When it did—it wasn't quiet.
Aiden didn't realize he was dreaming at first.
There was no shift.
No sudden drop into darkness.
Just—
A breath.
And then—
He was somewhere else.
The air was different.
Colder.
Thinner.
Laced with something ancient.
The ground beneath his feet wasn't the packed earth of the den, but stone—smooth, pale, almost glowing under silver light.
Moonlight.
Bright.
Endless.
Aiden blinked.
His body moved.
But not because he told it to.
His steps were steady, controlled—measured in a way that didn't feel like him.
His breathing was calm.
Too calm.
His hands—stronger.
Older.
Different.
Aiden tried to stop.
Nothing happened.
Tried to speak.
Silence.
Panic flickered for just a moment—
Then faded.
Because whatever this was—
It wasn't something he could fight.
…a memory.
The realization settled heavy in his chest.
And still—
His body kept walking.
Voices echoed ahead.
Low.
Respectful.
Not his.
"Are you certain?" someone asked.
"Yes," another voice answered.
Older.
Careful.
"The signs are clear. The Moon has chosen."
Aiden's steps didn't falter.
Didn't hesitate.
Even as something deep inside him stirred uneasily.
He stepped into a wide clearing.
Stone pillars stood tall, carved with markings he didn't understand—but somehow felt.
Ancient.
Sacred.
Watching.
The air hummed.
Power.
Not sharp.
Not violent.
Just—
There.
And then—
A presence.
Aiden felt it before he saw it.
Heavy.
Warm.
Unavoidable.
His body stilled.
Finally.
His head lifted slowly.
And there—
At the center of the clearing—
Stood him.
Theron.
But not the Theron he knew.
Not exactly.
His hair was longer—flowing freely down his back, glowing faintly under the moonlight.
His eyes burned brighter.
Gold.
Not just in color—
But in presence.
Power pressed against the air around him, bending it slightly, like the world itself knew who stood there.
Not just an Alpha.
Not just a King.
Something more.
Something divine.
Aiden's chest tightened.
Even though this wasn't his body—
He felt it.
That pull.
That undeniable, impossible pull.
Theron looked up.
Their eyes met.
And everything—
Stopped.
Silence.
Complete.
Absolute.
Then—
Theron smiled.
Soft.
Certain.
Like he had been waiting.
For a very long time.
"There you are."
The voice was the same.
And not.
Deeper.
Older.
Carrying something that stretched beyond a single lifetime.
Aiden tried to speak.
Tried to respond.
Tried to do anything—
But the body he was in moved on its own.
Stepping forward.
Closing the distance.
"I thought it might take longer," Theron continued, voice quieter now. "But the bond is strong… even now."
Aiden's heart—his heart—pounded.
Even though this wasn't his body.
Even though this wasn't his time.
He felt it.
Every word.
Every step.
Every breath.
"Do you remember me?" Theron asked.
A pause.
Aiden's body stilled.
His lips parted.
And this time—
It spoke.
"…no."
The word was steady.
Calm.
Honest.
And it hurt.
More than it should have.
Theron didn't flinch.
Didn't look surprised.
If anything—
His expression softened.
Just slightly.
"That's alright," he said.
A step closer.
Slow.
Careful.
Like approaching something fragile—but not weak.
Never weak.
"You will."
Aiden's chest tightened again.
Something inside him—
Reached.
Even without memory.
Even without understanding.
His wolf stirred.
Not the one he knew now.
Something older.
Something quieter.
But just as certain.
"…and if I don't?" Aiden's body asked.
Theron smiled again.
Faint.
Almost amused.
But there was something deeper beneath it.
Something unshakable.
"You always do."
The words settled into the air.
Heavy.
Final.
Like a promise that had already been proven.
Over and over again.
Aiden wanted to argue.
To deny it.
To fight it—
But he couldn't.
Because he wasn't in control.
And because somewhere deep inside him—
He knew it was true.
The world shifted.
The light dimmed.
The clearing blurred.
Voices faded.
And just before everything disappeared—
Theron reached out.
His hand stopping just short of Aiden's face.
Not touching.
But close enough to feel the warmth.
"Find your way back to me," he said softly.
Darkness.
Aiden woke with a sharp breath.
The den came back slowly.
The warmth.
The scent.
The quiet breathing of the pups beside him.
His hand moved instantly.
Checking.
One.
Two.
Three.
All there.
All safe.
But his chest—
Still felt tight.
Still felt… full.
Aiden stared at the ceiling.
Breathing uneven.
Mind racing.
"…we've met before," he whispered.
Not a question.
Not doubt.
Just—
Truth.
And somewhere deep inside him—
Something ancient stirred.
Awake again.