Chapter 7

That ghost had been bonded to her.

Had he?

In that moment, Dorian's jealousy turned sharp enough to cut.

He thought about it for a full day and night.

The next morning.

He waited for Ivy on the path to the Pack Infirmary.

The Calloway Alpha Heir, used to having everything handed to him.

He had no idea how to be kind to someone.

He just walked straight up to her.

And said, bluntly.

"Ivy. I'll teach you to fight."

He had thought about it. It made sense.

Last time she fought a tiger with nothing but guts.

If she ran into danger again, guts alone would get her killed.

Besides — fighting lessons he was teaching her meant more than whatever Caspian was showing her with those herbs.

Ivy turned him down.

"Don't bother. Someone's already teaching me."

Dorian stopped.

"Who? Caspian? That sickly one couldn't even kill a chicken."

Ivy was quiet for a second.

Then she actually corrected him.

"He can kill a chicken."

Dorian nearly lost his mind.

That's not the point, Ivy.

He went to see for himself.

At dusk.

He found her in the western forest clearing.

She wore light riding clothes.

Hair pulled up high. A wooden practice blade in her hand.

Vivienne stood behind her.

One hand around Ivy's wrist.

The other at her waist, adjusting her stance.

Then Vivienne stepped back two paces and crossed her arms.

Watching Ivy practice.

Dorian stood at a distance, completely lost.

Knuckles going pale.

"You're hiding in the bushes watching, and you call yourself a Calloway?"

The ghost was disgusted.

"You look like a dog nobody wants."

Dorian spun.

He stared into the face that was exactly his own.

"Let me ask you something. What did you do to her?"

The ghost flinched.

"She would rather fight a tiger alone than bond with you. Why?"

Dorian watched the ghost's eyes shift away.

He couldn't say a word.

The younger version of himself watched the older one.

Cold recognition moving through him.

After a long silence.

It didn't matter which one of them said it first.

"She hates you that much."

Vivienne was going back to the Border Territory.

The situation there had gotten urgent.

She filed her deployment report. She would leave in two days.

I thought about it all night.

The next day I went to the Pack Training Ground to find her.

She had just finished spear training. Still sweating.

She drove the spear into the ground, leaned on it, and waited for me to speak.

"Vivienne."

I looked up at her.

"I heard the Border Camp is short on healers."

She raised an eyebrow. Waiting for the rest.

"I've been studying for over six months. Trauma wounds, field injuries, bone setting — I can handle them. Caspian says I'm ready to work on my own."

I held out Caspian's letter of recommendation.

Honestly, six months wasn't enough.

But this was the opening I'd been waiting for.

Caspian heard what I wanted.

He didn't ask questions.

He just sat down and wrote the letter.

I had read it when he wasn't looking.

From a man who was sharp-tongued about everything.

The words he put down were surprisingly gentle.

— "Steady under pressure. Skilled far beyond her training. Ready to lead in the field."

Vivienne didn't take the letter.

"I know you. I trust you."

She put a hand on my shoulder.

"Two days from now. Before dawn, at the Old Stone Waypost outside the border. If you're late, I leave without you."

The afternoon sun came through light and warm.

I stood there.

Watching her ride away.

How could anyone not love Vivienne Forsythe.

She rode through the world like she owned it — living hard, dying clean.

I looked down and smiled, barely.

I had hated her once.

Not anymore.

Now I wanted to be like her.

I packed quickly.

A few changes of clothes. My needle kit. Caspian's medical books. The dagger Vivienne gave me.

That was everything.

I left a letter for my mother.

Aside from Caspian and Vivienne, I told no one I was leaving.

Late that night, I had an unexpected visitor.

"Miss Pemberton. The Alpha Heir requests your presence."

No warning.

A cloth came over my face.

I went out.

When I came back to myself, I was wearing a bonding gown.

At the far end of the room, a pair of bonding candles burned low.

This was the Calloway Manor.

I had been here before.

"My mate."

Two cold hands helped me up.

Dorian was in full bonding dress. Red jacket.

His expression was strange. Bright in a way that wasn't right.

I knew immediately. This wasn't the young Dorian.

The ghost had taken over.

Red candles, dim room.

The ghost held a cup of seal brew to my lips.

His shadow fell over me.

"I regret it. Not coming that first bonding night."

"If I had just drunk with you then. Would we have lasted?"

I turned my face away.

"How is this you? Did you kill him?"

Dorian grabbed my chin.

"Are you worried about me?"

He laughed low.

"We're the same person."

I counted the manor clock strikes coming through the window.

I said nothing.

The hour before dawn was passing.

Dorian saw what I was waiting for.

He said he had copied my handwriting and sent a message to Vivienne.

Said I had thought it over. I wanted to stay in the Capital. He hoped she'd understand.

He went red-eyed.

"Vivienne can leave. You can't."

I stared at him.

I was shaking.

"You're insane," I said.

My tears came.

A second life. And this is still how it ends?

Dorian saw me crying.