Rebirth - To love or Hate the Alpha

Ronan POV

 I didn't care. Elian's troubled voice and the fear in his eyes pushed me forward. I needed answers—now.

When I reached Morrigan's cottage, the air felt heavier. Her home looked as if it had grown out of the forest itself, vines crawling over its walls like veins. I didn't bother knocking.

She was at her table, grinding herbs into powder. Without looking up, she said, "You're impatient, as always."

"I'm not here to exchange pleasantries," I snapped. "Something is happening to Elian. He's seeing things—memories, fragments of a life he can't remember. What's wrong with him?"

She finally looked at me, her sharp, knowing eyes making my wolf stir uneasily. "Ah, the witch you couldn't let go. What did you expect, Ronan? You defied death for him, and now you're surprised there's a price?"

I stepped closer, my fists clenched. "What price? Just tell me what's happening."

Morrigan sighed, her expression somewhere between pity and exasperation. "Elian's soul is damaged. Every time he dies and is brought back, it splinters a little more. The balance of the world doesn't like that, and it will do whatever it takes to correct itself."

Her words were a blow to my chest. "Correct itself? How?"

Her voice dropped, and it was as if the forest itself held its breath. "The world will demand payment. If the cycle continues, the consequences will be catastrophic. For him. For you. For everyone."

I stared at her, my mind racing. "How do I stop it?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You let him go. Leave him to live his life away from you, away from the chaos you've wrapped him in."

Her words cut deep, but I couldn't accept them. Let Elian go? No. I couldn't do it.

Without another word, I turned and left. Her soft, knowing laughter followed me into the mist.

Lyra POV

The prophecy was written in faded ink, tucked away in a forgotten corner of the archives. The ancient book was so fragile I had to hold it carefully, but the words burned into my mind.

"The Cycle of Resurrection will end in despair. Each life returned fractures the veil. Balance must be restored, or the world will pay the price. Only by severing the bond may harmony return."

The meaning was clear—Ronan had to let Elian go.

I stormed into his quarters, clutching the book like a weapon. He stood by the window, staring out at nothing.

"Ronan," I snapped. "We need to talk."

He turned slowly, his expression guarded. "What now, Lyra?"

I slammed the book onto the table. "This. Read it."

He glanced at the book but didn't move. "I'm not interested in your latest obsession."

"This isn't some theory or wild idea," I shot back. "It's a prophecy. If you keep Elian here, you'll doom all of us."

His jaw tightened. "I'm not letting him go."

"Why?" I demanded, stepping closer. "Why are you so determined to keep him here? Is it guilt? Or is it... something else? Do you love him?"

His eyes darkened, but he didn't answer. The silence was enough.

I pressed on. "If you care about him, really care, you'll let him go. The prophecy is clear, Ronan. The balance will be restored, one way or another. And if you don't stop this, we'll all suffer for your stubbornness."

He slammed his hand down on the table, making the book jump. "You think I don't know the risks? You think this is easy for me?"

His voice cracked, and for a moment, I saw something raw in his eyes.

"I can't let him go," he said, quieter now. "Not again."

The pain in his voice caught me off guard, but I couldn't let it sway me. "You're being selfish," I said. "You're risking everything—our family, the pack, the world—for your feelings."

He turned away, his shoulders tense. I waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn't.

Frustrated and heartbroken, I left the room, the weight of the prophecy pressing down on me.

Ronan POV

Lyra's words lingered in my mind long after she left. Let him go.

How could I? Every time I thought of Elian, my chest ached in a way I couldn't explain. He wasn't just another soul I'd saved. He was... more.

I'd faced battles, led my pack through war, but this—this fragile bond between Elian and me—felt like the hardest fight of all.

The prophecy loomed over me like a shadow, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't imagine a world where I let him go.

I clenched my fists, staring out at the forest. The answer Morrigan gave me haunted me, but it didn't change anything. I couldn't lose him. Not again.