Chapter 3: The First Thread of the Loop

Selene's body trembled, and her pulse raced as the familiar sensation of awakening enveloped her. It was as though her very soul was torn from the world of the dead and cast back into the living, over and over again. Her eyes fluttered open, only to be met with the sterile, cold walls of her room in the Caelum estate. The intricate patterns of the curtains, the polished wood floors, the delicate scent of incense—everything was exactly as it had been when she had left it.

But it wasn't *real*.

This wasn't her first rebirth. It was the fourth. Or was it the fifth?

Each time the loop reset, the world seemed to shift slightly, like a twisted echo. But one thing remained constant—the agony of knowing what awaited her. The betrayal, the blood sacrifice, the cold finality of her death. That *perfect* moment, when Rowan's smile faltered and his eyes darkened with greed. The moment everything had turned.

Selene pushed herself up in bed, her limbs heavy as though they carried the weight of a thousand lifetimes. A cold sweat clung to her skin. She could feel the familiar pulse of the moon's energy pulling at her, urging her to fight, to do *something* different this time. But what? She had already tried every possible path, every deviation from the script, and yet every time she had failed.

Every time.

Her fingers brushed against the old letter on her nightstand—the one she had written to herself in the last loop. The one that had warned her of Rowan's treachery, of her family's hidden truths. But it didn't matter. The letter was always there, a cold reminder of the past she couldn't escape. She had to stop believing in this so-called fate, these repetitive cycles that kept her trapped.

But how?

A soft knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts. Her heart quickened, an involuntary spike of panic rising in her chest. "Selene? Are you awake?"

Her adoptive mother, Astrid. The cold, calculating woman whose loyalty to the Caelum name always seemed to outweigh her love for Selene. Selene had never been able to fully trust her—not after discovering the secrets Astrid had kept about her heritage.

"I'm up, Mother," Selene called, forcing her voice to sound steady. She tucked the letter back beneath the pile of untouched books on her nightstand and smoothed her nightgown. She couldn't let Astrid see her broken. Not this time.

The door creaked open, and Astrid's sharp features appeared in the doorway, her eyes assessing Selene with the calculated precision of someone used to controlling the narrative. "You've been... quiet. Any dreams this time? Any signs?"

Selene stared at her mother, the question hanging in the air like a loaded weapon. She had asked this before, in countless loops, hoping for answers. But Astrid always danced around the truth, veiling her responses in carefully chosen words. Was it possible Astrid knew more than she let on about the curse? About her real bloodline?

"I don't know," Selene lied, the words slipping out too easily. "Nothing... nothing out of the ordinary." The lie tasted bitter, but it was all she had left.

Astrid's gaze lingered, unreadable. "Well, you should be ready for your engagement ceremony tomorrow. The Vance Pack expects you to be... perfect."

That name. Rowan Vance.

A shiver ran down her spine. She had to be prepared. The trap was already set. She could feel it, the insidious tendrils of Rowan's ambitions creeping closer. Every second, every choice she made brought her closer to the inevitable.

"I'll be ready," Selene said, keeping her voice steady, even though the walls of the room seemed to close in around her.

Astrid's lips curled into a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Good. Because if this marriage doesn't happen... well, let's just say I'm not sure how the Vance Pack will react. And neither are you."

Selene bit back the retort she desperately wanted to throw at her adoptive mother. She didn't need to be reminded of her own fate—she was already painfully aware. The engagement, the ceremony, the betrayal, the death. It had all been scripted before, played out like a tragedy she was forced to relive again and again.

But this time... she would change it.

No more mistakes.

Once Astrid left, Selene sat on the edge of her bed, staring out the window at the pale moonlight. She should have known this was coming. She should have known the curse was always waiting for her. But every time she had died, she had lost a little more of herself. And with each rebirth, the stakes felt higher. The memory of the last loop—the blood, the screams—lingered, haunting her thoughts.

Suddenly, there was a sound—a rustle outside her window. A shadow.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Kian.

She had heard whispers of him, fragments of a face that didn't belong to this world. The rogue Alpha who didn't belong to any pack, yet somehow always seemed to appear when she was at her lowest.

*Was this another twist of fate?*

The shadow shifted, moving closer, and Selene's pulse raced as she rose from her bed. She had to see him. She had to know what he wanted. Kian was the only ally she had—perhaps the only one who could help her break the loop. But every time they met, she could feel the weight of something more between them, something inexplicable, and it terrified her.

Without thinking, she pulled open the window, just enough to let the cool breeze sweep in. And there, standing in the shadows, was Kian Draven.

His dark eyes met hers, and for a moment, everything felt still. His presence, raw and undeniable, seemed to cut through the very air between them.

"I've been waiting for you," Kian said, his voice low, but carrying an unmistakable urgency.

A chill ran down her spine.

"What do you want from me, Kian?" Selene asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as though speaking too loudly would shatter this fragile moment.

He stepped forward, his figure now bathed in the moonlight. His eyes darkened as he looked at her, unreadable, yet full of something that could only be described as... hunger.

"You're not the only one trapped in this game, Selene," Kian said, his words heavy with meaning. "But I think we can change the rules. Together."

Her heart raced, and in that moment, something deep within her stirred. But before she could say anything more, a sharp crack of thunder rang out across the sky, followed by a blood-curdling howl that shook the very foundations of the estate.

Kian's eyes widened, his jaw clenched.

"Get inside," he hissed, his voice laced with urgency. "Now."

Selene's breath hitched as she followed his command, but before she could fully close the window, she caught sight of a figure—tall, dark, and moving with unnatural grace—standing at the edge of the forest.

A figure that could only be one thing.

A shadow.

The Shrouded Alpha.

Her entire body went cold. This was no longer a mere game of fate. The stakes had just been raised.

Kian stepped into the room, his hand gripping her arm with an intensity she had never felt before. His voice dropped to a whisper, "We need to move. Now."

And with that, Selene realized that the time loop wasn't just a curse—it was a battlefield. And she was about to be thrust into its heart.