CHAPTER 258: CONSCIOUS AGAIN

The second Kalmia ripped herself out of me, the world shifted. No—fractured.

It was like something ancient and sacred inside me cracked open and collapsed. My soul convulsed, as if a storm had passed through and left scorched ruins behind. I could still feel her—her claws dragging through my mind like barbed wire, her poison laced on my tongue, her lies embedded in my chest like broken glass.

I didn’t just wake up.

I exploded awake.

A scream tore through my throat before I even realized I was conscious. My body shot upright so fast I nearly toppled off the edge of a bed I had no memory of lying on. Air surged into my lungs like I’d been drowning. My hands clutched the sheets as though holding tight enough could keep me from unraveling.

But I couldn’t stay still. I couldn’t breathe.

I had to move.

I had to find her.

I had to end this.

My feet hit the floor, shaky and wild. I stumbled forward, arms stretched like I was searching for a wall to catch me—but all I found was nothing.

Nothing but white.

Everywhere. Blinding. Limitless. Like I’d been thrown into the belly of a void.

Not a light. Not a glow. Not warmth. Just emptiness—sharp and hollow, like the rage inside me had burned through my sight and left behind this colorless hell.

"She’s here," I rasped, staggering. "She’s still here... I can feel her—where is she?!"

Panic spiked. My voice cracked like shattered glass. My chest was caving in, heartbeat thudding like war drums. My mind spun to the ones I loved—Zane. Alex.

What if she went after them?

What if she hurt them?

"No no no—" I gasped, arms flailing through the white. "Don’t you dare touch them—don’t you dare!"

Suddenly, a hand grabbed mine.

It felt so steady. Warm. And real.

It slid into mine, firm but gentle, grounding me like an anchor to the earth.

And then, a voice followed.

Calm. Deep. Familiar.

"Natalie," it said softly, like a song whispering in the rain. "It’s okay. You’re safe now. I’ve got you, baby."

That voice.

It sounded like Zane’s.

My entire body locked. My breath froze in my throat.

It couldn’t be. He was unconscious. He was hurt.

This had to be another trick. Another illusion. Another lie.

Kalmia was a master of them.

"No..." I whispered, yanking my hand back like it was fire. "No—don’t you dare use his voice! Don’t dare! You think I’ll fall for that again?!"

My voice cracked as I stumbled backward, fists shaking, nails carving crescents into my skin. "You’re not him! You can’t be him! He’s unconscious, he—he wouldn’t just—"

"You think I’m still a weak girl?" I spat. "The one you can manipulate? The one you puppeteered like a broken toy? You think I’ll believe you again?"

"Natalie!"

Another voice cut in. Sharp. Familiar. Laced with frustration and something else—concern.

This time it sounded like Fox.

"Snap the hell out of it!" he barked, the air around me pulsed with heat and the scent of scorched ozone. "That’s not her. That’s Zane. You just flung him onto the damn floor!"

Time stopped.

I blinked. Or maybe I tried. The whiteness was still everywhere, painting my vision in panic.

But then—another hand took mine. And this time I felt it...

Electricity.

Not pain. Not panic.

Sparks danced across my skin, racing to my spine like tiny stars finding their way home. A current I knew as well as my own heartbeat. A connection that couldn’t be faked.

This was definitely Zane.

My breath hitched, and then—

I breathed.

Deep. Raw. Trembling. But real.

Again. And again. I breathed.

Inside me, Jasmine stirred. Her voice soft, steady.

"We’re safe now, Mara. Breathe. He’s really here."

Slowly, like a curtain being lifted, the white began to melt away—peeling back in layers, dissolving into shadows and shapes. Edges returned. The world found focus.

And then—I saw him.

Zane.

My whole body went still.

He was crouched in front of me, one hand still holding mine like he never wanted to let go, the other bracing himself against the floor where, yes, I had apparently shoved him. He looked...

He looked good.

Not pale. Not broken. Not weak and unconscious like the last time I’d seen him.

His dark hair was a little tousled. His blue eyes were glowing softly, rimmed in gold. He looked strong. Whole. His lips were curved into a gentle smile even though I could see the flicker of concern behind it.

He looked like the man I loved. And somehow, even more.

"Hey," he said quietly. "You’re really here. I missed you."

I stared.

Behind him, I saw Sebastian leaning casually against the wall like he hadn’t just lived through Hell. Bubble was seated nearby, chewing gum and braiding his hair like this was a sleepover. And Fox, of course, was pacing back and forth with a hand on his hip and a scowl on his face.

"What...?" My voice cracked. "What happened? How are you okay?"

Fox stopped mid-pace and flashed me a grin. "Well, welcome back, Sleeping Beauty. You missed the party. Zane here—" he clapped Zane on the shoulder, "—went full ’legendary Lycan prince’ on us and became the Night Alpha."

I blinked. "A... what?"

Zane looked just as confused. "That’s what they keeps calling it. I don’t actually know what that means."

I gaped at him. "You—you don’t know? But—how—Zane, you were unconscious. Half-dead!"

"I was?" he asked, then glanced at Fox. "Was I that bad?"

"Bro, you flatlined," Fox said with a dramatic spin. "Like, zero heartbeat, spark gone, curtains closed. Then next thing we know, BOOM—shadow magic explosion, moonlight blasts through the walls, and Zane sits up like it’s brunch o’clock. Night Alpha, baby. That’s my theory. Very exclusive membership. Also—" he held up a finger, "—you owe me food. I stress-cooked."

I stared at them.

Then looked back at Zane.

He looked down, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. His shoulders lifted in a small, uncertain shrug.

"I don’t know... I just had this overwhelming feeling that I had to come back. For Alex. For you." He let out a quiet, breathy laugh, almost like he still couldn’t believe it himself. "Then—bam—out of nowhere, your mom shows up. Yeah, your actual mother. The one and only freaking Moon Goddess showed up! And beside her was the god of light himself! It was like something straight out of a legend."

He glanced at me, eyes wide, like he expected me to call him crazy.

"Long story short, I ended up helping them trap Shadow—like, literally cage him in some kind of celestial prison. It was intense. The whole sky changed. The air cracked with power. And... Oh, before he was caged away, Shadow looked right at me and said something I still don’t fully understand."

He paused, voice lower now, like repeating it made it real.

"He said I was crafted by the first gods. That I was made to be his downfall. He called me... the Night Alpha."

My heart cracked open.

"You idiot," I breathed, stepping closer. "You idiot."

He blinked. "That’s a bit harsh—"

"Do you have any idea what I thought happened? I thought you died. I thought she tricked me. Again. I thought—"

And I didn’t even finish. I just threw myself into his chest.

His arms caught me instantly, strong and warm and trembling just slightly—just like mine. I pressed my cheek to his shirt and breathed him in.

Gods, it really was him.

He held me like I might vanish again. His voice was a soft rumble at my temple. "I’m sorry. I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere."

"You better not," I mumbled, squeezing him tighter. "Or I swear to my mother I’ll kill you myself."

"I believe you," he chuckled.

There was a cough behind us. Sebastian, of course. "You two done with the rom-com reunion? Because I’d like to point out, the world is still a shitty place and Natalie still has her murder face on."

Fox added, "Also, I burned the muffins. In case anyone was wondering."

I laughed softly. I couldn’t help it. It sounded... foreign. But good. Healing, somehow.

Then, all at once—the room changed.

The air shifted.

A snap of wind. A cold chill curling through the warmth. Everyone turned.

And there—standing just inside the doorway was Jacob.

He looked like a storm barely held together by a thread.

His long black coat was flared around him. His chest heaved, wild eyes searching. His hair was a disheveled mess, his boots scuffed with dirt. There was something frantic in his posture, like he had sprinted across worlds to get here.

His eyes locked on mine.

And he exhaled. "You’re alive."

My lips parted.

"Jacob...?"

He didn’t answer. Just stepped forward, face pale, expression tight.

He was scared.

Something was wrong.

And just like that, whatever peace had begun to stitch itself together inside me—

Split.

Again.