Chapter 5:

Forbidden Attraction

Kieran's POV

Three Days Later

The training sword felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

Only three days since the poisoning, and I was weak as a newborn pup. But I couldn't stay in bed any longer. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face.

Not Celeste's face. The rogue's. Raven's.

"Again!" I shouted at Owen.

My childhood friend and head trainer came at me slowly. Too slowly. He was holding back.

We clashed swords, but my hands shook. His strikes came faster than I could block. He caught me across the ribs twice.

"Again," I growled when he stopped.

"Alpha..."

"I said again!"

We went three more rounds. Each time was the same. Owen went easy on me. And each time, I did worse. My reactions were too slow. My movements sloppy.

By the fourth round, I could barely lift my sword.

"Stop," Owen said firmly. "That's enough."

"No. I need to"

The world tilted. I blinked, trying to focus, but everything spun. Owen caught me before I hit the ground.

"That's it. You're done."

I wanted to argue, but my throat was too dry. My heart pounded too hard.

"You shouldn't be out here," Owen said, helping me up. "Sara said you need rest."

"I need to think," I said.

But that was the problem. All I could think about was her.

Raven had been helping Sara treat me for three days. Every time she entered my room, my wolf went crazy. He kept whispering the same word over and over: *Mate. Mate. Mate.*

But that was impossible. Celeste was dead. I had killed her myself.

I swung the sword harder, remembering that terrible day. The evidence had been so clear. Letters in her handwriting. Witnesses who saw her meeting with enemy packs. Money hidden in her room.

She was guilty. The proof was overwhelming.

So why did my wolf insist she was innocent?

"Alpha, you're bleeding," Owen said, pointing at my hand.

I looked down. I'd gripped the sword so hard my palm was cut. Blood dripped onto the dirt.

"It's nothing," I said, but my legs felt unsteady.

"You need to go inside. Now."

I wanted to argue, but black spots danced in my vision. The poison was still in my system. I hated being weak.

The walk back took forever. My feet felt like they weighed a ton each.

As I passed Raven's room, I paused. The door was open, but she wasn't there.

Where was she?

Why did I care?

I shook my head and continued to my room. I just needed to lie down for a few minutes.

But when I opened my door, a familiar scent hit me.

Vanilla and honeysuckle. Vivienne.

Before I could react, someone jumped on me. Arms wrapped around my neck. Lips pressed against mine.

"Kieran! I missed you so much!"

Vivienne. Victor's cousin. The wolf everyone expected me to make my new Luna.

She was beautiful, honey-blonde hair, sapphire eyes. Any Alpha would be lucky to have her.

But I couldn't bring myself to love anyone except my dead mate. No matter how hard I tried.

*Your heart stirred when you met the rogue,* a small voice whispered, but I silenced it quickly.

"Vivienne," I said, gently pushing her back. "When did you get back?"

"Just now! I came straight to you." She smiled, running her hands down my chest. "I heard about the poisoning. I was so worried."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You look exhausted." She pulled me toward the bed. "Let me help you forget. Just for a while."

Part of me wanted to say yes. To forget about Celeste. About the guilt. About the confusing feelings for Raven.

She pushed me onto the bed, climbing on top of me.

Her lips found mine again.

Maybe a little distraction wouldn't hurt.

Her hands moved to my shirt. Then down to my belt.

And then the door slammed open.

Shit. I'd forgotten to lock it.

Raven stood there, holding a tray of medicine. Her golden eyes went wide, taking in the scene, me on the bed, Vivienne on top of me.

The tray crashed to the floor.

My entire body froze.

Raven's eyes locked with mine for one heartbeat. Two.

Then she spun around and ran.

"Wait!" I shoved Vivienne off and scrambled to my feet. But my weak legs tangled in the sheets. By the time I reached the door, Raven was gone.

"Kieran?" Vivienne pouted. "Come back to bed."

But I couldn't. My wolf was howling in distress, clawing at my chest.

Why did I care what a rogue thought? Why did the hurt in her eyes feel like a knife to my heart?

I stumbled into the hallway, following her scent. She'd run toward the forest.

"Raven!" I called.

She didn't stop.

I finally caught up to her at the tree line. She stood with her back to me, shoulders rigid.

"It's not what you think," I said. Then realized how stupid that sounded.

"I don't think anything, Alpha." Her voice was carefully neutral. "It's none of my business."

"Then why did you run?"

She turned to face me. I saw raw emotion in her eyes before she quickly hid it.

"I came to bring your medicine. You weren't available. I left. That's all."

"You're lying."

"And you're my Alpha. You can do whatever, whoever you want. I'm just a rogue you're keeping alive out of obligation."

"Is that what you think?"

"What else should I think?" She stepped closer. I caught her scent, pine and winter frost. It made my wolf purr. "You don't know me. You don't owe me anything. I saved your life, you spared mine. We're even."

"We're not even." The words came out rougher than I meant. "My wolf... he senses something about you. Something that feels strange to me"

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. But every time you're near, he's restless. Every time you leave, he wants to follow." I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. "It doesn't make sense."

"No," she said softly. "It doesn't."

We stood there in silence. Something unspoken crackled between us.

"The medicine is on your floor," she finally said. "I should make more."

She turned to leave. Without thinking, I grabbed her wrist.

The moment our skin touched, electricity shot through me. Her sharp gasp told me she felt it too.

"Don't go," I said, then immediately felt foolish. What was I doing?

"I have to. This..." She gestured between us. "Whatever this is, it can't happen. You have Vivienne. And I'm just passing through."

"What if I don't want Vivienne?"

"Then that's between you and her. But it has nothing to do with me." She gently pulled her wrist free. "Get some rest, Alpha. You're still weak from the poison."

This time when she walked away, I let her go. But I stood there long after she disappeared, my wolf howling sadly in my chest.

What the hell was happening to me?

---

**Celeste's POV**

I made it back to my room before the tears started.

Stupid. So stupid. Why did seeing him with Vivienne hurt so much?

He wasn't mine anymore. He never would be again. I was dead to him, literally dead. This body, this life, it wasn't the same.

But my soul remembered. My heart remembered. And seeing him with another woman felt like dying all over again.

A knock on the door made me quickly wipe my eyes.

"Come in."

Maya entered, closing the door behind her. She studied me for a long moment.

"You heard about Vivienne," she said. It wasn't a question.

"It's none of my business."

"Isn't it?" Maya sat on the edge of the bed. "You ran from his room like your life depended on it. Half the pack saw you."

"I was just surprised. I didn't expect"

"Celeste."

The name froze me completely. I stared at Maya, my mouth dry.

She stood up slowly, moving closer. "I know it's you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." But my voice shook.

"Yes, you do." Maya's violet eyes filled with tears. "The medicine. The way you talk. The way you move. And just now, you reacted exactly like Celeste would have, seeing Kieran with another woman."

"Maya, I'm not"

"Don't lie to me!" Her voice broke. "I'm your sister. Do you think I wouldn't recognize you? Soul-deep?"

The tears I'd been holding back spilled over. "How long have you known?"

"Since the Council Hall. When you gave the remedy." Maya pulled me into a fierce hug. "Grandmother only taught that to you. She made you swear never to write it down, never to share it. The only way you could know is if you were there when she taught it."

I hugged her back, sobbing into her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I left you."

"You didn't leave. They murdered you." Maya pulled back, gripping my shoulders. "But how? How are you here?"

"The Moon Goddess." I wiped my tears. "She brought me back. Put me in this body, a dying wolf named Raven. But I only have a hundred days."

"A hundred days for what?"

"To clear my name. To reclaim the mate bond with Kieran. If I fail, Raven's soul comes back and I disappear forever."

Maya's face went pale. "And every day?"

"I lose a memory." I sat on the bed heavily. "Small ones at first. But eventually... eventually I'll forget why I even love him."

"Oh, Celeste." Maya sat beside me, taking my hand. "We have to tell Kieran."

"No! We can't. It's against the rebirth magic" I gripped her hand tight. "Besides, He might not believe me. Worse, Victor might find out. I need evidence first. Proof of who really framed me."

"It was Victor, wasn't it?"

"I think so. But I need to be sure. I need to know why." I looked at her. "Have you noticed anything? Anything strange about him?"

Maya thought for a moment. "He's been pushing Vivienne on Kieran hard. Really hard. Always talking about how the pack needs a new Luna. How Kieran needs to move on."

"Vivienne." I said the name with distaste. "Victor's cousin. Is she part of this?"

"I don't think so. She seems to genuinely care about Kieran. But..." Maya hesitated. "There's something off about her too. She's always making him tea. Special tea she says helps with stress."

My blood ran cold. "The tea. Maya, that's how he's being poisoned. Through the tea."

"Are you sure?"

"Think about it. The poison is slow-acting. Daily doses. And Vivienne prepares his evening tea personally." I stood up, pacing. "But does she know? Is she doing it on purpose, or is Victor using her?"

"I can find out," Maya said. "I can get close to her. Ask questions."

"Be careful. If Victor suspects anything"

"I'll be careful." Maya hugged me again. "I'm just so happy you're back. Even if it's only for a hundred days."

"We'll make it count," I promised. "We'll find the truth. And we'll make Victor pay for what he did."

---

The next morning, I was summoned to Kieran's room to help change his bandages.

My hands shook as I gathered the supplies. After yesterday, after seeing him with Vivienne, after the electric shock when he touched me, I wasn't sure I could do this.

But I had no choice.

I knocked on his door.

"Come in."

He was sitting up in bed, shirtless. My breath caught. I'd seen him like this a thousand times before. Touched every inch of that skin. But now I had to pretend I was a stranger.

"Sara sent me," I said, keeping my voice steady. "To change your bandages."

"Where is Sara?"

"Treating a child who fell. She'll be here later."

Kieran nodded, watching me carefully as I approached.

I tried to focus on the task. Unwrapping the old bandages. Checking the wound on his side where they'd bled him to remove the poison. But my hands trembled.

"You're shaking," Kieran observed.

"I'm fine."

"Are you afraid of me?"

*Yes,* I thought. *Afraid you'll recognize me. Afraid you won't. Afraid of how much I still love you even though you killed me.*

"No," I said aloud.

"Then what?"

I didn't answer. Just focused on cleaning the wound, applying fresh bandages.

His skin was warm under my fingers. His scent surrounded me. My wolf, Raven's wolf was going crazy, wanting to nuzzle into him, to mark him.

"About yesterday," Kieran said quietly. "With Vivienne."

"It's none of my business."

"You keep saying that. But you ran like you'd been hurt."

I tied off the bandage harder than necessary. "I was surprised, that's all."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were you surprised? Did you expect something different?"

I finally met his eyes. "I don't know what I expected, Alpha. I'm just a rogue who happened to save your life. You don't owe me explanations about your personal life."

"Stop calling yourself 'just a rogue.'" His voice was sharp. "You're more than that."

"Am I?"

"Yes." He reached out, catching my wrist like he had yesterday. That same electricity sparked between us. "My wolf knows it. Even if I don't understand how."

"Your wolf is confused. Because of the poison."

"My wolf is never confused about important things." His thumb traced circles on my wrist, and I shivered. "He knows what he wants."

"And what does he want?" I whispered.

Kieran leaned closer. So close I could count the flecks of gray in his blue eyes. "You."

My heart stopped.

"That's impossible," I breathed.

"I know. But here we are." His other hand came up to cup my cheek. "Tell me I'm crazy. Tell me to stop."

I should have. I should have pushed him away. Remind him about Vivienne. About pack law. About everything.

But I couldn't.

Because this was Kieran. My Kieran. My mate. And even in this strange body, even with everything that had happened, I still loved him with every fiber of my being.

"You're not crazy," I whispered.

He closed the distance between us, his lips brushing against mine.

The kiss was soft. Questioning. Like he was asking permission.

I gave it.

My hands went to his shoulders as I kissed him back. Months of pain and loss and longing poured into that kiss. My wolf howled in joy, finally touching our mate again.

For a moment, everything was perfect. We were together. Nothing else mattered.

But then I remembered the way he looked at me while I was brought before the council, the hate, disgust. He didn't even defend me , his mate.

Anger rose up in me, I pulled apart forcefully from his kiss.

“What? Why?.” He was shocked.

“This is wrong, Alpha. I'm not your mate. You're mate is dead. You killed her, remember.”

His expression flattened, I had struck a nerve.

“I can't be your mate and I won't be your mate”.

“Why?”

I didn't reply him,I stood up and walked away.

I didn't have the chance of rebirth to fall in love with him.

I was reborn for Revenge.

Love and revenge do not go hand in hand.

Celeste wanted her mate back

But….

Raven Cross wanted revenge.

And I am Raven Cross not Celeste Blackwood…