Chapter 188 

Ruby’s POV 

“Liar.” 

My lips trembled, and my ears rang as if a siren were blaring inside them. When Julius told me, it felt as though the world spun beneath my feet. 

“Look into my eyes and see if you can find even a drop of malice in them for daring to toy with something we both consider important, Ruby, Julius demanded firmly. 

Tears welled at the corners of 

“I have proof.” 

my eyes. “Julius, how could you say that all of a sudden?” 

I wanted to run to the kitchen, stuff my ears with a knife. Let him bleed just to test if these ears still worked. Julius remained on the other side, laying out his findings. Anyone who knew Julius knew how deeply he loved his family. He would not stop tracing the whereabouts of those who had departed to the afterlife until his very last breath. 

Julius demonstrated a sphere he had seen in the saintesses‘ castle. Inside, souls could be seen passing through a channel–some chose to stay, while others were given another turn to try their fate in the world yet again. I covered my mouth, my shoulders trembling violently. 

“Oh, Mikael.” 

Karina moved to my left side, her slender fingers guiding me into her embrace. 

“We are still tracking him. Imagine how mixed my feelings were when that saintess told me Mikael’s soul had been reborn several years ago,” the Alpha said bitterly. 

“I’ll only be at peace once I see with my own eyes that the child is living in a worthy family.” 

He shook his head, his gaze so distant it frightened me. 

“We both came from difficult families.” Julius’s voice was hoarse, his head bowed over the puddle of leftover tea. “There was no place for an illegitimate child to be loved in the core family, and our status was lower than that of slaves. I haven’t stopped praying that he never has to go through that again for a second time.” 

“Oh God, I can’t think straight!” 

I stammered, clutching my head. I tried desperately not to slip back into old habits. The only thing my mind needed was space. I wanted to be alone, I couldn’t bear to take in any more. 

“I will help you. That’s all I can say.” 

“Ruby…” 

“Please, let’s postpone any discussion about this. I’m sorry,” I cut in, standing up without looking at either of them. 

My lips kept repeating apologies. The castle’s residents looked offering me every kind of help. I rejected them outright, almost yelling in 

Leonidas’s face when he appeared in front of me. 

“Not this time, Beta. Thank you for taking over your leader’s duties.” 

The door slammed shut in the man’s face. I kicked away all my guilt, collapsing to the floor with my head buried in my knees. Leonidas remained outside, voicing his willingness to serve. He was also angry on my behalf, convinced that Julius had lost a teaspoon’s worth of brain cells for never knowing how to create a proper space for discussion. 

“Your Majesty, are you having another panic attack? Please knock once for yes and twice for no,” he said with a mix of emotions. 

1/4 

09:27 Sat To Aug 

Chapter 188 

I chose the second option. It was a bellevable lie when you’re face to face with a man who’s lived for a thoimand years, you’re bound to be threa the trash heap. I would be found out too easily if I so much as opened my mouth without making a sound. 

“Alpha Julius and Lima have already gotten into their car. I swear this won’t happen again.” 

My eyes shut as Leonidas’s voice echoed from behind the door. 

“Stay silent. Killian will know enough from me, understood?” lurged. 

” 

“Understood, My Queen.” 

It took twenty minutes before Leonidas’s into a dull orange. 

as’s scent trail completely disappeared, a sign that he had truly gone. My shoulders slumped, my vision dimming 

I laughed because what else could I do? 

Among all the cruel jokes this world had to offer, this was the one I received with both hands outstretched in supplication. Helplessness clawed at my 

throat. 

“Fate, have I not prayed enough?” I whispered. 

Even as the words left my lips, the wolf within me stirred. She mourned for the very same thing. 

Second–chance mates were like winter roses blooming in the frost only to be killed overnight. I was one of those rare and cursed souls, torn between fate and choice. After marrying for the second time and doing my research, I realized my soul was also bound in a triad circle. 

Possessive as he was, Killian never particularly liked it, though he did respect the late Mikael. Now, with this revelation, I was left shattered in ways I could not imagine ever healing from. 

I was afraid of Killian’s reaction. His insecurity could be disastrous, an extreme example being that he would kill without hesitation just to keep me forever. He had been bound to me even before Mikael. To some, that felt like poison. I didn’t care, as long as I was protected and loved. I was tired of fighting against a world that so often treated me cruelly. 

Then, learning how quickly a soul could reincarnate was like reopening a wound I had stitched shut with my own hands. 

“Will you remember me, Mikael?” 

That night, I sat in our living room long after Gallert and Elias had gone to bed, the silence pressing down on me like heavy snow. My hands trembled as ! held a glass of water I hadn’t touched in a long while. The bedroom light glowed faintly, painting the walls in shimmering gold. 

Moments later, a realization struck me what if Mikael was still just a child somewhere out there? 

Tears slipped down my cheeks in silence. Leia whimpered, feeling the emotions we shared. Memories of two men tangled together. It began with the way Mikael’s voice wrapped around my name, the way his touch soothed the chaos in my mind. And she remembered how Killian’s arms felt when he held our daughter for the first time, admiration and love etched into every line of his face. 

“I can’t have two hearts. Killian would hate me for this.” I touched my chest. 

“Maybe not. It could be nothing more than familial care and affection. But once, we did love each other.” 

After midnight, exhaustion overtook me. I lay down on the sofa, the gentle hiss of the fire lulling me to sleep. And then I was in a place shaped by dreams, where the air was too still and the colors too vivid, almost stinging my eyes. 

A figure stood a few steps ahead, with dark brown eyes I remembered, hair tousled by the wind, and a soft smile that melted me com 

breathe. 

I couldn’t 

“Mikael?” 

His smile widened, but it was tinged with sorrow. My name was like a prayer on his lips. 

09:28 Sat, 16 Aug Ad 

Chapter 188 

“Hi, my love. It’s been so long. 

I wanted to run to him, to feel the way his tangled together in my chest. 

arms would wrap around my body only to be held back by an unseen weight beneath my feet. Car and longing 

“They said you’d already been given that chance. I thought I would never see you again 

My voice broke, and I swallowed hard. 

“Nonsense. You will live and outlast many wolves.” 

Both my hands clutched at the sides of my gown. He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine. 

“Well, that part is true. I could have stayed in heaven. But sometimes the Moon Goddess writes stories that don’t end the way we think they will 

A bitter laugh slipped from my lips. “And what are we supposed to do? Mikael, I’m married.” 

“I know.” He extended a hand, as if to touch my cheek, then suddenly stopped just before his skin met mine. “You chose Killian. And I’m not here to take you away from him.” 

The gentleness in his voice made my knees weak. 

“But you’re my mate too,” I whispered, my voice breaking. 

“I still am,” he said simply. “Some bonds don’t break, even deserves. And I’m glad for that.” 

when 

they’re supposed to I also know your heart is big enough to love him the way he 

My vision blurred. “You’re not angry?” 

He shook his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. “How could I be angry with you for surviving? For finding happiness, even if it’s not with me? I wanted that for you, Ruby. Always.” 

The tears I had held back spilled over. 

“You don’t understand. My soul still sings for you, Mikael,” I stopped, biting my lip. 

“Oh darling, of course I can feel and hear it,” he whispered softly. “Know that I still love you. I understand we can’t have what we once did. Not in this life. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. Or that it didn’t matter.” 

“Unless fate allows it again. No matter how it begins, I’ll take the chance to reclaim my place in your life,” he declared. 

I was the first of us to move. I touched his arm warm, achingly familiar and for a moment, the dream felt like a cruel gift. I could feel his presence: the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the scent of forest and the faint trace of amber that had always clung to him. 

“What happens now?” I asked, my voice barely audible. 

“Live your life as usual, Ruby,” he said, brushing the back of my hand gently. “When the time comes, we’ll meet again in the real world. Though it’ll be troublesome if you keep dreaming of me.” 

Something inside me broke and healed all at once. “I don’t want to lose you again.” 

“You won’t. I’ll be stay at your side, Ruby.” 

Mikael promised, pressing a kiss to my forehead. And then he was gone swept away by the fading light of the dream. 

I woke to Gallert’s crying at the end of the corridor, pale sunlight spilling across the floor. The nanny hurried past, carrying a tray of baby porridge and humming a tune to soothe him. 

From the corner of my eye, I saw a royal–sealed envelope lying on the glass surface of the table.