When the world turned its back on me, it was my own kind that took me in—not the werewolves, but peasants like me. I slept on the street, using a piece of cardboard as my bed, with no blanket or pillow to shield me from the cold. It was harsh, but I had no choice. I begged for pennies and food, crying every night. My self-pity would overwhelm me, and I'd sob uncontrollably until I passed out from exhaustion.

But tonight was different. As I cried, an old woman suddenly sat next to me. She wore a black dress, a veil atop her gray hair, and held a cane. I wiped my tears and tried to leave, but she grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"I know a way," she said.

I shoved her hand away and scooted back, hiding in the shadows. "I’m sorry, but I must go."

She followed and gripped my arm. Her cold touch sent a shiver down my spine as fear crept in.

"I said I know a way," she repeated, her voice firm and her hold unyielding.

"I-I... I don’t know what you’re talking about," I said. "Please, let go of me."

I yanked my arm from her grip, but I winced when her fingers tightened, and her sharp nails dug into my skin.

"Listen to me, young woman," she whispered. "If you want to resurrect your love from death, you need my help."

My whole body ran cold upon hearing her words, and the words stuck in my throat—until I finally asked, "C-Can you do that? Can you make him alive again?"

The old woman smiled at me, revealing her decayed canine. "I can't. But I told you, I know a way."

Desperation rushed through my veins, and I straightened my back before grabbing her bony hands. "Please, I’m begging you. Tell me the way."

The old woman stared down at my hands on hers, slightly raising her brow. For a few seconds, silence lingered, until she met my eyes.

"There’s a mountain in the East," she started. "It’s called The Resurrection. Different kinds of desperate creatures hike there to beg the deity of second life, but most of them don’t make it to the top. I could count on my bony fingers how many survived."

I swallowed hard as my fear doubled, but my desperation to embrace Johnson was greater. I would do anything to be with him again.

"Only those deserving and with good intentions can make it to the top. And if you're one of them, beg the deity with your life."

The wind blew again, sending all the hair on my body standing on end.

"If you decide to hike, bring a tribute to the deity—a headless chicken, pig's blood, and a lotus flower."

I hugged myself, the old woman smirking when she saw it, as it was so obvious that I was scared.

"But remember, young woman, that the mountain is gravely dangerous and alive. It targets the weak and can smell fear. If you hear someone—someone that you love and who’s important to you—do not look back. It's a trap." The old woman's smirk widened. "Once you do, your soul will be trapped forever in the mountain. You’ll become one of the trees, the lakes, or the wild animals—and you'll have to witness those next desperate creatures."

* * *

It took me a week to reach The Resurrection Mountain—not from hesitation, but because I had to work hard to earn the money for the tributes. I worked multiple underpaid jobs—janitor, dog walker, waiter—and begged for pennies on the side.

It was tough, but I finally bought a headless chicken, pig's blood, and a lotus flower. I hugged the bag tightly to my chest, taking a deep breath as I stood before the mountain, shrouded in fog and towering with massive trees. It was dark where I stood, and I knew it would be even darker inside. But I had sacrificed everything to be here, so I couldn’t back out.

I took a deep breath and started my hike. Everything went smoothly at first, until I felt a breath on the back of my neck. The hair on my body stood on edge, and I was about to turn when I remembered what the old woman had warned me.

It’s a trap.

Clutching my bag, I pressed forward, but paused when laughter echoed behind me.

"Smart girl," the voice taunted, moving from one ear to the other. "Let's see how far you'll go."

My heart raced in fear, but I forced myself to walk. Each step felt heavier, as if the ground itself resisted me. The voice echoed in my mind, impossible to block out.

The laughter twisted in my ears, a mocking sound that made my resolve crumble little by little. Its taunts were relentless, and despite my best efforts, I could feel myself losing control. My thoughts were scattered, and my fear grew stronger with each step I took.

"You are the most beautiful." It was Johnson's voice. "Don't get jealous, baby. You're the only one I love."

Tears threatened, but I held them back, staring ahead.

“I’m going to build you a mansion,” Johnson’s voice continued. “We’ll have three children, and our pups will be cute because their mother is gorgeous.”

I clenched my fists so tight, I could feel the blood stop flowing. Even though I knew it wasn’t him, the happiness that came with hearing his voice was inevitable.

I couldn't hold it in anymore; I burst into tears—just for Johnson's voice to appear again.

"Come on, baby. Look at me. I'm here."

I almost did, but I shook my head. "No! You're not real!"

"I am very real. Look behind you and you'll see me."

I shook my head again, now firmer. "You're just inside my head."

"Just look and I'll prove it to you—"

"Shut up!" I screamed, then screamed louder when the earth suddenly collapsed beneath me.

I screamed at the top of my lungs as I plummeted down, my body slamming against rocks and tree branches. The impact was brutal, but somehow, I didn't stop falling until I landed on something— or rather, someone.

My eyes widened in shock as I realized I was on top of a man. His eyes were tightly shut, wincing in pain from the sudden impact of my fall. Just as I was about to move off him, his eyes fluttered open, only to be met by a heavy downpour of rain.

The rain hit him hard, forcing his eyes to close again, and I quickly seized the opportunity to scramble off him. My heart was racing and my hands were trembling as I tried to steady myself.

I scanned the ground desperately, searching for my veil, but it was nowhere to be found. So with no other option, I grabbed a large banana leaf, hoping it would serve to hide my hideous face and shield my shame.

"Don't look at me!" I shouted to the man as I took a slight step back.

"What the hell?" he muttered while standing up, holding his arm to check if the bone inside was fractured. "Where the fuck did you come from?"

He gazed at the sky, before eventually bowing down as the rain kissed his face.

Meanwhile, time seemed to slow down on my end as I scanned him from head to toe. He was incredibly tall, with a solid build that made him appear both strong and imposing. Then my face flushed a deeper shade of red when I realized he was shirtless, completely exposed to the rain.

Without any upper clothing, I had an unrestricted view of his chiseled six-pack abs and the intricate tattoo that adorned his broad chest, drawing my eyes to the sharp curves of his muscles and the patterns inked on his skin.

Swallowing, I looked away. "C-Can you please put on a shirt?"

I saw him raise a brow at me from my peripheral vision, then he slightly chuckled as he said, "Your nipples distract me the same way my abs do to you, but I didn't ask you to put on a bra."

My whole face burned with embarrassment, his words prompting my hands to frantically adjust the banana leaf to cover my chest as well.

"Pervert!" I shouted at the man, who just laughed at me again before turning utterly serious when he spoke.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

My throat went dry from his question, but I chose not to tell him the reason. "It's none of your business."

Silence lingered between us, with him raising a brow at me. It lasted so long that it became awkward, so I sighed and decided to shatter it.

"How about you?"

"Why would I tell you?" he retorted. "I'll just answer your question if you answer me first."

I glared at him, but then sighed again and nodded. "Fine. But we'll say it at the same time."

He didn't utter a word, but he nodded—then, when he did, we both answered in unison.

"I'm here to kill myself."

"I'm here to resurrect my lover."

Our eyes widened, both shocked at each other's words—speaking at the same time again.

"What?!"

The man paced back and forth, his palms pressed against his head as if I had slapped him. "What the hell are you thinking?"

I gasped dramatically. "No. What the hell are you thinking?!"

He stopped pacing to look at me. "Who told you that it's possible to resurrect the dead?"

Instead of answering, I walked closer to him—asking the same question, but in a different format. "Who told you to kill yourself?"

We fell into a staring competition as neither of us was willing to answer, until my eyes caught the rope on the tree behind him.

My heart dropped. He would've tied it around his neck if I hadn't fallen from nowhere…

"Gosh, you're so stupid." I stalked toward the rope, not noticing that I had abandoned the banana leaf—until I looked back at him and stumbled upon his wide eyes.

My whole body ran cold, unable to move for a second, before I rushed to smear mud on my face just to hide it.

"I know it's disgusting. You don't have to mention it," I whispered, my voice near cracking.

He blinked his eyes a lot of times. "W-What?"

"Stop looking!" I snapped. "My face is disgusting, and you're making me feel even worse by staring!"

He frowned. "Who told you it's disgusting?"

"No one needs to. It's obvious." Chuckling bitterly, I gasped sharply when he suddenly grabbed my waist and wiped off the mud from my face.

Our eyes locked—mine wide open, while his were filled with unknown emotions.

"It's not disgusting," he whispered. "Who did this to you?"

My breath hitched when his finger traced my scar, the cold from the rain instantly replaced by burning flames.

I swallowed hard. "I-I said it's none of your business."

Pulling away from him, I was about to run away when he yanked me back and crashed his lips into mine.

"Hmmmp!" I screamed against his mouth, then gathered all of my strength to push him away.

A loud crack cut through the rain when my palm struck his cheek, both of us panting heavily as I glared at him—but then something possessed me, and I grabbed his nape.

I jumped on his body and wrapped my legs around his hips, kissing him roughly. He quickly responded and pinned me against the tree, until my moans and his heavy panting replaced the whispers of the unknown creatures lurking on this mountain.

Seven years later…

Taking a deep sigh, I gazed around the luxurious yacht. It could board at least a hundred creatures, but only half were present because my client wanted the celebration to be exclusive to her close friends and family.

To be honest, in this small country of ours, I could count on my fingers those who were powerful and influential—all present tonight. So I guessed the birthday celebrant was as extravagant as them because these creatures would rather slit their throats than befriend anyone standing beneath their social rank.

I didn’t know who my client was because she booked anonymously, but I made sure that my team and I met her expectations.

Over the years, I managed to fight against the challenges that tried to bring me down. Now, I was an event coordinator who was slowly being recognized in the field.

I also had a daughter and a husband now—both full of love, and it was impossible to ask for more because they were already beyond everything in this world.

"Ma'am, lauv, it's all set. We can start the celebration now."

I was yanked away from my thoughts when one of my staff appeared next to me. Nodding at her, I ordered her to get the rest of them to their stations.

The guests at this celebration were the elites, so everything needed to be perfect.

Walking to the corner, I straightened my back and took a deep breath as the hostess began to speak. She was a mermaid in her human form—I could confidently tell that, even from where I stood, by the way she smelled.

She smiled brightly as she hyped the guests, the warmth of her presence making the atmosphere lighter—until she uttered the name of the birthday celebrant.

"Let's welcome Luna Zaira Vera with a round of applause!"

My brows furrowed as I tilted my head to the side, trying to recall where I had heard the name. It was blurry in my mind, but then it made sense when the woman emerged from the shadows.

My lips parted.

Zaira Vera... the girl I grew up with in the orphanage who bullied me.

She was beaming from ear to ear as she waved to her guests, mouthing her thanks before stepping down from the small platform.

Kissing the cheeks of her close friends, I turned away when her eyes accidentally landed in my direction. My heart was pounding violently against my chest, making it very difficult for me to breathe.

It had been so many years, and I thought the pain was gone, but the moment I saw her, it all came rushing back—deeper and more tormenting.

It took almost a minute before I was sure that she wasn't looking in my direction anymore, but I still kept my mask on to hide my face. It failed to muffle my gasp when another figure appeared next to her, his arm possessively snaking around her tiny waist.

It took my breath away, freezing me from head to toe like a statue, with only my eyes moving. I stared at him from head to toe, my heart twisting as I realized he hadn’t changed one bit.

Alpha Johnson Reaper still looked the same as he did seven years ago.

My supposed-to-be-dead fiancé was standing next to another woman, laughing with her when one of their friends said something.

Tears stung my eyes, but they dried away when a thought struck my mind.

If he was alive... then my hike to The Resurrection Mountain must've worked!

My hands shot up to my mouth to stifle my gasp, and the tears I’d been holding back since earlier finally poured down.

I looked so stupid crying in the corner of the yacht while everyone else beamed with joy, but no one understood that these tears were also from happiness—until it was shattered when Johnson and Zaira started kissing.

I was a married woman now, with a daughter, but I still couldn’t stop myself from being hurt.

Johnson and I never had closure, and I blamed myself for his death. But then I realized that we both had our own lives now, and we were both happy—even though the truth behind his second chance still nagged at me.

I had no clue when he came back to life, if he looked for me, if he knew what his mother had done, or how he met Zaira. But I guessed what mattered now was the present.

Taking a deep breath, I wiped my tears with both hands before pulling myself away from the wall I had been leaning against.

I had planned for a peaceful exit, but the unexpected happened. Due to my trembling body and wobbling knees, I accidentally bumped into a passing waiter.

The tray he was holding, along with the bottle of wine on it, shattered on the floor, spilling some all over my chest. I gasped and took a step back, but it had already caught everyone's attention.

They all turned their heads toward me, and I quickly bowed down, fixing my hair on both sides of my face to create a curtain that hid my identity. I scrambled to wipe off the stain on my shirt, but then someone knocked me down.

It was an accident. His broad shoulder slammed into mine as he ran to someone behind me, but when I fell, he turned back and offered me a hand.

I hesitated, but eventually took it—which turned out to be a big mistake because he recognized me.

"Lauvrai?"