Chapter 3 Author: Apple Cider I froze. That night came early. The Moon Goddess had cut my time short. In the last timeline, Selena had died too-from a silver-laced wound after a rogue ambush. The blood vaults had run dry. No healer came in time. That was the moment Killian's resentment toward me turned lethal. But that had happened a month into our bond. So why... was it happening now? The Moon Goddess wasn't giving me time. She was giving me a chance-to fulfill Killian's third regret early. A medic's whisper cut through the chaos. "She's fading. Her wolf spirit is detaching. If it severs completely... she'll go feral. Or worse." Killian turned to me, and for the first time, I saw desperation crack through every layer of his Alpha pride. "Clara... please." I didn't answer. I didn't need to. I was an Omega Healer-not just a mender of flesh, but a soul-weaver. Without hesitation, I dropped to my knees beside Selena and opened my satchel. Moonflower dust. Shadowroot ash. Spirit-binding quartz. And my final vial of moon-charged spring water-gathered under a blood eclipse. I mixed. I burned. I chanted. The scent of scorched herbs filled the room as I pressed my palms to her chest, whispering verses passed down through lunar bloodlines. My wolf stirred-weak, but willing. She offered what little she had left. Time collapsed. I worked through dusk and dawn. No food. No sleep. No light but starlight. My aura dimmed. My bones screamed. But I didn't stop. Not until I had nothing left to give. When sunlight finally spilled through the stained glass, Selena's aura was steady-but faint. I collapsed beside her. Killian didn't speak. Didn't look at me. His eyes stayed fixed on Selena, like nothing else mattered.