​Rebecca’s POV

​I swallowed hard, my mind racing through the faces of everyone inside that cold, terrifying palace. Who could I choose?

​Of course, I couldn’t choose Kaden. If I chose him, my soul would occupy his body while his own soul became trapped inside my comatose form. There was absolutely no use in that; I wouldn’t be able to see how he truly treated my memory or handled my absence if he wasn’t even in his own skin. Besides, I couldn’t survive a single day trying to act like the ruthless Alpha King. My cover would be blown in seconds. So, Kaden was definitely not an option.

​I looked at my next option: his brother, Kane. But Kane was an Alpha, and I still wouldn’t survive a day trying to mirror that kind of position. People would notice the sudden shift immediately.

​The same went for Logan. As Kaden’s Beta and right-hand man, Logan was the closest person to the King. He was around Kaden constantly, which made him the perfect spy. But again, I couldn’t survive a day—much less a whole week—carrying the heavy responsibilities of the Alpha King’s Beta. The pack politics alone would expose me. So, Logan was struck out, too.

​Now, my only real option left was Stephanie.

​I could easily blend into her body. As a maid, she was invisible to the high-ranking wolves, yet she had direct access to the private quarters. She was quiet, gentle, and already mourning for me. I could mimic her perfectly without raising any suspicion. She was the only one.

​I opened my mouth and said, "Stephanie’s body."

​Helen nodded slowly, happy with my choice. "Alright. But we have to get Stephanie’s permission before you can occupy her body. We cannot just steal a soul’s vessel without consent."

​I frowned, looking around the quiet forest. "How? How are we going to get her permission here?"

​"By bringing her here," Helen answered smoothly. "Do not worry, it is late in the living world. Stephanie is fast asleep right now, which makes this the best time. The bridge accepts sleeping souls."

​Helen closed her eyes, tilting her head back toward the glowing sky. She raised a hand, her voice dropping into a melodic, commanding whisper. "Stephanie, come forth."

​The air in the forest rippled like water. A thick, glowing mist gathered a few feet away from us, swirling rapidly until it began to take a solid, human shape.

​When the mist cleared, Stephanie appeared.

​She looked completely confused, her eyes darting around the unnaturally tall trees before landing first on Helen, and then squarely on me. She gasped loudly, her hands instantly flying to her mouth.

​"R-Rebecca?" she stuttered, her voice shaking as she took me in. "Am I... am I dead? Did I die too?"

​"No, Stephanie," I said quickly, stepping forward.

​The moment she realized it was really me, Stephanie scrambled across the grass and threw her arms around me, hugging me so tightly that I could feel the desperate tremble in her spirit.

​"Where is this place?" she sobbed into my shoulder, pulling back to look at me with wide, panicked eyes. "Why am I here? What is happening? I was just crying beside you, and then I fell asleep..."

​Helen stepped forward. She didn’t waste time on pleasantries. She went straight to the point.

​"Stephanie," Helen said, her voice soft but filled with an undeniable authority that made the maid freeze. "You are not dead. You are dreaming, brought to the bridge between life and death. Rebecca’s soul is fighting to stay away from the living world, but the Moon Goddess is offering her a choice. A second chance. But to make that choice, she needs your help."

​Stephanie blinked away her tears, looking back and forth between me and the late Queen. "My help? How can a simple maid help a soul?"

​Helen leaned in, her eyes locked onto Stephanie’s. "By letting Rebecca borrow your body for seven days," Helen said calmly. "While your soul rests safely here, she will walk the palace in your place and discover the truth about Kaden. When the seven days are over, you will return to your body unharmed."

​Stephanie’s jaw dropped, her spirit pale with shock as the madness of the plan settled over her.

​"A body swap?" Stephanie breathed, her voice dropping to a scared whisper. She let go of my hands and stepped back, looking at Helen with wide eyes. "You want me to give up my body? To let Rebecca become me?"

​"Only for a week, Stephanie," I stepped forward quickly, reaching out to touch her arm. "I know it sounds completely crazy. But it is the only way I can see if Kaden has any kindness left, or if I should just let my body die and find peace. I need to know the truth."

​The moment those words left my mouth, the doubt vanished from Stephanie’s face.

​"If it will save your life, Rebecca, I don’t care how crazy it is," Stephanie said, her voice instantly turning firm as she stepped back toward me. "I’ve hated watching what they did to you in that mansion. You’ve suffered enough. If my body can help you get your answers and your freedom, then take it."

​Helen gave her a warm, proud smile. "You are a true friend, Stephanie. Don’t worry. Your soul will stay right here in this forest. For seven days, you will feel nothing but absolute peace. It will feel like a beautiful, deep sleep, and when the week is over, you will wake up back in your own bed, completely fine."

​Stephanie looked directly at me, a brave, steady spark in her eyes. "I trust you, Rebecca. I know you’ll protect my body. Go do what you have to do."

​A huge wave of gratitude washed over my soul. "Thank you, Stephanie," I choked out, squeezing her hands tightly. "I swear I won’t let anything happen to you."

​"There is no time to waste," Helen cut in, her voice turning urgent as the glowing forest around us began to change. The quiet peace broke as a strong wind began to blow through our hair, and the trees flashed with a bright, blinding, golden light. "The window is closing. Rebecca, take Stephanie’s hands. Hold on tight."

​I gripped Stephanie’s hands as Helen stepped back, raising her arms toward the swirling sky.

​"By the power of the Moon Goddess, let the scales shift," Helen commanded, her voice ringing loud and clear through the woods. "Two souls, one bond. Swap their places!"

​Suddenly, a flash of white light exploded between Stephanie and me.

​The ground beneath my feet dropped away into nothing. Before I could even gasp, a violent, breathless pull grabbed my whole being. It felt like I was being snapped through a tube at lightning speed, the peaceful forest tearing away from me in a blur of colors. My chest tightened, the rushing wind roaring in my ears until everything went completely black.

​Thump.

​A sudden, heavy weight dropped onto my chest as gravity slammed back into place.

​My lungs gasped for air, hurting as they breathed in the familiar, heavy smell of the pack mansion. The bright light of the spirit world was totally gone, replaced by dim, dark shadows. My head throbbed with a dull ache, and my arms and legs felt incredibly heavy and stiff.

​I blinked my eyes open, staring up at a plain, dark ceiling.

​I wasn’t in the forest anymore. I was lying in a small, cramped bed inside the servants’ rooms.

​Slowly, my heart beating wildly against my ribs, I lifted my hands into the faint moonlight coming through the small window. These weren’t my hands. The fingers were slightly shorter, the skin rougher from years of hard work and scrubbing floors.

​I sat up quickly, gasping as the real world rushed back into my senses. Pushing off the thin blanket, I swayed my legs out of bed and caught my reflection in the cheap, cracked mirror sitting on the wooden dresser across the room.

​A round face, light-brown hair, and wide, startled eyes stared back at me.

​Stephanie.

​A huge rush of energy hit me as the truth of it sank in. The magic had actually worked. I was inside Stephanie’s body.

​Suddenly, the loud sound of alarm bells started ringing from the upper levels of the mansion, echoing down the stone hallways. Fast, hurried footsteps rushed past the servant rooms outside my door.

​"Hurry up!" The head maid yelled from the hallway, banging loudly on the doors. "All maids to the grand hall right now! The Alpha King has summoned us."

​A dark smile touched my new lips as I quickly smoothed down Stephanie’s uniform and opened the door, blending perfectly into the crowd of rushing servants.

​I’m back, Kaden, I thought, as I marched down the hallway. And for the next seven days, I am going to watch you.