Ronan walked beside Aiden through the Moon Temple.
Again.
Aiden was beginning to think the man had decided that showing him around was his life's purpose.
"This corridor leads to the eastern gardens," Ronan explained.
Aiden glanced through the open arches.
Beautiful.
White flowers grew beneath silver-leaved trees, their petals glowing faintly beneath the moonlight. A small stream ran between the gardens, its surface reflecting the pale light from above.
"And this?" Aiden asked, pointing toward another corridor.
"The western wing."
Ronan continued walking.
"You are not permitted there without permission."
Aiden stopped.
"Why?"
Ronan took two more steps before noticing.
He turned around.
"Because it is restricted."
"That wasn't an answer."
Ronan stared at him.
Aiden stared back.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Ronan sighed.
"You ask many questions."
"I have been told that before."
"I can imagine."
They continued walking.
"The temple follows several rules."
"Of course it does."
Ronan ignored the sarcasm.
"First, you are expected to remain within the temple grounds unless given permission to leave."
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"For your protection."
"I can protect myself."
"I saw that."
Ronan's eyes briefly dropped toward the sword at Aiden's side.
The sword Theron had given him.
Aiden's fingers unconsciously brushed against the hilt.
He still couldn't quite understand why Theron had given it to him.
Or why the moment he had held it, something inside him had felt strangely familiar.
Like he had held that kind of weapon countless times before.
Perhaps he had.
Not in this life.
But in another.
Aiden pushed the thought away.
"But the rule remains," Ronan continued.
Aiden sighed.
"Fine."
"Second, you are not permitted to enter Theron's private chambers."
Aiden stopped again.
"Why?"
"Because they are his private chambers."
"I understood the words."
Ronan looked at him.
"Then why ask?"
"Because I want to know why."
Ronan studied him for a moment.
"No one enters them without Theron's permission."
Aiden crossed his arms.
"Even Luna?"
Something shifted in Ronan's expression.
"Luna is permitted certain privileges."
Of course she was.
Aiden's jaw tightened.
He immediately hated the reaction.
It was ridiculous.
This wasn't his Theron.
Not yet.
Maybe never again.
And yet every time Luna touched Theron's arm, every time she stood beside him, every time she looked at him with that soft expression—
Something inside Aiden burned.
He had no right to be jealous.
He knew that.
But apparently, knowing something and feeling something were two completely different things.
Ronan continued.
"Third, you are expected to attend the evening meal unless you have a reason not to."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"What if I'm not hungry?"
"You are still expected to attend."
"What if I don't like the food?"
"You ate three plates this morning."
Aiden frowned.
"That doesn't mean I liked it."
Ronan blinked.
Aiden almost smiled.
Almost.
His younger version was far too serious.
Ronan's mouth twitched before his expression returned to its usual calm.
"Fourth, you are not to leave the temple grounds alone."
"No."
Ronan stopped.
He slowly turned toward Aiden.
"No?"
"No."
"That was not a question."
"I know."
Ronan's eyebrows rose.
"You refuse?"
"I refuse to be treated like a prisoner."
"You are not a prisoner."
"Then don't give me prisoner rules."
"You were brought here as an offering."
"And?"
"And you are under the protection of the Moon God."
Aiden stared at him.
"That sounds suspiciously like another word for prisoner."
Ronan sighed.
"You are difficult."
"I've been told that too."
"I am beginning to understand why."
Aiden smiled faintly.
Then Ronan continued walking.
"Fifth. No fighting within the temple."
Aiden's smile disappeared.
"What about training?"
"Training grounds only."
"What about someone attacking me?"
"You are permitted to defend yourself."
"Good."
"But you are not permitted to start fights."
Aiden frowned.
"That seems unfair."
"It is a reasonable rule."
"It depends who you're talking about."
"Who are you planning to fight?"
"No one."
Ronan gave him a look.
Aiden looked away.
"Yet."
Ronan's eyes narrowed.
"You truly intend to make my work difficult."
"I wasn't aware your job was controlling me."
"It isn't."
"Good."
They continued through the corridor.
"Sixth," Ronan said, "you are expected to show respect toward Theron."
Aiden nearly laughed.
"Respect?"
"Yes."
"I do respect him."
Ronan glanced at him.
"You called him a bastard yesterday."
"He deserved it."
"You slapped him."
"He deserved that too."
"You threatened to fight him."
"He deserved that as well."
Ronan stared straight ahead.
"Your definition of respect is unusual."
Aiden shrugged.
"My definition of respect is simple."
He looked toward the moonlit courtyard.
"If someone respects me, I respect them."
Ronan was silent.
Aiden's expression slowly changed.
He knew what Ronan didn't.
He had spent an entire lifetime being protected by Theron.
Sometimes too much.
He had been watched.
Guarded.
Followed.
Protected until he wanted to scream.
And he had fought Theron over it more times than he could count.
But somehow, despite all of that—
He had loved him.
He still did.
Even now.
Even with this younger version of him.
Aiden swallowed.
"I won't kneel just because someone is stronger than me."
"That is expected of an offering."
"I don't care."
Ronan stopped walking.
Aiden stopped too.
"I've already lost everything once," Aiden said quietly.
Ronan's expression softened slightly.
"I won't spend whatever time I have left pretending I'm someone I'm not."
The words hung between them.
Ronan couldn't possibly understand.
How could he?
He didn't know about Kael.
Or Ryn.
Or Lior.
He didn't know about the future.
He didn't know that the man they called a god would one day hold Aiden through nightmares.
That he would know exactly how Aiden liked his tea.
That he would sleep with one hand resting against Aiden's back.
That he would panic whenever one of their children sneezed.
That he would stare at Aiden like he was the moon itself.
That he would love him.
That Aiden would love him.
None of that existed yet.
Not here.
Not now.
Ronan finally spoke.
"You really don't intend to obey these rules."
"I intend to follow reasonable ones."
"And the unreasonable ones?"
"I'll ignore them."
For the first time, Ronan actually smiled.
It was tiny.
Barely there.
But real.
"You are going to be a problem."
"I already know."
They continued down the corridor.
Then Ronan's expression became serious again.
"There is one final rule."
Aiden looked at him.
"What?"
"You are not permitted to enter the northern forest."
Aiden frowned.
"Why?"
Ronan's expression hardened.
"Because the forest is dangerous."
"Dangerous how?"
"We don't know."
That made Aiden stop.
"You don't know?"
"No."
"Then why hasn't anyone investigated it?"
"We have."
"And?"
"Some never returned."
Aiden's ears twitched.
That was not an answer he liked.
He looked toward the distant windows.
Beyond them stood the dark forest.
Tall trees stretched toward the sky, their branches twisting together beneath the moonlight.
Something about it felt wrong.
Not familiar.
Not exactly.
But wrong.
His wolf stirred beneath his skin.
Danger.
Aiden swallowed.
"What lives there?"
"We don't know."
"Then why do you have a temple this close to it?"
Ronan looked toward the forest.
"Because this temple existed before the forest became dangerous."
Aiden's eyes narrowed.
Before.
Everything here seemed to be built around a history he didn't remember.
A history he had somehow already lived.
He touched the silver crescent sword at his side.
Then his thoughts returned to the necklace Theron had given him in the other life.
A white half-moon.
A black wolf inside it.
His fingers curled around the sword.
Different life.
Different Theron.
Same moon.
Aiden didn't know what that meant.
But he knew one thing.
He wasn't going to spend this life simply following orders.
If this truly was his first life—
then he would find out how everything began.
And if the Moon God wanted him to kneel?
He was going to have to learn something first.
Aiden didn't kneel.
Not for anyone.
Not even him.