6 Chapter 6
A loud crash echoed through my mind.
My blood rushed to my head, my vision blurring. Was it him?
My body froze. My shoulders and legs trembled as I turned around, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Brooks’s name was on the tip of my tongue–so close–but the second I met his eyes, words lodged in my throat.
Cold.
Indifferent.
the
Alpha Brooks had always been distant with others, but never with me. Whenever he looked at me, there had been warmth–a quiet devotion only I had known.
Now?
Nothing.
A sharp ache settled in my chest, but I forced my gaze downward, not wanting him to see my tear–stained eyes.
“Julian told me about you, but he didn’t mention much.”
His voice was slow, measured, as if he were carefully piecing together a puzzle.
“I feel like I know you.” He exhaled. “And every time I see you, I feel… guilty. Like I’ve done something wrong. Even scared.”
I swallowed hard. He doesn’t remember.
“You know I’m allergic to mushrooms. And that red string around your neck–it’s just like
mine.”
My breath caught.
The red string.
A token we had received together–a blessing from the Moon Goddess herself.
I wished for his health and safety.
He had wished for all my dreams to come true.
I had forgotten. Forgotten that memory loss couldn’t erase instincts.
Alpha Brooks was still Alpha. His mind was sharp, his intuition sharper. It was only a matter of time before he figured it out.
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6 Chapter 6
But my identity?
Even if he guessed the truth, would he dare to believe it?
I slowly lifted my head, meeting his scrutinizing gaze. He studied me for a long moment, then looked away, his eyes landing on my ring.
“Lily said you’re married.” His hands were in his pockets, but I saw it–the clench of his fists.
The tension in his stance. “You…”
I knew what he was thinking.
The man who was about to marry another woman had just encountered someone who felt
too familiar.
Of course he was conflicted.
I opened my mouth, my voice hoarse, barely there. But after a few failed attempts, I finally
forced the words out.
“I am married… but it has nothing to do with you.”
A slow, shaky breath escaped him.
Relief.
I saw it. Felt it.
And in that moment, my heart shattered.
Never–not once in my life–had I imagined a day when Alpha Brooks would be relieved to
learn I wasn’t his.
I had seen him blush when caught sneaking glances at me.
I had heard his stammering when he was at a loss for words.
I felt his joy when I agreed to be his girlfriend.
That smile–bright enough to set the whole world on fire–I had only seen it twice.
And now… it was gone.
“Where’s your husband?”
I stared at him, my vision blurring.
You.
You’re my husband.
But I didn’t say it.
I couldn’t.
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6 Chapter 6
He shifted, his expression uncertain. “Sorry, I—”
I lifted a hand, stopping him. I had to end this.
“You were the pack’s Alpha. The elders took pity on me and raised me like a daughter. That’s all.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I came here to visit on their behalf.”
My fingers tightened around the red string.
“As for this-” I yanked it off, the thin cord snapping. “Your parents gave it to me. Nothing
more.”
Silence.
He just stood there, watching me, but I had nothing left to say.
I turned and walked away, my legs unsteady, my mind blank.
I didn’t know how I made it back to my room.
I thought I had kept myself together. Thought I had controlled my emotions.
But the moment I turned around, the dam broke.
Tears spilled over, hot and endless, and I crumpled to the floor in the bathroom, muffling my sobs with trembling hands.
- up.
Five years.
Five years I had dreamed of this moment.
Of him coming back to me.
But when he finally did–when he was finally here–I had to push him away.
Why?!
A sharp pain tore through my stomach. My throat tightened, the bitter taste of blood rising
“Ava! What’s wrong? Open the door!”
Doctor Reynolds’s voice.
I forced myself to stand, gripping the sink for balance. My fingers fumbled, pressing the flush button to erase any evidence of my breakdown.
By the time I stepped out, my face was composed.
“I’m fine,” I murmured. “I just slipped.”
Doctor Reynolds’s gaze was knowing, full of something close to pity.
“You don’t have to pretend in front of me.”
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I turned away. “I’m fine.”
O
He hesitated but eventually let it go, giving my shoulder a light pat before retreating to his bed.
I turned, and my gaze landed on the orange invitation lying on the table.
The wedding at dusk.
It was supposed to be mine.
Something snapped.
A burning resentment surged through me, hot and uncontrollable.
Without thinking, without hesitating, I grabbed my coat and ran.
I wasn’t going to let this happen.
I wasn’t going to let the Moon Goddess be ignored.
I would tell him the truth.
Alpha Brooks was mine.
And I was his.
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