LYDIA

"I'm sorry," I whisper to the stranger and take a small step back. "Do I... know you?"

The moment the words leave my mouth, the girl stiffens. Her expression changes as though I just threw ice water on her.

"What?" she says sharply, her tone tight and hurt.

Before I can say anything else, Dex places a comforting hand on her shoulder. She turns toward him, her eyes full of confusion and pain. There's something in the way he touches her-gentle, protective, that stirs an unexpected wave of jealousy in me. I quickly push the feeling away. It doesn't make sense.

"Don't take it personally, Linda," Dex says quietly. "She doesn't remember me either."

Linda's eyes widen. The hurt fades, replaced by shock.

Before anyone else can speak, the doctor, Brad, I think they called him, steps closer.

"It's possible Baron did more than just drink her blood," Brad says in a thoughtful, serious voice. "He must have given her something, a drug or a poison, that suppressed her memory."

Dex nods, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Maybe. She didn't seem to recognize him either."

"Who?" I interrupt, my voice sharper than I intend. "Who are you talking about?"

No one answers. They just exchange quiet looks, as if I'm not even in the room.

Linda finally speaks again, her voice trembling. "I don't understand... what really happened?"

Dex exhales heavily and leans against the counter. "Things went wrong," he admits. "We were late. I barely got Lydia out of there before Baron tracked us down."

"Is the pack still there?" Linda's voice breaks with worry.

Dex closes his eyes for a moment. His jaw tightens before he shakes his head slowly. "No. They escaped. Some are hurt, but no one died."

Both Linda and Brad let out shaky sighs of relief.

I cross my arms, feeling frustration boiling inside me. "I don't understand any of this," I say. "Who are they? Who are you people? And what exactly happened to me?"

They all look at me then, three pairs of eyes, each filled with different emotions. Brad looks sympathetic, Linda looks heartbroken, and Dex... Dex looks unreadable, but there's something in his eyes that feels too familiar, like he's holding back everything I'm desperate to know.

Brad clears his throat softly and steps forward. "My name is Brad," he explains gently. "I'm the doctor of the Silver Crescent Pack." He pauses, grimacing a little. "You might not remember me, Lydia. We think someone used a kind of poison or spell to erase your memories. But this place, this pack, is your home. You belong here. You and I were close friends."

Before I can respond, Linda steps closer, tears filling her eyes. "I'm your sister," she blurts out, her voice cracking. She grabs my hand tightly. "We're twins, Lydia. My name's Linda. Please, you have to remember me."

I stare at her face, searching for something-anything, that sparks a memory. But there's nothing. Just emptiness and guilt.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, shaking my head slowly.

Linda's lips tremble. She covers her face with both hands as quiet sobs escape her. I feel a sharp ache in my chest watching her cry, pain mixed with confusion and helplessness.

Dex gently pulls her into his arms. She clings to him, and for a moment, I feel like an outsider watching something deeply personal. He holds her, but his eyes stay locked on me, steady and intense.

Who is he? Why does he look at me like that?

"We'll explain everything once things calm down," Dex finally says, his voice low but certain. "Right now, Lydia needs to rest and recover. That's what matters."

Linda sniffles and steps away, wrapping her arms around herself.

Brad nods. "He's right. Rest first. The rest can wait."

Dex shakes his head. "Not here."

Before Brad can protest, Dex moves toward me. Without warning, he pushes the blanket aside and lifts me effortlessly into his arms.

"Dex!" Brad exclaims. "She's safe here. You know that."

"I know," Dex says, though his voice sounds firm and final. "But I'm not leaving her again. The last time I did, Baron took her. And look what she's been through because of it."

His words hit Linda hard. She looks away, her shoulders shaking.

Dex walks out of the infirmary, carrying me as if I weigh nothing. I'm too stunned to fight it.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask softly.

"To my room," he answers without hesitation.

My heart starts pounding in my chest. He glances down at me, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Don't worry," he says quietly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

My cheeks flush. Does he somehow know what I was thinking? Can he read my thoughts too?

"I don't understand," I whisper. "Why are you doing all this for me? I don't even know you."

Dex stops walking. The hallway falls silent. His gaze meets mine-deep, unreadable, but full of something I can't name.

"Yes, you do," he says softly.

"I don't," I insist. "I don't know who you are, where I am, or what any of this means."

He takes a breath, as if steadying himself. "My name is Dex Wright," he begins slowly. "I'm the leader of the Silver Crescent Pack, a pack of shapeshifters. Wolves."

For a second, my mind goes blank. His words sound like something from a story, impossible and wild. But then I remember the night-the shadows, the fangs, the claws, and I can't deny what I saw.

"Even if that's true," I murmur, shaking my head. "What does that have to do with me? What do you have to do with me?"

Dex's expression changes. His eyes soften, but there's sadness there too, a pain I can almost feel.

"Because you and I are one," he says quietly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "You might not understand it now, or even remember it. But you're my mate. The one chosen by the Goddess to be with me, for a lifetime. For all eternity."

His words steal my breath. My heart pounds so loudly I can hear it echoing in my ears.

For a lifetime. For all eternity.

It feels impossible, and yet, somehow, it feels like the only truth I've ever known.

LYDIA

Dex's hand settles gently against the hollow of my waist. He stops walking suddenly and pulls me close, his touch firm but careful, as though he's afraid I might disappear if he lets go. His other hand moves to my cheek, his thumb tracing slow circles against my skin. The simple movement sends shivers down my spine and makes my lips tingle.

His gaze locks with mine-intense, pained, yet determined. There's so much emotion in his eyes that it roots me in place. I can't look away even if I want to.

"I know this doesn't make sense right now," he says quietly, his voice low and rough. "Baron played a cruel trick on us when he erased your memories. But you belong to me, Lydia. You always have. Just like I belong to you."

My heart skips a beat. His words feel impossible, too much, too fast. Someone like him, so powerful and unreachable, saying I belong to him? It feels unreal.

"I want to believe you," I whisper, though my voice trembles. "But everything is just... confusing."

"I know," he says, and his expression tightens with frustration. "Baron has twisted everything by erasing your memory."

Dex steps back, taking a deep breath. Then he reaches for my hand and leads me down the corridor until we stop before a dark wooden door. He pushes it open and gestures for me to enter.

The room takes my breath away. It's large, almost as big as a luxury apartment in the city. Shades of black, gray, and white dominate the space, giving it a cold but strangely calming feel. A massive bookshelf fills one entire wall, crammed with books from floor to ceiling. Across from it, tall windows overlook what seems like the center of the cave, their view hidden behind long black curtains.

I walk in slowly, hesitant, taking it all in. Dex closes the door behind us and sits on the edge of the bed, his eyes following me as I wander.

There are pictures everywhere, on the dresser, the mantel, even on the bookshelf. Pictures of us. Of me and Dex together. Of smiling faces I don't recognize-Brad, Linda, Clara, Calma, and Jack, people who look like they once meant something to me.

He can't be lying. These are real.

"How come I don't remember any of this?" I ask, frustration bleeding into my voice. I pick up a photo, my hands shaking slightly. I'm smiling in it, standing beside Dex and the others like we're a family.

Dex studies me carefully. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I don't know," I admit, running a hand through my hair. "Everything feels blurred. I remember waking up in that dark room before Baron... before he bit me." My throat tightens at the memory.

"And before that?" Dex asks, leaning forward. "What's the very last thing you remember before the attack?"

I close my eyes and try to focus. I dig deep into the haze of my thoughts until small fragments begin to surface.

"A kitchen," I whisper slowly. "The walls were yellow. There was a table in the middle covered with a white tablecloth... and flowers."

Dex nods. "Your parents' kitchen. You're remembering a place you haven't seen in over eight years. You must have been around twelve then."

I stare at him in disbelief. "How is that possible? How can I remember that, but not everything else?"

He sighs and looks away for a moment. "Like I said, Baron erased your memories."

"Including Linda?" I ask. "She's my twin. How could I forget her?"

"She's tied to this world," Dex explains softly. "If Baron wanted to remove us from your mind, he would've started with her-and with me."

"But why?" I demand, my voice breaking. "Why go through all that trouble? Why erase my memories if all he wanted was to kill me?"

Dex's expression hardens. "Because he didn't want to kill you. He wanted to turn you into one of them, to make you his."

His words hit me like a cold wave. My breath catches, and the phantom sting of Baron's bite burns at my neck. Everything that's happened rushes back-the fear, the pain, the chaos.

Dex doesn't move. He just watches me silently, waiting for me to process it all. I lean against the wall beside the shelf, folding my arms tightly across my chest.

"I can see you're not lying," I admit quietly. "But you have to understand... none of this feels real. Even if I believe you, it still feels"

"Impossible?" he finishes for me, his mouth curving into a bitter smile. "Humans always struggle to accept what they can't explain, even when the truth is staring them in the face."

Annoyance flares in me. "Would you believe a stranger if they told you fairy tales were real? That everything you've ever known was a lie?"

"I would," he says without hesitation, stepping closer. "If I saw it with my own eyes. Only a fool denies what's right in front of him. And as far as I know, you're not a fool."

He keeps coming closer until his height forces me to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. My arms are still crossed, but it feels more like a weak defense than real protection.

He places one hand against the wall beside my face, leaning in until I can feel his breath against my skin. His eyes search mine like he's daring me to deny what we share.

"What about you and me?" I ask softly.

"What about us?" he counters, his tone guarded but filled with something deeper. His lips twitch into a crooked smile as he gestures toward the photos around the room. "The proof is everywhere, Lydia. You just don't remember it yet."

My heartbeat quickens. "You said we're... together? Like a couple?"

"It's not like human relationships," he replies, his voice dropping to a low rumble.

"Then what is it?" I whisper, my curiosity outweighing my fear.

Dex's eyes darken as he slowly licks his lower lip. A faint, dangerous smile plays on his face.

"I can show you," he says softly, his voice edged with both promise and danger. "I can prove it to you."

LYDIA

Dex's arms wrap tightly around my waist before I can react. His strength takes my breath away as he lifts me easily and lays me on the bed. My pulse pounds in my ears. Before I can speak, he's above me-his legs tangling with mine, his hands capturing my wrists against the sheets. His face hovers inches from mine, eyes burning with an emotion I can't name.

"What are you doing?" I whisper, my voice trembling with confusion and something I can't quite hide.

"Be quiet, Lydia," he says softly but firmly. "Just... pay attention."

The seriousness in his tone freezes me. I inhale slowly, feeling his breath ghost across my skin.

"This isn't something I can lie to you about," he continues. "There's no way to hide it. Even if you don't remember me, you should feel it."

His words settle deep inside me, stirring a strange ache. I want to understand, but my thoughts are scattered. Dex's eyes never leave mine. He exhales through his nose, frustrated but calm, and leans closer.

"Stop thinking," he murmurs. "Just feel."

I try. I really do. My heartbeat is loud and wild, but I close my eyes and try to silence everything else. At first, all I can hear is the frantic rhythm inside my chest-but then, something shifts. Beneath that sound, there's another pulse, a softer echo that isn't mine. It's... his.

A strange awareness flows through me-an invisible connection humming between us. It feels like a voice that isn't a voice, more like emotion turned into sound. I can sense him-what he feels, what he wants-even before he speaks. My eyes fly open. Dex nods slowly, a faint smile touching his lips.

"Is it always like this?" I ask quietly.

"Between us, yes," he whispers, so close I can feel the warmth of his breath.

For a moment, the world falls away. The memory of his kiss flickers through my mind-his scent, the taste of his skin-and I know he senses it. His smile deepens, knowing and tender.

"I meant it when I said we are one," he says, his voice dropping low. "That's how I found you, Lydia. Even far apart, I can feel what you feel... want what you want."

His fingers tighten around my wrists with gentle control. His other hand moves down my side, slow and deliberate-from my hip to the curve of my waist, up to my ribs.

"If I focus, I can even see what you see. Hear what you hear. But only for a moment," he murmurs.

My breath catches. My body responds to every tiny movement, as though it already knows him-remembers him, even if my mind does not. His touch feels like a secret my skin still carries.

"What we share can't be denied," Dex says quietly. "Not even all of Baron's tricks could break this bond."

His hand slides beneath the edge of my shirt, tracing warmth across my stomach. My breath stutters. My mind blurs into a haze of memory and longing. The air between us thickens until I can't think, can't speak.

Nothing else exists but him. His forehead presses to mine, our breaths mingling. His lips hover just out of reach, tempting and near.

"Don't you remember anything about us?" he asks, voice rough. "The conversations, the secrets... the nights you spent here with me?"

My throat tightens. "No," I whisper, almost ashamed.

Dex's fingers pause, resting against my ribs. His eyes search mine, deep green and full of something like pain. "Your memory might be gone," he murmurs, "but your heart remembers. Your body remembers."

Before I can respond, his lips brush the side of my neck, light as a whisper. My body arches instinctively toward him. A sound escapes me-half sigh, half memory. His breath trembles against my skin as if he's fighting to hold himself back.

The moment feels eternal. Every pain, every fear, every broken part of me melts away under his touch. It's like being made whole again, even if only for a heartbeat. I can feel the truth in what he said-somewhere deep, something inside me still belongs to him.

And then, suddenly, he tenses.

"Lydia..." he breathes, pulling back sharply.

Before I can ask why, he's already on his feet, wiping at his mouth, his expression distant.

A knock on the door follows, loud and quick. I scramble to sit up, my mind spinning.

The door bursts open, and two girls rush in.

"Lydia!" they cry together, throwing their arms around me before I can even stand. I'm caught in a storm of hugs and tears. They hold me as if afraid I'll vanish if they let go.

Behind us, Dex's calm voice cuts through the air. "She doesn't remember you," he says gently. "Don't overwhelm her. She's still confused."

The girls step back, their eyes wide as they study me. Both are around my age.

The first girl, with straight black hair and almond eyes, has a kind face that instantly soothes me. Her smile is warm but uncertain. The second girl, smaller and softer-looking, has light green eyes and waves of golden honey-colored hair that fall past her waist. Her resemblance to Dex is impossible to miss.

"I told you," says a familiar voice. I turn to see Linda leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed, her tone sharp but not unkind.

"Oh, no. This is worse than I thought," says the black-haired girl, sighing dramatically. She gestures toward the honey-haired one. "I'm Calma, and this is Clara."

"We're your friends," Clara says softly, stepping closer. "Your best friends."

I blink, trying to take it all in-their faces, their voices, the faint pull of something I can't remember but still feel in my chest.

I nod slowly, my heart trembling.

Something deep inside me whispers that they're telling the truth.