Elaina couldn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him. Blood on his hands. Pain in his eyes. The way he looked at her—as if she were a ghost walking in flesh.
And then there were the dreams.
A burning forest. A silver wolf dragging her through smoke. Her own scream echoing through the trees as a man whispered, "Don't forget me again."
She woke with tears on her cheeks and her hand clutching her chest.
"What happened to me?" she whispered to the empty room.
---
Later That Morning
Rain drizzled as she made her way to work. She stopped at a coffee shop, hoping caffeine could drown out the nightmares.
And that's when she saw him—again.
Lucien, sitting near the window, dressed in black, jaw tight, eyes darker than ever. A scar now visible down the side of his neck that hadn't been there days ago.
Their eyes met.
Her heart stumbled.
He stood up slowly, walked to her, and handed her a small piece of paper.
"I'm giving you one chance, Elaina. One night. Come to this address. After that, stay away from me."
Before she could say anything, he was gone.
---
That Night
The address led her to an estate hidden deep within the forest, surrounded by iron gates and silence. The kind of place you'd expect to find in horror movies—or forgotten memories.
She was greeted at the door not by Lucien… but by a sarcastic man with violet eyes and a lazy grin.
"You must be the girl he's pretending not to care about," he said, eyeing her up and down. "I'm Kade. His beta, unfortunately."
"Beta?" she asked.
"Oh right, you don't know yet." Kade smirked. "Come in, Elaina. The Alpha's waiting."
She hesitated. "Alpha?"
But something inside her already knew.
She stepped through the doorway—and her world began to shift.
---
In the Grand Hall
Lucien stood by a fireplace, shirtless again, wounds healing too quickly, his eyes glowing faintly in the firelight.
"You came," he said without looking.
"You invited me."
"You should have said no."
"Why?"
"Because after tonight," Lucien turned to face her, eyes fierce, voice low, "you won't be able to walk away."
Elaina took a step closer.
"Then show me, Lucien," she said, voice trembling. "Show me what I've forgotten."
---
Outside, Hidden in the Trees
Valen watched the estate with a crooked smile, his fingers twitching.
"Good," he whispered. "Let her remember. Then I'll make her mine all over again."
---
Elaina followed Lucien down a candle-lit hallway in silence.
The house felt ancient—wooden walls whispering secrets, the air thick with a strange energy. Every creak of the floor beneath her shoes echoed louder than her heartbeat.
He stopped in front of a heavy oak door and opened it. Inside, the room was dimly lit, the walls covered in old paintings. Some of them looked disturbingly familiar, though she couldn't say why.
Lucien shut the door behind them.
"I didn't bring you here to scare you," he said, his voice lower now. "But if we're going to continue this… whatever it is, you need to see what I am."
She looked up at him. "You're not going to tell me I'm crazy?"
He smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No. Because crazy doesn't explain this."
Then he shifted.
His body rippled, bones cracking, his back arching as thick fur began to spread down his arms. Eyes glowing golden. Teeth lengthening. His wolf form burst out with a growl that shook the windows.
And yet… she didn't run.
Elaina stood frozen, breath caught, chest rising and falling rapidly. Her brain screamed danger, but her heart…
She took a step forward.
He let out a low warning growl—but she didn't stop.
Her hand reached out. Touched his fur. Warm. Alive. Real.
"I dreamed of this…" she whispered. "I dreamed of you."
His golden eyes blinked, and then he shifted back. Breathing hard. Sweat on his brow. Naked except for the pants barely hanging on.
("God bless werewolf pants," she muttered under her breath, trying not to look down.)
Lucien coughed out a laugh, startled. "You really are insane."
"Thanks. I get that a lot." She smiled faintly, even as tears burned her eyes. "Why do I remember things I shouldn't?"
He walked closer. Slowly.
"Because you were never meant to forget."
---
Elsewhere — The Rogue's Den
Valen stared at a mirror of black glass. On the surface shimmered a vision of Elaina touching Lucien's fur.
He growled, smashing his fist through it.
"She was mine first."
A soft laugh echoed from the shadows.
"You're losing control, Valen," a female voice purred. "Let her come to you willingly. That's how obsession turns into destiny."
He turned, baring his teeth. "And what would you know of destiny, witch?"
The woman's red lips curled. "Everything."
---
Back at the Estate
Later that night, Elaina lay on a guest bed, heart racing. She wasn't sure if she was terrified or thrilled. Maybe both.
A knock on the door.
Lucien.
He stood there holding an old necklace—one with a broken sapphire.
"This was yours," he said, placing it in her hand. "The night you died."
She looked up, blood draining from her face. "What?"
He nodded slowly. "You don't just remind me of someone, Elaina. You are her."
A silence stretched between them—thick, heavy, unbearable.
And then came the distant, eerie howl of a wolf under the full moon.
---