CHAPTER Five years ago, my husband, Alpha Brooks, vanished without a trace in the Boundless Forest. They never found his body. Now, on the night of the full moon, the Pack doctor called me personally. His voice was urgent, shaking. Alpha Brooks has been found. The good news? He’s alive. Healthy. Breathing. The bad news? He’s getting married. Beta Julian had spent the entire ride trying to talk sense into me. I refused to listen. I won’t give up. I was the one chosen by the Moon Goddess. The one Brooks spent two years chasing, five years cherishing, and proposed to twice. How could he forget me so easily? My fingers brushed the ring still sitting on my hand—a cold, bitter reminder that once upon a time, he was mine. The journey was grueling, the roads uneven. My stomach churned with nausea, my body aching after hours of travel. It took ten long hours before we finally arrived in the small town near the Pack. “We’re here,” Beta Julian murmured. His tone was cautious, hesitant. “He doesn’t remember anything, so you have to—” I barely heard him. My entire body tensed as I stared at the wooden door in front of me. My breath hitched. He’s behind that door. When Beta Julian pushed it open, the sound of seashell wind chimes filled the air, ringing out in soft, melodic tones. The courtyard before me was nothing like the world Brooks and I once shared. A pebble-lined path led to a cozy-looking house. A massive wooden swing sat in one corner. A golden retriever lazily stretched under a tree, surrounded by cats. So many cats. My breath caught in my throat. Brooks hated cats. The beaded curtain at the entrance shifted, seashells clicking together as someone stepped outside. A man. Tall. Lean. Familiar. I went still, my pulse hammering as my gaze locked onto him. Brooks. I had seen men who looked like him before—men with golden hair and fair skin. But this man was sharper. Colder. His features were more defined, his jaw stronger, his entire presence commanding. A red string hung around his neck, and just beneath his left eye was a tear-shaped mole. My heart stopped. “Alpha… Brooks,” I whispered, my voice trembling, thick with unshed tears. His piercing gaze met mine. And there was nothing. No recognition. No flicker of familiarity. Nothing. “Who are you?” His tone was flat. Distant. I sucked in a sharp breath. “Brooks, it’s me…” His expression darkened. His voice grew colder. “Sorry, ma’am. You’ve got the wrong person.” No. I knew it was him. I could feel it in my bones, in my soul. He was mine. Beta Julian quickly stepped in, his voice steady. “Apologies for disturbing you. We’re travelers looking for a place to stay. Do you have any rooms available?” Brooks—or whoever he thought he was—studied us for a moment before lifting a brow. “How many rooms?” “Two.” Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the house, not sparing me a second glance. A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. I wanted him to look back. To recognize me. But his gaze had passed right through me, as if I were a stranger. The man I loved—the one who once swore to protect me, cherish me—was standing right in front of me. And yet… He didn’t even know my name. Tears blurred my vision as the truth crashed down on me. Alpha Brooks didn’t remember me. CHAPTER
“ID. Are you from the Pack?” Alpha Brooks’s voice was calm, unreadable, as he took our identification cards. Beta Julian handed them over, offering a stiff greeting. I barely heard him. My gaze was locked on Brooks—Liam, as they called him now. He moved toward the cabinet, and that’s when I saw it. His left pinky finger. A piece of it was missing. And his right leg… he walked with a slight limp. A sharp gasp escaped me before I could stop it. I lifted a hand to my mouth, my heart hammering. What happened to him? Beta Julian must have noticed too. He grabbed the room keys quickly, his grip firm as he ushered me away. I sat in my room for a long time, my mind spinning. Five years. Five years, I had imagined seeing him again. Five years ago, I had dreamed of slapping him for forgetting me—for choosing another woman. But now? Now, all I wanted to do was hold him. Beta Julian’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Ava, get some rest.” His brows were furrowed, his concern evident. I nodded numbly. He lingered for a second before leaving, and I knew—he had seen it too. Brooks… Liam… whoever he was now… he wasn’t the same. Doctor Reynolds came to check on me later, but my mind was elsewhere. Laughter drifted from the backyard, the warm sounds of conversation mixing with the clinking of wine glasses. Carefree. Happy. I stepped outside, my gaze immediately finding him. Liam. He stood at the grill, flipping skewers with practiced ease, laughing with Beta Julian like they were old friends. The sight of them together unsettled me. Before I could look away, a plate appeared in front of me. “You okay?” Beta Julian. I nodded stiffly. He turned toward Liam. “Liam, let me introduce you to Ava.” I forced a smile, extending my hand. I could feel my fingers trembling. I shouldn’t be trembling. “Nice to meet you,” I said. Liam’s warm hand briefly grasped mine. “Nice to meet you too.” Too formal. Too distant. It felt like a punch to the gut. My mind flashed back to the day he first proposed to me. He held me so tightly, whispering, “Luna, nice to meet you.” Now? Now, I was just some woman at his table. Swallowing the knot in my throat, I forced casual conversation. “This place is beautiful. Are you living well here?” Liam expertly flipped a skewer. “Yeah, it’s okay.” I studied him as he moved—his familiar gestures, his calm demeanor. How could he forget everything? A piece of grilled chicken slipped off the grill, and Liam called out, “Tudou, come here!” My breath caught. Tudou? I turned sharply as the golden retriever wagged its tail and trotted toward him. My hands clenched at my sides. “You named him Tudou?” Liam raised an eyebrow, his lips curving slightly. “Yeah. It’s fat and round. What else would I call it?” I turned away, blinking back tears. Only he would come up with such a ridiculous name. I sat down, grabbing a glass of wine and downing it in one gulp. The bitterness coated my tongue, but it wasn’t enough to dull the ache in my chest. My gaze drifted back to Liam. The tear mole beneath his eye. The red string around his neck. It’s him. It has to be him. Just then, someone handed Liam a plate of food. I glanced at it absently—then froze. Mushrooms. No. “He can’t eat that!” I blurted out before I could stop myself. The table fell silent. Eyes turned to me, some confused, some curious. My stomach twisted. But before I could explain, a figure leapt onto Liam’s back, arms wrapping around his shoulders, face nuzzling against his neck. “Liam! I missed you so much!” Liam bent slightly, adjusting the person’s grip. “Get down,” he muttered, his tone firm—but there was something else in his voice. Affection. The woman giggled, holding on tighter. Beta Julian cleared his throat, “Ava, this is Lily.” I stared at her—his wife. The world tilted. And for the second time that day, I felt like the ground had disappeared beneath my feet. CHAPTER
I still held the mushrooms, my fingers tightening around them as my mind reeled. Lily’s bright smile felt like a blade to my chest. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. “His wife.” She turned to me, beaming. “Hello! I’m Lily, Liam’s wife. Welcome to our home.” Her words rang in my ears like a cruel joke. The others greeted her one by one, their casual conversation grating against my raw emotions. Lily was warm, talkative—too talkative. She complimented nearly everyone, her energy infectious. When it was my turn, she gasped. “Ava, you’re so beautiful! Your figure is amazing—I’m so jealous! And your hair, oh my God, it’s gorgeous! Unlike mine, which is thinning from stress.” I managed a stiff smile, swallowing the lump in my throat. Lily suddenly turned to Liam, pouting. “It’s definitely because of you always blowing on my hair! Be careful, or I’ll be a bald bride at our wedding next week!” Liam chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Okay.” I froze. “Wedding.” The word felt like a slap. One of the pack members—pretending to be a traveler—feigned surprise. “You’re getting married?” “Yes!” Lily clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Next Wednesday. We hope you can all come!” I grabbed another beer, downing it in one long gulp. Lily reached for one too, but before she could take a sip, Liam snatched it away. His voice was quiet but firm. “You can’t drink.” Lily pouted. “Just one sip.” Then, without hesitation, she leaned up and kissed him—right in front of me. My fingers clenched around the cold can. “Liam, just one sip, please!” she coaxed, her voice playful. Liam exhaled, handing her a cup with rose petals floating inside. “Drink this instead.” Lily wrinkled her nose. “Rose tea? Liam, I’ve told you a hundred times I don’t like flower tea. Why do you always forget?” Liam hesitated. “I… I just do.” My breath hitched. I turned away, my chest tightening. Brooks used to brew me tea. He always worried that I didn’t drink enough water. In the winter, he’d make apple water and snow pear soup. Every time I drank more, he’d reward me with a pink thermos. I swallowed hard, shoving the memory away. Lily’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Look, Ava finished a whole can of beer! Maybe that’s the secret to her gorgeous hair!” I forced a small smile. “My mate never let me drink. He said I’d down the whole bottle if I started. He was strict about it.” Lily giggled. “That’s so strict! Doesn’t he get mad when you drink now?” I glanced at Liam, my heart hammering against my ribs. I shook my head. “He doesn’t care anymore.” Silence. For a moment, Lily looked like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated. Instead, she obediently sipped her rose tea, finishing the entire cup. I, on the other hand, had barely eaten. Between the alcohol and the suffocating tension, my head was starting to spin. Excusing myself, I pushed away from the table. As I turned to leave, Lily’s laughter trailed after me. I looked back just in time to see her climb onto Liam’s back, giggling, clinging to him like she belonged there. Liam sighed but didn’t push her away. Instead, he continued cleaning the table, as if her affection was something he had grown used to. Something he accepted. That should be me. I turned away, my stomach twisting. Biting the inside of my cheek, I forced myself back to my room. The moment the door closed behind me, I ripped open my bag, fumbling for my medication. The pills rattled in my hand as I swallowed them dry. Slowly, my pulse steadied. By the time Doctor Reynolds entered, I had forced myself into calmness. “I thought you’d make a scene,” he said, his voice measured. I gazed out the window. The moon was high, bathing the courtyard in silver light. “I considered it,” I admitted quietly. “But then… I felt sorry for him.” Doctor Reynolds’s gaze sharpened. “You brought a lot of things with you. Are you planning to help Alpha regain his memories?” I glanced at the open box beside my bed. Inside were ten years’ worth of memories. His first love letter. Our first photo together. Our wedding pictures. I reached out, brushing my fingers over the faded edges. Then, I closed the box. “No,” I said. Doctor Reynolds frowned. “Why not?” I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening. “I don’t want him to experience the pain of losing loved ones twice.” And if forgetting me meant he would never have to relieve that pain… Then maybe it was better this way. CHAPTER
The next morning, I slept in late. By the time I packed my painting supplies and stepped out of my room, the afternoon sun was already high in the sky. Laughter echoed through the courtyard. “Ava! We saved you some food!” I looked up to see Lily waving at me from the wooden table where everyone was gathered. Reluctantly, I approached. She handed me a container, her smile warm. “We don’t have many relatives, so we’d love for you to come to our wedding.” My fingers tightened around the envelope she offered me. A wedding invitation. I didn’t dare open it. It felt too heavy, as if the weight of my past and my shattered heart were pressed between its pages. Lily didn’t seem to notice my hesitation. “I’ve heard you’re really talented! Can you take a look at our wedding invitation design?” She practically beamed as she spoke. The thin paper in my hands might as well have been stone. Before I could respond, Doctor Reynolds reached over, smoothly intercepting the conversation. “Let me see. The color is lovely.” Lily nodded eagerly. “Liam picked the orange. I wanted purple, but now I think the orange looks better. Ava, what’s your favorite color?” My throat tightened. I set my painting supplies down and gestured to my orange dress. “This.” I hadn’t had a favorite color before. But one day, Brooks had complimented me on an orange jacket I wore. I remembered how his eyes had softened, the way he ran his fingers over the fabric before whispering, “You look beautiful in this color.” From that moment on, orange became my favorite. Lily clapped her hands. “Wow, you and Liam have the same taste!” I forced a smile, but her words twisted inside me. My family. That’s what Brooks used to call me. “My Luna. My family.” His voice had always been full of warmth when he said it. Doctor Reynolds, sensing the tension, took the invitation from me. “The cartoon design is adorable. Is the wedding at dusk?” Lily rubbed her face. “Yup! That’s what Liam wanted.” She turned to me, eyes bright with curiosity. “But how did you know?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them. “Because someone can’t wake up early.” Lily’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God! That’s exactly what Liam said!” She let out a laugh, nudging Liam playfully as he walked past. “But mostly, he loves dusk.” I swallowed hard. Brooks loved dusk too. He once told me that the Moon Goddess blessed couples who married at dusk—that it was a sign their love would last forever. A memory surfaced. I had been half-asleep when he whispered in my ear, “You sleep too much. What am I going to do with you on our wedding day?” Later, as our wedding approached, I’d wake up to the feel of his stubble against my skin, his arms pulling me close. “Ava, let’s get married at dusk, okay?” I’d hummed my agreement, and he had kissed my forehead, his voice full of quiet satisfaction. The past clawed at me, dragging me under. I stood abruptly, needing air. As I turned to leave, Lily caught my wrist. Her gaze dropped to my hand. She gasped. “Your ring! That’s beautiful!” I twisted the band around my finger. “He said the same thing.” Lily tilted her head. “Wait… are you married?” “Yes.” Her surprise was evident. “For how long?” “Five years.” Her brows furrowed. “Where’s your mate? Why didn’t he come with you?” I didn’t answer. Instead, I looked up—right into the eyes of the man walking toward us. Alpha Brooks. Or rather, the man who used to be him. The man who no longer remembered me.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295837”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic
Leave a Reply