Chapter 5 5

Lucas's POV

The air in the packhouse felt heavier than usual, as if the walls themselves carried the weight of my unease. I stood by the window in my office, staring at the forest, though my thoughts were far from the view.

Aria.

She was here, alive, breathing, and yet so far away. The mate bond hummed faintly in the back of my mind, a fragile thread that had once been unbreakable. Now, it felt like a ghost of what it had been, barely holding us together.

When Finn had appeared in the forest, I'd nearly lost control. The audacity of him speaking to her, getting close to her, was enough to send my wolf into a frenzy. Finn wasn't just trouble-he was dangerous.

And Aria... she didn't even know who he was, let alone what he was capable of.

A knock on the door broke through my thoughts.

"Come in," I called, my voice clipped.

Eleanor stepped inside, her expression grim. "We need to talk."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "If this is about Aria-"

"It is," she interrupted, closing the door behind her. "She's restless, Lucas. Confused. And she's starting to ask questions you're not prepared to answer."

I turned to face her, my jaw tightening. "She deserves answers, Eleanor, but what am I supposed to tell her? That I rejected her once? That I thought I was protecting her, only to end up cursing this entire pack? She doesn't even remember me, let alone what happened."

Eleanor crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. "You think avoiding the truth is going to help? She's not a child, Lucas. She can handle more than you're giving her credit for."

"She doesn't even know who she is," I snapped, the frustration boiling over. "How can I lay all of this on her when she's barely holding herself together?"

"She's stronger than you think," Eleanor said, her voice softer now. "But if you keep hiding things, she's going to find out on her own. And when she does, she'll resent you for it."

I knew she was right. Of course she was right. But knowing didn't make it any easier.

"She asked about the bond," I admitted, sinking into the chair behind my desk. "She asked why I look at her the way I do."

"And what did you tell her?" Eleanor pressed.

"Nothing," I muttered. "I couldn't find the words."

Eleanor sighed, taking a seat across from me. "Lucas, you've always been a good Alpha. But this? This is about more than leadership. This is about your mate. You need to figure out how to fix this before it's too late."

Her words settled over me like a storm cloud, heavy and foreboding.

"Finn was in the forest," I said after a long pause. "He was talking to her."

Eleanor stiffened. "What did he say?"

"Nothing I could hear," I admitted. "But whatever it was, it made her uneasy. And the way he looked at her..."

Eleanor's lips pressed into a thin line. "We both know Finn doesn't act without a purpose. If he's sniffing around Aria, it's not by chance."

"No," I agreed. "It's not."

The question was, what was he after?

"I want guards posted around her at all times," I said firmly. "Discreet, but close enough to intervene if necessary. Finn won't get near her again."

"And what about her memory?" Eleanor asked.

I hesitated, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. "I don't know. Part of me wants to leave it buried. The things she's forgotten... they're painful, Eleanor. For both of us."

"But they're also the key to breaking this curse," she reminded me. "You can't protect her from the truth forever."

I didn't respond. Instead, I turned back to the window, watching as the first hints of dusk settled over the packhouse.

The past was a shadow that loomed over everything, and no matter how much I wanted to shield Aria from it, I couldn't outrun it.

Not anymore.

###

That evening, I found myself standing outside her room, my hand hovering over the door. I'd meant to come hours ago, but the weight of what I needed to say had kept me away. Now, as the packhouse grew quieter and the night deepened, I couldn't avoid it any longer.

I knocked lightly, and after a moment, her voice called out, "Come in."

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs crossed and her hands fidgeting in her lap. The sight of her like this-so vulnerable, so lost-made my chest ache.

"Lucas," she said, her tone wary.

"Aria," I began, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. "We need to talk."

Her brow furrowed, but she didn't protest. "Okay."

I sat in the chair across from her, my mind racing to find the right words. "I know you're confused," I said finally. "And I know you feel like everyone is keeping things from you. You're not wrong. There are things you've forgotten, things that are... difficult to explain."

Her eyes searched mine, a flicker of something-hope?-crossing her face. "Then tell me," she said softly. "Help me understand."

I took a deep breath, my hands clenching into fists on my thighs. "You're my mate," I said, the words feeling heavier than they should. "We were bonded once. But something happened-something that changed everything."

"What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I hesitated, the memory of that night flashing through my mind like a dagger. The rejection, the witch's laughter, the curse.

"I made a mistake," I said finally, my voice rough. "A mistake that cost us both everything."

Her eyes widened, and I saw the questions forming on her lips. But before she could speak, the howl of a wolf echoed through the night, sharp and urgent.

My head snapped toward the window, my wolf bristling.

"What was that?" Aria asked, her voice laced with fear.

"Stay here," I ordered, rising to my feet.

"Lucas-"

"Stay here, Aria," I repeated, my tone firm.

Without waiting for her response, I left the room, my heart pounding as I raced toward the source of the disturbance.

Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.