Kamrynn’s POV
Lorien’s arms were warm. Strong. Protective.
His steady breaths brushed against the back of my neck, deep and even, rising and falling in perfect rhythm.
I should have been asleep.
I wanted to be asleep.
But no matter how much I willed my mind to quiet, I remained painfully awake, my eyes open, staring into the dimly lit bedroom.
Something felt… off.
I didn’t know what.
I just knew that an odd, restless feeling gnawed at my insides, making my fingers twitch and my heart race for no reason.
Carefully, I shifted against Lorien’s embrace, trying not to disturb him.
It wasn’t easy.
His arm was heavy across my waist, and even in sleep, he held onto me like I was something precious, something he wasn’t willing to let go of.
I swallowed, hesitating.
I shouldn’t move.
If I left his arms, he’d wake up.
He always did.
Lorien was the lightest sleeper I had ever known. A single stir from me and his crimson eyes would snap open, his protective instincts kicking in immediately.
And yet-
Tonight, he remained still.
Unmoving.
Asleep.
It was the first time in a long time that I had a moment completely to myself.
I carefully pried his arm off my waist, inch by inch, my breath held as I did so. When I was finally free, I slipped out of bed, moving as soundlessly as possible.
He didn’t stir.
Still asleep.
Exhaling softly, I crept toward the door, grabbing my robe and slipping it over my nightdress before making my way out of the bedroom.
I padded into the kitchen, reaching for a glass and filling it with water from the jug on the counter.
The coldness soothed my throat, but it didn’t do anything for the odd weight pressing on my chest.
I placed the empty glass down, rubbing my fingers together absentmindedly before wandering into the living room.
The night sky stretched beyond the window, stars twinkling like tiny silver specks against a dark velvet canvas.
I pressed a hand to the glass, watching the stillness of the world outside.
Lorien and I lived in a secluded home just outside the Crescent Moon Pack’s territory. He said it was for our safety, that we needed peace away from the chaos of the packs, away from the dangers that lurked.
And I trusted him.
I cared about Lorien.
Deeply.
He was my husband-the only man I had ever known, the only man I had ever loved.
At least… that’s what I knew to be true.
And yet, I couldn’t remember how we met.
I couldn’t remember how we fell in love.
There were moments-small, fleeting glimpses of laughter, of warmth, of his hand brushing against mine-but they felt… distant.
Like I was watching someone else’s life through a fogged window.
Still, I felt safe with him.
And that was all that mattered.
…Right?
So why did it feel like something wasn’t right?
Why did I feel like Lorien was lying to me or hiding something from me?
Lorien was the dominant type-confident, teasingly charismatic, the kind of man who could make anyone feel at ease. It was easy to rely on him, to let him take control. And I liked being with him.
But there was always this nagging feeling-an itch beneath my skin, a whisper at the back of my mind.
Something beneath the surface.
Something I wasn’t seeing.
Or maybe… something I wasn’t supposed to see.
It wasn’t just his presence. It was him.
There was a danger to Lorien-one I couldn’t quite put into words.
I could feel it.
It clung to him like a second skin, lingering in the air around him, barely perceptible but impossible to ignore.
Like an ember waiting to spark into an uncontrollable wildfire.
And yet, it didn’t frighten me.
Not in the way it should have.
Instead, it sent a thrill through me, a warning my body refused to fully acknowledge.
But some small, insignificant part of me-hidden deep, deep inside-kept screaming at me.
Telling me to run.
To get away.
To never look back.
But… where would I go?
There was no one waiting for me beyond these walls.
No family.
No home.
Just Lorien.
He was all I had.
And that was why I forced the thoughts away.
It was foolish. Pointless.
Yet, the questions haunted me.
Why did I feel like I was missing something?
Why did my memories feel so… fragmented?
Like pieces of a puzzle that didn’t quite fit together?
Sometimes, when I tried to recall the past, it felt wrong-like I was grasping at something that wasn’t truly mine.
There was no nostalgia.
No attachment.
Just images.
Bits and pieces of moments, strung together haphazardly.
Fabricated.
I shook my head, shoving down the unease curling in my stomach.
It was because of the accident.
Lorien had told me that.
I had been in a terrible accident-one that nearly took my life. That was why my memories were gone.
That was why everything felt so empty.
But… could an accident really do this?
Could it leave me feeling like a stranger in my own skin?
Like I had lost something so precious-but had no idea what?
I inhaled deeply, trying to steady the pounding in my chest.
Lorien had said I lost most of my memories in that accident. That it was a miracle I had even survived.
But if that were true…
Why didn’t I have any scars?
I ran my fingers over my skin.
Smooth. Unblemished.
If my injuries had been so severe that they stole my past from me, then why did I look untouched? Better still, why don’t I feel as close to Lorien as I should?