Kamrynn’s POV
Lorien watched me with those burning crimson eyes, his expression unreadable. Then, he let out a slow, measured breath and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you,” he mused, his voice smooth as silk. “Someone so willing to fight for something, even when you know you can’t win.”
I stiffened at his words but kept my posture firm. “And what makes you so sure I can’t win?”
He gave me a knowing smirk, tilting his head slightly. “Because I already know how this ends.”
A cold chill ran down my spine. “Then why don’t you tell me?” I challenged. “How do you think this will end?”
Lorien chuckled, low and dark. “You’ll fight,” he said simply. “Because that’s what you do. You’ll foolishly try to take your memories back, and I’ll have to stop you. You’ll resist, so I’ll have no choice but to overpower you. I’ll keep you here, and you’ll keep trying to escape. We’ll go back and forth like that-again and again-until, eventually…” His expression darkened. “I’ll run out of patience and have to kill you.”
His words settled in the air like poison, thick and suffocating.
I clenched my fists. “I don’t accept your prediction.”
Lorien arched a brow.
“Only I get to decide my future,” I said firmly. “And I only want one where neither of us has to die or be forced into a fate we don’t want.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then-
Lorien threw his head back and laughed.
A real, genuine laugh that sent irritation prickling up my spine.
“It must be good to be so young,” he drawled, shaking his head. “To have such lofty ideals. To believe that things will go well just because you wish them to.” His gaze flickered back to mine, sharp and unforgiving. “But this is the real world, little wolf. And nothing works like that.”
I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to look away.
Lorien leaned back against the couch, his smirk widening. “I’m trying to be gentle with you right now,” he said. “But let’s be clear: you only have one choice. Stay with me and serve your purpose… or die by my hands.”
I inhaled sharply.
It wasn’t a threat. It was a fact.
“You can’t keep me here forever,” I said, my voice quieter but just as steady.
Lorien sighed, running a hand through his long hair. “You keep making this difficult.”
“Give me my memories back.”
His jaw twitched.
“You don’t need them,” he said, voice smooth but firm. “In fact, you’re better off without them.”
I gritted my teeth. “That’s not your choice to make!”
Lorien exhaled through his nose, his patience visibly thinning. “Kamrynn, your life before me? It was a mess. A tragedy, really.” He tilted his head. “Why would you want to remember that?”
“Because they’re mine!” I snapped. “No matter how painful my past was, it’s mine! And only I get to decide if I want to remember it or not!”
Lorien sighed like a parent dealing with a stubborn child. “Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”
I took a step forward, my voice shaking with emotion. “Aryna told me…” I swallowed, trying to control the tightness in my throat. “My wolf told me that I had children.”
For the first time, Lorien’s smirk faltered.
Even if I didn’t remember them, I could feel it. That empty space inside me, the aching void. A mother should know her own children.
My breath hitched as I pressed on. “Even if my life was filled with pain, there must have been good moments too. And I want to remember them. I need to remember them.” I met his gaze, pleading. “Give them back to me.”
Lorien remained silent.
“I deserve to know who I am!” My voice cracked. “To know my family, everyone I cared about! The kind of life I lived! How can I be a mother and not even remember my own children?! You can’t take that away from me!”
Lorien’s expression shifted. His gaze dropped slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line.
For the first time since this conversation started-he looked almost wounded.
Then, without looking at me, he murmured, “I’m no saint.”
I blinked.
Lorien’s fingers twitched slightly against his knee. “But the man you fell in love with,” he said quietly. “Your so-called mate…” He finally met my gaze again, his crimson eyes flashing with something unreadable. “He’s the reason for all of this.”
I froze.
Lorien leaned forward, his voice softer now-almost gentle. “Calvin.” He let the name roll off his tongue like it left a bitter taste. “The man you once loved with all your heart.”
The air in the room felt thicker.
“He tortured you, Kamrynn, destroyed you.” Lorien murmured. “Forced you to have his children without a second thought. And what did he do after that?” He let the question linger before answering himself. “He left you.”
I shook my head, a dull ache forming behind my eyes. “You’re lying.”
Lorien tilted his head, studying me. “You think I’d go through all this trouble just to lie to you?”
I pressed my lips together, my hands trembling at my sides.
He exhaled softly, his gaze almost sad. “I’m offering you a second chance,” he said. “A new beginning.”
I swallowed hard.
“You don’t have to go back to him,” he continued. “You don’t have to go back to that pain.” He sat up straighter, his voice deepening. “You can start over. With me.”
“Lorien-”
“I can give you the happiness you deserve, Kamrynn.” His gaze bore into mine. “You just have to make the right decision… for once.”
Silence stretched between us.
My heart pounded wildly against my ribs, my breathing uneven.
I wanted to say he was wrong. That Calvin would never do something like that. That I’d never love someone capable of such cruelty.
But I couldn’t say anything at all.
Because the truth was-I didn’t know.
I didn’t remember.
And that was the worst part of all.