AIDAN

My head throbbed the moment my eyes opened.

A sharp, pounding pain spread through my skull, making it almost impossible to focus. I winced slightly, my brows pulling together as I tried to adjust to the light filtering into the room. Everything felt heavy, my body, my thoughts, even my breathing.

It was hard to grasp what was in front of me.

For a few seconds, I just lay there, staring blankly, my vision blurry, my mind struggling to catch up. Nothing felt clear. Nothing felt right and worse....I couldn’t remember anything.

I tried.

I really did.

I searched my mind, forcing myself to think back, to trace my steps, to recall anything—anything at all—from before I fell asleep but there was nothing, just emptiness.

It didn’t make sense.

I shifted slightly, stretching my arm as I tried to sit up, but then, I felt it—warmth.My body brushed against something—someone—warm and solid.

I froze instantly.

All the haze in my mind vanished in a second, my senses snapping into place as my vision sharpened abruptly.

Slowly...Carefully...I turned my head.

And my breath caught.

Vanessa.

She was lying right beside me, her body close enough that I could feel the heat from her skin, her breathing soft and even as she slept peacefully.

My heart skipped.

Then started racing.

How did this happen?

My thoughts spiraled instantly, confusion crashing into panic as I tried to piece together something—anything—that could explain this.

Did I...?

My chest tightened.

"No... no... no... it can’t be," I muttered under my breath, the words coming out in a whisper as disbelief flooded through me.

There was no way.

No way.

Even if I wasn’t in my right senses...even if something was wrong...I wouldn’t have done that.

I had restrained myself for years.

Years.

I had kept my distance, controlled every impulse, every moment of weakness.

So why now?

Why like this?

Before the wedding?

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, the word sharp as I sat up abruptly, my movements tense, almost frantic.

Without thinking, I grabbed the bedsheet and lifted it slightly, my eyes scanning quickly, dread already building inside me.

And then, I saw it—Blood.

My stomach dropped.

The sight alone was enough to confirm my worst fear, sending a cold wave through my entire body.

No.

No, this wasn’t right.

This couldn’t be right.

"I wouldn’t have done that..." I muttered again, more to myself this time, my voice low, almost desperate.

If I had...Then why couldn’t I remember?

Why was there nothing?

Not even a trace?

I clenched my jaw, my mind racing, trying to force something—anything—to surface.

But it didn’t.

Nothing came.

Not a single memory.

I shifted quickly, pushing myself off the bed, my movements rushed now, restless. I needed space. I needed air. I needed to think.

I had to get out of here.

Maybe if I cleared my head... maybe if I stepped away from this... something would come back.

Even if it was just a fragment, even if it was just a trace from the last twenty-four hours.

I turned slightly, ready to leave...

"Aidan..." Her voice stopped me instantly, soft and sweet, coming from behind me. "Are you leaving?" Vanessa asked, her tone gentle, almost innocent.

I froze.

I didn’t know what to say.

For the first time in a long time, words failed me completely. My thoughts were scattered, my mind refusing to settle on anything clear or certain. Nothing made sense, not what I was seeing, not what I was feeling.

I wanted Vanessa.

That much had always been clear.

So why...

Why wasn’t I happy?

Why did something feel off, wrong, even as I stood here, looking at her, knowing she was the one beside me when I woke up?

The feeling sat heavily in my chest, confusing and uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to push everything aside, to act normal, at least on the surface.

"Rest, Vanessa," I said, my voice coming out more controlled than I felt. "I guess you need it."

I avoided her gaze as much as I could, focusing instead on anything that would keep me grounded.

But she reacted immediately.

Vanessa’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, her expression softening as a shy smile formed on her lips.

"It’s no big deal, Aidan," she said, her voice light, almost reassuring. "You were gentle on me."

Her words made something twist uncomfortably inside me.

Gentle?

The word echoed in my mind, clashing violently with the emptiness in my memory.

"I mean..." she continued, her fingers lightly clutching the bedsheet as her gaze dropped for a second. "Our wedding is coming up soon, so..."

"We will talk about the wedding when everything settles in the pack, Vanessa."

I cut her off before she could finish.

The words came out sharper than I intended, laced with irritation I hadn’t fully managed to hide. I forced myself to steady my tone, to mask it as best as I could, but it was already there.

I could feel it.

"I’ll be in my study," I added quickly, standing up without giving her a chance to respond.

I needed to leave, needed my space, needed to think. Anything but stay here and face this confusion any longer.

"Aidan, wait!" Her voice stopped me just as I reached the door.

I paused.

My hand hovering slightly before I turned halfway to look back at her.

"I don’t know what’s going on in your mind," she said, her voice softer now, but there was something firm beneath it. "But you have to take responsibility."

The words hit harder than I expected and before I could even react, I saw her.

Vanessa’s head was lowered, her gaze fixed on the bedsheet she was nervously playing with. Her fingers moved slowly, almost absentmindedly, but there was something else...A tremble, small, barely noticeable but it was there.

Something in my chest tightened painfully, a sharp ache spreading through me as guilt crept in, heavy and suffocating.

I couldn’t stand it.

I couldn’t stand looking at her like that.

Without another word, I turned away completely, pushing the door open and stepping out into the hallway.

The moment the door closed behind me, I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair as the tension I had been holding in finally slipped through.

"I’m an asshole," I muttered under my breath, the words bitter, heavy with self-awareness.

Because I knew it. I knew exactly how I had just sounded but even then, even with the guilt sitting heavily in my chest...One thought refused to leave.

No matter what happened...No matter what it looked like...Something wasn’t right.

"And regardless..." I continued quietly, my voice lower now as I tried to steady myself. "We need to find out what exactly happened."

My wolf stirred within me, restless, just as confused as I was.

Because this...this wasn’t something I could just accept.

Not without answers.