Chapter 206
[Mai’s P.O.V.
Liam didn’t remember me. He didn’t remember us.
The realization hit like a fist to the ribs, knocking the breath from my lungs every time I saw the confusion in his eyes—the way he looked at me like I was nothing more than a stranger.
Every time I reached for him, he pulled away. Every time I spoke his name, his expression twisted with unease, like the sound of it unsettled him but he didn’t know why. And when I tried to remind him, to make him see, he called me crazy. He ran. He treated me like something broken, something twisted, something to fear.
I hated it.
I could have called home. I could have told them I found him, that after everything, after all the searching, I had finally found him. I could have used my mirrors to reach out, to summon help. But Liam was already drowning in too much confusion. If I brought our families, our pack—if I threw him into a storm of people who knew him, who loved him—it would shatter him.
I needed him to want to remember.
So I stayed in the shadows. I kept my distance, but never too far. I followed him everywhere—silent, watchful, waiting. Hoping. Praying.
That something—anything—would stir a memory. That one glance, one sound, one moment would crack open the wall in his mind and let me in.
Because no matter how lost he was, no matter how much he had forgotten—he still belonged with me.
And selfishly, every time I was near him, the voices faded into silence.
But he didn’t want me near him. And time was slipping through my fingers like grains of sand in the wind. My eighth birthday loomed ahead, an invisible countdown ticking louder each day. If I didn’t make it back home before then… what would happen to me?
Then, one restless night, a thought took root in my mind—a dangerous, delicate thread of possibility. If I could convince Liam to come home before his memories resurfaced, before the truth sank back into his head, what story would the pack tell him about me?
Right now, Liam was a blank slate, untouched by the past. But if his parents turned him against me—if they filled his head with all the pain I had caused, the betrayals, the scars, the burn on his face—he would leave me without hesitation. I couldn’t let that happen. I had clawed my way too far, sacrificed too much, to lose him now.
Returning to the pack while his mind was still fractured was a risk I couldn’t afford. I had to make him remember on my terms. Or, at the very least, I had to build something between us—something strong enough to survive the storm that was already gathering on the horizon.
The Moon Goddess would have to wait.
Liam came first. Always.
So, I had a plan. A dark, foolproof plan.
That night, I slipped into his room once more, teleporting in like a whisper of wind. The shadows swallowed me whole, wrapping around me like a second skin. He was fast asleep, curled beneath his blanket, his breath slow and steady. Strands of his messy hair fell over his face, and for a fleeting moment, my chest ached.
I reached out, barely brushing his shoulder. A soft tap.
His breath hitched. Before he could make a sound, my hand was over his mouth.
“Shh,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “It’s just me p>
His blue eyes snapped open, wide with terror. Panic crashed through him, his body twisting beneath me as he struggled. But I held firm, leaning closer, my voice calm, steady.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Liam. I just came to say goodbye p>
That stilled him. His gaze locked onto mine, searching, questioning. I gave him a moment before easing my hand away.
He pushed himself up, rubbing his face, still groggy. “Goodbye?” His voice was hoarse. “You’re leaving p>
I nodded, letting the silence stretch between us, waiting for the weight of my words to sink in.
Liam scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “So, you’re finally giving up on trying to make me believe your insane story p>
I tilted my head, lips curling into the faintest smile. “I’m telling the truth. But since you don’t believe me, I’m going back home to get proof p>
His expression flickered. Skepticism cracked, and something else seeped in—hesitation. Doubt.
Then, after a long pause, he swallowed hard. “If you really know me, and if you actually have proof… I’ll go with you p>
My heart clenched, but I forced myself to stay composed. I had him.
Phase one: complete.
Now, onto the second.
“Good,” I murmured. “Then you should know this before I leave… both our lives are in danger. Someone tried to kill us both. We barely escaped, but you lost your memories. They will be back so you have to be very careful p>
Liam stiffened. “What p>
I reached for his wrist, gripping it gently. “You’re not safe, Liam. But North will take care of you while I’m gone p>
His head snapped up, eyes wide. “How do you know about North p>
I smiled again, a knowing, secretive smile. “Because, Liam, we’re not ordinary people p>
Before he could say another word, I vanished. The second phase was done now I moved to the third phase.
The moment I stepped away from him, they returned.
Dark, slithering whispers coiled through my mind like smoke, thick and suffocating, their voices laced with venom.
“He’ll never believe you. He’ll never love you. Why even try? Just end it. Or better yet… kill him p>
I clenched my fists, fingernails biting into my palms. No. I wouldn’t listen. Not this time. I had a plan, and I had to see it through.
I slipped into the forest, the air thick with silence, pressing against me like an unseen force. The moon loomed overhead, its pale glow carving jagged shadows through the trees. Leaves rustled under my feet as I pushed deeper into the darkness, my breath steady, my heart a relentless drum against my ribs.
Then, with cold determination, I pulled out the knife.
I had taken it from Becky’s kitchen earlier that night. The blade gleamed under the moonlight, a cruel and beautiful thing.
“Don’t p>
The whispers shifted, their tone sharp now, urgent. A flicker of something almost like panic wove through their words.
“You don’t have to do this p>
“This isn’t the way p>
They had never cared before. Never hesitated to push me toward destruction. But now… now they fought me?
A bitter smile twisted my lips. “You don’t want me to win, do you?” My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.
“We want to protect you p>
“We are part of you p>
“Let us help p>
“Like hell you do.” My grip tightened around the hilt, my knuckles turning white. Their concern—if that’s what it was—didn’t matter. I had already made my choice.
I lifted my shirt, exposing my stomach. The cool night air kissed my skin.
Then, I raised the knife.
Instantly, an unseen force seized my wrist. My arm jerked back, trembling violently as if I had lost control of my own body.
“Stop p>
Pain flared through my muscles as I fought against them. The whispers howled, not just in my head now—but all around me, like the wind itself had come alive, swirling and screaming. The air thickened, pressing down on me.
“You don’t need to do this p>
“We won’t let you! You belong to us Mai p>
Invisible hands clawed at me, restraining me. My body strained, my own limbs betraying me, trembling under their control. The knife hovered inches from my skin, my grip faltering.
I gritted my teeth. “Get. Out p>
A violent tremor rocked my arm, my wrist twisting painfully as they tried to pry the knife from my grasp. My entire body was shaking, caught in the middle of their fury and my own unbreakable will.
With a guttural scream, I forced the knife downward.
White-hot pain detonated through me.
A strangled cry tore from my throat as the blade sank deep, stealing the breath from my lungs. My knees buckled, and I crashed against a tree, my vision swimming. Warmth spread over my fingers—thick, sticky, unmistakable. Blood. So much of it.
The whispers shrieked.
“Why? Why would you do this p>
“This wasn’t the way! We are going to patch you Mai, you can’t leave us. You belong to us p>
But I was already slipping, already drowning in the pain. The edges of the world blurred, but I couldn’t stop now.
Liam.
I had to get to Liam.
Biting down on the sob threatening to escape, I wrenched the knife from my flesh. My breath hitched, a fresh wave of agony tearing through me, my body convulsing.
The ground tilted. Darkness curled at the edges of my vision, but I reached deep, grasping for the last shreds of my power.
Then—
The world twisted violently.
When my vision cleared, I was at Liam’s doorstep. My body hit the porch hard, knees slamming against the wood. The scent of blood filled my nose, thick and metallic.
I raised a trembling fist, knocking weakly. My strength was fading. My eyelids grew heavier, the world spinning into a slow, suffocating haze.
Somewhere in the distance, the whispers wailed, but their voices had become distant echoes, drowned beneath the only thing that mattered.
Liam.
I waited for the door to open.
And then—
Everything faded to black.