Chapter 106
Rhianna sat on the edge of Tia’s bed in the small cabin at the edge of the pack grounds. The room was familiar in a way that made her chest ache—wooden walls worn smooth by years of laughter, a shelf of mismatched books they had once fought over, a window overlooking the same clearing where they used to chase fireflies until the elders yelled at them to go inside. The scent of dried lavender and cedar hung in the air. Tia’s scent. Home.
Tia closed the door softly and leaned against it for a second, eyes still shining with unshed tears. She looked exactly like Rhianna remembered—short dark hair in a messy braid, freckles across her nose, the same crooked grin that used to get them both in trouble. But there were new lines around her eyes, shadows that hadn’t been there before.
“You’re really here,” Tia whispered again, as if saying it out loud would make it real. She crossed the room in two steps and dropped onto the bed beside Rhianna, pulling her into another fierce hug. “I still can’t believe it. I kept waiting for someone to tell me it was a cruel joke.”
Rhianna hugged her back just as hard, breathing in the familiar smell of cedar soap and earth. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tia pulled back, wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her tunic. “Okay. Okay. Tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out. I need to know what happened after the river took you.”
Rhianna exhaled slowly. She had rehearsed this in her head a hundred times on the journey back, but now that she was here—now that she was looking into Tia’s wide, trusting eyes—the words felt heavier.
“I woke up on the bank of a different river,” she began. “No memory. No name. Just pain. A royal pack found me. They called me Aurora. The queen and king took me in, treated me like their own. Prince Kairo… he was kind. Gentle. He fell in love with me. Or with the version of me they created. They told me I had no past, that I was found half-dead with nothing. They gave me dresses, lessons, a new life. I almost became their princess. The wedding was planned. Eight days away. I was standing at the altar in white silk, veil over my face, ready to say vows to a man who loved a girl who never existed.”
Tia’s mouth fell open. “You were about to marry a prince?”
Rhianna gave a small, tired laugh. “Yes. And I almost did. I almost convinced myself it was right. That Aurora was who I was supposed to be. But then Hardin came.”
Tia leaned forward. “Hardin. He never stopped looking. He left the pack, gave up everything. We all thought he was dead too, at first. Then he came back with you. How did he find you?”
Rhianna looked down at her hands. “He tracked rumors. Followed every whisper of a dark-haired girl with no memory who healed too fast. He infiltrated the palace as a guard. He watched me. Protected me from a distance. Until he couldn’t anymore. He came to my room one night. Kissed me. Told me the truth. And everything started coming back. The fire. The boy who saved me. The bond breaking. The river. You. Him.”
Tia’s eyes softened. “He never gave up on you. Not once.”
Rhianna nodded. “I know. And I… I love him. I didn’t know it at first. But I do. I always did.”
Tia smiled—big, real, the first genuine smile Rhianna had seen since she returned. “I knew it. Even when we were kids. You two were always different around each other. Like the rest of the world disappeared.”
Rhianna felt her cheeks heat. “We tried to hide it. Sebastian was my mate. The bond was there. But Hardin… he was the one who made me laugh. Who made me feel safe. Who stayed when Sebastian walked away.”
Tia reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you. Truly. This place hasn’t been the same since you left. It stopped feeling like home. The pack’s been losing ground. Sebastian took the Alpha title back after Hardin left, but he’s not the same. He’s… hollow. And Brittany—she’s worse than ever. Controlling. Cruel. The pack is fracturing. We’ve lost territory to rival packs. Hunters keep coming closer. We’re in danger, Rhianna. Real danger.”
Rhianna’s stomach tightened. “I saw Sebastian and Brittany with the baby. They looked at me like I was a ghost. I didn’t speak to them. I couldn’t.”
Tia’s expression darkened. “Good. You don’t owe them anything. Especially not Brittany. Everyone knows she hated you. Everyone suspects she sent those men, but no one could prove it. She made sure of that.”
Rhianna leaned forward. “That’s why I need you, Tia. I need help. I need evidence. Something—anything—that proves Brittany tried to kill me. Witnesses. Letters. A rogue who will talk. If we can prove it, the elders will have to act. The pack will have to act. She can’t keep hiding behind Sebastian and that baby.”
Tia’s eyes lit with fierce determination. “I’m in. Whatever you need. I’ve waited years to see her pay for what she did to you. To all of us.”
Rhianna exhaled. “Thank you.”
Tia grinned. “That’s what best friends do. We fight together.” She paused, then leaned in closer, voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “So… you and Hardin. Is it official now? No more hiding? No more forbidden glances?”
Rhianna felt heat rush to her face. She looked away, but a smile tugged at her lips. “It’s… new. But real. He told me he loves me. That he waited for me. That he never took another mate because the Goddess gave him me.”
Tia squealed quietly, covering her mouth. “I knew it! I always knew it! You two were so obvious even when you tried to hide it. Remember when you were fifteen and he gave you that red rose on your birthday? You carried it around for days until it fell apart.”
Rhianna laughed—soft, surprised. “I forgot that.”
Tia nudged her. “You didn’t forget. You just buried it. But it’s coming back, isn’t it?”
Rhianna nodded slowly. “Yes. Every time he’s near me, more comes back. The way he used to tease me. The way he protected me. The way he looked at me like I was the only person in the world. It’s like my body knew him before my mind did.”
Tia’s grin turned mischievous. “So… how good was the kiss?”
Rhianna’s cheeks burned. “Tia!”
Tia laughed. “Come on! You can’t drop ‘he kissed me in secret’ and then not tell me details. Was it fireworks? Stars? Did your wolf howl inside you?”
Rhianna covered her face with both hands, laughing despite herself. “It was… everything. Like coming home. Like breathing after drowning. I didn’t push him away. I didn’t want to. It felt right. Like it was always supposed to happen.”
Tia sighed dramatically. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve this. You deserve him. After everything you went through—the palace, the lies, the broken bond—you deserve someone who never stopped fighting for you.”
Rhianna lowered her hands. Tears pricked her eyes again. “I don’t know what to do next. The pack is in danger. Sebastian is Alpha again, but he’s weak. Brittany is poison. And I… I don’t know if I belong here anymore.”
Tia took both her hands. “You belong where you feel whole. If that’s with Hardin, then that’s where you go. If that’s here, fighting for the pack, then we fight together. But whatever you choose, I’m with you. Always.”
Rhianna squeezed Tia’s hands. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Tia grinned. “Lucky for you, you’ll never have to find out.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, shoulders touching, the way they used to when they were younger and the world felt smaller.
Rhianna finally spoke. “I need to see Hardin. He’s still recovering. And I need to tell him… everything. That I remember. That I’m choosing him.”
Tia’s eyes sparkled. “Go. I’ll cover for you if anyone asks where you are.”
Rhianna stood. Hugged Tia one more time—long, tight, grateful.
Then she left the cabin.
She walked through the pack grounds under the stars. The night was cool. The pack fires burned low. Wolves howled in the distance—welcoming, warning, mourning. She didn’t stop until she reached the healer’s hut.
Alden opened the door before she knocked.
“She’s here,” he called softly over his shoulder.
Hardin was sitting up in bed. Shirtless, bandages fresh. His eyes lit when he saw her.
Rhianna stepped inside.
Alden smiled. “I’ll give you two some time.”
He left, closing the door quietly.
Rhianna crossed the room. Sat on the edge of the bed.
Hardin reached for her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded.