Horrible Past

Heather’s POV

My eyes darted around frantically, my breath hitching as panic clawed at my chest. Kayden’s body lay still, unconscious before me.

My hands trembled. Calling Stella and Damon was out of the question—they’d know. Stella would figure it out immediately—that I’d given him the potion. The one Janice had handed to me in secrecy.

I knelt beside him, my voice barely a whisper as I muttered to myself, “Think, Heather… think.” My pacing filled the deafening silence. Desperation overtook me, and I dialed Janice.

“What’s up?” she answered, her voice casual, unaware of the storm raging on my end.

“Problem,” I choked out. “I… I fed Alpha Kayden the potion you gave me.”

“You what? Why the hell would you do that?”

“It’s not important now! He’s unconscious! *What do I do?!*” My voice cracked, the weight of my mistake pressing on my shoulders.

Janice sighed. “Relax. He’ll be fine. There’s a strong magic block cast on him. The potion is fighting it—it’s the disruption causing this reaction. That’s all.”

“So, I was right…” I muttered under my breath, feeling a brief flicker of vindication, though it did little to ease my spiraling anxiety.

“Thanks, Janice,” I added quickly before disconnecting.

I sat there, helpless. Every second felt like an eternity as I waited, silently begging for him to wake up before Stella or Damon arrived. After a while, I forced myself into action—showering, dressing, and making sure Kayden properly settled in bed. I adjusted his posture on the bed, tugged the blanket, and sat on the edge, exhaustion sweeping over me.

I shut my eyes briefly.

“Whitney,” I linked my wolf, her presence stirring in the back of my mind, “can you try to retract my blocked memories?”

“I can try,” she replied.

A whirlwind of magic surged through me, starting as a warmth deep in my core that spread outward like fire in my veins. Lightheadedness hit me hard, and then—like a flood—vivid images came crashing into my mind.

I was standing at Moonlight Pack. The music from a party blared in the background, and I looked down at myself, realizing I was wearing a short red dress. A younger me. Memories of that night.

“Hey! Why do you look pale?” Kate’s worried voice snapped me out of my daze.

“Oh, nothing. I’m alright,” I replied quickly, my eyes scanning the room. It was full of faces—pack teenagers I knew too well. Some who had bullied me. And her. Merina. They all seemed so… friendly.

Kate studied me, her brows furrowed. “What’s up with her standing like a statue?”

“Beats me,” Harris said, shrugging as he passed by.

Kate grabbed my arm. “Come on, Heather. You shouldn’t just stand here. You’re popular now. People are dying to talk to you! I came over to see if you were in the mood or if you were planning to brush them off with that dramatic silence.”

Popular? Me?

“What, you don’t believe me?” Kate raised an eyebrow at my surprise. “Maybe you just didn’t get enough sleep from all that nerdy studying you do. You lose your memory overnight or something?”

I forced a nervous chuckle, but the truth was starting to overwhelm me. I wasn’t who I thought I was. The lies, the façade—it was all too much.

“Excuse me,” I mumbled, pushing past her and heading for the bathroom. My breaths came shallow as I slammed the door shut behind me.

“Whitney!” I mind linked. “What the hell is happening?”

“Made a mistake,” she said hesitantly, “I pulled you into the past with your present memories. Instead of just viewing it like a flashback… you’re living it.”

“What?! Damn it, Whitney!” I ran a hand through my hair, panic rising again. “I can’t handle this. Clive is here. I can’t face him—”

“Relax,” Whitney cut in. “This is a good thing. You’ll regain more memories. You’ll understand the truth.”

“This isn’t a mission, Whitney! I’m a wreck! You expect me to just ‘play along’?”

“You have no choice,” she replied flatly. “This is the only way forward.”

I steadied my breathing, forcing myself to pull it together.

As I left the bathroom, the air shifted. The atmosphere thickened, charged with energy. And then, my eyes locked with *him*.

Alpha Kayden.

The room seemed to freeze. The surrounding murmurs blurred into the background.

“Mate,” he whispered.

The bond hit like a thunderclap, the thread between us sparking to life. Before I could think, Kayden’s hand reached for mine. He led me out of the crowded room and into the guest room of my house. The door shut softly behind us.

“Alpha Kayden,” I started, my voice shaky.

“Kayden,” he corrected, his eyes burning with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. His gaze held a mix of desire and possession, and my wolf stirred in response.

“You… do you have someone in your life?” he asked suddenly.

“No… I mean, my parents have plans to arrange an engagement with my best friend, Clive. He’s… leaving town for a year—”

“You care about him?” he interrupted, his tone sharp, tinged with jealousy.

“Not romantically,” I answered quickly, the words spilling from my mouth before I could stop them.

His expression softened, but before I could say anything else, the world around us froze. The music, the voices, everything—motionless.

“Whitney, what now?” I growled internally.

“You can’t reveal present events in the past! It disrupts time!”

“And you’re just figuring this out now?”

“Hey, I’m learning on the job, too,” Whitney snapped back.

I sighed. “Unfreeze,” I muttered.

Time resumed, and Kayden’s intense gaze locked on me again.

“So… you’ll cancel the engagement?” he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

I nodded, though it wasn’t me making the choice—it was my past self, my actions playing out. His smirk deepened, and he closed the distance between us.

Before I could react, his lips crashed into mine. It was searing, possessive—everything the bond demanded. It felt achingly familiar, just like it did in the present.

When we finally broke apart, I stared into his warm, glowing eyes. “Do you even know my name?” I asked breathlessly.

“Yes,” he murmured, his voice husky. “You’re mine. My mate.”

I chuckled softly, though my entire body betrayed me. Every nerve screamed with conflicting emotions—joy, warmth, and… arousal. Kayden’s presence was intoxicating, his energy overwhelming, but before I could lose myself in the moment, a sharp knock shattered the tension like glass.

Kayden’s expression darkened, a frown pulling at his lips as his voice rang out, commanding and cold.

“Come in.”

The door creaked open, and there they were—my parents. Their faces were twisted in displeasure, an anger that made my stomach churn. Why were they upset? Shouldn’t they be happy for me? For this bond?

“Alpha Kayden,” my father began stiffly, his voice laced with tension. “We want you to step away from our daughter.”

Kayden’s eyes narrowed, his presence radiating dominance, making the air thick with power. “You know she is my mate,” he said coldly, his voice low and dangerous.

But instead of joy or acceptance, my parents’ expressions grew even darker. And then—like a dam breaking—flashes of memories assaulted me.

Images burned in my mind, memories I didn’t even know existed. My parents—no, my ‘adoptive’ parents—hit me, disciplining me, forcing me to become the perfect she-wolf, their pawn to trade for their debts. The truth hit like a tidal wave. They had borrowed from Clive’s wealthy family, and I was the payment. That’s why I couldn’t back out of the engagement. That’s why I could never say no.

My knees felt weak. My breaths grew ragged. The happy memories I thought I’d had—ones where they cared for me, protected me—were nothing but lies. Carefully constructed illusions to mask their cruelty.

“Sorry, Alpha,” I managed, my voice trembling as I tore my gaze from him. “I… I need to leave. Please… give me a day.”

His jaw tightened, the protest clear in his eyes, but he gave me a sharp nod. For now.

I followed my parents out of the room, their hands gripping my arm like iron shackles. They dragged me to a private office, away from prying eyes and ears. The moment the door slammed shut behind us, I felt it—a blow so hard it knocked me to the ground. My cheek burned from the sting of my adoptive father’s slap.

“You forget your place!” he hissed, standing over me like a predator. His voice was venomous, his words cutting into me like knives.

“We didn’t take you in out of charity, girl. You are ‘ours’. You were brought into this family for one purpose—to be sold to Clive’s family.”

I stayed on the floor, trembling, tears stinging my eyes, but I didn’t dare let them fall.

“You’re lucky Clive likes you,” he continued, his voice dripping with disdain. “And you? Following Alpha Kayden around like a lovesick fool, embarrassing us in front of the pack? You upset Clive so much he left the party! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”

“Get back in line,” my mother snapped, her manipulative tone cutting through the air. “We’ve given you food, clothes, shelter, an education—everything. And all we’ve asked in return is for you to save us from this enormous debt. Is that too much?”

Their words cut deeper than I thought possible. My body felt paralyzed, their presence pressing down on me like a suffocating weight. I nodded weakly, a timid gesture, the fire inside me reduced to embers.

“I’ll… I’ll reject him tonight,” I whispered, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

My father’s sneer was filled with satisfaction as he stepped back, towering over me with a twisted sense of pride.

“Good. Make sure you seduce Clive,” he ordered. “You’ll marry him, and this family will finally be free of its debts.” My mother’s cold, manipulative gaze lingered on me, making my stomach churn. “Remember, Heather, without us, you’d have been left to rot in the woods. We saved you from Raven soldiers. You owe us everything.”

I stayed on the ground, too weak to move, my mind spinning. I need shelter—somewhere to hide from Raven, who is hunting me and the others who managed to escape the firebreak. I can’t let them catch me. If they do, they’ll treat me even worse than before—starving me for days and pushing me to the brink of death with brutal training. My past is horrible.