Chapter 15 He wants answers
Zoe's POV
The doctor's gaze shifted from Ryan to me, then landed on Scarlett.
I watched as Scarlett locked eyes with the doctor, her stare intense and unwavering...as if some silent message passed between them in that wordless exchange.
The doctor swallowed hard.
"She's... she's fine, Alpha."
Ryan's grip on his shoulder tightened. "What?"
"I just want to say...The Luna doesn't have any sign of brain instability. The check shows she's healthy. Very healthy." The doctor's voice was rushed. Nervous. "Which means it's just a slight shock effect. The Luna would start remembering things soon. Very soon."
Ryan let go of him. Stepped back.
"You're sure?"
"Yes, Alpha. I'm certain."
Relief washed over Ryan's face. He turned to me. Smiled.
"Did you hear that? You're going to remember everything soon."
I forced a smile. "That's... that's good."
But inside, my stomach twisted. Remembering? I had nothing to remember. Nothing that matched Olivia's life.
The doctor packed his bag quickly. Bowed and Left.
Scarlett followed him out.
Ryan sat beside me. Took my hand.
"Come. Let me take you home. Our room. Where you belong."
...
The main pack house was huge. Beautiful. Nothing like the care house.
Ryan led me up the stairs. Down a long hallway. Stopped at the last door.
"Ready?"
I nodded.
He opened the door.
The room was massive. A giant bed in the center. Soft curtains. A balcony overlooking the forest. Everything was white and gold. Clean. Perfect.
"This is... our room?"
"Yes." Ryan walked in. Pulled me gently inside. "Your things are all here. Your clothes. Your books. Everything."
I looked around. Trying to memorize it all.
"The closet is there." He pointed. "Bathroom through that door. And this..." He opened the balcony doors. "This was your favorite spot. You used to sit here every morning. Watching the sunrise."
The wind blew in. Cool. Fresh.
"It's beautiful."
"You're beautiful." His voice was soft. Close.
I turned. He was right there. Inches away.
His hand touched my face. Gentle. Warm.
"I missed you so much, Olivia. Every day you were gone... it killed me."
"Ryan..."
"I thought I lost you forever." His thumb traced my cheek. "But you're here now. You came back to me."
He leaned closer.
His lips touched mine. Soft at first. Then deeper.
Something stirred inside me. Warmth. Heat. Something I'd never felt before.
His arms wrapped around me. Pulled me close.
I kissed him back. Lost in it. Lost in him.
No one had ever held me like this. Touched me like this. Looked at me like I mattered.
Like I was precious.
His hands moved down my back. My waist. Gentle but wanting.
"Olivia," he whispered against my lips. "I love you. I love you so much."
Those words. Those three words.
They broke something in me.
And fixed something at the same time.
He guided me backward. Toward the bed.
I didn't stop him. Didn't want to stop him.
His lips moved to my neck. My shoulder.
"You're everything to me," he breathed. "Everything."
I closed my eyes. Let myself feel it. Feel him.
This man. This Alpha. This husband who wasn't really mine.
But for this moment... I pretended he was.
His hand slipped under my shirt. Warm against my skin.
Then... a flash.
A woman with my face. Her gaze fixed right into mine.
My sister.
Olivia.
What if everyone was wrong?
What if she wasn't dead?
What if she was out there somewhere? Alive? Scared? Alone?
And here I was. In her bed. With her husband. Taking her life.
Stealing everything she had.
I pushed Ryan back. Hard.
"Stop."
He froze. "What? What's wrong?"
"I... I can't." I moved away from him. Off the bed. "I'm sorry. I can't."
"Olivia..." He reached for me. Confusion all over his face. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No. No, it's not you."
"Then what is it?" He stood up. Came closer. "Talk to me."
"I just... I need time. Please."
"Time?" His voice was hurt. "We're mates. We're married. We..."
"I know. I know." Tears filled my eyes. Real tears. "But I don't remember. I don't remember us. I don't remember... this."
He ran his hand through his hair. Frustrated. "The doctor said you're fine. That you'll remember soon."
"But I don't remember now." My voice broke. "And I can't... I can't do this when everything feels so... wrong."
"Wrong?" The word came out sharp. "Being with your husband feels wrong?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" He stepped closer. His eyes searched mine. "Because right now, it feels like you're hiding something from me."
My heart stopped.
"I'm not..."
"You pulled away from me, Olivia. Your own mate. Your husband." His voice was quiet now. Dangerous. "The woman I married would never do that. Never."
"But the situation is different Ryan."
"Tell me... I want to know." He shook his head. "How?."
Silence filled the room. Heavy. Thick.
He stared at me. Really stared at me.
Like he was seeing me for the first time.
"What happened to you out there?" he finally asked. "What really happened?"
"I don't know. I told you. I don't remember."
"You're lying."
"I'm not..."
"You are." He moved closer. So close I could feel his breath. "I can feel it. Something's different. Something's wrong."
"Ryan, please..."
"This isn't just memory loss, is it?" His eyes locked onto mine. "You're hiding something. Something big."
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
"Tell me the truth." His voice was hard now. Alpha voice. "What are you hiding?"
I opened my mouth.
But no words came out.
How could I tell him?
How could I tell him that the woman standing in front of him wasn't his wife at all?
That Olivia was gone.
And I was just a ghost wearing her face.
And from the look of things, he wasn't going to stop until I said something.
But thank the goddess... A knock at the door shattered the tension.