Chapter 131 Return to His Memory

Chapter 131 Return to His Memory
[Lana]

Cedric's apartment building was quiet at 4 AM. I moved like smoke through the lobby, my form insubstantial enough to pass unnoticed by the security cameras. The stairwell echoed with my barely-there footsteps as I climbed to the third floor.

Outside apartment 3B, I hesitated. His scent was stronger here—woodsmoke and pine, uniquely him. My hand hovered over the doorknob, doubt creeping in. Was I making another mistake? Did I have the right to reinsert myself into his life after deliberately removing myself from it?

Stop running from what you feel. My mother's words echoed in my mind.

I dissolved into mist, seeping through the lock mechanism, reforming on the other side. The apartment was neat but lived-in. Photos of his firefighting team lined one wall. A half-empty glass of water sat on the coffee table. Everything spoke of a life well-lived, a life that had continued perfectly well without me in it.

The sound of running water drew my attention to the bathroom. Beneath it, I could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

I moved silently down the hallway, maintaining my invisibility. The bathroom door was ajar, steam escaping in lazy curls. Through the gap, I could see Cedric in the shower, water cascading over his shoulders, the mate mark on his chest now just a faint outline.

Something twisted inside me—longing, guilt, desire—and my concentration slipped. My invisibility faltered, then failed completely.

Cedric's head snapped up, eyes focusing instantly on me standing in his bathroom doorway. He reacted with remarkable speed, grabbing a towel and positioning himself in a defensive stance.

"How the hell did you get in here?" His voice was hard, wary, with no hint of recognition.

I tried to appear casual, leaning against the doorframe. "You don't have great observational skills for a werewolf."

Confusion flickered across his face, followed by wariness. "Do I know you?"

The question stung more than it should have. "More than you remember."

He studied me, water dripping from his hair, something like recognition flashing in his eyes before disappearing. "What does that mean? Who are you?"

"My name is Lana." I stepped further into the bathroom, watching him tense. "And we need to talk."

---

"I stole your memories," I said bluntly, once he'd put on clothes and we'd moved to his living room. "I took everything you knew about me and our connection, and I'm here to give it back."

Cedric stared at me like I was insane. "That's not possible."

"I cut our mate bond. Erased myself from your mind." I met his gaze steadily. "You felt it, didn't you? The emptiness. The sense that something's missing."

His hand drifted unconsciously to his chest, to the mark. "I've been having dreams..."

"They're not dreams. They're memories trying to surface." I moved closer to him. "I can restore what I took, but you have to want it back. You can choose to continue your life as it is now, or you can remember everything—the good and the bad."

He was quiet for a long moment, studying me. "Why would you do that? Take my memories?"

"Because I was scared of what I felt for you," I admitted. "And now I'm scared of living without it."

Cedric's jaw tightened. "Something has felt wrong. Empty." He nodded slowly. "Do it. Give me back what's mine."

I stepped forward, placing my hands on either side of his face as I had done when I'd taken his memories. His skin was warm beneath my palms. I recited the ancient words my mother had taught me, feeling power gather between us.

"Look at me," I whispered, and when his eyes met mine, I released the spell.

Memories flowed from me to him—our first meeting in the burning alley, coffee at the café, the gallery, our kiss, his broken wrist, my rejection, and finally, me taking his memories. I watched his expressions change as each memory slotted back into place, his eyes widening with recognition, then narrowing with anger.

He jerked away from me, breathing hard, fully remembering everything.

"You had no right," he growled, eyes flashing amber. "No right to take that from me."

His entire body trembled, fists clenching and unclenching as his eyes changed from amber to a glowing gold. The wolf was close to the surface now, responding to his fury.

"How dare you?" His voice shook with intensity. "You made that choice for me—for both of us—without even talking to me first."

Cedric paced the room like a caged animal, running his hands through his still-damp hair. "You always think you get to decide everything, don't you? You decided when we met. You decided when we talked. You decided when to cut the bond." He whirled to face me. "And now you've decided I should remember?"

The accusation hit like a physical blow. He was right.

"Do you have any idea what it feels like?" He jabbed a finger toward his temple. "To have someone reach into your mind and just... erase parts of you? I've spent days feeling like I was going crazy, like something vital was missing, but I couldn't figure out what."

I remained silent, letting him vent the anger he had every right to feel.

"And now this?" He gestured between us. "First you cut the bond, then you come back to restore it? What kind of game is this to you?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you know how it feels to be manipulated like this? To have someone else control what you get to feel, what you get to remember?"

The mate mark on his chest was glowing faintly now, responding to his emotions and my presence. I could see him notice it, his hand instinctively moving to cover it before dropping away in frustration.

"The worst part," he said, his voice dropping to something raw and wounded, "is that despite everything you've done, I can still feel the pull toward you. How messed up is that?"

I stayed perfectly still, absorbing his anger, knowing I deserved every word.

---

"I thought it was for the best," I began, but even to my own ears, the words sounded hollow.

"For who?" he shot back. "For you? So you wouldn't have to deal with actual emotions for once?"

I winced. "You're right. I was scared."

"That's not good enough."

"I know." I took a deep breath. "I've spent centuries never letting anyone close enough to hurt me. Never being vulnerable. Then you came along, and in a matter of days, you made me feel things I thought I'd buried forever."

His expression remained hard, unmoved.

"When I saw you with that dancer, the jealousy I felt..." I shook my head. "It terrified me. I didn't recognize myself. I thought cutting the bond would free me from those feelings."

"And did it?" The question came quietly now, some of the rage subsiding.

"No." I looked directly into his eyes. "It made everything worse. I couldn't stop thinking about you. Following you. Watching you live your life without me in it."

I moved closer, not quite touching him. "These past few days have been hell. I've never felt so alone, even though I've spent most of my existence in solitude."

My voice cracked slightly. "I had no right to take your memories or your choice. I was wrong. I've spent centuries making unilateral decisions, controlling everything and everyone around me. But with you... I can't. And that scares me more than anything."

I let my guard down completely, allowing him to see the truth in my eyes. "Every day I watched you. I saw you help that old woman cross the street. I saw you buy coffee for a homeless man outside the station. I saw the kindness and goodness in you that I've never had. And I realized I was the one who would lose everything by staying away."

The admission left me feeling exposed, vulnerable in a way I hadn't been in centuries. "You can hate me. You can walk away right now and never speak to me again. I've given you back your memories and your choice. What happens next is up to you."