My fingers tighten around the phone 145

Aria’s POV
I felt myself floating between darkness and light, my consciousness flickering like a candle flame caught in a gentle
breeze. The world around me shifted between shadow and brilliance, neither fully formed yet somehow both existing at
once.
There she stood—my wolf, Cassandra, her golden-brown fur gleaming with vitality. The companion I had mourned for six
long years, the other half of my soul that I believed had been forever torn from me by that poisoned drink. Her amber
eyes, wise and wild all at once, gazed at me with recognition and love that transcended our separation.
“*Aria*,” my wolf opened her mouth, her voice resonating with a depth that vibrated through my very being. I could hear
the smile in her tone, feel the warmth and longing that matched my own.
The sight of her—so real, so present—shattered something inside me. A dam broke, and all the grief, all the loneliness of
these years without her came rushing forth in an overwhelming wave. I couldn’t contain myself any longer. With a
strangled cry that was half sob, half laughter, I threw myself toward her, my arms outstretched and trembling.
As my fingers sank into her thick, warm fur, a jolt of recognition passed between us. This wasn’t a phantom or a memory —this was her, truly her. I wrapped my arms around her powerful neck, burying my face in her coat.
Hot tears streamed down my face, soaking into her fur as I clung to her like a drowning woman to salvation. My
shoulders shook with the force of my sobs, years of bottled longing and loss pouring out of me in waves.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered between ragged breaths, my voice breaking with raw emotion. My fingers
gripped her fur tighter, afraid that if I loosened my hold even slightly, she might disappear again. “Every day, every
moment without you has been like walking through the world with half my soul missing. I thought I’d never see you
again.”
“*I’ve always been with you. With our cubs. I protected you, needed time to heal,*” Cassandra told me. I pulled back, wiping tears from my cheeks, trying to follow this conversation, but I was simply too overjoyed to see Cassandra to think
about anything else.
“*I took over when with our mate. I protected us. I slept to heal,*” she continued.
“I don’t understand what happened. What do you mean by ‘our mate’? I’m confused, but so happy to see you,” I
whispered, trying to piece together any information beyond wanting to pull Cassandra into my arms again.
A gentle voice told me, “I think we should restore your memories of that night.”
“Yes, she is ready. She’s been without these memories for too long,” the gentle voice responded. The side of the Moon
Goddess’s face smiled, “Being a two-faced deity is difficult. My dark side plucked the strings of fate to ensure you
eventually entered your destined mate’s hotel room. We have a particular soft spot for powerful children.”
“I still don’t understand,” I said, but Cassandra sat up, letting out a soft whimper from her throat, then touched her
forehead to mine.
“*You will understand,*” Cassandra and both voices of the Moon Goddess said simultaneously. Then the world began to melt away around me, and I felt my body jerk sharply. As the beautiful landscape disappeared into darkness, that night at
the resort played out around me like a movie.
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I watched myself stumble down the hallway, half-shifting as I walked, reading door numbers. I remembered this part.
“*Leave,*” a deep, commanding growl vibrated through my entire body to the marrow of my bones, sending liquid heat
pooling in my core. A strong, massive hand grabbed my arm, fire spreading from the contact point downward. A
whimper escaped my lips. That was the last thing I remembered before blacking out that night.
Suddenly, my eyes flashed with burning desire, and Cassandra’s voice replaced mine. A wolf cannot completely take over without the human side knowing, because like the Moon Goddess herself, our two beings are still one, but I could feel
the change.
1/2
“*Mine,*” she growled through me, her deep amber eyes reflecting light instead of mine. I realized Cassandra had
completely severed our connection, taking over my human side. No wonder I couldn’t remember. She forced our
separation, rendering my human side unconscious.
“*Mine,*” the deep voice responded, and the man turned his head, revealing Ethan’s face. His hand gripped my bicep,
holding me in place. I watched his pale eyes glaze over with heat I could identify. I’d seen that look before. It was his wolf
at the surface but not completely taking over. I couldn’t believe it. When Emma told me, I’d hoped she was lying. But now
I could see it.
“Please, I can’t—” My voice cracked as I raised my hand, palm outward, as if to physically block the memories unfolding
before me. “Stop this. I’m begging you.”
My chest constricted painfully, lungs struggling for air as panic clawed its way up my throat. The images continued to
form, relentless and clear, showing me the one night I’d prayed never to remember. My knees threatened to buckle
beneath me.
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“I don’t want to see him like this,” I choked out, tears blurring my vision. “Not Ethan. Not the man who—” I couldn’t finish,
the words lodging in my throat like shards of glass. How could I reconcile the Ethan I knew—compassionate, honorable,
the man who made my pulse race with a single look—with the monster who had taken advantage of me when I was
vulnerable?
“Witness,” the dark half of the Moon Goddess commanded, her voice slithering around me like midnight shadows. “Truth
lies beneath pain.”
I shook my head violently, backing away though there was nowhere to retreat to in this strange space between worlds.
“The truth?” I laughed bitterly, the sound edged with hysteria. “I’ve lived with the consequences for six years! I raised my
son alone while bearing the shame my family heaped upon me. What more truth could I possibly need?”
The silver side of the Goddess leaned closer, her luminescent eye softening with something like compassion. “Perceptions
deceive, daughter of wolves. Your memory is but a fragment, broken and incomplete.”
“Don’t make me relive my own violation!” My voice rose to a desperate shout that echoed in the endless space around
us. “Do you understand what you’re asking? To watch the moment that shattered my life, that left me pregnant and
alone?” My fingers twisted into my hair, pulling it at the roots. “I’ve seen countless women destroyed by such memories,
haunted by them every waking moment. My amnesia was a blessing!”
I whirled in frantic circles, seeking escape, an exit, any way out of this nightmare. But the images pursued me, pressing in
from all sides, becoming clearer with each passing second. I spun back toward the Goddess, rage and terror making my
voice raw.
“He meant something to me! Can’t you understand? Before I knew who he was, Ethan became important—to me, to
Lucas. To watch him become this… this predator… it will destroy everything!”