Chapter 3: When You're Completely Better

Aurora's POV

The days blur together in the best way.

I'm staying in Kieran's private cabin, tucked into the heart of his territory with dense forest beyond the windows. Every morning I wake to find him already in the kitchen.

"You don't have to do this every day," I tell him, though I love the attention.

"I want to." He sets a plate of eggs in front of me. "And take your meds after."

The doctor says I need at least two weeks of recovery. The head wound is healing, but Ember's still gone. Without my wolf's instincts, I feel incomplete. Half of me is missing. But Kieran fills that empty space. When he's around, the absence doesn't hurt as much.

I've gotten into the habit of keeping him in bed longer than necessary. He has pack business every morning, but he's terrible at saying no to me.

"Five more minutes." I grab his sleeve before he can stand.

He sighs but sits back down. "Five minutes."

"You agreed way fast." I smile up at him. "You don't actually want to leave, do you?"

Instead of answering, he reaches over and smooths down my messy hair. The gesture makes my heart race.

"Kieran."

"Hmm?"

"Kiss me before you go."

I watch his throat work. Then he leans in and presses his lips to my forehead.

"Not there," I complain.

He laughs quietly and finds my mouth this time. Just a brief touch, but warmth floods through me.

"Alright, troublemaker." He gets to his feet. "I really do have to go now."

In the evenings, we walk through his territory together. He points out landmarks: the pack hall, training grounds, council chambers. He tells me their history, the stories behind them.

"You already know all this," he says at one point. "When your memory comes back, you'll remember."

But I'm not sure I want to remember. Right now, this life feels perfect.

One afternoon he helps me train, working to get my body back in shape. I challenge him just to see how long I can last without my wolf's help. The answer is not very long.

"You're being unfair," I gasp, sitting on the ground trying to catch my breath.

He crouches down next to me, mouth quirking up. "When you're completely better, we'll have a real match."

That smile stops me cold. He's usually so serious. These rare glimpses of lightness feel precious, rare.

"You're really good to me," I say without thinking, then lean against his shoulder.

His body goes rigid before he relaxes and pats my back. "Idiot."

I start attending some pack meetings. Kieran says it might help jog my memory. I sit beside him during these gatherings. We've never actually defined what we are to each other, but that spot next to him feels naturally mine.

The pack members look at me strangely though. Curious. Confused. Sometimes with an expression I can't read. But nobody says anything.

One day I'm waiting outside his office while he finishes a meeting. I'm not trying to eavesdrop, but voices carry.

"She's your enemy." An unfamiliar male voice, worried. "When she remembers, this is going to destroy both of you."

Kieran doesn't respond right away. The silence stretches.

"I know," he finally says, voice rough and pained. "But let me be selfish. Just for now."

I don't understand what they're talking about. How could I be Kieran's enemy?

I shake off the confusion and wait for him to come out.

That night, moonlight spills through the window. I'm lying next to Kieran, listening to his even breathing.

"You still awake?" he asks suddenly.

"Can't sleep." I turn to face him. "Would you ever leave me?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. Just a feeling." I pause. "Like there's this thing waiting for me. This thing I need to remember. But I'm scared that when I do, everything will change."

Kieran's hand comes up to cup my cheek. "Some things won't change. No matter what you remember or forget."

"Like what?"

"Like..." He pulls me against his chest. "Like right now."

I can feel his heartbeat matching mine, both racing. I lift my head and kiss him first.

Not like the quick morning kisses we've shared. My arms wrap around his neck, pulling him deeper. He holds back at first, then he's kissing me back, fingers threading through my hair.

His mouth moves from my lips to my jaw, down to my neck. Heat builds inside me, an ache I've never felt before.

"Kieran." My voice comes out breathless. "I want you."

His whole body tenses. "You sure?"

"Yes."

Clothes come off slowly. His hands burn hot against my skin, every touch making me shiver. With my wolf senses heightened even in human form, everything feels amplified: his body heat, the rhythm of his pulse, even the sound of blood rushing through his veins.

When we finally come together, the sense of completeness almost brings tears to my eyes. I've been missing this piece of myself forever and only now found it.

We move together, finding our rhythm. He's gentle, checking in with every shift to make sure I'm okay. But underneath that gentleness is restrained intensity, like he's holding back.

When pleasure builds to its peak, instinct makes me tilt my neck back, expecting him to bite down.

I don't understand why I'm expecting it, but the urge is overwhelming.

Instead, he just kisses that spot and breathes against my skin. "When you're completely better."

"Why?" I ask, still dizzy.

"Because it matters." He holds me tighter. "I want you to be fully aware, fully certain, when you make that choice."

I'm exhausted and confused but all I want is to stay wrapped up in his arms.

"I love you," I whisper, and let sleep take me.

The next day, I'm browsing through his office while he handles some emergency. He told me to make myself comfortable, look around if I wanted.

The bookshelves hold thick volumes and various pack documents. I'm flipping through things when I spot a file with an emblem on it: a black wolf howling at the moon.

My heart lurches.

I stare at the symbol. Images flash through my mind, fragmented and blurry. I've seen this before. It's the Thorne family crest.

Pain explodes in my skull.

Burning buildings.

Screaming.

Two bodies covered in white sheets.

A little girl standing by funeral pyres, tears streaming down her face.

"They have to pay for this," someone says.

"The Valens family can't get away with it."

"Aurora, my daughter, you have to be strong." Mom's voice.

"Protect Nighthollow." Dad's final words.

I'm on my knees and the memories keep coming.

I'm Aurora Thorne.

Alpha of Nighthollow Pack.

My parents died in a war twenty years ago.

Killed in an Ironridge attack.

Killed under orders from Kieran's father.

Night falls and I'm lying in bed with Kieran's arms around me. His breathing is steady and warm. He's clearly asleep.

I'm frozen in my enemy's embrace.

Kieran Valens.

My blood rival.

The son of my parents' killer.

And I... we...

Shame and rage threaten to drown me. But what's worse is feeling Ember wake up, stirring in the back of my consciousness.

"That's our mate," Ember says with absolute certainty. "He's our other half."

No. Impossible.

How can my fated mate be my enemy?

Kieran murmurs my name in his sleep, arm tightening to pull me closer.

I stare at his face in the darkness. This face I once hated is now carved into my bones, familiar in ways I can't erase.

I want to run.

But logic tells me exposing myself now would be dangerous. I'm deep in enemy territory, surrounded by enemy warriors.

And I need to think.

Think about why Kieran saved me.

Think about why he's been hiding my identity when he obviously knows who I am.

Think about what to do next.

Finally, I make my decision. Keep pretending.

At least until I figure out what's really going on.

I close my eyes and force my heartbeat to steady, already calculating my next move.