4. She's Having Memory Problems

Stefan’s POV

She is confused.

And scared.

I can smell both her confusion and fear, and I don’t like it all.

I didn’t look for her for five long years so I could make her afraid of me. But I never thought she would not remember me.

Because she isn’t lying. I wouldn’t be sensing all that confusion if she was lying.

Has it been too long? I have thought about her every day for thirteen years now, since that day she mysteriously disappeared from my life without a word. Not a single day has gone by without my thoughts wandering to her. Wondering what she was doing, where she was. Maybe she didn’t think about me, and that’s why she forgot.

Or maybe she was too young to remember me after all this time. She was just ten…

I shake my head.

No.

We spent way too much time together for her to forget me entirely. We were close. I was the scrawny second son of the alpha, an outcast in my world. She was the housekeeper’s daughter, and she didn’t mind my company. She was my only playmate. Until she disappeared overnight.

“What happened?” I ask, peering into her eyes. “Was it an accident? Why can’t you remember me?”

There has to be a reason. My Mari wouldn’t forget me so easily. I know she wouldn’t.

“Stefan?” Levi’s voice comes from the doorway. “We have to leave. The police will be here soon.”

Dammit!

I release her face and step back. We cannot get mixed up with the police.

She clutches her bag tightly. “I’ll go now,” she announces, edging slowly away from me, heading towards the door.

I grab her hand and bring her with me. “You’re coming with me.”

“What?” she demands, trying to pull her hand from my grip.

I look back at her, not halting. “I came for you, and I’m not leaving without you.”

“You’re fucking crazy! Let me go this instant or I’ll scream!”

Levi steps out of the doorway, giving me and Mari a confused look. “Isn’t she the one?” he asks.

“She’s having memory problems,” I tell him.

“I’m not having memory problems!” she snaps. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

Whenever did she get so feisty?

When she refuses to walk through the doorway, I bend and, wrapping one arm around her legs, haul her onto my back. She hits my back with her elbows, struggling to get free.

Then she screams.

Levi leads the way down a back hallway and to a door. He opens it and we walk into an empty alleyway. She is still screaming, but luckily, Hanna has already brought the van around, and Andreas is standing by the open door. I toss her into the back seat and get in after her. Andreas gets in after us and pulls the door closed.

Levi gets into the passenger side while Hanna starts the van and peels out of the alley.

Beside me, Mari is still struggling, cursing me to hell and back and demanding that I let her go.

She manages to scratch my face with her nails before I hold her hands tight in mine, holding them behind her back.

“Calm down,” I tell her, “And I’ll explain everything. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Stop the car first,” she demands. “Stop it right now!”

I shake my head. “Sorry, I can’t do that.”

“My car is back at the club,” she says.

“We’ll get it for you,” I assure her.

“No, I want to get it, right now!”

“Put her to sleep, boss,” Andreas suggests gruffly from the seat up front. “She’ll be much easier to deal with when she wakes up.”

She fights harder against my grip. “Put me to sleep? Don’t you dare drug me!”

You know what?

Andreas is right.

Releasing her hands, I hold her face between mine. Her hands shoot forward to push me away, but they drop mid-air.

I hold her gaze with mine, my eyes looking deep into hers. I can see their reflection in hers. A turquoise ring glows around my pupil, slowly eating my grey iris up.

Her mouth falls open in awe.

But before she can say anything, her eyes flutter shut. She fights against it, but it’s futile. A few seconds later, she slumps against the seat, her head going slack. I reach for her quickly and hold her against my chest.

Sleep, my little mate.

We’ll meet again when you wake.