Chapter Seven

(Kanyon's POV)

It had been five days since I found the woman.

"Mate. She's our mate," Jace corrected but I ignored him.

She woke up two days ago and Doctor Tim had run the necessary tests and confirmed she had amnesia. She was still at the hospital, receiving treatment and being monitored. I only visited whenever she was asleep. Didn't want her to be afraid of me or overwhelm her.

"Or you're afraid of what she'll think of you," Jace scoffed.

I didn't answer.

Because I wasn't entirely sure he was wrong.

The way she recoiled from my touch replayed in my head like a broken record.

I didn't know what was more frustrating. The fact that she had amnesia and couldn't remember how she got that mark, or that the only person who could've given us a clue had taken his own life.

I rubbed a hand down my face with a sigh.

Even if the Moon Goddess had truly paired us together, how could a bond grow when she flinched away from my touch?

I pushed myself off the bed and got ready to meet with Niko in the training field. Athena was on patrol this morning so she was still out. Eric volunteered to help me finish some paperwork and suggested I'd join Niko for training to get my mind off things.

As I walked towards the field, I spotted Niko. It was barely eight o'clock, yet sweat already clung to the warriors' backs as Niko barked orders across the field.

I watched from the sidelines. A few warriors noticed me and started training harder. Niko noticed and turned, a smile on his face.

"Take two!" he ordered, dismissing them and jogging to me.

"I actually thought you weren't coming today," he panted.

"Better late than never."

Niko shrugged. "The Eastern Troops are Athena's men. You'll handle them. I'll continue with my men. Is that alright?" He pointed to Athena's men doing push ups at the end of the field.

"They're the ones with the new recruits, right?"

"Yeah. Go easy on 'em."

I snorted, stretching my arms. "Athena said they needed some extra training so that's what they're going to get."

"Now I remember why Athena kicked you off training," Niko sighed, shaking his head. He went back to his group while I walked towards Athena's troops.

"When was the last time we led training? It's been months." Jace practically bounced with excitement.

The warriors bowed slightly as I stood in front of them.

"Attention!" one of the warriors barked.

The recruits immediately straightened, shoulders back as I stopped in front of them.

"I'm sure your commander would have taught you the basics." I walked between them.

"Yes sir!"

"We'll start from there. Let's warm up a bit. Six laps round the field. Ten minutes. Go, go, go!"

I started the stopwatch. They took off, jogging round the field. By the fifth lap, most of them were already falling behind.

"This is going to be a long day." Jace sighed.

The next hour passed in a blur of sparring matches, corrections, and shouted orders. Every mistake was repeated until it disappeared. By the time training ended, several recruits had collapsed onto the grass, drenched in sweat.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen while the recruits caught their breath. Another hour later, training finally came to an end.

Niko walked up to me. "You spared no one, huh?" His eyes drifted to the warriors going back into the pack house. Some sweaty, limping. "It's for their own good." I shrugged.

We sat on the bench, away from the sunlight. "I heard some rumours going around," he started. I glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "Rumours?"

He nodded. "They're saying you've found your mate, their Luna."

"Seems like you visited her one too many times," Jace snorted a laugh.

I pushed him to the back of my mind.

"She's not..." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"She's your mate, ain't she?"

I didn’t reply. Not that I didn’t want a mate, I just don't know where I stand with her.

"Kanyon, you and I know how long you've waited for a mate. Why do you keep denying—"

"She flinched at my touch, Niko. I don't even know if she feels the bond too."

Niko stayed silent, his eyes on me. I gave him a questioning look. "What?"

"Are you afraid?"

I scoffed, sitting up straight. "I'm—"

"I was afraid of Athena too y'know."

"Yeah, no shit. She's crazy," I laughed.

"You have to do something for real though. The pack is actually excited. We'll be stronger now when we have a Luna." He draped his hand around my shoulder.

"One tiny problem. Doctor Tim said she has amnesia. She has the same mark we found on the other rogues."

"Damn..." Niko rubbed the back of his neck. "That doesn't sound like a challenge. Sounds like she's been through hell."

I let out a breath, standing up. "Yeah."

"She'll pull through," Niko gave me a reassuring smile. "I hope so," I muttered, going back into the pack house.

(Tyra's POV)

The Alpha's scent lingered in my room every time I woke up.

Rain and vetiver.

Nurse Lena came by every few hours to check my vitals and give me my medication.

I laid on my bed, watching as she checked my vitals. "Tomorrow, we'll go for a walk around the hospital, is that okay with you?" She stepped back, smiling. "Yeah, kinda getting tired of the room anyways," I agreed.

"I have a question," I added, voice low.

"What is it?"

"The Alpha, do you know why he saved me or where he found me?"

Lena stayed quiet for a moment before answering. "All I know is he found you in the forest. I don't know why he saved you."

"Oh... okay. Thanks," I mumbled.

Lena left not long after.

The forest.

What was I doing there?

More importantly... what was he doing there?

Maybe he had simply been out on a run and found me.

According to Doctor Tim, I survived by luck. Maybe the Alpha was just a compassionate person.

The door creaked open and his scent filled the room. Our eyes met for a split second. "Sorry. I thought you'd be asleep," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait." I called out, sitting up. He paused, turning around.

"Thank you... for saving me." I gave him a small smile. He stared at me like I'd said something completely absurd.

"It was no issue." He cleared his throat before speaking again. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

An awkward silence filled the room before I spoke again. "Why'd you do it?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"

"Save me."

"I couldn't just watch you bleed out..."

His answer caught me off guard. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his voice, as though saving me had simply been the obvious thing to do. Most people would've walked away from a stranger bleeding out in the middle of a forest. He hadn't.

"Well..." I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "I'm still glad you didn't."

His lips twitched ever so slightly. It wasn't quite a smile, but it was enough to soften the sharpness of his features.

"Doctor Tim said you're recovering well," he said. "Don't rush yourself. Your body needs time."

I nodded. "I'll try."

I watched him leave, the door clicking shut behind him.

The room felt strangely quieter without him in it.

I leaned back against the pillows, letting out a slow breath. It was weird. A few days ago, I hadn't even known he existed. Now his scent lingered in the room long after he'd gone.

My fingers absentmindedly brushed against the bandage wrapped around my head. No matter how hard I tried, nothing came back. No memories. No names. No faces.

Just questions.

Who was I?

Why had I been left to die in the forest?

And why did my chest tighten every time those green eyes looked at me?

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping sleep would be kinder than my thoughts.

It wasn't long before exhaustion pulled me under.