Chapter 2

I hadn't been asleep long when a loud banging on the door jolted me awake.​

"Get up and make my breakfast. I'm going to be late!"​

It was Rio, my son, shouting impatiently from the other side of the door.​

"I've had the servants prepare it. It will be sent up shortly."​

I closed my eyes again, vaguely hearing Rio kick the door in frustration.​

"Dad never should have brought you back.Clara always makes my breakfast. You're useless!"​

The next time I opened my eyes, it was to Victor roughly dragging me from the bed.​

"What did you expose Rio to!"​

I stared at him, completely lost.​

He pulled me in front of our son, who was covered in a red rash and struggling to breathe.

"Even if you're angry, you don't take it out on a pup. He has a severe allergy.If I hadn't found him, he would have suffocated!"​

The pack healer arrived quickly and rushed Rio to the clinic. I ran after them, trying to explain.​

"I honestly didn't know this would happen! I gave the servant a list of Rio's allergies, they promised they would be careful, I never thought…"​

Victor shot me a look of disgust. "Stop making things up. You fired the last two specialists I hired and insisted on controlling Rio's environment yourself. He said a few words in Clara's favor, and you punish him like this."​

"No, that's not it, it was because…"​

"Enough."​

He cut me off, his voice like ice. "Don't make me regret restoring your memories."

My explanation was stuck in my throat.

I used to control Rio's environment strictly because of the time he went out with Clara. He was kidnapped by a rogue wolf, and the attack left his own wolf fragile.

Many common flowers and herbs could trigger a violent reaction in his wolf.​

Those two specialists had quit because they found his restrictions too demanding.​

It was useless to explain.​

The healer said Rio had inhaled the pollen from a sachet of dried Moonpetal flowers. He hadn't inhaled much, so it wasn't serious.​

A single purification shot would fix it.​

I found the servant, who trembled as he explained it was a "gift" from Clara. He knew Rio was fond of her and never imagined she'd give the boy something he was allergic to.​

It seemed Rio's love for fragrant things had gotten the better of him. My old self's strict control had prevented disaster. My one moment of carelessness nearly cost him his life.

"Elena!"​

Just as I was about to go explain to Victor, a small, soft body hugged my leg.​

"Julie, what are you doing at the clinic?"​

I knelt in surprise, hugging the little blonde girl. She had been my only friend during my amnesia.​

In that forgotten time, when I was an empty shell, Julie had been a small sun, patiently teaching me how the world worked, talking to me, giving me a spark of warmth in the cold loneliness.​

"She was playing and fell out of a tree, hit her head. Just getting it checked."​

Julie's uncle, Alpha Julian of the Suncrest Pack, spoke. His eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Oh, are you okay, sweetie? Does it hurt?" I asked, stroking Julie's head.​

She wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzled my cheek. "It doesn't hurt, Julie just missed Elena so much."​

"I missed you too."​

Julian watched us with a gentle expression, his handsome face filled with concern. "What are you doing here? Are you unwell? Is it serious?"​

"I'm fine. It's my son, he had an allergic reaction."​

"Oh, good." He breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly corrected himself. "Uh… I don't mean it like that… I mean, is your son okay?"​

I couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness. "He's fine. Just needs a shot."​

He was about to say more when Victor's angry voice cut through the air.​

"Elena—"​

I turned. His gaze shifted from Julian to me, and my smile seemed to infuriate him, his brow tightening.​

"Rio is crying."​

I hurried to see Rio. The swelling on his face had gone down, but the after-effects of the shot were making him miserable, his eyes full of tears.​

He pointed a tear-streaked finger at Julie, his voice tight with anger.​

"Who is she?"​

"This is Julie. She was with me at the witch's hut."​

"Stop crying, the tears will irritate your skin. Besides, you're older than she is. Julie isn't crying, so you shouldn't either."​

I don't know which word set him off.​

Rio wailed. "Do you like her more than me now? You used to say I was the most important.You've changed. Go away, I don't want to see you!"​

He had never liked me much. Fearing he'd get more agitated and affect the shot's absorption, I decided to leave the room.​

I didn't see that as soon as I turned my back, Rio's lip trembled and he began to cry even harder.​

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