Chapter 15

Rosemary

I spent the entire day trying not to think about Ethan, which was apparently much more challenging than it seemed. No matter what I did, no matter how much I wanted to distract myself, my mind kept drifting back to last night. I could still feel his touch, the weight of his body against mine, the way his eyes had burned into me, full of something deeper than I could comprehend.

I hung out with Nathaniel most of the day, grateful for his company and the easy distraction he provided. But even then, thoughts of Ethan kept creeping in, unbidden and persistent. It didn’t help when Nathaniel mentioned he’d be heading to the office to help Ethan and wouldn’t be back until late. Just hearing his name made my chest tighten.

After Nathaniel left, I wandered around the property aimlessly, my thoughts a mess. I considered finding the girl from the other day, anything to keep my mind occupied, but as I neared the lake, something else caught my attention. A figure moving slowly by the water, the woman from the club. The one who had come to me, who seemed to know more than she let on.

Without thinking, I sprinted toward her, desperate for answers. She saw me coming and stopped, waiting for me to catch up, her expression calm and composed, as if she’d expected this.

“Hey, I’m Rosemary,” I said, my voice coming out a little breathless. “You were at the club about a week ago, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” she said simply. “I was there. I’m the oracle of this pack, and I wanted to see you for myself.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. The oracle. The witch. The one who had erased my memories, who had hidden my past from me.

“Wait,” I said, the realization dawning. “Are you the witch who took my memories from me?”

Her expression softened with regret, and she nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. It was me. I’m deeply sorry for what I had to do, but it was necessary. It was the only way to save your life.”

I felt my throat tighten, anger and confusion swirling together. “Can you give them back?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. Part of me wasn’t sure I even wanted to know what I’d forgotten, but I couldn’t stand not knowing. Not anymore.

“It is possible,” Amber said gently, “to restore your memories. But you need to be prepared, Rosemary. When I bring your memories back, your wolf will awaken as well. And because your first shift is six years overdue, it will happen immediately. You will shift the moment your wolf returns.”

Her words echoed in my mind, a warning I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear. I didn’t know what I’d been expecting, but this, this was too much. I wasn’t ready for it. I wasn’t ready for any of it.

“Thank you,” I said quickly, backing away, my heart racing. “I… I need to think about it. It was nice meeting you again, Amber.”

Amber gave me a small, understanding smile, but I barely noticed it. I turned and walked away, feeling the weight of her words pressing down on me, suffocating me. I needed to be alone. I needed to breathe.

By the time I reached my room, I felt like I was unraveling. I locked the door behind me, my hands shaking as I tore off my clothes and stepped into the shower. The moment the water hit my skin, the dam broke, and I collapsed to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

It was all too much - Ethan, the memories I didn’t have, the life I didn’t understand. I had worked so hard to build something for myself, and now it felt like everything was slipping away, piece by piece. My past, my present, my future - none of it made sense anymore. And now, the possibility of shifting into something I didn’t even know how to control terrified me.

The water poured over me, hot and relentless, but it did nothing to soothe the ache inside. I felt lost, like I was spiraling into something dark and unknown, with no way to stop it. No way to hold on to who I was before all of this.

I pressed my forehead against the cold tile, my sobs quieting to ragged breaths. What was I supposed to do now? How was I supposed to make sense of a world where witches, werewolves, and prophecies ruled my life? I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want any of it.

But it didn’t matter what I wanted, did it? This was my reality now, whether I liked it or not.

And that realization, more than anything, was what broke me.