3. Leonetti Eyes

Nero

Osiris walks back, shaking his head in disbelief. “Nero, she didn’t even recognize me. I walked up to her, and it was like she had no idea who I was. And the child... he’s definitely yours… He has the eyes of a Leonetti.”

Slate gray. Of course he does.

The weight of his words hits me hard, making it difficult to breathe. “She works here?” I manage to ask, my voice strained.

“From what I could tell, yeah. She was talking to the customers like she’s been here a while,” Osiris confirms, his expression troubled.

I’m at a loss. My mind races with questions and doubts. How is this possible? Why doesn’t she remember us? “What the fuck do I do now?” I mutter, more to myself than anyone else.

“We need to regroup and figure this out,” Orion suggests, his voice calm and steady. “Let’s go back to the townhouse and do some digging.”

Every instinct screams at me to stay, to go to her and demand answers. But I know Orion is right. We need a plan. It pains me to leave, knowing she’s so close. 

As we walk past the counter, I catch a whiff of her scent—cinnamon and sweet apple. The familiar aroma almost brings me to my knees. It’s her, without a doubt.

“Excuse me,” she says politely, sidestepping to let me pass. Her voice sends a shiver down my spine, so familiar yet so distant.

I nearly lose it, my wolf clawing at the surface, desperate to break free and claim what’s ours. But Osiris and Orion pull me out of the café, their grips firm on my shoulders.

“Nero, stay with us,” Osiris murmurs, his voice tense. “We need to keep our heads clear.”

We head back to the townhouse we’ve rented for our stay. It’s modest but comfortable, but when we walk inside I pace the living room, unable to sit still. My brothers watch me, their concern evident.

“Alright,” Orion says as we settle into the living room. “Let’s start with what we know. She’s working at that café, going by the name Lia. She doesn’t remember us or her past. And she has a son who’s definitely yours.”

“She must have some sort of amnesia,” Osiris adds. “But why? And how did she end up in this town?”

I pace the room, running a hand through my hair. “There has to be a reason. Someone did this to her when they attacked the pack house. We need to find out who and why.”

Orion starts pulling up information on his laptop, his fingers flying over the keys. “We need to find out everything we can about this town, the people here, and how she ended up in this place.”

Osiris leans against the wall, arms crossed. “Nero, we need to be careful about this; especially since we’re still in Matteo’s territory. If she doesn’t remember us, there’s a reason. We can’t just rush in and scare her off.”

I stop pacing, running a hand through my hair. “I know. But it’s killing me, seeing her after all these fucking years and not being able to do anything.”

Orion looks up from his screen. “Let’s start with the basics. We need to know how she got here, who she’s been in contact with, and if there’s any way to jog her memory without overwhelming her.”

Osiris shrugs. “It could also be witchcraft—”

“Fucking hate witches,” I grumble, resuming my pacing. 

“Yes, but this isn’t about you now, is it,” Orion says and rolls his eyes, typing away.

Hours pass as we dig into the town’s records, looking for any clue that could explain her presence here. It’s tedious work, but necessary. My mind keeps drifting back to her, the way she looked at me with no recognition, the way our son clung to her.

I missed out on important milestones. Does he think his father doesn’t care about him? Does she think I abandoned her?

Finally, Orion finds something. “There’s a mention of a pregnant woman showing up in town about five years ago. No name, just a note that the townspeople took her in and helped her out.”

“That fits the timeline,” Osiris says, peering over Orion’s shoulder. “But it doesn’t tell us why she doesn’t remember us.”

I clench my fists, the frustration boiling over. “We need more. We need to talk to people who were here when she arrived.”

Orion nods, already pulling up a list of locals who might know something. “We’ll start with the oldest residents. They’re likely to remember the most.”

“She was brought here to this fucked up, nondescript little town for a reason,” I growl and try to reel in my anger, but it’s not working. “Someone knew the three of us wouldn’t be home that night and attacked. Then they put her on a fucking plane and brought her here — but for what fucking reason?!”

“Nero,” Orion says as he gets to his feet. He places a hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes. “We will find out what happened to her or we’ll tear everything apart in the process. She’s our family, too.”

“But we need to remember that she’s built a life here,” Osiris says, his voice gentle. “She’s safe, and she’s happy. We need to be careful how we approach this.”

I nod, feeling the weight of his words. “I just... I need her to know who she is. Who we are.”

Orion looks at me, his expression serious. “We’ll figure it out, Nero. We’ll bring her back to us.”

“There is something … something that might bring you a bit of hope,” Osiris says with a grin. “When I spoke to her at the counter, I heard what she called your son.”

I breathe out an impatient sigh and motion for him to continue. “She may not remember us, but she remembered something, alright. Her son’s name is Nereo.”

That doesn’t just bring me hope, it makes my heart fucking implode. It wasn’t the name we originally decided on, but it’s close enough to mine that it makes me feel positive.

I need to fucking get my mate back.

The next day, I can’t stay away any longer. I head back to the café, hoping to catch another glimpse of her, to find some way to connect. As I walk in, I see her behind the counter, serving customers with a warm smile. It breaks my heart and fills it with hope all at once.

She looks up as I approach, her honey-colored eyes bright.

“Good morning,” she says cheerfully. “I haven’t seen you around before. Tourist?”

I tear my gaze away from her, blink and nod. “I arrived yesterday and was supposed to leave immediately after my meeting, but… something interesting made me stay.”

“Yeah, the beauty is something, isn’t it?” she says, and I nearly agree, but I’m not talking about this fucking shitstain of a town. “What can I get for you?”

I force a smile, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Just a Caffe Macchiato and a caramel rum cannoli, please,” the name of the pastry slips so easily from my lips that I don’t register the look on her face until I notice how quiet she’s gone.

Her eyes are wide, and recognition seems to slip into her eyes before she blinks it away. What was that about? Clearing her throat, she nods and turns to prepare my order. As I watch her move, memories flood back, moments of our life together that seem so distant now.

“Busy day?” I ask, trying to make small talk.

She glances at me with a small smile. “Always. This place keeps me on my toes.”

I take a deep breath, deciding to take a chance. “You know, you remind me of someone I used to know.”

She pauses, her brow furrowing slightly. “Really? That’s interesting.”

“Yeah,” I say, trying to sound casual. “It’s not every day you see a beautiful face such as yours in a small town.”

A faint blush colors her cheeks, and she smiles softly. “Thank you. That’s sweet of you to say.”

I watch her closely, hoping for any sign of recognition again, but there’s nothing. She hands me my coffee and tells me my pastry will be ready in a few minutes, and I thank her, feeling fucking frustrated.

I take a seat near the back, watching her interact with the customers. She’s kind and gentle, just as I remember, but there’s a distance in her eyes, a part of her that’s missing. My life was lost five years ago, only for me to find it again in a shitstain of a town I never wanted to come to.

After a few minutes, she brings my order and when she leans over to place it on the table, my eyes fall to my mark on her neck. The mark on mine tingles at the sight, and I nearly bring my hand to my nape before I stop myself.

“Thank you…” I trail off, hoping she gets the hint and thankfully, she does.

“Lia,” she says with that small smile again. “My name is Lia.”

I return her smile. “Thank you, Lia,” I say, not offering her my name yet and she gives me a polite nod before returning to the counter.

Taking a sip of the coffee, I think back to the days before the attack on my pack house. Nothing stands out, I wasn’t in a feud or pack war with anyone either. We led a content life; a happy fucking life before everything happened.

There was no ransom note, no way of me knowing if she was still alive. Not only that, but something was blocking my mind link with her. Witchcraft comes to mind, but it’s the last thing I want to think about.

Did I kill a coven of witches without thinking? No, I would have remembered something that significant. And yet again, I am fucking lost, confused and angry. My mate is standing right in front of me and I can’t even touch her.

Just then Nereo runs in, his laughter filling the room. He runs to her, and she scoops him up, her face lighting up with pure love as she attacks him with kisses. It’s a beautiful sight, but it tears at my heart. 

Our son, growing up without knowing who I am.

I can’t take it anymore. I stand up and leave the café, the door closing behind me with a finality that echoes in my soul.