Chapter 5：Sweet Lies

Cynthia’s POV

A faint headache pulses at the base of my skull. I frown, eyes slowly cracking open. The light of the room is dazzling. Where am I?

I glance around and see an Omega maid in the room with me to my left. My chest feels strangely stuffy. I try to sit up, but find myself struggling.

“Hello?” I call out to the maid, voice soft.

She rushes to my bedside, looking at me somewhat nervously. “I’m sorry, I don’t know…” I trail off. I don't care about that. I lift my arm, and she helps me sit up.

“Thanks, I… uh…” What's her name? I don't remember. Do I know her? Maybe I'm just too tired. 

Why can't I remember anyone?

Ice-cold fingers of fear slowly trace their way up my skin.

I survey the room again. Everything here feels so unfamiliar. I don’t recognize the room, its unfamiliar furnishings. I don’t recognize the art on the walls or the pain in my limbs. I don’t recognize the bed I’m in.

Oh, Moon Goddess, there’s something wrong with me. A hollowness. Something is missing. I can’t place my finger on it, until I realize–

No. It’s unbelievable. The suffocating sensation, like drowning in molasses, makes it almost impossible for me to think. I don’t want to accept it as the truth. I mean, how many people have encountered a situation like mine? I don’t even want to admit it.

I have no idea who I am.

My body can’t stop trembling, but I know instinctively I don’t want it to show. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, trying to hold back the panic-stricken tears. I do my best to mimic calm as I ask, “How long have you been here?”

“Less than a week,” the maid answers nervously. “I was just assigned to take care of you when I joined the Eclipse pack.”

So she’s new. I breathe a slight sigh of relief, but still don’t dare relax. “Your name?”

“Annete,” she answers quickly.

Can I trust her?

“Ow,” I groan, clutching my head as it starts to ache again. What have I gotten into? I’m too weak now. I can’t even protect myself. My wolf—

I freeze in place. Tears burst out uncontrollably. My wolf. I can’t feel my wolf. My head pounds. My body aches all over. Wounds cover me, I have no idea where they came from, where I was, at least, my family, my friends–they’re all gone. Nothing left. I’m on the verge of breaking down, when… 

All of a sudden, a delightful vanilla scent wafts over me. Miraculously, my tense nerves ease, and my tears trail off.

I sense the wonderful scent growing stronger by the second. I turn my head toward the bedroom door as if some wonderful surprise awaits me from beyond, filling me with joy. It’s truly remarkable.

Thump, thump, thump...

My heart starts to race.

The next moment, a tall, handsome, and unbelievably imposing man sweeps into the room.

It’s like the whole world stops. He’s all I can see, and I never want to stop looking at him. 

My mouth goes dry. Do I know him? I have no memory of him, but my soul craves him so much—his dark, piercing eyes, wave brown hair, sexy lips, and sheer determination etched into his features.

“MATE!” The man roars.

What? I widen my eyes, feeling a surge of joy. Finally, I’ve someone connected to me. Maybe he knows me.

Annette leaves the room. He sits at the edge of my bed. I find myself blushing as I look at him.

I say a bit shyly, “You–”

“You–” he says at the same time as me.

We both pause, then laugh together. A sense of grounding makes me want to trust him instinctively. Can I trust him? His gaze is so gentle as it settles upon me.

“Ladies first,” he says with the warmest smile.

“Am I… am I seriously injured?” The intense way he’s looking at me makes me a bit nervous.

“Yeah, you fell off a cliff,” he says with a hint of hesitation. “Do you remember how you ended up there?”

I can’t believe I fell off a cliff; no wonder I feel so weak. I can’t remember anything. I shake my head.

“Or anything before the injury?” he asks calmly.

I purse my lips, shaking my head again.

“I…” My hand unconsciously grips the blanket. Should I tell him? “I…”

He notices my hesitation, firmly clasping my hand without pause. A jolt of electricity run through me. Sparks fly.

He smiles softly, fingers caressing the back of my hand. It’s almost a little ticklish. He said soothingly, “You can tell me anything. I’m here for you.”

Oh, Moon Goddess. He’s definitely the sweetest mate.

I sigh, deciding to tell him everything. “I’ve lost my memory.” It takes a lot of courage to say the next part. I swallow hard and continue. “And my wolf.”

His eyes flicker with surprise briefly, but quickly return to calm.

My heart still feels anxious. Will he reject me for losing my wolf? Will he be angry at my weakness? After all, in werewolves’ world, weakness is a sin.

“So that's why I can’t feel your wolf,” he says casually, not looking disappointed. Suddenly, he smiles, a hint of excitement leaking into his voice.

I start to feel uneasy, trying weakly to retract my hand from his grasp. But he holds on firmly, refusing to let go.

“Don’t worry, I’ll fill in all the memories you’ve forgotten.” His voice is charming enough to make my heart race and melt away my anxieties.

“But I–” I still feel a bit off. “I don’t know if you really understand. I mean, I don’t even know who I am.”

“Your name is Cynthia,” he says with a soft smile, “Cynthia Rose. My name is Vikrov. You’re in the Eclipse packhouse–you’re a member of the Eclipse pack, we both are. You’ve been here since you were little. You’re my mate, and we’re deeply in love.”

The moment he says my name, I feel like crying.

There’s something pathetic in me that’s been yearning for such a gentle touch, I realize. To be wanted so openly, without any shame at all behind it. My body doesn’t hurt so badly when he raises my hand and puts it to his lips, kissing the back of my hand sweetly.

“Most importantly, we're getting married soon.”

Getting married... A familiar scene suddenly flashed in my mind. It's like there's a blurry, tall man standing in front of me, saying that you are my mate... wedding venue...

So, is Vikrov really my fiancé? In those fleeting memories, I feel like I love him so much.

But why do I feel so sad at the same time? 

A sense of unease spreads in my heart...