Chapter Fifteen: Truths and scandals

Daisy's POV

The fire was still burning behind us, the night sky was glowing orange and deep blue.

Dickson gently laid me down on the grass. My chest heaved as I coughed out smoke. His eyes stared down at me, wide and terrified.

"Daisy? Daisy, talk to me," he whispered, brushing hair from my face. "Please, say something."

I kept my eyes open, but I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. I needed to think.

I remembered everything. Every single moment.

From the second the cabin door slammed shut, to the sudden roar of flames, to the way Dickson had grabbed me and refused to leave without me.

I remembered what he said.

Rosa kidnapped my sister.

I never stopped loving you.

It all came back like a flood.

But I didn’t want him to know.

Not yet.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I pretended.

I stared blankly at the sky, keeping my face still, heart thudding.

"She’s not responding," Dickson said, almost to himself.

He took off his jacket and placed it over me. "Just hold on. I’ll get help. I promise."

He touched my face again, soft and slow.

I closed my eyes, just for a moment. I didn’t want to see him cry. I didn’t want to feel sorry.

Because I didn’t know what to feel anymore.

Dickson carried me to the secluded part of his apartment. Not the one that looks old, but part of his new apartment older shelter hunters used during the cold months.

He laid me on a mattress and paced the floor like a madman.

"Why did this happen? Who knew we were there?" he whispered to himself.

You knew, I thought.

*You dragged me into the woods. You didn’t even ask.

The door opened widely, and a medical doctor stepped in. I didn’t know her. She had short dark hair and a tired face.

"She’s breathing steadily," she said, after checking my pulse. "Smoke inhalation. She needs rest."

Dickson nodded, his hands shaking. "She doesn’t remember anything."

"Maybe she will. Maybe she won't," the Doctor replied.

I kept still.

"Please stay," he whispered to the healer. "In case she wakes up."

"Of course."

He leaned down beside me, his fingers brushing mine.

"I should've protected you sooner."

You should have never left me in the first place, I screamed inside my head.

The next morning, the Doctor was gone. Dickson sat in the chair beside the bed, his head in his hands.

I opened my eyes slowly.

He stood quickly. "Daisy? You're awake?"

I nodded weakly.

He sighed with relief. "Do you remember anything?"

I blinked.

"Not much," I lied. "Just the fire."

His face fell. "Nothing else?"

"No."

He knelt beside me. "It's okay. You're safe now. I'll take care of you. We'll figure this out."

I watched him closely. Every word. Every breath.

Was it guilt that drove him? Or was it love?

Either way, I couldn't trust him completely.

Not yet.

It was already getting closer to noon.

I was still at his apartment. My body felt better, but I pretended to move slower. I acted confused. Distant.

Dickson brought me food, sat with me, even read me old books we once shared.

I didn't let him know I remembered.

I didn’t let him see the part of me that was boiling inside.

Because while I was stuck here, pretending, Lycan hadn't tried to find me.

Not once.

That meant one thing: he was involved.

I replayed every conversation with him. The rush to marry. The lies about his daughter. The secrets.

Then I remembered the fire.

There was no accident.

It was a trap.

Someone wanted me gone.

And I had a feeling I knew who.

That night, I crept out of bed while Dickson slept. I found his phone in his jacket.

He didn’t lock it.

Big mistake.

I went through his messages.

Rosa had texted him five times since the fire.

Stop looking for her. She made her choice.

*Don’t ruin this.

She doesn’t want you.

One message stood out:

You can’t protect someone who doesn’t want to be saved.

I set the phone down and stared at the wall.

What game was she playing now?

What did she mean?

I returned the phone and went back to bed.

Dickson shifted in his sleep and murmured my name.

I stared at the ceiling.

I sat on the porch, a warm blanket around my shoulders.

Dickson joined me, holding two mugs of tea.

"You look better today," he said softly.

I nodded. "Thank you for helping me."

He smiled, a little sad. "Of course. Always.

Then he said, "Do you ever think about us? About what we had?"

I hesitated. "Sometimes."

He looked down. "I still think about that night... the one after the ceremony. I was drunk, yes, but I wasn’t lying. You were always my true mate. I felt it."

"Then why Rosa?" I asked.

He flinched. "Because I was afraid. She had my sister. I didn’t know what else to do."

"You could’ve told me."

He looked at me. "Would you have believed me back then?"

I didn’t answer.

Because I wasn’t sure.

Dickson chopped wood behind his department, I stepped inside and called the one person I knew would help without asking questions.

"Mirah," I said.

"Daisy? Oh my goddess, you’re alive! I’ve been searching everywhere."

"I need your help. But not here. I’ll send you a location. Meet me in two days."

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine. But I need to be smart. No one can know. Not yet."

"Understood. I’ll come alone."

I’m tired of running.

Tired of pretending.

Dickson might love me. Or maybe he loves the idea of me.

But love doesn’t come with betrayal.

Lycan tried to trap me.

Rosa tried to destroy me.

And now I’m here, faking memory loss, surrounded by lies.

But I won’t run anymore.

I’ll find out the truth.

And when I do?

They’ll all regret underestimating me.