Bella’s eyes fluttered open, the sensation of waking up foreign and disorienting. The first thing she felt was the cold, the chill of the room pressing against her skin. Her body felt heavy, as though she’d been asleep for far too long. For a moment, everything was hazy, her vision blurring as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.
But then she noticed the stillness. The absence of movement. A soft, unsettling silence surrounded her, and it was then that she saw Seraphine.
The woman who had been so crucial in Bella’s survival was now lying lifeless beside her, her body pale, her aura fading into the air like a vapor. Bella’s heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong—something wasn’t right.
“Seraphine,” Bella whispered hoarsely, her voice rasping as she tried to sit up. But her body was weak, and she could barely manage the effort.
Misery and Eryon stood nearby, their expressions grim, eyes red with grief. Misery was kneeling beside Seraphine, her hands pressed to the fallen woman’s chest, as if trying to draw back the life that had slipped away. But it was clear—Seraphine was gone.
Kael, who had been sitting silently at Bella’s side, jumped to his feet when he saw her stir. His relief was thick as he rushed to her side, taking her hands in his, his heart racing. “Bella, thank the gods, you’re awake,” he said, his voice a soft, relieved whisper. He cupped her face gently, brushing the hair from her forehead, but his touch was tender, almost as if he feared she might break.
She looked up at him, her brow furrowing in confusion. Her gaze was distant, unfocused, as though she was seeing him for the first time. The connection—the bond they had once shared—seemed nonexistent. Bella blinked, trying to clear the fog from her mind, but nothing felt right. She didn’t know where she was, and she didn’t know who this man was, despite the way he held her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
“Who… are you?” Bella whispered, her voice quiet, almost too soft for Kael to hear. The words hit him like a physical blow, a sharp stab to the chest. His breath caught in his throat, and his entire world seemed to stop.
Her eyes were vacant, confused. She didn’t recognize him.
Kael’s heart shattered. He held her tighter, his voice cracking as he spoke. “Bella, it’s me—Kael. Your mate. Your Alpha. I’m—” He choked on the words, unable to get the sentence out. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real. How could she not remember him? How could she not recognize him?
But the blank expression on Bella’s face remained, and for the first time, he felt the weight of her indifference press down on him. It was as if she were a stranger. A completely different person, someone who didn’t know him, someone who didn’t remember their love, their bond, their past.
He felt like he was suffocating. The woman he had fought for, the woman he had loved with every part of himself, was slipping further and further away from him, and he had no idea how to pull her back.
“Bella, please,” Kael begged, his voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t do this. It’s me. Kael. I need you to remember.”
But Bella only stared at him, her expression unreadable, her eyes distant as if she were searching for answers that simply didn’t exist. She slowly pulled her hands away from his grasp, the coldness of her touch sending a shiver down Kael’s spine.
“I… I don’t know you,” Bella said, her voice shaky, her tone filled with confusion. “Please… Stay away from me.”
Kael’s chest constricted painfully, as if the very breath had been knocked out of him. She was pushing him away. His heart felt like it had been ripped from his chest, shredded by the simple words that escaped her lips. His world, which had been focused entirely on saving her, on keeping her by his side, suddenly seemed to shatter beyond repair.
Her words echoed in his mind, replaying over and over again, each one digging deeper into his soul. Stay away from me.
Kael could barely register the world around him, could hardly breathe through the ache in his chest. He felt as if he were drowning in a sea of despair. She didn’t remember him. She didn’t even remember their bond, their history. Everything they had shared was gone, wiped away like it had never existed.
Bella’s eyes flicked to Seraphine’s body again, her face still expressionless, as if the weight of what had happened had yet to fully hit her. She looked back at Kael, and there was something in her eyes—something cold, something unfamiliar.
“I don’t want to be here,” she murmured, her voice low and distant. “I don’t want this.”
Kael reached out, desperate to pull her close, to make her understand that he was her mate, that they had been through so much together. He couldn’t lose her—not like this.
But as his hand hovered just inches from her arm, Bella recoiled, her face twisted in fear. She pushed him away, hard, her strength surprising him. “I said, stay away from me!” she cried, her voice laced with panic.
Kael stumbled back, his heart breaking all over again as she stood, her body trembling with confusion and fear. His mind raced, trying to find the right words, the right way to reach her, but all of it felt hopeless.
Her expression softened, just a fraction, but there was still no recognition in her eyes—only fear, only a stranger standing before him. The woman he had fought for, the woman he had loved, was slipping further and further away with every passing second.
Kael’s breath caught in his throat. “Please, Bella… I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you.”
But Bella didn’t respond. She turned her back on him, her body tense, her footsteps hesitant, like she was unsure of which way to go.