Adolphus’s POV
Katrina stiffened beside me, her entire body going rigid as we both stared at the Pack Doctor standing in the doorway. My pulse pounded in my ears, my instincts screaming at me to be on guard.
Did she hear everything?
Katrina stepped forward, placing herself slightly in front of me as if preparing for a fight. "Are you going to report us?" she asked cautiously, her voice edged with warning.
The Pack Doctor’s lips curled into a small smile. "If I wanted to report you, I would have done so already," she said calmly. "But I have no intention of doing that. I am on your side."
Katrina and I exchanged wary glances. I didn’t trust easily, and after everything I had just remembered, I had even more reason to be cautious.
I narrowed my eyes at her. "How do we know you’re telling the truth?"
She sighed, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. "I may not know you personally, Adolphus, but I knew your pack," she said, her eyes filled with something I couldn't quite place. Regret?
“You knew me all along? And my Pack?
She nodded solemnly. "Yes, and I know the truth about what happened to your pack."
Katrina moved closer to me, her fingers brushing against mine as if grounding me in the moment. "What truth?" she asked.
The Pack Doctor exhaled deeply before stepping toward the chair beside my bed and sitting down. "Adolphus, what you’ve been told about your pack’s destruction, everything that has been recorded, is a lie," she said and turned to Katrina. “The Luna of this Pack… she didn’t die from sickness. She took her own life and it has something to do with Adolphus’s Pack."
The room seemed to freeze. My entire body locked up as Katrina sucked in a sharp breath beside me.
I felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs. "What?" My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.
"In this pack, the Alpha’s father used the Lunar Flame to destroy the Indigo Pack," the Pack Doctor continued. "He manipulated her power, forcing her to annihilate your kingdom. And even though she fought against it, in the end, she couldn't stop the massacre."
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails bit into my palm. The Lunar Flame. A power meant for healing, for protection. They used it to commit genocide.
"No," I muttered, shaking my head. "That can’t be."
The Pack Doctor’s gaze softened. "Everyone was told she died of illness, but the truth is… she couldn’t live with what she had done," she said. "She took her own life, unable to bear the weight of the destruction her gift had caused."
Katrina reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Adolphus…" she whispered, her voice filled with sorrow.
My entire body trembled with rage. My chest burned, my wolf growling inside me, demanding vengeance. I had been living among the very people who had murdered my family, who had wiped my kingdom from existence, and I never even knew.
I inhaled sharply, trying to steady my shaking hands. "And my father?" I asked, my voice barely controlled. "Did he die in the massacre?"
The Pack Doctor hesitated before nodding. "Yes. He fought until the very end, trying to protect our people. But in the end, the Alpha’s father was too powerful with the Lunar Flame at his command."
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of my past crashing down on me. I had escaped death that day. I had survived. But for what? To live under my enemies? To be a pawn in their game without even knowing?
Silence hung between us, heavy and suffocating.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, the Pack Doctor spoke again.
"I might know why your memories are returning," she said.
I looked up at her sharply. "Why?"
She folded her hands in her lap. "You mentioned earlier that you took a potion, didn't you?"
I nodded. "Yes. A few days ago."
She gave a knowing smile. "That potion was designed to blur the present but clear the past," she explained. "It was only a matter of time before everything came rushing back to you. And the final memory, the most important one, has resurfaced because now… it’s time for you to take action."
I exhaled, my mind reeling. It all made sense now. The fragments of my past had been buried deep, but they had been waiting. Waiting for the right moment to resurface. Waiting for me to be ready.
Katrina’s voice broke through my thoughts. "So, what do we do now?" she asked.
I lifted my gaze to meet hers, my resolve hardening like steel.
"I take vengeance," I said, my voice low and deadly. "For my pack. For my parents. And for whoever dared to touch you."
Katrina’s eyes burned with determination as she nodded. "Then we fight."
We both turned to the Pack Doctor, waiting for her response. She met my gaze steadily, then gave a small, knowing smile.
"I’ll help you," she said.