Chapter 3 A Glimpse of the Past

The house felt colder than it used to. The air around Ryder felt denser, like it was full of memories just out of reach. Every notion that tried to come to the surface made his head hurt, and the fragments slipped through his fingers like sand. His mind pleaded for clarity, but he had flashes, images that didn't belong, and voices that didn't fit.

He stood by the window again and looked out at the fog-covered grounds of the mansion. The world outside looked far away and blurry, like a dream he couldn't quite wake up from. He closed his eyes tightly, attempting to concentrate and remember anything that might help him make sense of his broken world.

He could hear wolves howling in his head. It was faint, like a whisper at the back of his mind. He grabbed it, feeling the pack about him, their power and solidarity like a warm blanket.

But the picture broke up just as fast.

A quick movement. A fight. A scream. His heart was pounding in his ears. He was standing before someone, breathing heavily and clenching his fists. He couldn't see the other person's face, but his eyes were fixed on them.

Ryder's chest felt tight. One word was in his head, but the pounding drowned it out. Who was he up against? What was wrong with his memory?

The pain in his head got worse, quickly and sharply. He had to fight with all his might not to collapse to his knees. The picture got clearer for a moment, and I could see a face I knew, but the details were still fuzzy. There was a mix of anger, betrayal, and terror. Even though there was a clear link, the face was still a blur, like a piece of a puzzle that was missing.

Ryder staggered back, his breath shallow, trying to figure it out, but the pain disappeared as soon as it arrived. The moment was over.

"Ryder?" Elara's voice, quiet and careful, cut through the fog.

He looked at her and blinked, as if he had just woken up from a dream. He looked at her face, but all he saw was worry. Was it true? Or was he just going crazy?

Ryder sat on the edge of the bed, holding on to the edge with both hands as if the world were about to slide away from him. The bits of his past were broken, and they were getting harder and harder to hold onto. He needed to know. He needed to know who he had been, the Alpha he had been.

Elara stood in the doorway, her eyes on him closely and her face unreadable. She moved slowly forward, and her presence filled the room like an unsaid invitation to trust and lean into their bond.

She sat beside him and said softly, "You need to remember." "We have to go to the Moonstone Cavern." It will aid you and help you recall.

Ryder's eyes flicked to her, and a feeling of distrust rose in his chest like a tide. Something about how she suggested it and how her voice shook a little made his wolf bristle.

He said again, "The Moonstone Cavern?" harshly. "Why there?"

"It's sacred," she continued, her voice firm, but something in her words made them sound strange. Something he couldn't put his finger on. "It keeps memories, Ryder. It might help you find what you lost.

But when Elara reached out to touch his arm, her hand shook just enough for Ryder to see. Her fingers brushed over his flesh, briefly sending a chill down his spine.

Her eyes moved away for a second, but Ryder didn't miss it. He could see the tiny worry and the way her gaze faltered.

"Elara, what aren't you telling me?" Ryder's voice was low but strong, and the suspicion ate away at him like a creature stalking its prey.

Elara pinched her lips together and said nothing for a long time. She let go of his arm and pulled back a little, her face intentionally blank. "There's nothing," she responded, her voice now harsh and almost protective. "We just have to go." "It's the only way."

Ryder's stomach turned. There was something wrong. The components didn't fit. There was something hidden in her face and eyes. He was standing in the midst, disoriented and unsure, as the barriers she had created between them grew higher and higher.

What made her seem so nervous? What was she keeping from him?

Ryder lost his cool. The fog in his mind had been thicker, making his ideas jumbled up. Elara had been friendly and compassionate, but every day felt like another layer of fog sliding into his mind. He needed answers right away.

"Elara," he said in a loud voice that sounded like a deep growl coming from his chest. "Tell me." What happened?

Elara stopped moving, and the quiet clinking of the glass in her palm stopped. She tightened her grip on the edges before putting it down. There was a long wait, one that seemed to stretch between them.

She turned slowly, and for a brief instant, Ryder could swear he saw terror in her eyes. It was gone in the flash of an eye, concealed behind a perfected mask of serenity. But he had seen it. He was aware of it.

The words didn't come right away, even though her lips moved. She took a deep breath and walked up to him slowly. "I... I don't understand what you mean." Her voice was gentle, almost too soft, as if she were being careful not to say too much.

He leaned forward, and his eyes burned through her. "I can feel it, Elara." Something is missing. You're not telling me something.

She blinked and smiled, just like always, after her eyes flinched for a second. "Ryder, you're just confused," she replied, moving closer and touching his arm. Her fingers stroked over his skin, but it felt too planned, like a move designed to calm him down but only upset him.

His heart raced as he stood up suddenly. "No." I'm not lost. "Not anymore."

Elara flinched when he moved, and her eyes gave away her feelings for a split second, too quick to hide the flash of something more profound. But then it was gone, and the same mask took its place.

"I just want to help you remember." Her voice was softer now, almost like she was begging.

Ryder, on the other hand, didn't believe it. He could feel the space between them getting bigger, like an invisible wall that no amount of kindness could break down. He had seen the truth for a little moment, and he couldn't forget it.

Ryder's eyes never left her as she turned away to do anything else. The little flash of horror on her face resonated in his chest. What was she trying to hide?

The mansion's calm hum made it feel oppressive. Ryder's head still hurt, and the broken memories that were still in his head were pushing on his skull like a vice. He stood by the window again, and the chilly air from outside brushed across his skin. It didn't help much with the unease that was eating away at him.

Elara went behind him and got the stuff they would need for their trip to the Moonstone Cavern. The room was quiet, save for the subtle noise of her moving around, yet there was a lot of tension between them. Ryder's gut told him something was off.

He looked at the window pane. The mist and the fading light of sunset made it hard to see the outer world. But something caught his eye: a shadow that flashed along the woods' edge, just out of the corner of his eye.

Ryder's heart rate went up. He moved closer to the window and squinted as he looked at the trees. He stopped breathing when he saw nothing. Nothing moved, and there was no evidence of what had captivated his eye.

Maybe it was simply the breeze. But his senses were heightened, and he was vibrating with tension that didn't seem right.

"Is everything okay?" Elara's voice was quiet, yet it had a sharp edge, as if she were testing him. She had stopped what she was doing and was now looking at him. There was a slight strain in her stance.

"I thought I saw something," he said, still looking at the dark woods. He still felt like someone or something was watching him, and it was just out of reach.

Elara moved closer and lightly touched his arm, which was calming. "It's just the fog," she answered softly.

Ryder, however, couldn't escape the feeling that something was wrong. He turned back to the window and looked at the barren trees again, but the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the feeling in his gut told him he wasn't alone.

Elara had made them sit by the fireplace, a calm area for Ryder to try to remember bits and pieces of his past. The fire in the hearth crackled and created shadows on the walls of the big room. It should have made him feel better, but it just made the weight in his chest worse.

She sat beside him, and even though she was warm, Ryder couldn't deny their tension. She had been patient and lovely, but he could feel their distance expanding. There was an unsaid truth between them that none could talk about.

"Try to relax," Elara said quietly, touching him. "Think about what you can remember." Anything.

Ryder nodded and closed his eyes for a second to attempt to focus. He had done this previously. He reached for the missing pieces, grabbing at the memories that slid away as soon as he thought he had them.

At first, he could only hear it faintly, but then he heard the wolves howling. Their howls rose through the trees like a powerful symphony. He could feel the weight of the pack surrounding him, and the ground beneath him rumbling. He saw faces, quick flashes of individuals he used to know, but then he heard a woman's voice that was piercing and full of need.

"Ryder, we have to go now!" "It's too late!"

His chest felt tight. I knew the voice. She was someone I knew. But the subtleties were lost in a sea of chaos. His breath quickened, and he held Elara's hand harder as the pictures spun around him.

"Elara," he said, his voice hoarse with anger. "Who was she? "Who was I with?"

The room suddenly felt colder, and the fire's warmth didn't help the shiver crawling up his spine.

But a massive smash came from the rear door before Elara could say anything. It was a harsh, jagged sound that slashed through the air like a knife.

Ryder's instincts kicked in. Before he even knew it, his body was moving. His muscles were tense, and his hand was gripping the knife at his side.

He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Elara." "Someone's in there."

The boom echoed again, and the firelight flickered. Ryder's hair stood on end. His heart raced, and his senses were on high alert. Every nerve in his body screamed that something or someone was coming.