Chapter 6
Sophia's POV
Karen stood in my doorway, one foot bare and bleeding on the stone, the other missing its fur boot entirely. In her trembling hand, she gripped a silver dagger.
"Sophia." Her voice was raw with exhaustion and rage. "I went out of my way to get help for you, and this is how you thank me?"
I sat up, every muscle going tight. 'Saved me? What the fuck is she talking about?'
"I don't know what—"
"Don't you dare play innocent!" Karen's grip tightened on the dagger, and I could see silver burns already forming on her palm. "You don't remember, do you? Course not. But I remember saving your life three month ago. And now you've convinced Ethan to throw me out of Cliff Outpost like some diseased animal!"
The silver blade gleamed as she raised it.
Instead of backing away, I stepped closer. 'Go ahead. Maybe this'll finally end it.'
But Ethan was faster.
Karen lunged at me, dagger aimed at my chest. Then Ethan was there, taking the blade in his ribs instead.
"Sophie, it's okay," he gasped, hand pressed against the blood spreading across his jacket. "I've got you."
The silver wound hissed and sparked. His blood looked almost black against the silver's glow.
Karen dropped the dagger with a cry of horror. "I didn't mean—fuck, how did—the silver was supposed to make her remember..."
'Remember what?' I wanted to scream, but I could only watch Ethan sway on his feet, silver poison eating him alive.
"Get her out!"
Dr. Winston burst in, medical bag in hand. Cameron grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the door even as I fought him.
"I need to see—"
"Let Sarah work," Cameron said, gentler than usual. "Silver wounds aren't something to fuck around with."
Through the cracked door, I watched Sarah dump moonbane on Ethan's wound, the silver glow slowly dying. Steam rose from his chest where the dagger had pierced him, and his face was pale with agony.
'He's dying.' The thought hit me like a punch to the gut. 'The man who killed my family is dying, and I should be celebrating.'
So why did my chest feel like someone was carving it out? Why were tears streaming down my face like I was losing something precious instead of gaining my freedom?
'What the hell is wrong with me?'
I rushed to Karen's room to ask what she meant, but she just shook her head and silently packed her bags. "Sophia, Ethan truly loves you. You should cherish him," was all she said before leaving.
What did that mean? He loves me?
I found it somewhat ironic, but thinking back to how he'd looked at me these past three months since I woke up, it was as if he was gazing at a wife he had deeply loved for many years.
My hand climbed to the mark on my chest as I smiled bitterly and shook my head.
No, impossible. He's absolutely a complete bastard!"
Ethan spent three days burning with silver fever.
I told myself I was waiting for him to die. But every ragged breath, every pained sound he made, twisted something inside me.
When his fever finally broke on the fourth morning.
"Sophia." Ethan's voice was rough from days of silence, but his silver eyes were clear and focused on my face. "Listen to me carefully."
I set down the water cup I'd been holding. "I'm listening."
"Since the Moon Goddess showed me you were mine on my eighteenth birthday, I haven't looked at another woman." His hand found mine, fingers intertwining despite my attempt to pull away. "Not once. Not ever."
My heart pounded. "That's impossible. You killed my family. You tortured me. You—"
"Now, always, forever—until I'm dead—you're the only one I'll ever want." His grip tightened, and his hands were still shaking from the silver. "Only you, Sophia. Always you."
I couldn't speak. 'But he killed my pack. He carved "traitor" into my chest. Didn't he?'
"The hunters attacked. Starlight Plains."
Ethan's announcement came one month later, after he'd regained enough strength to stand without swaying.
"Starlight Plains?" I asked, recognizing the strategic implications.
Ethan's jaw clenched. "I need to deal with this personally before they get any closer to our territory."
Perfect. This was exactly the opportunity I'd been waiting for.
"I'll come with you," I said, keeping my voice steady. "The moonbane supplies need regular mixing, and Sarah's going to be busy here with the other wounded."
Ethan's silver eyes studied my face for a long moment.
'He can read me like a damn book.'
"Course you're coming. Like I'd leave you here."
Shit. He knew exactly what I was planning.
We reached Starlight Plains as the sun touched the horizon. The shift change was chaos—wolves transforming, guards switching posts, everyone focused on the hunters' threat.
I slipped away in the chaos, heart hammering as I cleared the perimeter. Too easy. Like walking out an unlocked door.
'Why isn't anyone tracking me?' The thought gnawed at me as I ran through the deepening snow.
Hours later, breath steaming in the cold, I spotted a dark shape against the pines. Old cabin, weathered but solid. Good enough shelter from the approaching blizzard.
Almost to the door when I heard it—Ethan's howl cutting through the forest.
Ethan. He'd found my trail.
'Shit, shit, shit.'
Other wolves answered, their howls making my blood freeze. In minutes, maybe less, they'd be here.
I was fighting with the rusted latch when someone grabbed my shoulder.
"Come with me."
Low voice, urgent, unknown. I spun around to find a tall wolf-shifter standing behind me, his face partially hidden by the gathering shadows. Young guy, mid-twenties, dark hair, worried eyes.
Without hesitation, I grabbed his extended arm and let him pull me away from the cabin.
Ethan's howls got closer, more frantic, but this guy knew where he was going.
We ran until I couldn't hear them anymore, until my lungs burned and my legs nearly gave out.
"Sit down and rest."
He finally stopped in a clearing. He moved to help me settle against a fallen log.
"Thanks," I gasped, fighting for air. "I don't know who you are, but—"
"Sophia Sterling." He said my name like he knew me. Ice shot through my veins. "I can't believe I finally found you."
'How the hell does he know my name?'
The stranger knelt in front of me, and for the first time, I could see his face clearly in the moonlight. Handsome in a rugged way, kind eyes, gentle smile that didn't match our situation.
"I'm Thomas," he said, his voice warm with emotion. "Thomas from the Silver Moon tribe. Don't you remember me?"
Before I could answer, he pulled me into a tight hug, like I was something precious he'd lost.
"Sophia, finding you is the best thing that's happened since..." His voice cracked. "Since everything went to shit."
I pushed him back, confused as hell. "We know each other?"
His face fell, but his eyes stayed soft. "I'm your fiancé. Our families arranged it when we were kids. I've loved you forever, but at eighteen, you fell for Ethan instead. Fought like hell to marry him."
"I don't understand," I whispered. "Why can't I remember you?"
Thomas touched my face, pain and longing in his eyes. "The silver poisoning fucked with your memories. But I'm here now. I'll help you remember."