I still held the mushrooms, my fingers tightening around them as my mind reeled.

Lily’s bright smile felt like a blade to my chest. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

"His wife."

She turned to me, beaming. “Hello! I’m Lily, Liam’s wife. Welcome to our home.”

Her words rang in my ears like a cruel joke.

The others greeted her one by one, their casual conversation grating against my raw emotions. Lily was warm, talkative—too talkative. She complimented nearly everyone, her energy infectious.

When it was my turn, she gasped. “Ava, you’re so beautiful! Your figure is amazing—I’m so jealous! And your hair, oh my God, it’s gorgeous! Unlike mine, which is thinning from stress.”

I managed a stiff smile, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Lily suddenly turned to Liam, pouting. “It’s definitely because of you always blowing on my hair! Be careful, or I’ll be a bald bride at our wedding next week!”

Liam chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Okay.”

I froze.

"Wedding."

The word felt like a slap.

One of the pack members—pretending to be a traveler—feigned surprise. “You’re getting married?”

“Yes!” Lily clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Next Wednesday. We hope you can all come!”

I grabbed another beer, downing it in one long gulp.

Lily reached for one too, but before she could take a sip, Liam snatched it away. His voice was quiet but firm. “You can’t drink.”

Lily pouted. “Just one sip.”

Then, without hesitation, she leaned up and kissed him—right in front of me.

My fingers clenched around the cold can.

"Liam, just one sip, please!" she coaxed, her voice playful.

Liam exhaled, handing her a cup with rose petals floating inside. "Drink this instead."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Rose tea? Liam, I’ve told you a hundred times I don’t like flower tea. Why do you always forget?"

Liam hesitated. "I… I just do."

My breath hitched.

I turned away, my chest tightening.

Brooks used to brew me tea.

He always worried that I didn’t drink enough water. In the winter, he’d make apple water and snow pear soup. Every time I drank more, he’d reward me with a pink thermos.

I swallowed hard, shoving the memory away.

Lily’s voice broke through my thoughts. "Look, Ava finished a whole can of beer! Maybe that’s the secret to her gorgeous hair!"

I forced a small smile. "My mate never let me drink. He said I’d down the whole bottle if I started. He was strict about it."

Lily giggled. "That’s so strict! Doesn’t he get mad when you drink now?"

I glanced at Liam, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I shook my head. “He doesn’t care anymore.”

Silence.

For a moment, Lily looked like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated. Instead, she obediently sipped her rose tea, finishing the entire cup.

I, on the other hand, had barely eaten. Between the alcohol and the suffocating tension, my head was starting to spin.

Excusing myself, I pushed away from the table.

As I turned to leave, Lily’s laughter trailed after me. I looked back just in time to see her climb onto Liam’s back, giggling, clinging to him like she belonged there.

Liam sighed but didn’t push her away. Instead, he continued cleaning the table, as if her affection was something he had grown used to.

Something he accepted.

That should be me.

I turned away, my stomach twisting.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I forced myself back to my room. The moment the door closed behind me, I ripped open my bag, fumbling for my medication.

The pills rattled in my hand as I swallowed them dry.

Slowly, my pulse steadied.

By the time Doctor Reynolds entered, I had forced myself into calmness.

"I thought you’d make a scene," he said, his voice measured.

I gazed out the window. The moon was high, bathing the courtyard in silver light. "I considered it," I admitted quietly. "But then… I felt sorry for him."

Doctor Reynolds’s gaze sharpened. "You brought a lot of things with you. Are you planning to help Alpha regain his memories?"

I glanced at the open box beside my bed.

Inside were ten years’ worth of memories.

His first love letter.

Our first photo together.

Our wedding pictures.

I reached out, brushing my fingers over the faded edges.

Then, I closed the box.

"No," I said.

Doctor Reynolds frowned. "Why not?"

I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening.

"I don’t want him to experience the pain of losing loved ones twice."

And if forgetting me meant he would never have to relieve that pain…

Then maybe it was better this way.

*******

The next morning, I slept in late.

By the time I packed my painting supplies and stepped out of my room, the afternoon sun was already high in the sky. Laughter echoed through the courtyard.

“Ava! We saved you some food!”

I looked up to see Lily waving at me from the wooden table where everyone was gathered.

Reluctantly, I approached. She handed me a container, her smile warm. “We don’t have many relatives, so we’d love for you to come to our wedding.”

My fingers tightened around the envelope she offered me.

A wedding invitation.

I didn’t dare open it. It felt too heavy, as if the weight of my past and my shattered heart were pressed between its pages.

Lily didn’t seem to notice my hesitation. “I’ve heard you’re really talented! Can you take a look at our wedding invitation design?” She practically beamed as she spoke.

The thin paper in my hands might as well have been stone.

Before I could respond, Doctor Reynolds reached over, smoothly intercepting the conversation. “Let me see. The color is lovely.”

Lily nodded eagerly. “Liam picked the orange. I wanted purple, but now I think the orange looks better. Ava, what’s your favorite color?”

My throat tightened.

I set my painting supplies down and gestured to my orange dress. “This.”

I hadn’t had a favorite color before. But one day, Brooks had complimented me on an orange jacket I wore. I remembered how his eyes had softened, the way he ran his fingers over the fabric before whispering, “You look beautiful in this color.”

From that moment on, orange became my favorite.

Lily clapped her hands. “Wow, you and Liam have the same taste!”

I forced a smile, but her words twisted inside me.

My family.

That’s what Brooks used to call me. "My Luna. My family." His voice had always been full of warmth when he said it.

Doctor Reynolds, sensing the tension, took the invitation from me. “The cartoon design is adorable. Is the wedding at dusk?”

Lily rubbed her face. “Yup! That’s what Liam wanted.” She turned to me, eyes bright with curiosity. “But how did you know?”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

“Because someone can’t wake up early.”

Lily’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God! That’s exactly what Liam said!” She let out a laugh, nudging Liam playfully as he walked past. “But mostly, he loves dusk.”

I swallowed hard.

Brooks loved dusk too.

He once told me that the Moon Goddess blessed couples who married at dusk—that it was a sign their love would last forever.

A memory surfaced.

I had been half-asleep when he whispered in my ear, “You sleep too much. What am I going to do with you on our wedding day?”

Later, as our wedding approached, I’d wake up to the feel of his stubble against my skin, his arms pulling me close. “Ava, let’s get married at dusk, okay?”

I’d hummed my agreement, and he had kissed my forehead, his voice full of quiet satisfaction.

The past clawed at me, dragging me under.

I stood abruptly, needing air. As I turned to leave, Lily caught my wrist. Her gaze dropped to my hand.

She gasped. “Your ring! That’s beautiful!”

I twisted the band around my finger.

“He said the same thing.”

Lily tilted her head. “Wait… are you married?”

“Yes.”

Her surprise was evident. “For how long?”

“Five years.”

Her brows furrowed. “Where’s your mate? Why didn’t he come with you?”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I looked up—right into the eyes of the man walking toward us.

Alpha Brooks.

Or rather, the man who used to be him.

The man who no longer remembered me.