Chapter 1

After the searing pain of our breaking mate bond and a brutal car crash, I decided to fake amnesia.

It was a test for my Alpha and our son.

"Who... who are you?"

A flash of glee crossed my five-year-old son Leo's eyes. He turned and pulled a woman who had been waiting outside into the hospital room.

He said to me, "Ma'am, my parents and I are just here to visit the sick."

My husband, standing right beside me—Damian, the powerful Alpha of the Blackwood pack—said nothing. He let our son call me "Ma'am."

The sweet, piercing voice of a child echoed in the sterile room.

My head was wrapped in bandages. I looked down at Leo, holding one hand of each adult, a sly look on his face that was far too old for his years.

Damian, dressed in a custom-tailored suit, made no move to correct him. He just watched me, his eyes cold and assessing, like I was an employee who’d screwed up.

The woman Leo held onto was Isabella. She wore a long white dress, her aura gentle and elegant. My stare made her uncomfortable, and she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Seeing me look at Isabella, Leo immediately stepped in front of her, a tiny, defiant protector.

If I had really lost my memory, I would have thought they were the perfect, loving family—a powerful Alpha, his graceful mate, and their adorable son.

Leo tugged on Damian's hand and whispered, "Dad, since she has amnesia, does that mean you can finally break the mate bond?"

He whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

I knew his little games. He was punishing me. I had scolded him yesterday, embarrassing him in front of the pack's staff, and now he was angry. This was his favorite kind of cruel mischief, pushing my buttons just for fun.

But I was done playing.

If I said I had amnesia, then I would stick to it.

I would pretend I never had this son, or this Alpha.

"I'm sorry... who are you people?"

Leo looked surprised, a flicker of panic in his eyes. "You really don't remember me? You can't forget me. I'm your favorite... child."

Damian's brow furrowed. His cold Alpha presence filled the room, making the air thick and heavy. His voice was laced with impatience.

"Serra, stop the act. The doctor said it was a mild concussion, nothing serious. Don't think you can use amnesia to escape breaking our bond."

"Yeah, stop pretending! You love us so much, how could you forget us?" Leo's glare was a perfect copy of his father's.

My head just throbbed.

Before I could answer, a nurse knocked on the door. "The patient needs to rest. Anyone not immediate family needs to leave."

Without a word, Damian and Leo turned, leading Isabella out of the room.

The young nurse came in. "Your husband was just here," she said kindly. "He went out to buy you some soup."

"My husband?"

My brain felt fuzzy. Didn't she just kick my Alpha out?

The nurse blinked. "Yes. I actually worked in maternity four years ago. I saw you two several times. Your chemistry was so perfect, you were hard to forget."

Four years ago, I did have my pregnancy check-ups at this hospital. But Damian never came with me. Not once.

"And your husband was one of the few who never looked at his phone," the nurse continued, "He just paced nervously outside the exam room, waiting for you."

"So tall and handsome, and so devoted! He made all of us nurses believe in love again."

"By the way, who were that man and boy with that woman? I mean, the guy was handsome, but his Alpha aura was terrifying. He looked like he was here to collect a debt."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Damian missed all 14 of my prenatal appointments. The person who came with me was Eason Thorne.

My family's adopted son, my younger brother. He was only 18 back then.

I didn't bother explaining my relationship with Damian and Leo. Our mate bond was about to shatter anyway.

A few minutes later, Eason rushed in, carrying a thermos, slightly out of breath.

I was starving. I hadn't eaten all day, and my stomach was aching.

Eason quickly poured the hot soup into a bowl, set it on the bedside table, and arranged a spoon, napkin, and glass of water perfectly.

"Here's some warm water, and this is your favorite chicken and vegetable soup. You eat first. I'll peel an apple for you."

I let him take care of me. From the moment I first met him at 15, when my father brought him home, he had appointed himself my most loyal guardian.

After a few sips of soup, the pain in my stomach eased.

I looked up and saw Eason's eyes were red.

"You have no idea," he said, his voice trembling. "When I heard about the car accident, I felt like my world was falling apart."

A wave of emotion hit me.

Who wouldn't be terrified after a crash?

I was just lucky. Nothing vital was injured.

I had planned to joke around, to pretend to have amnesia to tease Damian and Leo, hoping they were worried.

But how can people with no hearts worry about you? An Alpha who doesn't value his mate bond, a son who doesn't love his own mother—how could they ever feel my pain?