I Forgot My Alpha. Now He’s Obsessed. Chapter 05

I Forgot My Alpha. Now He’s Obsessed. Chapter 05

The silver needle glinted in Ava’s hand as I burst through the door, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged bird. I didn’t stop running. I couldn’t. Not when every instinct screamed that death was inches behind me.

The hallway stretched endlessly before me, lined with the cold, ornate walls of Jaxson’s estate. My bare feet slapped against the marble floor, and I could hear Ava’s shrill screams echoing behind me.

“GUARDS! SEIZE HER! DON’T LET HER ESCAPE!”

I rounded a corner and nearly collided with two enforcers. Their eyes widened in recognition, and I saw the moment they decided to grab me. But something had changed inside me. The memory loss had been a curse, yes, but it had also been a cage—one that had kept me small, fearful, and compliant. Now that cage was shattered.

I dropped low, sweeping one enforcer’s legs out from under him. Before the second could react, I drove my elbow into his throat and kept moving. Where had I learned to fight like this? The movements came from somewhere deep, somewhere buried beneath years of abuse.

The prison. Three years in Shadowpine had taught me things I wished I could forget.

I burst through a side door and found myself in a sprawling garden. Moonlight bathed the hedges and fountains in silver, but I had no time to admire the beauty. Behind me, I could hear the pounding of boots and Ava’s furious shrieks.

“Florence! You bitch! I’ll carve out your eyes!”

I ran until my lungs burned, until the garden gave way to dense woodland. The forest of Jaxson’s territory was thick and wild, and I knew the dangers that lurked within. Rogues. Predators. The same darkness that had cursed me before.

But I’d rather die in those woods than spend another moment under Ava’s needle.

Branches clawed at my arms as I pushed deeper into the trees. Twigs snapped beneath my feet. My breath came in ragged gasps, and the silver wounds from earlier had begun to burn with renewed fury. I could taste blood in my mouth.

*Where am I going?* *What am I doing?*

I had no plan. No destination. Just the primal need to survive.

The sounds of pursuit grew fainter, then disappeared entirely. I stumbled into a small clearing and collapsed against the trunk of an ancient oak, my chest heaving. The moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor.

I pressed my hand to my side and felt the sticky warmth of blood seeping through my torn dress. The silver needle Ava had been holding wasn’t the only weapon she’d used. Before I’d escaped, she’d managed to slash my arm with a blade coated in silverbane. My Inner Wolf whined in agony at the memory.

*I have to keep moving.*

But my body refused to cooperate. My vision blurred, and I slid down the tree trunk, my legs giving out beneath me. The world tilted dangerously.

*Jaxson.* *Ava.* *The baby.*

*Mike.*

My son. His face appeared in my mind—those innocent brown eyes, so full of trust, so full of love. The last time I’d seen him, he was crying, reaching for me as Jaxson’s men dragged me away to prison. I’d screamed his name until my throat was raw.

*Where is he now?* *Is he safe? Is Ava hurting him?*

The thought of that woman raising my son, poisoning his mind with her cruelty, made bile rise in my throat.

I forced myself to my feet, gritting my teeth against the pain. A branch snapped somewhere to my left, and I froze.

*Rogue.* *Enforcer.* *Something worse.*

I couldn’t see anything in the darkness, but I could hear breathing. Slow. Measured. Deliberate.

“Who’s there?” My voice came out steadier than I felt.

A figure stepped out from the shadows—tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes that glowed amber in the moonlight. My heart seized.

*Alpha.*

The man moved closer, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. “I mean you no harm,” he said, his voice deep and resonant. “I sensed your distress from miles away. You’re hurt.”

Something about his presence felt familiar, though I couldn’t place it. Perhaps it was the way his gaze softened when he looked at my wounds. Perhaps it was the comforting warmth that radiated from him.

He was an Alpha. I could feel it in my bones—the weight of his power, the authority in his posture. But unlike Jaxson, this Alpha didn’t inspire fear. He inspired something else entirely.

*Trust.*

“I’m fine,” I lied, attempting to take a step back. My body betrayed me, swaying dangerously.

The Alpha was at my side in an instant, his arm steadying me before I could fall. His touch was gentle, almost reverent. “You’re bleeding out. Let me help you.”

“Why?” The word came out harsher than I intended. “Why would you help me? You don’t even know me.”

A flicker of something—pain? recognition?—crossed his features. “I know you better than you think.”

Before I could question him, a howl pierced the night. Another howl answered it. Then another. The forest had come alive with the sounds of wolves.

The Alpha’s expression hardened. “They’re tracking you. Jaxson’s enforcers.” He cursed under his breath. “We need to move.”

He scooped me into his arms before I could protest, carrying me through the forest with impossible speed. I should have fought him. I should have demanded to be put down. But I was too weak, too exhausted, and the warmth of his body against mine was the only comfort I’d felt in years.

“Who are you?” I murmured against his chest. “Why do you care?”

His arms tightened around me. “You’ll remember soon enough.”

*Remember?*

The word sparked something in my mind. A memory, distant and fractured. A man’s face, kind and strong. The scent of pine and winter air. A gentle touch on my cheek.

*When had I seen him before?*

But the memory slipped away like water through my fingers, leaving behind only confusion and a strange, aching longing.

The wolves drew closer. I could hear their snarling, their pounding footsteps. The Alpha’s pace quickened, and I felt his muscles tense beneath me.

“Hold on,” he commanded. “Don’t let go.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder as he broke into a full sprint. The wind whipped past us, cold and fierce, carrying the scent of pine and the distant promise of water.

*Water.*

I remembered drifting. Floating on a river. A hand reaching down to pull me from the darkness.

The memory clicked into place.

“The river,” I breathed. “You found me in the river.”

The Alpha didn’t respond, but I felt his grip on me tighten.

*Alistair.*

The name surfaced from the depths of my fractured mind, bringing with it fragments of warmth and safety. The days after I’d been cursed. The patient voice that had soothed my nightmares. The gentle hands that had tended my wounds.

*Alistair.*

But that was impossible. Alistair was supposed to be at the summit. His Beta had said he wouldn’t return for another three days.

Unless—

The Alpha stopped abruptly, setting me down against a moss-covered rock. We had reached the edge of the forest, where the land opened up to reveal a vast, moonlit valley. I could see the lights of a pack territory in the distance—much larger than Jaxson’s, more prosperous.

“Where are we?” I asked, struggling to catch my breath.

“The Thorne Territory,” he said. “My territory.”

I looked up at him, really looked at him for the first time. The moonlight caught the sharp planes of his face, the intensity in his amber eyes. He was beautiful in a way that made my chest ache.

“Alistair?” I whispered.

He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I told you I’d find you, Florence. I just never expected to find you in Jaxson’s territory.”

The name sent a cold spike of fear through me. “Jaxson—he has my son. Mike. I need to get him back. I need—”

Alistair knelt before me, taking my hands in his. “I know. We’ll get him back. But first, I need you to survive. Your wounds are severe, and you’ve been running on adrenaline alone.”

“I can’t rest. Not while Mike is with them. You don’t understand what Ava is capable of. She’ll hurt him. She’ll—”

“Florence.” Alistair’s voice was firm but gentle. “I swear on my Alpha blood—I will bring your son home. But I can’t do that if you’re dead. Please. Let me help you.”

The desperation in his eyes mirrored what I felt in my own heart.

I nodded weakly, too exhausted to argue. “Okay.”

Alistair lifted me again, carrying me toward the lights of his territory. As we moved, I could see his enforcers emerging from the shadows, surrounding us in a protective formation. Their presence made me feel safer than I had in years.

But doubt still gnawed at the edges of my mind.

*How long will this kindness last?* *How long before he too becomes a monster?*

I thought of Jaxson. His gentle words. His promises. The way he’d carried me out of that auction house covered in his own blood.

*”Florence, you are my life. If you die, I won’t live another day.”*

And then Ava had returned. And everything had changed.

*Would it be the same with Alistair?*

I looked up at his face. He was watching the path ahead, his jaw set in determination. There was something in his expression that I hadn’t seen in Jaxson’s—a depth of feeling that felt genuine. Earnest.

But then, Jaxson had been convincing once, too.

I closed my eyes and let the exhaustion pull me under.

*When I wake up, I’ll figure out what to do.* *For now, I need to survive.*

As consciousness slipped away, I heard Alistair speak, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ve been looking for you for three years, Florence. I’m never letting you go again.”

—

I woke in a warm bed, surrounded by the scent of lavender and clean linen. Soft sunlight filtered through gauze curtains, and for a moment, I could almost pretend the past few years had been nothing but a nightmare.

Then I looked down at my bandaged arms, felt the ache of my silver wounds, and remembered.

*Mike.* *I need to get to Mike.*

I tried to sit up, but a gentle hand pressed me back down.

“Easy. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

Alistair was there, sitting in a chair beside my bed. His eyes were red-rimmed, his face lined with exhaustion. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night.

“How long was I out?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“Nearly eighteen hours.” He reached for a glass of water, helping me take a sip. “Your body needed the rest.”

“I need to go back.” I pushed against his hand. “Jaxson has my son. I need—”

Alistair shook his head firmly. “You’re not going anywhere. Not until you’re healed.” He saw my protest forming and pressed a finger to my lips. “I’ve already sent my warriors to negotiate Mike’s release.”

“Negotiate?” I laughed bitterly. “This isn’t a business deal, Alistair. Jaxson won’t just hand him over.”

“I know.” Alistair’s jaw tightened. “That’s why I’ve also mobilized my enforcers. If diplomacy fails, we’ll take him by force. I will burn Jaxson’s pack to the ground if that’s what it takes to get your son back.”

The conviction in his voice made my breath catch. No one had ever spoken about me with that kind of ferocity before. No one had ever been willing to fight for me.

But then, I’d thought Jaxson would fight for me too. And look how that had turned out.

“I don’t trust you,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry. I know you’ve been kind to me. But I can’t. Not after everything.”

Alistair’s expression didn’t change, though I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. “I know. And I don’t expect you to trust me. Not yet. But I will earn it.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“I can promise to try.”

I looked away, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. Part of me wanted to believe him. Wanted to give in to the warmth and safety he offered.

But that part of me had died the night my mother was dragged from her hospital bed.

“Tell me what happened,” I said instead. “After you took me from Jaxson’s territory. What happened to my memories? To the curse?”

Alistair sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The curse was dark magic—ancient, powerful. It didn’t just make you forget. It rewrote your memories, planted new ones in place of the old. I’ve had my best healers studying it for months, but there’s no easy cure.”

“Then how did I remember?”

He hesitated. “Ava’s silver needle triggered a reaction. The curse was designed to block trauma, and the needle threatened to reopen those wounds. In protecting itself, the curse shattered completely.”

“So the memories are permanent now?”

“Yes.” He reached for my hand. “And I’m sorry. I know how painful they are. But I promise you, Florence, I will help you through this. Every step of the way.”

I pulled my hand away. “I don’t need your help. I’ve been surviving on my own for years.”

“Surviving.” He repeated the word with a strange intensity. “You’ve been surviving. But I want you to live. Do you know the difference?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, his Beta burst through the door, her face pale.

“Alpha! We have reports of a massive wolf pack approaching our borders. They’re flying Jaxson’s colors.”

Alistair rose to his feet, his expression shifting from gentle to cold and dangerous. “How many?”

“Close to a hundred, Alpha. They’re not trying to be subtle.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. I watched Alistair’s hands curl into fists, saw the wolf in his eyes begin to surface.

“It seems Jaxson doesn’t want to wait,” he said, his voice low. “Good. Neither do I.”

He turned to me, and for a moment, I saw a terrifying predator behind his gaze.

“Stay here,” he ordered. “Don’t leave this room for any reason.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Jaxson is my mate—”

“Former mate.” Alistair’s voice was like steel. “And the man who killed your mother and your children. If you think I’m letting you anywhere near him, you’re wrong.”

“I can fight—”

“I know you can. But I won’t risk you getting hurt.” He stepped closer, cupping my face in his hands. “Please, Florence. Let me protect you. Let me prove to you that I’m not like him.”

I wanted to argue. Wanted to push him away and march into battle on my own terms.

But something in his expression stopped me. Something raw and vulnerable that I hadn’t seen in anyone’s eyes in a very long time.

Hope.

“One hour,” I said finally. “If you’re not back in one hour, I’m coming after you.”

A ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Deal.”

He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

Then he was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

I sat alone in the silence, my hand pressed to my forehead where his lips had been.

*Please,* I thought. *Please let him be different.*

*Please let me be wrong about him.*

The sound of howling echoed in the distance, and I knew the battle had begun.

*One hour.*

*I’ll give him one hour.*

But as the seconds ticked by, I found myself praying to the Goddess that it would be enough.

—

The sounds of fighting filled the air—snarling, screaming, the clash of claw against claw. I paced the room, my body thrumming with anxiety and a strange, burning need to be out there.

*He said one hour.*

*But what if something goes wrong?*

*What if Jaxson hurts him?*

*What if—*

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I tore off my bandages, ignoring the pain that lanced through my limbs. Silver wounds be damned. I’d survive. I’d survived worse.

I changed into the clothes Alistair had left for me—simple, practical, designed for movement. Then I slipped out the door and made my way toward the sounds of battle.

*I’m coming, Alistair.*

*And I’m not letting Jaxson take anything else from me.*

*Not ever again.*

The forest blurred past me as I ran, my Inner Wolf surging forward despite the silver still in my veins. I could hear her howling in my mind, eager for blood, eager for revenge.

*We’ll get them.* *We’ll get them all.*

I burst from the trees and into chaos.

Alistair’s warriors clashed with Jaxson’s enforcers in a bloody spectacle of fang and fury. Bodies littered the ground—some moving, some not. The scent of blood hung thick in the air.

And in the center of it all stood Alistair, locked in combat with Jaxson.

I moved before I could think, lunging into the fray. A warrior came at me, and I dropped him with a single strike. Another approached, and I drove my fist into his throat.

“FLORENCE!”

Jaxson’s voice cut through the chaos. He stared at me, his eyes wild, his face bloodied. “Florence! Stop this! Come back to me!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I snarled. “You’re going to pay for what you did. All of it.”

Ava appeared at Jaxson’s side, her face twisted with hatred. “You stupid bitch! Why won’t you just die?”

“Die?” I laughed—a cold, empty sound. “I’ve been dying for years, Ava. But you’re not the one who gets to finish me off.”

Alistair moved to stand beside me, his hand finding mine. His grip was warm and steady and unyielding.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly.

I looked at him, really looked. His eyes held no deception, no hidden cruelty. Just strength and loyalty and something that looked terrifyingly like love.

“I’m sure,” I said.

And for the first time in years, I felt a spark of hope.

*Maybe this time would be different.*

*Maybe, just maybe, I could finally find my happy ending.*

But as Ava’s lips curved into a wicked smile, I realized the battle was far from over.

This was only just beginning.