After my Alpha lost his memory

"Drink this." Sarah shoved a mug of tea onto the kitchen island.

I stared at the steam rising from the rim. "My stomach is in knots."

"You slept on my couch and cried until dawn. We are going out." Sarah grabbed her purse from the counter. "The mall. Now."

I didn't have the energy to fight her.

An hour later, the noise of the shopping center buzzed around us. I kept my head down, hiding behind a rack of dresses in a high-end boutique while Sarah inspected price tags.

"This silk piece would look amazing on me."

The voice floated over the racks, freezing the blood in my veins. Nancy.

"Are you sure Jason won't slip up?" a second voice asked. Chloe, one of Nancy's loyal followers.

A sharp laugh rang out. "He didn't forget anything, Chloe."

My fingers crushed the velvet fabric of a gown.

"Wait, seriously?" Chloe gasped.

"He just got tired of Ava," Nancy bragged, her tone laced with pure arrogance. "When I came back, he realized he still loves me. He's wanted a new Luna for months. Faking amnesia just saves him the argument."

Ice flooded my veins. The past four weeks of brewing his tea, crying by his bedside, mourning our severed bond.

All a lie.

"You lying bitch!" I shoved the clothing rack aside, sending hangers clattering to the tile floor.

Nancy jumped. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before a nasty smirk took over.

"Spying, Ava? How pathetic."

"He's faking it?" My voice shook, vibrating with rage. "You both staged this entire nightmare?"

"It got you out of the Alpha suite, didn't it?" Nancy tilted her head.

My wolf, Lyra, slammed against my ribs. She demanded blood.

I let her out.

Fur ripped through my skin. Claws extended from my fingertips. I didn't fully shift, but the partial transformation gave me enough power to lunge.

Nancy snarled, her own eyes glowing yellow. She met me halfway.

We crashed into a jewelry display. Glass shattered into a thousand pieces beneath our boots.

She aimed a vicious swipe at my stomach.

My pup.

I twisted mid-air, taking her razor-sharp claws directly across my shoulder. Flesh tore. Warm blood spilled down my arm, staining my shirt.

"Ava!" Sarah screamed. She rushed forward, swinging a heavy metal purse stand at Nancy's head.

Nancy backed off, licking blood from her knuckles. "Consider that a warning, Luna."

The harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital room stung my eyes.

"Keep the gauze pressed tight," Sarah ordered, her hands trembling as she hovered over my hospital bed.

The door slammed open, rebounding off the wall with a loud crack.

Jason stood in the doorway. His chest heaved, his jaw set in a rigid line.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he barked.

"She attacked me!" I pointed to my bleeding shoulder.

"Nancy has three broken ribs because of your jealousy!" He marched to the edge of my bed. "I told you to leave the pack house. Instead, you hunt down my mate in public?"

"She isn't your mate!" I yelled, pushing myself upright. "And you aren't an amnesiac!"

Jason didn't flinch. His silver eyes remained entirely cold.

"You're insane. Dr. Miller diagnosed my brain injury."

"I heard her, Jason! I heard Nancy bragging at the mall!"

"Stop making up lies to cover your violence."

I stared into his face. The same face that found me at the border four years ago.

Rogues had cornered me in the mud. He had torn their throats out to save me. He was selecting a Luna back then. I pursued him, fighting for his attention, and he finally chose me. We built a life together.

I knew Nancy had fled during the blood moon crisis, abandoning the pack when we needed her most. I just never expected Jason to welcome her back. Let alone play a sick game to discard me.

"If you ever go near her again," Jason warned, his voice dropping an octave, "I will banish you from the territory myself."

"You're throwing away your unborn child," I whispered.

"I told you. That isn't mine."

He turned his back and walked out. The door clicked shut.

I slumped against the pillows. A hollow laugh escaped my lips instead of a sob. The sheer absurdity of the betrayal left me numb.

Footsteps paused right outside my door.

"Did he buy it?" Nancy's voice filtered through the thin wood.

"He tore into her," Chloe replied. "But what about the baby? What if she proves it's his?"

"Oh, I know it's his." Nancy chuckled softly.

My pulse hammered in my ears. I strained to listen.

"Jason needs a strong heir," Nancy continued, her voice dropping to a sinister whisper. "But he wants me to raise it. Once she pops it out, we're taking the pup and throwing her to the rogues."