Remember me..

4. Let me go..

Erik

The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the forest in deep shadows as dusk surrendered to night. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but nothing could mask the gnawing tension in my chest. We'd searched every inch of the pack’s territory, and still, no sign of Embla. My heart weighed heavier with each step, the fear of what might have happened gnawing at the edges of my mind.

I had just dismissed the other wolves, letting them rest. I didn’t want to push them too hard, especially not knowing what we might face next. Still, I couldn’t rest. My legs carried me almost on instinct to the pack's border, where I had last caught her trail. The moment I reached the line where she’d crossed, a familiar scent hit me like a wave, faint at first but unmistakable. Embla.

Her scent clung to the air like a soft blanket, wrapping around me, soothing and unsettling all at once. My pulse quickened. Without thinking, I broke into a run, following the trail, my heart pounding harder with every step. And then I saw her—a figure emerging from the trees, moving slowly, almost deliberately, as if she was returning from some long, grueling journey. Relief surged through me at first, but it was short-lived. There was something off. Her eyes, normally so bright and fierce, were distant. She looked disconnected, as if her spirit was somewhere else entirely.

I shifted back into my human form, the transformation was quick and seamless. Pulling on the shorts I had tied to my leg, I approached her carefully, not wanting to startle her.

"Embla?" I called softly, almost afraid of my own voice breaking the silence between us.

No response. She walked right past me like I wasn’t even there. A knot formed in my throat. Something was wrong. I reached out and gently laid my hand on her shoulder, hoping to ground her, to pull her back to me.

She jumped at my touch, spinning around so fast I barely saw it coming. Before I could react, she swept my legs out from under me, and I hit the ground with a thud.

"Ouch! Seriously, Embla?" I groaned, but a grin tugged at my lips despite the sting of pain. She had always been able to defend herself, but this was something else. Her reflexes were sharper than ever, and I couldn’t help but be impressed. Still, her reaction—so instinctive, so fierce—worried me.

Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God, I’m sorry!" She covered her mouth with her hand as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just done.

I stood up, brushing the dirt off with a chuckle, though my concern for her was growing with every passing second. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice softening as I really looked at her. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face pale—she’d been crying.

She gave me a strained smile, the kind that might have fooled anyone who didn’t know her like I did. "Honestly, no. I’m not. But I will be."

That smile. My heart clenched. She was trying so hard to be strong, to brush it off like it was nothing, but I could see the cracks in her armour. Something had broken inside her.

"Embla…" I began, reaching for her, but she stepped back, cutting me off with a sharp wave of her hand.

"STOP," she said firmly, her voice trembling despite the strength she tried to project. "I’ll explain everything later, Erik. I promise. Right now, I just need to get home. I’m tired. It’s been a long way home."

Her words were a wall, shutting me out. I wanted to push, to know what had happened to her, but I held back. I could feel her exhaustion, both physical and emotional, radiating off her like a weight she could barely carry.

"Do you want us to shift and run the rest of the way?" I offered, trying to lighten the mood. "It’s still a good stretch to the pack grounds unless Aska's going to attack me again." I gave her a teasing smile, hoping for some flicker of the old Embla.

Her lips barely twitched. "No, thank you. And no, she won’t attack you again or anyone else for that matter. You don’t have to be afraid of me going off like an unstable bomb."

I flinched. My offhand comment had hurt her more than I intended. "I’m sorry," I said quickly, my voice filled with regret. "I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I needed to know the pack was safe."

"I know," she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "The pack’s safety is your responsibility. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt."

Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. She stiffened at first, then slowly melted into the embrace, resting her head against my chest. I buried my face in her hair, breathing her in, holding her like I could somehow fix all of this.

"I’m sorry," I whispered into her hair. "I don’t know what happened, but if you need to talk, I’m here."

When I pulled away to look at her, tears were streaming down her face, carving paths through the dirt on her skin. My heart broke all over again.

"I love you, Erik," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Never forget that."

"I love you too, Embla." I cupped her face, wiping away her tears with my thumb. "Let’s get you home, okay? I’ll fill the tub for you. You can relax, and I’ll make us some dinner. Then you can rest. You look like you need it."

She gave me a small, genuine smile this time. "Thank you."

Without another word, I scooped her up in my arms, holding her close. She rested her head against my shoulder, and within minutes, she was asleep, her exhaustion finally overtaking her. As I carried her through the darkening woods, I couldn’t help but look down at her peaceful face, a pang of worry twisting in my gut.

"My perfect queen," I whispered into the night, brushing a kiss against her forehead.

We were almost at the border when I felt a presence—a shift in the air that set my instincts on high alert. Out of nowhere, a tall, scruffy man appeared from the shadows of the forest. His scent hit me immediately—rogue.

I tensed, pulling Embla closer to me, a low growl rumbling from deep in my chest. My wolf, Hakan, bristled inside me, ready to protect what was ours. The rogue’s eyes lingered on Embla, and my growl deepened a clear warning.

"Relax, Alpha Erik," the rogue said, his voice calm but edged with something darker. "I mean no harm. If I wanted to hurt her, I would have done it when I found her earlier. I’m here to deliver a message."

I narrowed my eyes, my anger rising. "What kind of message?"

He met my gaze, his expression deadly serious. "Whatever you do, keep her safe."

His words weren’t a request—they were a warning, and it set every nerve in my body on edge.

"Is that a threat?" I growled, feeling Hakan push closer to the surface, ready to rip this man apart if he so much as twitched wrong.

"Yes," the rogue said bluntly, "but not from me. I want her safe. That’s why I’m risking my life to be here. I know you could kill me in seconds, but you need to know, there are others after her. Others that are much worse than me."

"Who?" My voice was a dangerous low rumble. "Who’s after her, and how are you involved?"

The rogue’s lips twisted into a grimace. "The man who cursed her." His voice was bitter, filled with hatred. "My biological father."

Before I could even react, he shifted into a large black wolf and disappeared into the shadows as quickly as he had come.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, my mind racing with questions. The man who cursed her? What curse? What was he talking about?

I looked down at Embla, still peacefully asleep in my arms, oblivious to the storm brewing around her. I pressed my lips to her forehead once more, a deep sense of dread settling in my chest.

What was going on?

Embla.

"Sweetheart" Erik's voice was calling me to wake up, but it was also, oh-so soothing. I had never before felt so at peace.

He brushed his hand down my chin, the contact ignited sparks that ran through my body and I abruptly opened my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said softly.

"You didn't, I just.." I took a deep breath. "For a short moment, I thought it had all been a bad dream."

His expression changed, he still looked at me lovingly, but I could also see worry and pain in his eyes.

"Want to talk about it?"

I knew he wanted, well, probably needed, an answer to why Aska had attacked him, just to disappear into the forest.

"No. But we need to" I said, while taking a firm grip on his hand.

He looked down at the floor, and I knew instantly what he was going to ask about.

"Why does your wolf hate me?"

I knew it would come, but hearing him ask was breaking me.

"She doesn't hate you, it's just... complicated" I tried to give him a comforting smile.

"What's so complicated about us being mates?" I could hear his voice cracking.

"I'm not a normal werewolf, but a hybrid."

He looked at me confused.

"A werewolf and nymph hybrid". I took a deep breath before I told Erik everything Aska had told me the day before except for the fact that I could not accept him as my mate.

'You know, you need to tell him everything, and you need to do that sooner, rather than later' Aska's soft voice spoke to me.

'I know, but it will break him'. I knew she was right, Erik deserved the truth, I just could not find the strength to say the words out loud. It was painful enough, just thinking about it.

"Now it all makes sense," Erik suddenly spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"When I carried you home yesterday, a rogue approached me, he told me to keep you safe, from the man that cursed you."

"What??" I looked at him in disbelief, a rogue knew who and what I was.

'We need to find that rogue Aska! He might be able to help us.'

'Or at least offer us some more information' Aska said, sounding just as determined as I felt.

Maybe there was a way to fix this, maybe the curse could be broken, maybe I could be with Erik, maybe there was a chance that I could be a normal werewolf.

"Please say something", Erik's voice pulled me back into reality. I had been lost in my own thoughts for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I need to find this rogue, Erik. Maybe he can help me!

"Help you with what?" He looked at me carefully.

"I.." the words got stuck in my throat and I could feel the tears running down my chin.

"It's OK Embla", Erik embraced me in a hug.

"I don't know what's going on, or why you are so upset, but I know it will be fine. We will figure it out together. OK?" He kissed my forehead, and we just sat like that for a long while. And I found myself wishing we could stay like that forever.

The day had passed rather slowly. I had been curled up on the sofa, lost in my own thoughts the whole day. Erik had not left my side for even a moment, and I could tell that my mood was affecting him, but he never said anything.

"I need to get some paperwork done. After that, I will make something to eat", Erik looked at me carefully.

"No, you go and get your work done, I will make us some food in the meantime", I smiled at him. I needed to do something, try to think about something else, and cooking could be the perfect distraction.

I kissed him on the cheek before I made my way out of the living room. I wanted to make his favourite dinner since it might be the last time I get a chance. I had decided that I needed to let him know the full extent of the situation and I would do it after dinner.

After cooking some pasta carbonara with extra bacon and some homemade garlic bread, I set the table and went to get Erik. The door to his office was partly open, so I carefully pushed it open all the way. He was so focused on a book that he did not hear me enter. I took a moment to look at him and my heart ached. I knew what I had to do, but how could fate be so cruel as to give me the perfect mate, just for me to not be able to be with him?

"Erik, dinner is ready if you are finished", I walked over to him and kissed his forehead.

"Oh sorry love, I finished a little while ago but got caught up with this" he gestured to the book.

"What kind of book is that?"

"It was on the bookshelf with your father's books. There seems to be some historical information about other species. I was hoping to find out about your nymph side, but I honestly don't know where to start."

I looked at him for a moment before reaching out for the book.

"You know, there is more I need to tell you". I lowered my head so I could look at the book in my hands. I did not want to see his reaction.

"Yeah, I figured"

"You did?" I wondered what he thought was going on.

"Well, nothing of what you told me this morning really explains the reaction Aska had. I guess there is something more that had something to do with us being mates."

Hearing him say that made my tears stream down my face and it felt like I got a huge lump stuck in my throat.

Erik pulled me into a hug and held me tight, before planting a kiss on top of my head.

"I still stand by what I said this morning, we will figure this out together, OK?"

All I managed to do was slowly nod my head and whisper

"I hope you are right."

"Come on love, let's go and eat a little before the food you cooked gets cold" Erik carefully pulled away from the embrace so he could take my hand and lead me out to the dining table.

We sat down and started eating. None of us said anything and the only sound breaking the silence was the tableware being used.

"So, what do you think about hosting that birthday celebration for you?" Erik suddenly broke the silence.

"Well, I, erm… I don't think that's a good idea, Erik."

"And why's that?" He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, this whole curse thing.. it comes with some issues I need to try to work out."

"And?"

"You know I told you that the nymph side of me gives me healing abilities. According to Aska, I can only do so much without being mated. Mating would unlock my real powers". I paused for a moment to see his reaction.

"I don't understand, why was Aska against us accepting each other then, if that means you get stronger?" He looked puzzled.

"Because we don't want to risk your life. Mating with you will make me stronger, but my powers will use you as a life force instead of me. Meaning I risk killing you in the process", my voice was barely hearable in the end, but I knew he heard me.

Erik just looked at me for a moment, a moment that felt like an eternity.

"So what you are telling me is that you using your powers can potentially kill me if we mate or you if we don't?" He looked at me in a way he had never done before. Did he suddenly resent me?

"What? No! Well the part with you, yes, but I can't die from using my powers alone. From what Aska said, unmated I can only tap into powers that meet my healing and regeneration ability. Whatever that is."

Erik suddenly looked a lot more relaxed.

"I see, so we need to figure out if there's a way to break this then? Because I guess it's not as easy as you just not using your abilities?"

"I don't know, but I don't think so, this is all so new that I don't even know what I could possibly do on my own, not to mention what it would be when mated. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't want to use my abilities at all, but I also don't want to risk a situation where I use them and then risk everything."

Erik suddenly got up and walked towards me.

"Well, I believe in our moon goddess, that's a reason we are fated mates and I'm willing to take that risk" he held my hands and looked me straight in the eyes.

"You are not the one that has to live with killing the love of your life!" Again I started crying, so Erik pulled me into his arms. I wish we could be like this forever, except for the crying part, but I knew better.

"What's on your mind, love?"

"You said that the rogue knew about me?" I looked up at Erik, and he nodded in response.

"I need to find that rogue, he might be able to help me."

"Okay, we will find him. We can head out in the morning to look for him, together?"

Instead of answering him, I caught his lips in a soft kiss. Erik was caught off guard but answered my kiss back, he cupped my face and pulled me closer to him.

The kiss deepened, and I felt a surge of emotion coursing through me. Part of me wanted to lose myself in Erik's embrace, to forget about all our troubles and just be together. But another part knew we couldn't ignore reality.

I reluctantly pulled away, my forehead resting against Erik's. "We should get some rest," I whispered. "If we're going to search for that rogue tomorrow, we'll need our strength."

Erik nodded, his eyes still closed. "You're right," he said softly. "But Embla, promise me something?"

"What?" I replied with some hesitation.

He opened his eyes, gazing at me intently. "Promise me you won't push me away. Whatever happens, whatever we discover, we face it together. I can't lose you."

My heart clenched at his words. I wanted so desperately to promise him that, to assure him that nothing could tear us apart. But I already knew what I needed to do.

I could not find it in me to answer, There was no way I could look this man straight in the eyes and promise something I knew I could not keep. So instead I just closed my eyes and took a deep breath

“I love you” It was the best I could offer.

Erik seemed to understand. He kissed me gently on the forehead before leading me to the bedroom.

We changed into our sleepwear in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. As we slipped under the covers, Erik pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me protectively. I nestled into his warmth, trying to memorize every detail of how it felt to be held by him.

Sleep eluded me for hours. I lay there, listening to Erik's steady breathing, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against my back. My mind raced with worries about what tomorrow might bring. What if we couldn't find the rogue? What if there was no way to break the curse? The thought of having to leave Erik to keep him safe was almost unbearable.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook me and I drifted into a fitful sleep filled with fragmented dreams. Visions of shadowy figures chasing me through misty forests, Erik's voice calling out to me but always just out of reach.

I woke before dawn, carefully extricating myself from Erik's arms. He stirred slightly but didn't wake. I dressed quietly and scribbled a quick note, leaving it on the nightstand:

"Erik, I'm sorry. I can't risk your life. I've gone to search for the rogue on my own. Please don't follow me. I love you. - Embla"

Tears blurred my vision as I crept out of the house. 'Aska, are you with me?' I called silently to my wolf.

'Always,' came her reply. 'I must admit I did not know if you had it in you, I'm sorry about this'

'I know' I admitted. 'But I refuse to risk his life, the pack needs him’