The Lost Werewolf's Mate

Interrogation

Gabriel woke up at the break of dawn, feeling a sense of unease prickling at the back of his neck. The first rays of sunlight crept through the window, casting an eerie glow across the room.

Walking down the hallway, he to Matthew and Thomas over the mind link. “Matthew, Thomas, meet me in the dining room for breakfast in 10 minutes. We need to talk,” he said, his voice betraying a sense of urgency.

As he entered the dining room, fresh coffee wafted through the air. Matthew and Thomas were already there. Gabriel sat down, his heart heavy with what he had to say.

“Matthew,” Gabriel stated solemnly while running his fingers through his hair, “Thomas and I have some news to share about the she-wolf.”

At that moment, an omega served breakfast for the three men. They all thanked her.

Gabriel took a deep breath, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. “It all started when Thomas and I were leaving the restaurant,” he began, eyes scanning Matthew. He recounted the encounter with Victor.

“And to close the evening on a high note,” Gabriel scoffed, his frustration evident. Thomas started laughing uncontrollably, amusement in his eyes. “This was the highlight of the evening.”

“What, what happened?” Matthew inquired, very curious to know what happened.

“The jerk dared to state that the town isn’t big enough for the both of us. Zeus was furious at Victor’s arrogance.” Gabriel replied, his anger simmering just below the surface. Seriously, who did Victor think he was?

Thomas reacted, “Zeus even appeared in a human restaurant. Not sure what was up with that. Did you get any explanation from him, Gabriel?”

Gabriel shook his head, his mind still reeling from the previous night's events.

Thomas furrowed his brow, his eyes intense with determination. “How do we even find out what she knows? She can’t remember anything.”

“We have to try,” Gabriel replied firmly, his voice tinged with urgency. “And you’re the best person for the job, Thomas. You have a way with people that we don’t.”

Matthew rolled his eyes, his impatience growing. “Oh, come on. I’m plenty charming too.”

Gabriel grinned and raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but Thomas is not as intimidating as you or me, Matthew. We need to be careful and not scare her off.”

“That’s a low blow, boss,” Thomas smirked, then nodded in agreement, his eyes alight with determination. “But I’m up for the challenge. I’ll head to the hospital right now.”

*****

The she-wolf shifted restlessly, feeling the weight of her amnesia press down on her. “It’s not fair,” she muttered to herself.

“What’s not fair?” Her inner wolf’s ears perked up at the sound of her voice.

“This. Everything. I don’t even know who I am, and I’m stuck in this room with no memory of my past.” The she-wolf’s voice was bitter, and her emotions were raw.

“We’ve been through this before,” her wolf replied calmly. She seemed to be the voice of reason between the two of them. “Be patient.”

“I know, I know... be patient...” the she-wolf said, sighing and rolling her eyes. “But it’s so frustrating. I feel like I’m going insane. What if we never remember?” she asked finally. “What if we’re stuck like this forever?”

“Don’t say that,” her wolf growled. “We will remember. It’s just a matter of time.”

The she-wolf let out a deep breath, sinking deeper into herself. She knew her wolf was right, but the waiting was so hard. She closed her eyes, focused on breathing, and waited for sleep.

Just then, the door to her hospital room opened, and a kind volunteer wheeled in a cart of books, asking if she wanted one. The she-wolf’s eyes brightened at the sight of the books, and she felt hope stir within her. “Oh, yes, please,” she said.

The volunteer smiled warmly and approached the bed. “Do you have any preferences?” The volunteer asked.

“I’m not sure. Is there anything you would suggest?”

The volunteer browsed through the cart of books, pulling out several that she thought might appeal to the she-wolf. The volunteer passed her what she described as her favourite vampire romance thriller.

The she-wolf looked at the book and the volunteer with curiosity and amusement. “A vampire romance thriller? Why not!”

The volunteer smiled. “I hope you enjoy it. It’s one of my favourites.”

The she-wolf smiled back, feeling a sense of warmth in her chest. “Thank you,” she said, settling into the pillows. “I think I will.”

As she read, the she-wolf felt a strange familiarity with the powerful vampire character in the book. She couldn’t quite grasp why, but something about him felt familiar.

*****

Thomas arrived at the hospital and went to the amnesiac she-wolf’s room. He possessed a unique ability as a lie detector that stemmed from his wolf’s heightened senses as a pure-blooded Gamma. Many males in the family could detect minor changes in body language, tone, and behaviour.

“Hello,” Thomas said, approaching the she-wolf’s bed. “My name is Thomas. Do you remember me from the other day?” The she-wolf looked up from her book and nodded to show she did. Thomas continued, “I’m sorry to interrupt your reading, but I’m here to ask you a few questions if that’s all right.”

“Can you tell me anything else about yourself?” he asked, trying to keep his tone gentle and reassuring.

The she-wolf exhaled; her frustration evident in her voice. “I wish I could,” she said. “But everything is a blank. I don’t know who I am or where I’m from. It’s like I woke up one day, I was running, and everything was gone.”

“I can imagine that it’s tough,” he said, his voice soft.

The she-wolf let out a bitter laugh. “Sure, you can.”

Thomas felt the accusation like a blow to his chest. He knew she had every right to be angry and frustrated. “I know that us keeping you here is not ideal,” he said, his voice steady. “But we’re trying to keep you safe.”

The she-wolf snorted. Her impatience and frustration were mounting. “And what about me?” she asked. “What about what I want?”

Thomas needed to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. “Right now, we know nothing about you, and it would be better if we worked together to figure out who you are.”

The she-wolf looked at him, her eyes searching for something. “And then what?” she asked. “What happens once we figure that out? Will I be free to go? Will I get my memory back?”

Thomas didn’t have all the answers, but he was determined to find them. “I can’t promise you anything,” he said. “But I promise we’ll do everything we can to help you. We’ll find out who you are, and we’ll make sure that you’re safe.”

The she-wolf looked at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. She nodded a hint of resignation in her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll try to be patient.”

Thomas smiled reassuringly. “We need to know more about you to help you remember.”

Suddenly, she stopped and turned to face Thomas. “You don’t understand,” she growled, her voice low and menacing. “I can’t remember anything. No likes, no dislikes, no memories. It’s like something has wiped my entire life clean.”

Her outburst surprised Thomas.

“What do you want from me?” she demanded, eyes blazing with intensity. “Why won’t you just let me be?”

Thomas held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice softening. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought that maybe something might jog your memory if we talked.”

The she-wolf snorted in derision. “Talk? You call this talking? You’re just asking me the same questions repeatedly. It’s like you’re not even listening to me.”

Thomas hung his head, clearly embarrassed. He apologized once more. “I’ll try to do better. I want to help you, that’s all.”

The she-wolf regarded him skeptically, but something in his earnest expression made her want to believe him. Maybe he did have her best interests at heart.

“Fine,” she said finally, her tone begrudging. “Ask your questions. But I'm done talking if they don’t help me remember anything.”

Thomas nodded eagerly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “Okay,” he said. “First question: do you know anything about a lost she-wolf? One that might be in danger?”

The she-wolf had been pacing around the room, but she came to a sudden halt and turned to face Thomas.

“Lost she-wolf? Should I know anything about that?” she snapped, her voice tinged with annoyance.

Thomas hesitated for a moment but then was truthful with her. He explained that an Alpha accused them of aiding a fugitive. This accusation was grave and put their pack in danger.

The she-wolf’s eyes widened in alarm. Her heart raced with fear and panic. She wondered if the pack was after her. She looked at Thomas, hoping for reassurance.

“Do you think it’s me? Am I in danger? Am I putting your pack in danger?” she asked, her voice shaking with fear.

The intensity of her emotions took Thomas by surprise. Her sharp mind impressed him, even though she had lost her memories.

“I don’t know for sure,” he admitted. “We’re still trying to figure it out.”

The she-wolf’s eyes filled with tears. “What will happen to me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Thomas didn’t have an answer. He didn’t know what would happen to her and didn’t want to give her false hope.

“Honestly, I don’t know. But I see I’ve upset you, and that was not my intention.” They continued briefly chatting about the weather until Thomas felt the she-wolf was calmer.

Thomas turned back to look at her as he was about to leave. He could see the pain and fear in her eyes. He felt a pang of sadness as he realized how vulnerable she was.

“I can imagine you’re getting cabin fever staring at the same four walls,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

The she-wolf sighed. “Tell me about it. I’d give anything to feel the sun on my face, to breathe in the fresh air,” she said, her voice longing.

Thomas had an idea. “Why don’t I get you a good snack and take you to the gardens for a picnic?” he offered.

The she-wolf’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Thomas walked briskly through the sterile halls of the pack’s hospital with a newfound sense of purpose. He knew he had to act fast before Gabriel caught wind of what he was about to do. He quickly mind linked the pack leader, hoping to get his approval.

“Hey, boss, I’ll head back to the pack house shortly, but I wanted to let you know she is not lying, and I’ve taken it upon myself to fetch her a snack to enjoy outside. She needs fresh air, boss.”

There was a pause on the other end of the mind link, and Thomas could almost feel Gabriel’s displeasure. He braced himself for a scolding, but to his surprise, Gabriel relented.

“I wish you would have asked for permission rather than forgiveness,” Gabriel said, his voice strained.

Thomas let out a sigh of relief. He knew Gabriel trusted his judgment but knew he couldn’t afford to be reckless.

He found good choices for a picnic and then returned to the hospital room to retrieve the she-wolf.

“I’m back,” Thomas said, smiling at her. “Still want to head out?”

The she-wolf was by his side in a flash. As they made their way through the maze of corridors, they could both forget what was happening around them.

Thomas eventually excused himself, leaving the she-wolf alone in the garden, her face still aglow with the joy of being outside.