The Rogue Luna Memory

Chapter 3

​The wind roared in Silas’s ears as he reached the edge of the stone railing, his hands grabbing empty air.

​He was a second too late.

​Below him, the white lace of Sienna’s bridal dress disappeared into the pitch-black shadows of the canyon. A moment later, a heavy splash echoed up from the rushing river below, cut short by the wild roar of the water.

​"SIENNA!"

​The scream tore out of Silas’s throat, rough and filled with pure agony.

​He didn't think. He didn't hesitate. Silas threw his hands over the stone ledge, ready to dive straight off the balcony after her.

​"Alpha, NO!"

​Strong arms wrapped around Silas’s waist, pulling him back from the ledge with brute force. Logan and three other guards threw their weight against him, dragging him back onto the cold stone floor of the balcony.

​"Let go of me!" Silas roared. His body expanded, his bones cracking and shifting as his inner wolf tried to burst free. "She’s in the water! Let me go!"

​"You won't survive that jump in your human form, Silas!" Logan shouted over the sound of the wind, his boots slipping on the stone as he struggled to hold his leader down. "The current is too fast! The rocks down there will break your bones before you even reach her!"

​"I don't care!" Silas snarled, his eyes glowing a deep, b****y crimson. "She’s my mate! She’s drowning!"

​With a surge of pure Alpha strength, Silas shoved Logan off him. Logan slammed hard against the stone wall, gasping for air. The other three guards stumbled back, terrified of the raw, dangerous power leaking out of their Alpha.

​Silas stepped back toward the railing, his breath coming in fast, ragged gasps. He leaned over the edge, staring down into the darkness.

​The river was a black, churning monster. In the spring season, the water ran too fast, sharp rocks hidden just beneath the surface. Even a fully shifted werewolf would struggle to swim through those rapids. And Sienna had jumped in wearing a heavy, water-logged gown.

​A sharp, agonizing pain suddenly pierced Silas’s chest, right over his heart.

​He staggered back, holding his chest as he dropped to one knee. The breath left his lungs in a painful rush. It felt like a hot blade was twisting inside his body.

​The mate bond.

​It was pulling. It was tearing. The invisible cord that tied his soul to Sienna was screaming under the strain. He could feel her cold terror, her pain, and then... a sudden, terrifying emptiness.

​No. No, no, no. Silas closed his eyes, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his suit jacket. She isn't dead. If she were dead, the bond would snap completely. It’s still there. It’s weak, but it’s still there.

​She was alive. Barely.

​"Logan," Silas rasped, his voice trembling as he forced himself to stand up.

​Logan pushed himself away from the wall, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm here, Alpha."

​"Sound the alarms," Silas ordered, his tone suddenly turning cold as ice. The grief in his face hardened into something dark and lethal. "I want every single warrior in this pack at the riverbanks right now. Call the tracking unit. Get the search dogs. I want both sides of the river searched for ten miles downstream."

​"Silas, it’s pitch black down there, and a storm is coming in," Logan warned, looking out at the dark clouds gathering over the mountains. "If she hit those rocks—"

​"I don't care about the storm!" Silas barked, stepping right into Logan’s space. "She is alive. I can feel her. If anyone stops searching before we find her, I will strip them of their rank and throw them out of this pack. Move!"

​"Yes, Alpha!" Logan bowed his head quickly and turned to sprint down the hallway, screaming orders to the guards waiting in the corridors.

​Silas stood alone on the balcony for a moment, the cold rain starting to fall from the sky, soaking through his black suit. He reached down and picked up one of Sienna’s high heels, left behind on the stone floor. He held the small shoe tightly in his hand, his jaw clenched so hard his teeth hurt.

​Why?

​The question burned in his mind like fire.

​How could a woman who loved him so deeply an hour ago suddenly look at him like he was a monster? They had spent months building their trust. She had smiled at him when they walked down the aisle. She had willingly offered her neck for his mark during the mating ceremony.

​She hadn't been acting. She had been genuinely terrified of him.

​"Alpha Silas."

​Silas turned his head sharply. Standing in the doorway of the balcony was Dr. Rebecca, the pack’s chief healer. Her hands were shaking, and her face was pale under the dim lights of the ballroom.

​"What is it, Rebecca?" Silas growled, his patience completely gone. "I need to join the search."

​"You need to see this first," Rebecca said, holding up a small glass vial filled with a faint gray powder. "I checked the goblet Sienna drank from right after the vows. Before she went out to dance with you."

​Silas froze. His eyes narrowed on the vial. "What is that?"

​"It’s Wolfsbane-Silver ash," Rebecca whispered, her voice tight with fear. "It’s an old, f*******n potion. It doesn't kill wolves, Alpha. It targets the mind. It erases specific memories—usually the memories tied to the person the wolf loves most."

​Silas felt the world tilt around him.

​The wedding. The drink. The sudden change in her eyes on the dance floor.

​She hadn't fallen out of love with him. She hadn't betrayed him.

​Someone inside his own packhouse had poisoned his bride on their wedding night, wiping him from her mind and turning her into a terrified stranger.

​Silas slowly looked down at the vial, his blood running cold.

​"Someone did this to her on purpose," Silas said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low rumble.

​"Yes," Rebecca nodded nervously. "And whoever did it had to be close to the inner circle to get near her cup during the ceremony."

​Silas tightened his grip on Sienna’s shoe until the leather creaked under his strength. The heartbreak in his chest burned away, replaced by a dark, murderous rage.

​Someone had stolen his wife’s memories. Someone had forced her to jump into a freezing river just to escape him.

​"Let them think she's gone," Silas whispered, his eyes flashing dangerous red through the dark rain. "Search the river. Find my wife. And when I find out who gave her this potion... I will make them bleed.”