Chapter 1

My head was splitting.

I jolted upright in bed, pressing my palms against my temples. Derek's proposal last night was still vivid in my mind—that diamond ring sparkling in the moonlight. I'd been too excited to sleep.

But—

"Where am I?"

The scene before me snapped me to full consciousness. This wasn't my tiny dorm room bed, but an enormous four-poster wooden bed carved with intricate wolf head designs. The room was spacious like a suite, sunlight streaming through blinds onto hardwood floors, the air thick with the scent of pine.

"How did I get here?" I leaped from the bed, bare feet hitting the cold floor. "Last night I was definitely in my dorm..."

Expensive skincare products lined the vanity, and the closet was filled with high-end clothing I'd never seen before. The wall decorations carried a heavy forest theme—antlers, pinecones, and strange moon totems.

This was definitely not my room!

Footsteps echoed from outside the door, light and cautious. I stared nervously toward the entrance, my heart pounding like a drum.

"Click—"

The sound of the door handle turning made me hold my breath.

A small head peeked through the crack. Golden-brown curls, lake-blue eyes, looking no more than five or six years old. The child looked at me timidly, his eyes holding a complex mix of longing and fear.

"Mama?" the little boy called softly, his voice as tender as a kitten's mew.

I was thunderstruck.

"What did you call me?" I stared in disbelief, eyes wide. "I'm not your mother!"

The little boy was startled by my fierce reaction, immediately stepping back as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Mama, are you feeling better?" his voice trembled. "Asher missed you so much..."

"Wait, wait!" I crouched down, trying to appear less frightening. "Child, you must have the wrong person. I'm not..."

My words died in my throat.

Wait.

If this child had mistaken me for someone else, why was I in this strange room? I clearly remembered Derek proposing last night, celebrating in our dorm until late...

But now I was in a completely unfamiliar place, facing a child calling me "Mama"?

"I don't understand..." I shook my head, my brain in complete chaos. "What's going on? I should be in my dorm..."

Asher cautiously entered the room, his eyes fixed on my face as if searching for some familiar sign.

"Mama, do you really not remember Asher?" His small hand clutched a silver wolf head pendant. "Daddy said you were just sick and would get better soon..."

Daddy?

Those two words made my heart skip violently.

Just then, the door opened again. A young woman entered carrying a tea tray, visibly relieved to see me standing.

"Luna Monica, you're finally awake!" Her voice was full of concern. "Alpha Orlando said you needed rest—he'll be back soon. You look much better."

Luna Monica? Alpha Orlando?

I felt the world spinning. Orlando Black—that childhood neighbor boy, the shy teenager who always silently followed behind me.

"This is impossible..." I muttered. "What about Derek? We just got engaged last night..."

Beta Sarah looked at me puzzled: "Luna, what are you saying?"

I didn't answer but rushed to the vanity. My reflection in the mirror shocked me again—still my face, but more mature, smoother skin, and a completely different aura. Most strangely, my amber eyes seemed deeper than before, as if containing some mysterious power.

"This isn't real..." I reached out to touch the mirror surface. "This has to be a dream..."

Then I saw the photo frame on the vanity.

A wedding photo.

In the picture, I wore an exquisite white wedding dress, smiling brilliantly, and beside me was a man—tall, handsome, blue-eyed with black hair—Orlando Black himself. His arm was wrapped tightly around me, his eyes full of affection.

"No, no, no..." I grabbed the frame, fingers trembling. "This can't be real!"

At that moment, I saw myself in the mirror—a flash of golden light in my eyes, brief but dazzling like lightning.

I screamed.

The frame slipped from my hands, crashing to the floor with a "crack," glass scattering everywhere.

Asher jumped back in fright but didn't run, instead looking at me with concern: "Mama, what's wrong?"

Beta Sarah immediately rushed over: "Luna, are you alright? I'll contact the Alpha right away!"

"No!" I shouted. "Don't call anyone! Tell me, what year is it now?"

"2024, Luna." Beta Sarah answered carefully.

2024?

My legs gave out. If it was 2024, that meant... eight years had passed. Eight years! I'd completely lost eight years of memories!

"Where's my Derek?" I asked desperately. "Derek Huntsman, my boyfriend—we just got engaged last night..."

"Luna," Beta Sarah's voice became serious, "you've been married to Alpha Orlando for five years. Asher is your son."

The room fell into terrible silence.

I looked at the little boy named Asher, who was watching me nervously with those lake-blue eyes. Suddenly, I saw the fear deep in those eyes—not fear of a stranger, but fear of being abandoned again.

"Mama..." Asher called softly, his voice trembling. "Did Asher do something wrong?"

Those words pierced through my heart like a sharp sword. This child was afraid of me, terrified, yet still hoped for my love.

I collapsed onto the bed's edge, holding my head in my hands. Eight years had vanished, Derek was gone, I'd inexplicably become someone else's wife and mother, and in this place filled with strange totems and mysterious atmosphere.

Most terrifying of all, Asher's expression told me—I must have hurt this child before.

"Will Mama ignore Asher like before?" the little boy asked quietly from the doorway, his voice barely audible yet every word like a needle.

I looked up to see Asher had retreated to the doorway, watching me with wounded eyes. He clutched that wolf head pendant tightly, his small body trembling.

This was my son. The son I had hurt.

And I couldn't even remember what I had done.