[Unwanted Marriage Series 2] RETURN OF THE LYCAN LUNA

Chapter 001

SERAPHINA

The water hit me like a thousand knives.

Cold.

So cold it stole the air from my lungs before I could even scream.

I kicked hard, fighting toward where I thought the surface should be, but the river had other ideas.

The current grabbed me and pulled me under like a hand closing around prey.

I broke through once, gasped in half a breath, then went under again.

My arms and legs moved slower now.

The cold was seeping into my bones, making everything heavy. I could not feel my fingers anymore.

This was it. I was going to drown.

Water rushed into my mouth and nose when I tried to breathe.

Panic clawed at my throat but my body would not respond the way I needed it to. I was sinking.

Desperation made me foolish. I stopped fighting the current and let my mind reach out instead.

"Please." The prayer formed without words. "Moon goddess, if you can hear me, I need one more chance. Just one. I will be stronger. I will find a way back to Cassandra. I will do better. Please do not let me die like this."

The prayer felt stupid even as I thought it. The moon goddess abandoned me the day she let Lucien force me into marriage with monsters. She did not care about me then and she would not care about me now.

The water closed over my head one last time. I stopped fighting. Let the current take me wherever it wanted.

Everything went black.

****

Something was touching my face.

I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids would not cooperate.

My whole body ached like someone had beaten me with clubs.

The touch came again. Gentle fingers on my forehead.

I flinched without meaning to. Every instinct I had left screamed that touch meant pain.

"Easy." A man's voice said calmly. "You are safe now. Just rest."

I wanted to ask where I was. Wanted to know who he was and what he wanted from me.

But exhaustion pulled me back down into darkness before I could force my mouth to work.

****

Time stopped making sense.

Sometimes I woke to find the man sitting beside the bed.

He would help me drink water even though my hands shook too much to hold the cup.

He brought spoonfuls of broth to my lips and waited patiently while I swallowed.

When fever made me shake and sweat, he changed the cool cloths on my forehead.

I caught glimpses of his face but my vision stayed blurry.

****

My head felt clearer when I woke this time. The fog had lifted enough that I could actually think in complete thoughts.

The man was there again, sitting in a chair he must have pulled close to the bed. When he saw my eyes open and focus on him, relief flooded his face.

I tried to speak but my throat felt like I had swallowed broken glass. He held up a hand.

"Take your time. You have been very ill."

He helped me sit up slowly and brought water. I drank it in small sips, testing whether my stomach would keep it down. When the cup was empty, I found my voice.

"How long?"

"Nine days since I found you." He set the cup aside and studied my face.

"You were barely alive when I pulled you from the riverbank. I was starting to worry you might never wake up properly."

Nine days. I had been unconscious for Nine days.

I tried to remember what lhappened but the memories came in fragments that did not fit together.

Where was here? Who was this man? Why was he helping me?

"My name is Donatus." He answered the questions before I could ask them. "I own farmland in this region. I was checking on my property when I found you washed up on the bank like a piece of driftwood."

He paused, giving me space to respond. When I did not, he continued carefully.

"What is your name?"

"Seraphina."

"Where are you from, Seraphina?"

Panic hit me like a physical blow. I tried to think about where I came from but the memories were all wrong. Jumbled.

"I do not..." My voice cracked. "I cannot remember properly. It is all confused."

Donatus leaned forward, concern written all over his face. "Do not push yourself. Memory loss is common after trauma. Especially near-drowning. It might come back gradually or it might not. For now you need to focus on getting your strength back."

I wanted to scream at him that I needed to remember now. I needed to know if Cassandra was safe. If Cassian got caught helping me escape. If they thought I was dead or if they were searching for me.

But my body was so tired. Just sitting up in bed took effort. So, screaming was beyond me.

****

Over the next few days my strength returned slowly. I could sit up without help.

I could eat full meals instead of just broth and could stand and walk a few steps before my legs started shaking.

Donatus brought me clean clothes that were too big but better than the torn, bloody dress I had been wearing.

He helped me walk around the small cottage, patient when I had to stop and rest every few minutes.

His kindness made me suspicious. No man had ever treated me gently without wanting something in return.

What did he expect from me? What would he demand as payment for saving my life?

But days passed and he never asked for anything. Never touched me except to help me walk. Never looked at me the way Leone used to look at me.

It confused me more than cruelty would have.

"Where are we exactly?" I asked one afternoon while he helped me walk to the window.

"The southern farming region."

My heart jumped at the name. Blackthorn.

"I need to return to my own pack soon," Donatus continued. "I have been away longer than I planned. The land does not manage itself."

He helped me sit in the chair by the window. Sunlight streamed through the glass, warm on my face.

"Where did you come from, Seraphina? Do you have family who might be searching for you?"

The question unlocked something in my broken memory. Suddenly I could see Cassandra clearly.

I remembered the naming ceremony. Remembered rejecting the mate bond in front of everyone and guards dragging me to the dungeons.

And I remembered Cassian. The tunnel, the escape, running to the cliff and him begging me not to jump.

I jumped anyway because it was the only way to make everyone believe I was dead.

But did it work? Did Cassian get away safely? What happened to Cassandra after I disappeared?

The not knowing felt worse than drowning.

"Seraphina?" Donatus's voice pulled me back. "What is wrong?"

I had to tell him something.

But how much could I trust this stranger who saved my life?

I took a breath and chose my words carefully. "I was running from dangerous people. I jumped into the water to escape them." The truth, just not all of it.

"I have nowhere to go. No one to turn to. If you take me back to where I came from, those people will find me. And if they find me, I am as good as dead."

Donatus was quiet, his face unreadable. "Who are you running from?"

"I cannot tell you that."

"Did you do something wrong? Or are you the victim in this?"

"I am the victim." The words came out harder than I meant them to. "But I know you have no reason to believe me. For all you know I could be a criminal. Or a liar. Or both."

He studied my face for a long moment. I forced myself to meet his eyes even though every instinct told me to look down, to make myself small and unthreatening the way I learned to do with Leone.

Finally Donatus stood. "I am leaving tomorrow morning to return to my pack."

My stomach dropped. Of course. He was done with me now. I had overstayed my welcome.

"You can come with me if you want."

I looked up sharply. "What?"

"I am offering you a place in my pack. But you need to understand what you would be agreeing to." His expression was serious.

"Bringing a mysterious stranger into my territory is a risk."

He moved toward the door, then paused with his hand on the frame.

"You have until morning to decide whether you trust me enough to follow me into the unknown."

The door closed behind him. I sat alone in the sunlight, staring at nothing.

Trust a stranger or die alone in the wilderness. Those were my choices.

I did not sleep that night.