Forget Me, Hate Me, but Don’t Love Me

Chapter 3: A Game I Don’t Know How to Play

It's the way she looks at me that makes my skin crawl. Kiera's smile is too sweet, too practiced. She stands there with her hands behind her back, and she watches me like she knows something I don't—something she's about to use against me.

“So,” she says lightly but with an edge I can't ignore. “You’re back. How’s it feel? Being here, I mean.”

I blink at her because I am unsure how to answer. Every interaction with her feels like stepping into a trap. My instincts tell me not to trust her but I don’t even know why. I don’t remember her. Not really.

“It’s... strange,” I admit carefully. “I’m trying to figure things out.”

Kiera laughs and the sound is sharp and mocking. “Figure things out? Oh, Mara, there’s nothing to figure out. You did what you did. Now, it’s just a matter of dealing with the consequences.”

My stomach twists but I keep my expression neutral. “What consequences?”

Kiera takes a step closer and her eyes narrow as she lowers her voice. “You slept with him, Mara. Of all people, you chose him. And now you’re pretending you don’t remember? It’s almost funny.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut but I don’t flinch. I can’t show her how much they affect me even if I don’t understand what she's talking about. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kiera's smile grows wider and crueler. “Of course you don’t. Convenient, isn’t it? You forget everything—your betrayal, the baby, all of it.”

My heart stops. “The... baby?”

Her eyes gleam with satisfaction. “You flushed it out, Mara. Don’t you remember? Or did you forget that, too? You were always so good at playing innocent, so good at pretending to care.”

I feel the blood drain from my face and my mind spins with her words. A baby? No, that can't be true. I would remember something like that. Wouldn't I?

I take a deep breath and try to keep my voice steady. “You’re lying.”

Kiera tilts her head and her smile never falters. “Maybe I am. Or maybe you’re the one lying to yourself. After all, how would you know? You don’t remember anything, do you?”

I want to scream and to demand answers but something holds me back. This is what she wants—to get under my skin and to make me doubt everything. And it's working.

I turn away from her but her voice follows me like a shadow. “You think you’re a victim here, Mara, but you’re not. You’re a spy, a double-cross. That’s what you do. You deceive people. You always have.”

I walk faster and my pulse races but Kiera's laughter echoes behind me cold and mocking. Her words cling to me like a second skin and fill my head with doubt.

A spy. A betrayal. A baby. What am I supposed to believe?

The hall feels too tight and suffocating. I hate having to entertain delegates, especially from the Vivek Pack. But it's part of the job and keeps this territory running. The trade agreements and the alliances are all just politics and a game of power.

I stand at the head of the long table with Rourke and Finn beside me as the delegates from Vivek settle in. Their leader is a short and stocky man named Thorne, and he glances around the room with his beady eyes calculating. I've never liked him but we need their resources.

“Alpha Lucian,” Thorne says tightly, “we appreciate your hospitality. I must extend my condolences again for... your sons.”

The room falls silent and I feel the tension ripple through my Betas. Rourke stiffens beside me and his jaw is tight. I clench my fists under the table and keep my face neutral. The loss of my sons is not something I care to discuss, especially not with these vultures.

Rourke speaks up before I can. “That subject is not open for discussion,” he says firmly. “We suggest you refrain from mentioning it again.”

Thorne's smile falters and he shifts in his seat. “Of course. My apologies.”

I grit my teeth and force myself to focus. “Let's move on to business,” I say coldly. “You’re here to finalize the Ink Treasury deal.”

Thorne nods eagerly. “Yes, the SwordFish ink from our coastlines has been in high demand. We’re looking to increase production but we’ll need access to the Iradel Pack’s shipping routes to make that possible.”

Rourke leans forward and says carefully, “That can be arranged but you understand the risks. Shipping through our routes means dealing with the Crescent Moon pirates. They’ve been more aggressive lately and attack anything that moves near the border.”

Finn smirks and looks at me. “Unless, of course, you want to negotiate with the pirates yourselves. They might be open to making a deal with you.”

Thorne chuckles nervously and shakes his head. “No, no. We prefer to keep our dealings with more... reputable packs.”

I nod and lean back in my chair. “Good. Then we can arrange for the shipments. We’ll take a percentage of the sales as usual and your ink will reach its destinations without issue.”

Thorne hesitates for a moment and then nods. “Agreed. But there is one more matter...”

My eyes narrow and I watch him carefully. “What matter?”

Thorne clears his throat and looks at his fellow delegates. “There have been rumors that Alpha Ramus is seeking an alliance. He’s been offering to trade his own ink—extracted from rare SwordFish—for access to more territory.”

The mention of Ramus makes my blood boil. My half-brother broke away from our pack decades ago to form his own useless rebellion. He's been nothing but a thorn in my side and always tries to undermine me and seeks power he doesn't deserve.

“Ramus is a fool,” I say sharply. “He’s been trying to buy his way into alliances for years. He doesn’t have the resources or the strength to back up his claims.”

Finn chuckles but his laugh sounds strained. “Ramus’s pack is weak. They’ve been losing ground for years. He’s desperate.”

Thorne shifts uncomfortably. “Still, he’s been gaining support. Some packs are willing to consider his offers, especially with the SwordFish ink. It’s valuable and some believe he has access to a larger supply.”

I feel the anger rise in my chest but I force myself to stay calm. Ramus has always been a problem but he's never been a threat. If he thinks he can worm his way into our territory, he's delusional.

“Ramus will never be a threat to Iradel,” I say firmly. “If he dares to challenge us, I’ll deal with him myself.”

Rourke nods in agreement and says quietly, “Ramus doesn’t have the strength or the numbers. If he comes for us, we’ll crush him.”

Thorne offers a tight smile and looks uncomfortable. “Of course, Alpha Lucian. We wouldn’t dream of aligning with someone like Ramus. He’s... unpredictable.”

I stand and signal the end of the discussion. “Good. Then let’s finalize the deal.”

We walk toward the entrance of the gates and my mind drifts back to more important matters. Ramus is a nuisance but he's not worth my time. If he comes knocking, I'll be ready.

But as we reach the gates, the sound of murmured voices pulls me from my thoughts. The delegates stop suddenly and their eyes widen in surprise.

“Luna!” one of them gasps and bows slightly.

My heart skips a beat and I turn to see Mara standing with her maid. She looks just as shocked as I feel.

The delegate with the big mouth, the one who seems to have no sense of tact, steps forward and his eyes are wide with curiosity. “Luna... how have you been since the last we heard of you? The news we received was that you had—”

Rourke steps forward and cuts him off. “That’s enough,” he says sharply. “We should leave.”

The delegates murmur in agreement and bow again before retreating through the gates. I watch them go and my heart pounds in my chest. Mara doesn't move and her eyes are fixed on mine, full of questions I can't answer.

I want to say something, anything, but the words die on my tongue. I can see it in her eyes—the confusion, the doubt. She wants to ask me, to demand answers. But I can’t give them to her. Not yet.

So I turn and walk away, leaving her standing there alone with her questions.

Later that night, as Delilah carefully works through the tangles in my hair, I can't stop thinking about what happened at the gates. Those men who were with Lucian, they knew something about me.

"Who were those men?" I ask casually but my heart is racing. "The ones with Lucian."

Delilah doesn't look up from her task. "They're his Betas and the others were delegates from another pack, Vivek."

I nod but my mind is still spinning. "And... what was that one delegate trying to say? He seemed like he was going to mention something about me."

Delilah's hands still for a moment before she sighs. "It's forbidden to talk about certain things in the Alpha's crib. Especially... things related to you."

My heart sinks. "Why?"

Delilah shakes her head and resumes her work. "Because the Alpha decreed it so."

I turn to look at her and say desperately, "But why? What are they hiding from me?"

Delilah meets my gaze and her eyes are full of sympathy but also fear. "I can't tell you, Luna. It's not my place."

I feel frustration build inside me. "Please, Delilah. I need to know."

But she just shakes her head and refuses to say more. "I'm sorry, Luna. I really am."

I let out a breath and my chest is tight with anger and confusion. No one will talk to me. No one will tell me what's going on. It's like I'm walking through a maze with no way out.

"Fine," I say abruptly. "You can go. I'll figure this out on my own."

Delilah hesitates and her eyes are full of worry but she nods and leaves quietly, closing the door behind her.

I sit on the edge of the bed and my mind is racing. If no one's willing to help me then I'll have to do the digging myself. There are too many secrets here and too many lies. I'm done waiting for someone else to tell me the truth.

Tomorrow I'll find out what they've been hiding. No matter what it takes.