Chapter 122: Why Can’t I recognize Her

LUCIAN’S POV

"Lucian."

Lucas’s voice brought me back to the meeting.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"You’re clearly distracted."

I glanced around the table. Several Alphas were watching me, waiting for my contribution to the discussion.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," I announced, rising from my chair. "There’s something I need to attend to."

Alpha Raymond frowned. "Is everything all right, Alpha Lucian?"

"Everything is under control. Please continue without me."

I turned toward Lucas. "I’ll be back shortly."

He nodded, although the look in his eyes told me he already understood why I was leaving.

Without another word, I walked out of the conference hall.

The moment I stepped into the corridor, I spotted the woman standing beside my guard. She immediately straightened when she saw me.

"Alpha."

I stopped a few feet away and studied her carefully, waiting for my wolf to react. But nothing happened.

Well? I asked him.

She’s not our mate, Lucian.

Are you certain?

I know what I felt that morning. I don’t recognize this woman.

My jaw tightened.

There was no reason for my wolf to lie to me. He had recognized our mate four years ago, even when I was too weak to move or open my eyes. If this woman was truly the one who had saved me, he should have recognized her immediately.

Yet she had mentioned the exact forest where I had almost died.

How could she possibly know about that incident?

"Alpha?" she called nervously. "Is something wrong?"

"Who are you?" I demanded.

She blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Who sent you here?"

"Nobody sent me, Alpha. I work here as a server."

"Don’t lie to me!"

She flinched. "Alpha, I don’t understand. Have I done something wrong?"

Before she could say anything else, I grabbed her by the throat and pushed her against the wall.

"Who sent you to impersonate her?"

Her eyes widened in terror as she grabbed my wrist.

"A-Alpha! Please! I don’t understand!"

"You’re not the woman who saved me!"

"But I am!" she protested, frowning in frustration. "I swear I’m the one! Why would I lie about something like that?"

I released her, and she immediately stepped away from the wall, coughing as she rubbed her neck.

"Please, Alpha," she said, looking upset. "I was only happy to see that you survived. I don’t understand why you’re treating me like this."

"The woman who saved me that morning was my fated mate," I said coldly. "My wolf recognized her. So if you’re truly that woman, why doesn’t my wolf recognize you now?"

She stared at me in shock.

"Your mate?"

"Answer my question."

She lowered her gaze, remaining silent for a moment before looking at me again.

"Alpha, my wolf had been sick for some time before I found you. The illness left her weak and unstable, so the healer prescribed strong suppressants to keep her dormant while she recovered. Even on that morning, I couldn’t communicate with her properly, so I couldn’t sense any mate bond."

"And now?"

She frowned, looking troubled.

"Her condition became worse, and I eventually lost my connection to her completely. I can’t hear her or shift anymore. The healers don’t even know whether she’ll ever return. Perhaps that’s why your wolf can’t recognize me."

I studied her suspiciously.

Her explanation wasn’t entirely impossible. Strong suppressants could interfere with a werewolf’s connection to their wolf, and I knew that certain illnesses could affect the mate bond.

However, something still bothered me.

Even if her wolf was dormant, why couldn’t mine recognize her?

What do you think? I asked my wolf.

I already told you, Lucian. She’s not our mate.

But what if her illness is affecting the bond?

I don’t know what’s wrong with her wolf. All I know is that I don’t recognize her.

I clenched my jaw.

I needed more than her explanation about a sick wolf. If she was telling the truth, she should remember what happened that day.

"Tell me exactly what happened that morning."

She nodded quickly.

"It was a Tuesday morning, four years ago. I remember because I’d gone into the forest between Blood Moon Pack and Silver Crest Pack to gather some herbs. It was around ten in the morning, although I can’t remember the exact time. That was when I found you lying beneath a tree. You’d been shot, and you were barely responding."

I remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"I told you I was going to get something to help you, then I went deeper into the forest to collect some herbs. When I returned, I crushed them, squeezed out the juice, and applied it to your wound."

She paused briefly.

"I stayed with you for a while, and eventually, you fell asleep. I wanted to wait until you woke up, but it was time for me to take my medication for my wolf’s illness. I couldn’t afford to miss a dose, and you were too heavy for me to carry."

"So you left me there?"

"Yes, Alpha. I had no choice. But I returned later that evening to check on you. Unfortunately, you were no longer where I’d left you. I assumed someone had found you and taken you away."

I stared at her.

Her explanation matched what I remembered about that morning. I recalled hearing a woman’s voice telling me she would return, and I remembered something being applied to my wound before I eventually lost consciousness.

Even the details about the herbs sounded familiar.

For a moment, I found myself wondering whether my wolf could be mistaken.

But that seemed impossible.

I had trusted his judgment for years, especially when it came to matters concerning our mate. He had never given me any reason to doubt him.

And now, despite everything this woman had said, he continued to insist that she wasn’t the one.

"I don’t believe you," I said.

She frowned, clearly upset by my accusation.

"Alpha, I’ve told you everything I remember. If you don’t believe me, I don’t know what else to say."

She folded her arms, looking frustrated.

"I didn’t approach you because I wanted anything. I didn’t even know you were an Alpha, much less that you believed I was your mate. I was simply happy to see that you survived."

I said nothing.

"If you don’t believe me, we can pretend we never met. I don’t want any trouble, Alpha. Please excuse me."

She bowed slightly and turned to leave.

"Stop."

She immediately froze.

I turned toward my guard. "Take her to the car and remain with her."

The woman spun around.

"The car?" she repeated, looking alarmed. "Alpha, why? I haven’t done anything wrong!"

"You’re coming with me."

"But why?"

"You claim you’re the woman who saved my life. I’m going to investigate your story and find out whether you’re telling the truth. Unless there’s something you’re afraid I’ll discover."

"No, Alpha!" she replied firmly, frowning. "I’m not afraid of anything because I haven’t lied to you. But you’re treating me as though I’ve committed a terrible crime."

She shook her head in frustration before continuing.

"I don’t even have my wolf anymore, and I don’t feel any connection to you. Whether we’re mates or not, I wasn’t expecting anything from you. I only wanted to know that you were alive."

I studied her for a moment before turning back to my guard.

"Escort her to the car. Don’t let her leave until I return."

"Yes, Alpha."

The woman looked at me with a displeased expression before lowering her head.

"All right, Alpha. If investigating me will convince you that I’m telling the truth, then I have nothing to hide."

My guard gestured for her to follow him, and she reluctantly walked away.

I watched them disappear down the corridor, my mind racing.

The woman knew things about that morning that very few people could have known. Her explanation about her wolf sounded reasonable, but mine continued to insist that she wasn’t our mate.

Before I could dwell on it any further, I suddenly sensed a familiar presence behind me.

I turned around and saw Lucas standing there with his arms folded across his chest.

"So, she’s your mate?" he asked.