Freya's POV "Because you vanished," I said quietly. "Our parents died. And I was the only one left." Even now, saying those words made my throat tighten. Arthur and Myra had carried so many hopes for us-hopes we never lived up to. Their greatest regret, before their final mission with the Iron Fang Recon Unit, was that neither their son nor their daughter had found a mate or started a family. So when they were gone… I made a choice. I left active service, and I married." Just not the right man. Parker turned sharply toward me. "Your mate wasn't Silas?" "No." I drew a long breath. "His name was Caelum. Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, head of SilverTech Forgeworks. We severed our bond five months ago." Parker hesitated, the question thick in his voice. "Did he… treat you badly?" I let out a low, humorless laugh. "I was merely his second choice. The one he settled for when what he truly wanted slipped through his fingers. He wanted far too much, and the things I needed… he could never give. Three years of marriage, and all of it was nothing more than my own private illusion. So I ended it." Parker's jaw tightened. "A man like that… doesn't deserve you." I almost smiled. "If you were the brother I remember-the Eric who never let anyone hurt me-you'd be threatening to break Caelum's jaw right about now." His lips pressed into a thin line, his shoulders drawing taut. "Freya… what if I never recover my memories? Will you still call me your brother?" I stared at him. Not at Parker, the stranger who wore my brother's face. But at the man who, piece by piece, instinct by instinct, still felt like Eric. "My brother," I murmured, "was the one person in this world-besides our parents-who loved me without condition. From the moment I was born, he shielded me. His life for mine… he would've made that trade without a second thought. And I would do the same for him." My throat ached. "A man like that-if he ever regains his memories-should not wake up one day and regret the choices he made while he was lost." I looked at him steadily."So instead of asking whether I'll still recognize you… maybe you should ask yourself whether you want to be Eric, or whether you want to stay Parker Williams forever." A deep silence fell over the vehicle. When we reached a quiet service station along the route to Ashbourne, I stepped out to refuel. The cold night air bit at my skin, sharp and clean. When I slid back into the car, I tossed Parker the keys. "You're driving the next two hours," I said. He nodded. "All right." We switched seats. And as soon as his hands wrapped around the wheel, I felt something twist painfully in my chest. Even without his memories, his driving posture, the subtle angle of his wrist, the way he leaned into turns… all of it was exactly the same. Eric had taught me how to drive. I still remembered his hands guiding mine on the wheel-steady, confident, patient. Now those same hands were in front of me again, belonging to a man who didn't know me. By the time we reached Ashbourne, the moon was sinking low, and the world lay quiet in its silver glow. "Let's find an inn for the night," I said as I opened the car door. "We'll go to the Ashbourne Legion's Hall of Martyrs in the morning." My foot had barely touched the ground when Parker spoke. "How did they die?" He wasn't asking as Parker. He was asking as Eric. I turned back toward him. "Three years ago," I said slowly, "they were deployed overseas with the Iron Fang Recon Unit. Their convoy was ambushed. They died protecting each other. When their bodies were recovered, they were still locked together. The medics couldn't separate them." My breath trembled. "But the Legion honored them. They were cremated together abroad and flown home."Parker's voice faltered. "Did… did anyone go with you to receive their ashes?" My fingers curled at my sides. "There was no one." The memory of that day still cut like cold metal-the silent airfield, the weight of the urns in my arms, the way the officer's voice broke when he offered condolences. Parker's voice cracked. "Freya… I'm sorry." "I wasn't alone," I said softly. "The Iron Fang Recon Unit stood with me when the plane arrived in the Capital. And when we brought our parents home to Ashbourne, the Legion honored them. So many people came to see them off." My eyes lifted to his. "But when I stood before their memorial stone that day, I made a vow. As long as I lived, I would find you. I would bring you home. I would take you to see them-so they could finally rest." Parker's lips trembled. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. "Your disappearance," I continued, voice low and steady, "was the one regret they carried into death. They intended to go search for you after that mission. But fate never gave them the chance." "Freya…" The name broke in his throat. "You are Eric. Son of Arthur and Myra. Scion of Stormveil's fifth branch. A warrior of Iron Fang. My brother." I leaned forward. "You have always been principled. You have always stood between your family and harm. If someone insulted our parents, you would never tolerate it." I held his gaze. "So tell me-does a man like that really want to beg mercy for someone like Jenny?" The words struck him like a physical blow. I could feel it-the jolt in his breath, the tremor in his aura, the way his wolf recoiled. He pressed a fist to his forehead, jaw clenched hard enough to crack bone. "I-" His voice broke. "I don't know what's happening to me.""Unless," I said quietly, "Jenny is holding something over you. Unless she's using you. Unless there's a reason you feel forced to protect her." His eyes snapped up to mine. And for the first time since I found him, I saw fear. Not for himself- but for the possibility that he had betrayed everything he once believed in. "Parker," I whispered, "look at me." He did. "What did she do to you?"