AT THE SAME TIME
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
The scent of rich broth and slow cooked meat filled the castle halls as Elias worked in the kitchen, a satisfied hum escaping him as he stirred the large pot. The moment the aroma hit my nose, I knew it was different from anything our chefs had made before. It was her food. Wanessa's food. Michael stood beside him, arms crossed.
"You sure this will work?"He asked.
Elias smirked.
"You tell me, can you smell that? That's the soup she used to eat in Blue Moon Pack. If anything can bring her back inside, this will."Elias said.
Terrence frowned.
"What I don't get is why is she like this? She's a werewolf. She should instinctively eat meat, right? Why is she acting like she's…"Terrence started.
Elias finished stirring and turned to us, wiping his hands on a cloth. His golden eyes gleamed with something close to relief.
"Because before the incident, she was a werewolf. A strong one. The Alpha and Luna's daughter. She wasn't just some lost pup, she was next in line to lead the entire pack."Elias confessed.
Michael stiffened.
"What?"He asked.
Elias chuckled.
"You didn't know? Before she left the pack, she was our heir. Strong, fast, one of the best hunters we had. But after that incident at fifteen, everything changed."He sai.
"Changed how?"I asked.
"She lost her memories. And with it her instincts. 'She' took over."He said.
I didn't like the way he said that.
"She?"I asked.
"The person she became after the incident. The one who forgot who she was, who started acting differently, eating differently, thinking she wasn't from here." He leaned forward, eyes serious. "That's why I'm happy now. Because she's finally turning back into who she was supposed to be."
Silence filled the kitchen. I turned to the pot, watching as the soup simmered. The smell of it was already drifting toward the open door. I didn't know what to think. Wanessa thought she was from another world. She acted like she didn't belong. But Elias was standing here, telling us that wasn't true. That it was just the aftermath of her memory loss.
Michael ran a hand down his face.
"So you're saying, what? She was never from another world? It was all in her head?"Michael asked confused.
Elias shrugged.
"Her mind might have created something to fill in the blanks. But she was always ours. That's why I'm happy she's turning back to normal."He said.
Normal. I turned toward the door, thinking of Wanessa sitting outside in the garden, eating plants like a lost creature. Was this really "normal"? And more importantly, who would she be when she came back inside?
Terrence was the first to move.
"We should take it to her."He said.
The soup's rich, savory scent wafted through the halls as Michael carried the tray, careful not to spill a drop. We all knew that if this didn't work, there was no telling how much further Wanessa would slip away from us. Elias followed closely behind, his golden eyes sharp with expectation.
"She won't be able to ignore it." He murmured. "Her body remembers, even if she doesn't."
I wasn't sure how I felt about that. If what Elias was saying was true, that Wanessa had always belonged here, that she had just forgotten, then that meant everything she had told us about being from another world was just an illusion. A false memory. But the way she spoke about it, the way she ached for the food, the customs, the life she swore she had before… or was there something we weren't seeing? We stepped outside into the garden, where Wanessa was still crouched low to the ground, pulling at another handful of leaves. She chewed on them absently, her white fur blending into the pale light of early evening. She looked almost feral, like a lost creature that didn't know where it belonged.
Michael stiffened.
"She's still eating those damn plants."Michael groaned.
"She's starving." Elias corrected. "But nothing feels right to her."
Terrence took a slow step forward.
"Wanessa?"He said.
Her ears twitched, but she didn't turn.
"Wanessa. We brought you something."I said.
Her head tilted slightly at that, but she still didn't look at us. Michael sighed, kneeling to set the tray down on the stone path beside him. The moment he did, the steam curled into the air, carrying that deep, familiar scent of home, cooked broth. Wanessa froze. The shift in her body language was instant. Her white tail twitched, her breathing hitched, and her nose lifted ever so slightly to the air. The muscles in her shoulders stiffened, her instincts fighting against something deep inside her. She recognized it. I glanced at Elias, who was watching with a knowing smile.
"Told you." He muttered.
"Wanessa. It's soup. Your soup."Michael said.
For the first time since we stepped outside, she turned her head. Her amber eyes flickered between us and the tray, filled with hunger, but also hesitation.
"It's okay." I said softly. "You can have it."
She stared at it. Her front paw shifted forward slightly, just an inch. Then another. We didn't move, didn't breathe. She took one slow step toward it, her movements cautious, controlled. Another. Her nose twitched again, catching the familiar scent of something her body desperately craved. Then, finally, she reached the bowl. She hesitated for just a second longer before lowering her head and taking the first sip. The moment the broth touched her tongue, something in her broke.
A low, involuntary whine slipped from her throat, her entire body shuddering as she took another eager mouthful. Then another. Then she was devouring it.
Lapping at the soup hungrily, as if she had been starving for years. My chest ached at the sight. Had she really been denying herself this for so long?
Michael sat back, exhaling in relief.
"Holy shit."He said surprised.
Terrence ran a hand through his hair, watching her.
"I didn't think it would work so fast."Terrence said.
Elias crossed his arms, smirking.
"Told you. She can't fight what she really is."Elias explained.
Wanessa continued drinking, the warmth returning to her body with every sip. She pressed closer to the bowl, the tension in her frame slowly melting away. I found myself kneeling beside her, unable to stop myself.
"Wanessa." I murmured.
She paused mid bite, turning her head toward me.
Her amber eyes were softer now, hazy but present.
"Does it taste good?" I asked quietly.
She hesitated before nodding once.
My chest tightened.
"Do you remember it?"I asked.
"...Yes."She whispered.
"That's because this is the food you were raised on, Wanessa. Your body knows it. This is what you ate before you left the Blue Moon Pack."Elias said.
She flinched at that, her ears pinning back slightly.
Michael frowned.
"Do you remember eating this before?"Michael ased.
She was quiet for a moment, her nose twitching as she stared at the half empty bowl.
"...I don't know."She whispered.
Elias sighed.
"That's okay. Your body does."He said.
"...But I'm not from here."She said. "I remember my world," she continued, her claws digging into the stone beneath her. "I remember the food I ate there. The places. The people. I remember who I was."
Elias exhaled.
"You had an accident, Wanessa. That's why you think that. The memory loss-"Elias started.
"No!"She snapped, standing up abruptly. "That's not it! I know who I am! And it's not this!"
"Whether or not that's true…" He nodded toward the soup. "This is still your food."Terrence said.
She growled lightly as she was protecting the soup with everything she had left.