Chapter 373
Freya finds herself alone with Parker in a private room of the restaurant, where she confronts him with the painful truth: he is actually her brother, Eric Thorne, though he has lost all memory of his past and their family legacy. Despite his cold and distant demeanor, Freya tries to reach him by reminding him of their shared history and offering proof through DNA results. She pleads with him to reclaim his identity and remember who he truly is.
Parker listens but remains skeptical and emotionally guarded. He reveals the trauma he endured in D-country, where he was abused and forced into harsh circumstances, and how he escaped with only Lina’s care to rely on. Though he acknowledges Freya’s efforts and the debt he owes her for saving him, he resists returning to the life and name of Eric Thorne. Instead, he clings to the identity of Parker Williams, the name tied to those who saved him.
Freya is heartbroken by his rejection but senses the conflict within him. Parker’s wolf instincts and his vulnerability show that he is deeply torn between his past and present selves. In a fleeting moment of connection, he almost reaches out to her but pulls back, offering only a card and a quiet promise that she can call on him if she ever wants something in return.
As he leaves, Freya is left with a mixture of sorrow and hope. The reunion she longed for has come with unexpected pain, as her brother walks away as a stranger named Parker Williams, while she remains the sister he cannot yet remember. The chapter ends on a note of emotional complexity, highlighting the struggle between identity, memory, and family bonds.
Chapter 373
Freya’s Perspective
Parker gave a single nod, and Jenny quickly excused herself from the corridor, her heels clicking briskly against the polished marble floor as she retreated. The sound echoed sharply, then faded into the background.
Kade shifted his gaze toward me, his voice dropping to a low, protective tone. “Do you want me to stay with you p>
I shook my head gently. “No, you should go back to the booth. I’ll manage on my own p>
Turning my attention to Parker, who stood beneath the soft glow of the silver lanterns that hung from the restaurant ceiling, I noticed the quiet intensity in his presence—like a wolf holding back an inevitable transformation. “Let’s talk inside,” I suggested, nodding toward a nearby private room that sat empty and bathed in gentle moonlight.
He responded with a brief nod. “Alright p>
Together, we stepped through the door into the small, secluded chamber. As the door clicked shut behind us, the noise from the dining hall—the clinking of glasses, the faint hum of laughter—dissolved until all that remained was the charged silence between us.
I faced him squarely.
No, I faced my brother.
Eric Thorne.
Though he no longer remembered his own name or the Stormveil crest that marked our family’s legacy, I held onto every fragment of our shared past. I recalled vividly the last time I saw him, standing tall in his uniform, sunlight glinting off his insignia before the border fires swallowed him whole.
“You’ve lost your memories,” I began softly, my throat tightening with emotion. “But I can tell you who you were. Who you really are p>
He tilted his head slightly, the faintest flicker of wolf instincts stirring beneath his calm exterior. “You’re saying I’m the brother you’ve been searching for. That I’m part of your family p>
“Yes,” I replied simply, my voice steady despite the ache inside.
A humorless smile ghosted across his lips. “And why should I believe you? Because you once took a bullet for me in D-country p>
His words hit like claws scraping across my skin. My chest constricted, and a burning heat rose behind my eyes.
He used to laugh when I cried, teasing me out of my moods by ruffling my hair. “Don’t be afraid, Freya,” he’d say, his voice warm like the summer sun. “You’ve got me. Your brother will always protect you p>
I’d grin back, full of youthful bravado. “Maybe one day I’ll protect you instead. But if I get hurt doing it, don’t be too moved, alright p>
He’d chuckle, flick my forehead, and warn me with a mock scowl, “If you ever get hurt for me, I’ll be furious. Remember—when danger comes, protect yourself first. Always p>
That promise now echoed in my mind like an old song playing faintly on a cracked radio—familiar, yet painfully out of reach.
“I have proof,” I said quickly, pulling my WolfComm device from my coat pocket. “DNA results. I made copies. If you don’t trust me, we can go to a new lab tomorrow. You’ll see for yourself p>
He leaned in just enough to glance at the glowing screen. His eyes scanned the data briefly, then lifted back to meet mine—cold, distant, unreadable. “So what if it’s true? What difference does it make p>
The calmness in his voice felt harsher than any anger.
“I want you to reclaim your identity,” I said earnestly. “You’re Eric Thorne of Stormveil—my brother, the rightful heir of the Thorne line. I can help you remember p>
For a long moment, he remained silent. Then his gaze dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t remember who I was. All I know is D-country—the pain, the fear. Every day was a fight to survive. I was beaten, used, forced into things that stripped away everything human in me. When I escaped, there was no family, no names. Only Lina p>
His tone softened slightly at the mention of Lina—the woman who had saved him, cared for him when the rest of the world turned its claws against him.
“I’ve been searching for you all this time,” I admitted, my voice trembling but relentless. “I imagined over and over how you might have survived, what you might have endured. But hearing it—from you—it hurts more than I ever expected p>
He looked away, his jaw tightening with unspoken pain.
“The Iron Fang Recon Unit never stopped looking,” I continued. “The Stormveil Council, our parents—everyone believed you’d perished in the border blaze, but you didn’t. You survived because you were strong. You were meant to come back p>
“Military?” he muttered as if the word itself was foreign to him.
“Yes,” I affirmed. “You were a soldier. You disappeared during a classified mission, right before the border fires engulfed the outpost. We never gave up on you, Eric. Not once p>
My voice cracked as I said his name.
“Father and Mother…” I swallowed hard. “Even their last message before they went abroad said: ‘Find Eric. Bring him home p>
He raised a hand, cutting me off. “I’m not ready to be Eric Thorne p>
His words cut deeply, slicing through me.
“As for D-country,” he added quietly, “you saved me there. I owe you my life. If there’s any way I can repay that debt, tell me. Whatever’s within my reach, it’s yours p>
I froze in place. I had braced myself for disbelief, even anger—but not this quiet, resigned kindness.
“Why?” I whispered, barely able to meet his eyes. “Why reject who you are? You’re my brother. You have no blood ties to the Williams line. You don’t need to live under their name anymore, pretending to be one of them p>
He let out a low, mirthless laugh. “I know I share no blood with the Williams family. But the truth is, my life was theirs to save. I owe them that debt too. So I remain Parker Williams p>
His eyes locked onto mine, raw vulnerability hidden beneath the steel.
Even as he denied me, a flicker of guilt passed through his gaze. His wolf stirred uneasily, sensing my pain as if it were his own.
Then, almost imperceptibly, he reached out—a mere fraction of a movement—his hand hovering in the space between us. I thought he might brush my cheek, let instinct mend what memory had shattered. But he pulled back, curling his fingers into a fist.
“I can’t be what you want me to be,” he said softly. “But if you ever decide what you want in return, call me p>
He reached into his pocket and produced a card. The scent of crisp parchment mixed with cologne and the faint iron tang of moonlight filtering through the window. He slipped it into my hand.
Without another word, he turned, his footsteps slow but determined, and opened the door.
A rush of cool, sterile air from the hallway swept in.
I stood there, the card trembling between my fingers, the scent of my brother—the wolf, smoke, and regret—fading with every step he took away from me.
For years, I had dreamed of this reunion. But I never imagined it would hurt so much.
He had walked away as Parker Williams, leaving me behind as Freya Thorne—his sister, forgotten by his mind but never by his blood.
The fragile bridge between Freya and Eric, once a symbol of hope, now trembles under the weight of lost memories and divided loyalties. Their reunion, steeped in pain and unspoken truths, reveals the complexity of identity and the enduring power of family bonds, even when fractured by time and trauma. Freya’s unwavering belief in their shared past contrasts with Eric’s hesitant refusal to reclaim a life he no longer recognizes, underscoring the heartache of loving someone who is, in many ways, a stranger.
Yet, beneath the sorrow lies a quiet promise—a card exchanged, a door left ajar—that hints at the possibility of future reconciliation. Though Eric chooses to remain Parker Williams for now, the connection between them remains alive, fragile but unbroken. This chapter poignantly captures the tension between memory and reality, love and loss, and the enduring hope that even the deepest wounds may one day heal.
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the fragile and complex bond between Freya and Parker, who is still grappling with the shadows of his lost identity. As Freya clings to the hope of rekindling the memories that once bound them, Parker’s refusal to embrace his true self hints at an internal struggle that could either tear them apart or bring them closer in unexpected ways. The emotional weight of their reunion lingers heavily, setting the stage for moments charged with vulnerability and raw honesty.
Expect tensions to rise as Freya’s determination to reclaim their shared past clashes with Parker’s reluctance to abandon the life he’s built under another name. The subtle gestures and unspoken words between them will reveal the depth of their pain and longing, while the presence of Lina and the mysterious Williams family add layers of complexity to their already tangled relationships. This chapter will test the limits of loyalty, identity, and forgiveness, leaving readers eager to uncover whether the bonds of blood can withstand the scars of betrayal and loss.
Florence
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.