Nero could not stand the constant beeping. It was a repetitive, lifeless sound that droned out of time to every rise and fall of Karina’s chest. He could hardly stand to see his mate this way, so pale and limp. She had a strange, clear piece over her mouth and nose that fogged with her breath. The human man – Carson – had said that it was to help aid her breathing, but Nero hated it, just as he despised the tendrils they had stuck to her skin. They all fed back to the beeping box and Nero knew Karina would feel sickened further by it all if she were awake. Nothing made her more uncomfortable than straying into zones where ships passed overhead. All reminders of humanity made her shake. He only hoped he had not made the wrong choice in bringing her here.

He reached out and took one of her hands. Lifting it from the soft surface of the elevated board, he began to stroke his thumb over the top of the smooth skin. She was breathing and her heart was beating, and for now, that was enough. He longed for her to wake, but at least she was clinging to life.

Nero leaned forward and pressed his lips to her brow and tangled the fingers of his free hand in her hair while his other hand kept a hold of hers. “I love you,” he whispered as he ran his fingers through her blonde tresses. They were dry and tangled and matted down with sand and sweat and sickness, but even with how bone pale and veiny her skin had become, even with the odour of death clinging to her, she was still beautiful. He could never look upon her and not find her so, but he wished for nothing more than for her soft brown eyes to open and meet his gaze.

But she did not. Instead, her breath rasped from her lips and fogged the face covering she wore.

“Rest now,” he urged. “Heal and come back to me.”

There was no response, but Nero did not need one. He loved her and he knew that she loved him. And he had the faith that she would recover and open her eyes again, once she was strong enough.

His gaze wandered to her other hand. It was just as limp, lying by her side, but it was the slender, clear tendril being fed into the back of her hand that drew his attention. He had snarled at Carson when he first discovered it. The man had stopped him from tearing it out. But Nero had relented upon the explanation that it was feeding Karina nutrients and medicines that she needed. She was not able to consume them naturally, so they needed to be provided more directly. He did not like it and Karina would like it even less, but he knew she had been too long already without proper sustenance to recover without aid. For now, she needed it, so he tolerated it with a lump in his throat.

He shifted his weight to give her a bit more space. She was warm to the touch, with beads of moisture forming on her neck and brow, and though he always wanted to keep her warm, he knew she was still feverish and should not get too warm. There was not much room on their current perch, so he let part of the dark gray limb hang over the side.

Using the corner of the material on their perch, he wiped her brow dry and then continued to stroke her hair.

When Carson returned, Nero glanced up at him. Carson nodded in greeting and then moved around Karina’s other side. He had the same tendril around his neck that he had used the first time. He pressed it to Karina’s chest and held it there for a few heartbeats. Nero stared at him expectantly. “Her heart rate is normal again,” Carson reported. “Her breathing is deep, but I want to leave the mask in place for now, just in case.”

“She is getting better?” Nero pressed.

Cason remained silent for another few heartbeats while he pressed the back of his hand to Karina’s brow. “Still warm. This is one hell of a fever she’s fighting off, but it does seem to be breaking slowly. She is recovering, it’s just going to take some time.”

Carson stepped away and started rummaging through things in various wooden crevices that Nero did not fully understand. His eyes narrowed with concern as the man pulled out something with a very sharp point. He proceeded to fill it with fluid, but when he turned back towards Karina, Nero growled and bared his teeth.

“Relax, it’s alright. I’m not going to hurt her, Nero. I just need to give her another dose of antibiotics. The fever needs to break if she’s going to actually get better. This will help with that.”

Nero hissed and lashed his tail, but he knew everything up to this point would be pointless if he refused Carson’s aid now, so he caved.

Even still, Carson remained motionless before he smiled softly. “I know it’s required a lot of blind faith for you to trust us, Nero. I appreciate your patience.” He leaned over Karina, but instead of pricking her, he stuck the sharp tip of the object into the clear tendril already in her hand.

Nero held his breath as Carson gave Karina the medication. It was foolish of him, he knew that no medicine existed that could work instantly, but he still found himself hoping for a reaction from his mate. He slumped when there was none.

“She is getting better, Nero. I know she’s still pale, but her colour has improved, she’s breathing normally, and her fever is finally starting to break. She just needs to rest, so it’s just going to take some time, alright?”

Nero nodded. He accepted everything Carson was saying. It was not the man’s words that were shadowing his mind with doubt, but rather the uneasy scent that Carson was trying to conceal from his tone. “If she is getting better, why do you sound so worried still?”

Carson began rubbing the back of his neck as he studied Karina. “I’m using the antibiotics to keep her fever at bay so that Karina can fight her illness better. They’ve been used a lot for human patients…but never on a Mer. I’m just not sure if there will be any side-effects or not.”

“What sort of side-effects?”

Carson shrugged. “If there are any, hopefully it won’t be anything worse than some headaches or nausea,” he explained.

Nero pursed his lips. “But you are not sure how bad it could be?”

“That’s why I’m worried.”

He grimaced and glanced back down at Karina’s slumbering form. Her brows had furrowed as though plagued by an unpleasant dream. Nero picked her hand up once again and gave it a squeeze.

As he did, the furrow in Karina’s brows deepened and she frowned. Her lips pursed and her nose wrinkled, and she began to murmur in her sleep.

Nero tightened his grip on her hand and leaned over her. “Karina?” he called softly.

“Nero…it’s probably important to keep in mind that the first time she wakes up, she might not actually be awake,” Carson warned. “She’s still got a fever; she might not regain full consciousness and might be confused or fall back asleep. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up or panic.”

Though he heard him, Nero ignored Carson. Karina was more important at the moment. “Karina,” he urged again while stroking her hand. “Wake up.”

As if she had heard his request, Karina’s eyes slowly fluttered open. The soft brown irises were unfocused and glossy. Her lips parted as if to say something, but then her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped back down as they closed once more.

Nero sighed. He was glad she was recovering, but it had been so much longer than Carson knew since he had last seen his mate open her eyes and truly see him. The last few times she had been so feverish, she was delirious. He was beginning to miss her terribly despite their current proximity. Karina chased away the loneliness in Nero’s heart and she had become the source of his bravery and joy since she had come into his life.

“I’m sorry, Nero,” Carson offered.

Nero shook his head. She had opened her eyes. He was disappointed, but that had been improvement enough to rekindle the hope in his heart. So long as she was alright, he would wait as long as he needed to. “She is healing,” he agreed. “Thank you…I…I do not know what I would have done…I cannot stand the idea of losing her. I am in your debt.”

“No,” Carson refused. “There Is no debt to be paid, Nero. This is what we do. You owe us nothing. We just want to offer your people a safe refuge to rest and seek aid if required.”

Nero nodded. He appreciated their kind gestures, but it was hard to tear his gaze away from Karina. Her face was still scrunched up and he could hear her heartbeat speeding up. Not erratically, but it was indicative that she was awake – just perhaps not enough to fully rouse – rather than the slow, rhythmic beats she would have if she were still ensnared by slumber. He was hoping she would open her eyes again, for longer this time.

Carson seemed to sense his distraction because he fell into silence too. He did not seem inclined to leave, but Nero could not be bothered to request he go. He did not care if the man lingered quietly. It was probably best to have the human healer nearby in case Karina took a turn for the worse, though he desperately hope that would not become necessary.

A sharp knocking at the entrance to this particular section of the human den made Nero’s head shoot up to examine the newcomer. Az and a human woman who bore a striking resemblance to Carson both lurked in view. “Devin, Az,” Carson greeted. “Is everything alright?”

Devin dipped her head and smiled, though her attention was on Nero. He held it in return. “I’m sorry we haven’t had the chance to properly meet yet. I’m Devin, Az and Carson’s sister. Would you be alright with us coming in?”

Nero held her gaze a moment longer before he nodded. She seemed genuine enough and he had already given trust to these people to help his mate. “I am Nero,” he returned the introduction. “This is Karina.” As he said her name, Nero returned his attention to Karina. It was easier now to notice the colour returning to her skin and she did not feel quite as warm to the touch. Whatever medicines Carson was giving her, they were working.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Nero,” Devin responded as she came further into the space. “Az and I figured there probably wasn’t much in the way of lunch happening in here, so we brought some down.”

“Thanks guys, you didn’t have to do that,” Carson replied.

Nero saw Devin offer her brother some sort of strange smelling food that Nero did not recognize. It was square and white, with what looked like leaves and smelled of meat poking out from the sides. It only held his attention for a moment before Az set a rounded vessel down on the perch. It had the sharp scent of fish, and was filled with small pieces floating in a pinkish liquid. Nero glanced at the other Mer with furrowed brows.

“You should eat,” Az urged. “I figured you would not enjoy your meal hot, but you did not seem to handle a full, rich meal earlier either. This should be easier to down. Just hold the bowl and tip it,” Az instructed while providing a demonstration.

Nero picked up the ‘bowl’ and found it smooth and strange in his hands. It had the texture of well-worn stone but was far more brightly coloured than any rock he had ever seen. He sniffed the mixture within hesitantly before mimicking Az’s earlier actions and tilting the bowl so that he could drink the contents. The fish chunks were small enough that Nero did not feel it necessary to chew, and once he had swallowed the first mouthful, his hunger urged him to drain the contents as quickly as possible. When he set it down once more, he noticed all three sets of eyes on him, and he flushed. “I apologize,” he coughed. He wiped some residue dribbling down his chin with the back of his hand.

“Don’t be,” Devin refused. “We get it. You’ve pushed yourself too hard. Are you still hungry? We can get some more.”

Nero shook his head. “No. Thank you, but I am fine.” He shifted awkwardly. He usually did not enjoy this much interaction with others. At least, not without Karina engaging with him. She was the talkative one, so it always felt more comfortable with her around. But she had nothing to contribute while still unconscious.

“Here, you should try this,” Devin suggested as she held out another vessel. This one was smaller than the bowl, with a more oblong shape, but seemed to serve the same purpose. There was a dark mixture inside and steam wafting off the surface.

“What is it?” Nero inquired.

“Coffee,” Devin supplied. “It’s good for feeling a bit more energized when you’re tired. No offense, but you look about ready to drop, but I don’t imagine we’re going to convince you to sleep right now, so you should have something to give you a little boost. I’ll warn you though, it’s got a strong taste. I haven’t yet met any Mer who are fond of it.”

Nero hesitated for a moment more before reaching out and cautiously accepting the warmed vessel from Devin. He sniffed it and his nose wrinkled. He knew she said it was strong, but it smelled foul. Surely there was no benefit to drinking it, yet Carson and Devin each had vessels of their own with the same sharp smell. He grimaced, but supposed it might be like medicine, which was rarely pleasant but necessary.

Reluctantly, he tipped the vessel close to his lips and drank far more hesitantly from it. It was hot, but not enough to scald, though the taste was sharp enough that Nero clenched his teeth to keep from gagging. It was not a pleasant mixture, but he was tired and if it would help him be more focused, it was worth the unpleasantness, so he decided to get it over with as quickly as possible.

It burned at his throat to tip the vessel once more and drink it just as rapidly as he had the food, but at least it got rid of the nasty liquid faster. Still, he choked and shook his head to adjust to the lingering taste on his tongue as he set the vessel down. He was glad to be rid of it.

“You took that like a champ,” Carson congratulated. “But as a doctor, I do have to recommend sleep over caffeine. You should rest. If not now, soon.”

Nero shook his head. “Not until I know she is alright.”

“Nero…Karina could sleep for hours still. All day, perhaps. It’s probably better that you get some sleep now, while you have the chance.”

Nero shook his head once more. “She will wake soon, I can sense it.”

He noticed Devin and Carson exchange a look. “Nero…I admire your dedication and I know you’re desperately hoping for that, but she’s going to need more time to recuperate, surely?” Devin pushed.

“Actually, Nero is right,” Az rebutted. “I can sense it too.”

Nero nodded his thanks and then returned his attention to his mate. Her face was all squished up with deep frown lines and she was beginning to shift on the perch. Her fins flicked and her head tossed from one side to the other as she began making muffled murmuring sounds once again. He squeezed her hand once more and then wondered if that was the catalyst, because her eyes snapped open and she shot upright with a gasp that pulled the face-covering off her mouth. It dropped to dangle around her neck. Nero had to rear back to avoid a head on collision with her, but afterwards, leaned in close to catch her as she swayed and nearly fell back over.

She groaned and brought a hand up to her head to shield her eyes. It was bright in here and he imagined that was not helping after how long she had been asleep.

“Karina,” he breathed. Her scent was so much better now that she was awake. There was still some lingering fever-smell, but it was far weaker. She was going to be okay. His heart surged and he leaned in to press his lips to hers while clinging to her desperately. He wanted to squeeze her to his chest, but he did not want to risk hurting her. She was probably still feeling fragile.

She pressed her hands to his chest, but when she began pushing at him, he grew concerned that he was hurting her. Or overstimulating her. He broke the kiss and released his grip so that she could pull away. Her eyes were wide and she looked confused and disoriented, and she was trembling. He worried she might topple over again. As her shaking morphed into fear, a whimper tumbled from her lips and she began frantically tearing at the mask still hanging around her neck until she was able to pull it over her head and discard it.

When she noticed Devin and Carson, she sunk low on the perch and bared her fangs. It was a surprisingly aggressive reaction for his mate, who was usually slow to anger and even slower to show it, but now she hissed openly. But there were tears in her eyes and Nero knew she was just terrified and confused.

She began pulling at all the little tendrils stuck to her skin before she noticed the one in her hand and whined again. As her hand moved to tear it, Carson shouted in protest. “No, leave that in…Nero, stop her or she’s going to bleed.”

Nero lurched forward and grabbed Karina’s hand. “Karina, it is alright,” he urged her, while his heart raced. “Look at me, you are alright. They are not going to hurt you, I promise.”

But his words did not earn him the reaction he was expecting. Instead, Karina’s eyes grew wider and she bared her teeth at him. The tears watering in her gaze began to spill over and she tugged at the hand still in his grip. “W-who are you?”

Nero faltered at the broken question that spilled in terrified clicks from his mate. His heart stalled and his grip loosened enough for her to pull away. How could she not know?

As soon as she was free of him, Karina tore the tendril from her hand and yelped as blood began to flow down her fingers.

“Karina,” Az whistled. “You do no know me, but my name is Az and I need you to listen. I know you are afraid, but we do not want to harm you. Put pressure on your hand for a few heartbeats and the bleeding will stop. I need you to just breathe, okay? I know this is probably very overwhelming, but you have been very ill, and you are probably feeling very weak and confused because of it.”

“W-where am I?” Karina stammered, but at least she listened about her hand. It was concerning to see the red fluid staining her skin.

Nero opened his mouth to respond, but Az held up a hand and cut him off. “That is a little tough to answer,” Az admitted. “But I promise that you are in no danger. This is Devin and Carson, and I know that you probably feel uneasy because they are human, but they are not a threat to you. Carson is a healer, he has been working very hard to help you get well. You are in a place on the shore that is here to provide care and shelter to our people, but you are not trapped here. Can you tell me what you remember?”

“I…I do not know…My head is fuzzy…I-”

“Okay,” Az soothed. “Just take a few breaths and try to relax. Do you know who this is?” When Az gestured to him, Nero made sure to soften his posture despite his shock as he met Karina’s gaze. It caused his heart to clench painfully in his chest when she stared at him with a mix of terror and a blank lack of recognition.

After a moment, Karina shook her head. “No. No, I do not….no. No, no, no, no, no, no,” she began to tremble again while clutching her head.

“Az,” Carson called. “Fill us in?”

Az shook his head and held up a hand, so Carson fell silent once more. “Karina, breathe,” Az urged. “It is going to be alright. This is Nero…he brought you here because you so sick. Does that sound familiar?”

When Karina shook her head again, Nero chewed his lip. He could not sit idly while she was so afraid. He did not understand what was going on, but he had to fix it. He reached out to lay a hand on her scales. “Karina, I-”

She jerked her tail away from him as soon as he made contact, and shrunk lower. Now her eyes blazed with a mix of fear and anger. “You brought me here? Why? Who are you? Why would you do this? I…I have to go, I have to get back to my pod,” she whimpered. “I should not be here, they will be so worried. I have to go.”

Horror flooded Nero’s veins as he listened to her words. His gut flipped. She did not remember him at all? And she did not know about her pod…It had been hard enough the first time, how could he break her heart all over again?

But before he could say anything, Karina lurched forward and then pulled short as she realized that the drop from their perch to the ground was not insignificant. “I-I need down. I-I want to leave, please,” she pleaded.

Az nodded. “I know,” he agreed. “But I beg of you to be patient. I know you are worried and it is understandable that you desire to return to your family, but you are in not in any condition to travel. You are still sick and you have not had any proper food or rest. You need to stay here and recover before attempting a journey. Nero had to bring you a long way.”

Karina shook her head. “No…No, he cannot…I cannot…I have to get home,” she sobbed. She began pulling at her hair. “I should not be here, this is wrong…we do not travel. I have to get back to my family, please.”

Nero gritted his teeth together. He needed to remind her. He reached forward again. “Karina, I know you are confused, but please, just look at me. I would never hurt you, you know that. We are bonded.”

It was the wrong thing to say because Karina’s eyes widened further and she jerked back once more. “No. No, I have no mate. I would know a partner, I would. Why are you doing this? Why did you take me from my pod? What did you do to me?! Just…just stay away. Get away from me, all of you. I…I…I…” The stress was likely what overwhelmed her, but Karina’s eyes rolled in her head and she slumped down. She did not fall entirely unconscious, but her voice died away with a croak and her trembling worsened.

“Az, we could really use an update,” Devin warned.

Az sighed. “She does not know him,” he replied in English. “She has no memory of Nero, of coming here. She wants to go back to her pod and she does not trust us. Claims she does not have a partner.”

Devin’s gaze steeled and she glanced at Nero. “Alright, you need to come with me for now,” she decided. “Right now, before things get even more out of hand.”

Nero shook his head. “I am not leaving her! What is going on? Why does she not remember? I have to stay with her.”

Devin shook her head. “I’m sorry, Nero, but I wasn’t asking. You need to understand, there are two possible situations here right now. Either she is disoriented and suffering from amnesia either from the medication or the sickness, which I’m more inclined to believe, or she’s telling the truth and doesn’t know who you are and doesn’t have a mate. Now, while less likely given the circumstances, because there is a possibility of that, I have to give that option more credit because it puts her in danger. Which means I need to remove you from the situation until we can get her calmed down and gauge what’s really going on. If you care about her, you’ll be glad that we’re going to put her safety first. I need you to come with me, alright?”

Nero wanted to protest, to snarl and refuse, and pull Karina close to him until he was able to quell her shaking and soothe her fears. She was alive…but this still felt like he was losing her. But as he stared up at Devin’s determined gaze, he knew that she was right. She was wrong, Karina was his partner and no amount of disorientation could change that. But she was right that if Karina was in a bad situation, he would want them to put precedence on her safety and well-being.

As much as he hated to leave her, he respected the reason. “Alright,” he caved. “I will leave, but I will not go far, and Az needs to stay with her. Karina does not know English and is very skittish around humans. It was what made the decision to bring her here so hard.”

“I will stay,” Az agreed.

Carson stepped forward and helped Nero down off the perch. Nero glanced up at Karina. She seemed to have gone into a withdrawn state of shock, because she was hugging her tail and her eyes were wide but stared off at nothing in particular and she was still shaking like a strand of kelp in a current. “Karina,” he called up. She did not react, but he had to hope she was listening. “Karina, I do not understand what is going on. I am frightened too, but you need to know that I love you. Please be okay. Get better and come back to me…I still need you,” he pleaded. He got no response, so he swallowed the lump in his throat and began dragging himself from the space.

Once Karina was out of sight, he leaned up against the wall of the den, heedless to the pressure it put on his dorsal, and coiled up. He had started to shake too, and no matter how hard he tried, it only worsened when he tried to make it stop. The tears that had been watering in his gaze finally began to spill over as his emotions overflowed. His shoulders shook and his breathing turned from steady to short, frantic bursts, but he bit his lip to keep his sobs from escaping to echo through the den.

He did not understand what was going on. Karina had fought so hard through her illness and he had given everything he had and then some to make it this far, to save her. How was it possible that she could forget him? They were mates, that bond was stronger than anything else. And yet, when she had looked at him, she had looked through him with such distrust that he had never seen from her before. Even when they had first met, she had been full of energy and curiosity, and her radiant smile had been one of the first things he had seen when he woke after his injuries.

The girl he loved, cherished above all else, who lit his days and nights with joy and love, had looked at him as though he were a monster, not just a stranger. Even when he had kissed her, she had pushed him away and recoiled from his touch like it brought her pain.

He hugged his shoulders and dug his nails into the flesh. He had done everything he could, but he had still lost her. Lost her in a way he could not have imagined was even possible. Lost her to her own lost memories. And now, there was not the comfort of their bond to shield her from the truth. She would learn of her pod all over again and feel utterly alone. The idea of her enduring further suffering needlessly and by herself made him nauseous. He had to find a way to help her remember. There had to be a way for her to regain what she had lost.

As he cried, Nero failed to notice Devin approaching until she had crouched beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey…Oh, Nero, I’m so sorry. I hope you understand why I did that. I don’t believe that you hurt her or abducted her or that that you aren’t mates, but she’s very scared right now and clearly your presence is making her uneasy. It’s to be expected. If she has no memory of you, that doesn’t mean your bond was severed. It’s still there, she’ll still feel drawn to you. But for her, you’re a stranger and that has to be terrifying, to feel tethered to someone you have never met. I have to put her security first, but we’re going to get it sorted out, alright? I know this has been rough on you, but just tough it out a little longer.”

Nero took a breath. “I understand why you did it. It is why I did not resist…Devin, how has she forgotten me? We have known each other for cycles now. How could that be erased? She is my mate, how could that all be gone….will…will she remember?”

Devin winced. “I don’t know, Nero. When she’s a little stronger and we’ve gotten her fears eased, Carson can run some tests. If it’s just because of the medication, then it’s probably only temporary. But with how sick she was and for how long…it could have caused some damage to her brain and in that case…it could be a more severe case of amnesia. Only time will tell.”

Nero growled and clenched a fist. He slammed it down against the ground as more tears fell. He had hoped desperately all this time that she would open her eyes. Now, all he craved was for the smallest flicker of recognition in them when she looked at him.

“Nero…”

But Nero shook his head as Devin tried to say more. “No. Please, just…leave me be. Help her. Karina…she must be so frightened and hurt…I need her. I do not know how it is possible that this has happened, but she has to be okay. There is so much that…If I cannot be there for her, she needs someone else. Help her.”

“We will,” Devin agreed. “But it’s not just her that needs help right now.”

“I am fine,” Nero resisted.

“No, you’re not. And even if you were, I still need you to come with me. We need to talk.” She set something down in front of him. It was blue and square, and perched on four stones that swivelled and rolled a little as she released it.

“What is that?”

“It’s to make it a little easier for you to get around,” Devin explained. “So you don’t have to drag yourself.”

“I do not wish to go anywhere,” Nero refused. “I want you to help her, not me. And I may not be able to be with her right now, but she is still my top priority and I do not want to stray far.”

“Nero, I cannot offer much help to Karina. If she doesn’t understand English, then Az is far better to communicate and I’m not a doctor like my brother. But I can help you, and you can help me too. Karina is going to be fine. Az will talk her down and Carson is going to give her something to keep her calm. Nothing to knock her out or that will hurt her, but will just help suppress some of the stress so that she can rest. But if she does have amnesia, we might be able to use some of her more powerful memories to help her remember. But we don’t know anything about her, you do.”

Nero shook his head. He did not want to discuss Karina’s life. Not like this, not yet. “What is amnesia exactly?” he asked instead. “I do not understand why she does not remember.”

Devin sighed. She leaned against the wall and slid down it until she was sitting beside him with one arm resting on her bent knees. “Amnesia is a condition that effects the brain, Nero. Usually, it affects memory retention. Some people can’t form new memories, others forget things from the recent or distant past, it all depends. There are a lot of things that can cause it, but in Karina’s case, I’m guessing it’s related to her illness. She was feverish and sick for such a long time that it’s probably had an effect on her brain and it isn’t dealing with the stress very well.”

Nero frowned and twisted his fingers together. He did not comprehend everything Devin had said, but he understood enough. “Will she get her memories back?”

“I’m not sure,” Devin admitted. “I’m optimistic, but there’s no guarantee. Most people with amnesia do remember their own identities, and if she remembers her family, that’s a good sign. It just depends on how severe the damage was. She could regain her memories when she gets better or she might not. You might have to find a different way and reintroduce yourself and your life together to her all over again. I’m sorry.”

Nero shook his head. “It is no fault of yours.” He took a breath. Karina was alive and there was a fair chance she would remember. If not…he took another breath and let it out slowly. That would be harder. But he loved her. If she did not remember, things would be different for a while, but they could figure out a way to live with it. They were bonded and nothing would change that…Nero’s brow furrowed and his heart squeezed in his chest. “Devin…Karina and I…are we still mates? Our bond should be permanent, powerful…strong enough to survive something like this and yet…she looked through me with so much fear…she was afraid of me, she did not know me. She should have. She should have known me, known our bond, even if she did not remember me. How could it have severed that?”

He stared at his hands. He loved her, but they had not had a good first impression this time around. He was not confident she would be as receptive to rekindling a bond with how frightened she had been of him. But he could not bear the idea of losing her. Especially not like this.

“I only know so much about how mate bonds work, but I don’t think it was severed. I think it’s been twisted up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I just mean that who we are is mostly made up of our memories and experiences. We know the foods we like because we’ve had them before, learn to avoid things that are harmful through the pain we feel or see. Your bond hasn’t broken, it’s still there. She still has that powerful connection to you. It’s just that now, she has no association for it. If she doesn’t remember you at all, then she doesn’t have any of the memories or experiences that helped forge that bond. Everything that filled it with love and happiness isn’t available to her mind anymore.”

“I do not think I understand,” Nero admitted.

Devin hummed and redirected her gaze up. Nero followed it, but saw nothing save the den roof. “Okay, let’s put it a different way. Say that someone you love were to tie a tether to your arm and theirs. Now, maybe they did it so that you couldn’t be separated in a storm or something. It’s a good thing and you feel safe because you trust them. But now let’s say you were to forget everything about that person. All the memories, experiences, all the emotion attached to them was suddenly gone, but the tether remained. Now, instead of a comfort, it might be a concern. Why is it there? Who is this person? Do they mean me harm? Those might be the types of thoughts that might arise. Your bond is still there, but it’s like a tether. And for Karina – who doesn’t know you right now – that’s probably quite frightening. She knows it’s there, but she doesn’t know why or how.”

“And that was why she was so afraid,” Nero acknowledged. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a few shaky breaths to settle the nausea squirming in his gut. He never wanted to insight unease in his mate and Devin’s explanation worried him. If what she said was true, it meant that now the only true association Karina had with him was one of confusion and fear. It made him desperate to return to her side and make it right. “I need to go back to her.”

He was not expecting Devin to agree when she had been so insistent earlier, but Nero still had to dig his fingers into his arm to keep from bristling as she shook her head. “I know you’re worried, and I can’t tell you what to do, but it really is important that we keep you apart right now. Nero, I believe you, you’ve done absolutely nothing to earn distrust. But I hope you understand – as rare as it is – we have heard about instances where one-way bonds have formed and driven Mer crazy. There have been abduction instances and because of that, we have to give Karina the benefit of the doubt because of that.”

“I know,” Nero agreed. “I understand it and I do not want to risk frightening Karina further, but it is hard to be separated from her. I thought I was going to lose her and it is horrifying to know that I still might, just in a different way.”

When Devin placed a hand on his shoulder, Nero had to fight the urge to jerk away. He knew she was trying to be kind and though he was not the most physically affectionate Mer, he did appreciate the contact if only slightly. “It’ll be alright. Listen, why don’t you go back to the water? Some rest will do you good,” she suggested. “Once Karina is doing a little better and Az has had a chance to talk with her, we’ll bring her down too. I imagine she’ll be far more comfortable in her element, right?”

Nero hummed. Then he shifted his weight and nudged the object she had offered him to travel with a little further away. “She will be far more comfortable in the water, yes,” he agreed. “But I am most comfortable with proximity. I will stay here.”

“Nero, the hallway is hardly the best place for a proper…” Devin trailed off when Nero began to growl. He kept the sound low and soft, just the start of a warning, but it seemed to be enough of a sway for the human woman because she held up her hands in defeat. “Alright. But please promise me you’ll try to sleep. Your health is important too and there’s a limit to how far you can push yourself. I think we both know you are dangerously close to that limit.”

Nero growled again. She was right. He hated it, but she was correct. He could not continue on the way he had been. The drive to protect his mate had been exhausted and now he was merely burning energy he did not have. He begrudgingly lowered himself into more of a prone position and propped his head on his arm. His tail curled up close to his chest and he shifted his weight a little to get as settled in as he could. He was tired enough that it hardly mattered where he rested.

“It feels wrong to leave you lying on the hallway floor,” Devin sighed. “But I respect your wishes. If there are any changes with her, I’ll wake you, but you have to sleep now.”

Nero hummed in acknowledgement. He parted his jaws and drank in his surroundings. Karina was still near and her scent was neutral. She was awake, but calmed. They were not hurting her. As long as that remained unchanged, she would be fine and he could rest. He was worried, but he would be in no fit state to protect her or help her at this point if he did not rest. He loathed his own weakness, but he had to address it. Just keeping his eyes open had become too difficult, so for the first time in what had felt like a lifetime, Nero gave in to a deep and proper slumber.