he hasn't been able to find raimo since the day he joined sapphique. his scent has faded from the territory, and zephyr has half a mind to say good riddance and leave it at that. but the man had given his word. so the wraith follows his scent past the borders of the coastal pack, thinking that perhaps an extended hunting trip has kept him away. it seems unlikely, but he might as well try.

help!

that single word grips his heart, familiarity registering without conscious thought. he moves toward the source of the cry for help, unthinking, until his gaze lands on a dark figure. the sight sets his heart racing, though he doesn't quite know why. he... can't remember.
but there's no time for memories now. he lunges forward, aiming to snatch the other man's scruff and haul him back toward safety. it doesn't occur to him that this might not be the best course of action, in his current state; no doubt he can pull it off, but if he stopped to consider the aftermath at all, he might think twice. he doesn't.

the backlash is swift and unforgiving. his intended outcome is realized, and the man is saved, but zephyr quickly pays the price for overextending himself in the late stages of his pregnancy. his muscles scream with the effort, and pain lances through his abdomen, forcing him to a crouch as he backs away from the dark wolf. he tries to focus on steadying his breathing. you should... get away from the edge, he manages, strained and unwilling to see his efforts wasted. his gaze fixes on the ground between his paws as he waits for the pain to subside.

nothing gets through to him past the haze, until —
zephyr!
and his thoughts are thrown into confusion. there is recognition, yet a lack; he knows this man, but he does not. his heart aches without knowing why. he flinches slightly from the approach, but he doesn't move, instead looking up to fix wide argent eyes on the dark wolf who is so filled with emotion at their meeting. he feels the ghost of that sentiment, too — but why?
how do you know my name? the words tumble from him unbidden, voice breaking slightly. i don't — i can't remember... it's foggy. pain lances through his skull as he tries to push through the fog, then disperses and softens into a tight, throbbing band over his crown. he remembers nothing... but he recognizes that voice, that scent.

he can see that his lack of memory hurts the other wolf, who identifies himself as phillip as if that should clear up the confusion. frustrated and aching for reasons he can't name, zephyr shakes his head. i'm sorry, he says softly, still straining to remember something, anything past the haze. i... i know you're familiar. i think... he swallows, painfully extracting the skeleton of a memory from the fog. he isn't sure whether it's accurate, whether he can trust it or not, given how desperate he feels to come up with something. but it's his only option. i loved you, didn't i? i — i think something happened to me... i fell... his brow furrows, head pounding now. i don't know. but i think i remember — that you were important to me, before. that much, he's certain of.