Sister Miriam doesn't accompany Selene—thank God, because while I convinced Lucas to get dressed, the room slls like sex and pheromones.
The heat beneath my skin has dissipated, though. I'm not sure if that's normal, or if there's worse to co. Either way, with my neck marked by Lucas, at least I'm no longer a danger to the other shifters. My pheromones should only affect my mate now.
The relief from that knowledge has my shoulders so much lighter; I hadn't realized how stressed the thought of heat made all this ti.
Seeing Selene's silver husky form slip through the door, my heart is full near to bursting. Her presence in my mind is great, but her physical presence eases sothing inside of .
Selene's lost a little weight. The pristine white of her fur is dulled with what seems to be flecks of dried mud. But her bright blue eyes are sparkling with joy as she bounds forward, vaulting into the bed to roll and wiggle her body against the both of us.
It's my first ti seeing her give Lucas affection, but he doesn't seem surprised at all, even lifting his hand to rub her ears and give her a sweet little hug.
What happened between them when I was gone?
He's not so bad when you get to know him.
Selene's nonchalant words has my eyes narrowing. Not so bad? Get to know him?
"Who are you, and what did you do with my wolf?"
Don't be impertinent. Selene snorts in my direction, wiggling further into Lucas' lap and headbutting him until he scratches behind her ears. He gives good ear scratches. You should ask for so.
Yeah, I'll get right on that.
Well, I suppose you have other things you'd prefer he scratch.
"Selene!"
She sneezes in my direction, tail thumping as Lucas rubs across her fur with vigorous affection, looking for all the world like the queen of huskies accepting the attention that's her due.
"When did you guys start getting along so well?" Not sure if I'm jealous or not, I watch Lucas with a distinctly sulky feeling. I want them to get along—I do—but Selene's my wolf, isn't she?
"Did we not get along well before?" Lucas seems surprised as Selene licks his hand, flicking her ear at .
"She hated you."
"Well, she likes now."
The distinctly smug feeling emanating from Selene feels almost like a challenge.
I worked hard on keeping him alive for you, you know.
Scooting closer into Lucas' side, I shove at Selene until she's half off his lap. "Thanks, Selene. I appreciate it."
Way to get between a wolf and her mate, Selene mutters.
"Your mate? He's my mate."
Our mate.
"Still mine, though."
Selene bares her teeth at .
"What's going on?" Lucas wraps his arm around my back, stroking my hip in a familiar manner that has my heart filling with joy.
"We're arguing over whose mate you are."
He seems startled by that one. "Aren't I your mate?"
"Exactly."
Selene jerks her head around to stare at him with cold blue eyes, her tail no longer thumping and muzzle wrinkling with displeasure.
And mine.
"You've done a complete one-eighty on your reaction to him." Reaching out to pet Selene, I'm not offended when she gives my hand a pretend snap before nuzzling into it.
I changed my mind.
High praise, indeed.
His wolf, she says suddenly, changing the subject. He's weak. He can't break through the barrier himself.
"Wait—hold on. What barrier?" Selene's words have straightening in Lucas' arms, putting aside our childish banter for a mont. "Is that why Lucas can't hear him?"
Correct. Lucas has so sort of barrier in his mind. It's blocked out his mories, but also his wolf.
"Why? How? How do you know about it?"
His wolf told . I couldn't hear him before, but the bond between us— and she sounds oddly disgusted at that, considering how affectionate she now is with Lucas —makes it so he can reach .
Questions swirl in my head. I need to tackle them one at a ti.
"Selene… I asked you a long ti ago what your problem with Lucas is. I think it's about ti you explain."
Ugh.
She sounds like a teenager being told to do their chores.
I do not.
"You do, kind of."
Selene groans, resting her head on Lucas' knee. I don't know how to explain it.
But I can sense the lie in her words.
Lucas, to his credit, stays quiet, watching us both.
His wolf is a presence familiar to , Selene finally admits, sounding as if I'm dragging the words out of her. I knew him in my past life.
Honestly, I've forgotten—more than once—that Selene once lived long ago and retains so of those mories. How long has it been since she's talked about it? Since the massacre, when Vanessa woke up to my own personality flaws, I think.
Selene had been quiet for days, saying she didn't have all the mories she thought she did. And she hadn't spoken much of them ever since.
It didn't seem very important at the ti. There was always sothing else to think about or focus on. My magic, for example.
I stay quiet, sensing that she's thinking things through.
It is not my first ti being mated to that wolf, Selene admits, sounding rather sour. He rejected the bond in our last life. Mated to another she-wolf.
My heart constricts at the thought of Lucas mating soone else.
It was another ti. Another life.
Still—I can't help but stare at Lucas, who seems uncomfortable at the intensity of my gaze.
"Did I do sothing?" His brows draw together in confusion. "Are you upset with ?"
"No," I lie. Well, it isn't exactly a lie. I'm angry at this Lucas-wolf Selene's telling about. My Lucas, the one here in front of us today, would never.
He rejected us, but he ca back. He didn't choose another wolf.
Yes. He has proven himself. But Selene still sounds a little bitter. He is separate from his wolf. His human side was never a part of our bond before.
"Right." Because Lycans ca before shifters. "So you're still angry about it?"
Wouldn't you be? Selene's tail thumps hard as she snarls. He mated her in front of , as I reeled from the pain of his rejection. If it wasn't for the pain, I would have tore his throat out. And hers, too.
Lucas winces, grabbing his head in a sudden gesture, and Selene nuzzles against his leg. Her concern flows through our bond.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine. Just had a stabbing pain for a second." His eyes are tight, his teeth clenched, but he gives a smile anyway. "It'll go away."
Probably his wolf. He's very upset. He's insisting he would never reject , but he doesn't have the mories of the past.
Reaching out, I rub Selene's ears, trying to soothe her past hurt. It takes a little more concentration to speak in my head, but I don't know how much of this to share with Lucas. It isn't my story; it's Selene's. Don't judge him based on the past. He's in a whole new life now, isn't he? He isn't the sa wolf who made those decisions.
Though, I'm not sure how that works. For one to rember their past life, and the other to be blissfully ignorant of the pain he inflicted…
What a strange dynamic.
No wonder she had such strong feelings toward Lucas' rejection, even when he ca back groveling.
I know. My wolf sounds exhausted. I've been trying all this ti. For your sake.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize."
No need to apologize. Selene leans her head into Lucas' hand as he strokes her fur. I no longer recall many details. Only the pain and anger. So of the many mories that have disappeared.
She still sounds confused when she ntions her mories.
"Are you still losing mories?"
I don't know. Things can be murky when it cos to the past, but I still rember so things. It no longer feels as real as it used to. Almost like I've only ever lived this life. She sounds frustrated now. But never mind that.
His wolf is struggling, and he won't leave alone.
"What do you think we can do about that?" Feeling terrible for forcing Selene to relive frustrating mories, I follow along with the change in topic as smoothly as I can.
We need to recover his mories.
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