A Curse of Shadows

I chuckle to myself. “No, I don’t assume she was. Thank you, Mali.”

Noen and Declan both stare at me expectantly as I cut the link to Mali. They’re used to me tuning out and having conversations they can’t hear. Still, they get annoyed when they feel as though they’re missing out.

“Something to share?” Declan asks first.

“Isla and Estee are both awake.” I head for my closet to change my clothes. “We can see them if you’re both ready now.”

Neither say anything else as I quickly dress in a black button-up and blue slacks. As soon as I step back into the room, Noen is already opening the door. “After you.”

I don’t comment on his sarcastic tone. Instead, I lead the way to the next floor and then to Isla’s room. The three of us remain silent until I knock on the door.

“Do I smell?” Declan whispers. “We haven’t even showered after being on that damn ship.”

“No more than usual,” Noen quips, making me smile. At least things aren’t that tense because of my decisions.

“You could have showered on the ship,” I remind him.

His face scrunches and he holds his stomach. “My wolf already hates being on the water. Showering while the waves are knocking us around makes me nauseous.”

Estee answers the door, hand on her hip, and a glare on her face. “I can’t even have one meal with her before you return?” She notices we’re not alone and sighs. “And you brought friends? Great.”

“Hi, Estee,” Declan practically purrs.

“And you are…?”

I glance back to see his face fall. “Declan. You couldn’t possibly forget me.”

The feisty she-wolf shrugs. “Apparently, I can.” Then she nods at Noen. “And you would be?”

“Noen,” he replies calmly. “I was your neighbor growing up.”

“Hm.” She taps her chin. “Still nothing, but then again, I don’t remember much of anything from my last lifetime here. Just the ones before that and my current one.”

Interesting and another reason I’m sticking with my first thought that someone did this to them. She shouldn’t be forgetting one life in particular.

“May we come in, Estee?” I ask politely. The few moments I’ve been around her have already confirmed she seems to be even feistier than she was last time I knew her. For the time being, I intend to avoid pissing her off if I can help it.

“I guess.” She moves to the side, then turns to yell behind her. “I hope you didn’t stink up the bathroom, sis. We have guests.”

“Elodee Jane!” Isla screeches.

Her sister cackles. “That’s what you get for still calling me ‘Elodee.’”

Gods, these two are going to be a handful together, just like they once were, but worse because they have the excuse of not remembering proper etiquettes.

Isla comes out, wearing only a robe. While the white cotton covers nearly her entire body, it’s assuming there is nothing underneath that has my chest growling and me blocking the view of the two behind me.

“Why don’t you put on some clothes?” I suggest, reaching for the door. “We’ll wait right here.”

She mutters something about not expecting guests at the “ass crack of dawn,” whatever that means.

I put my back to the door and find that both men are grinning at me. “You’re going to need us more than ever, Ash,” Declan announces with unreasonable pride.

“How do you figure?”

He and Noen share a look before he responds. “Until that woman officially becomes your mate, you’re going to be a grumbling, overprotective mess. You’re no good to anyone when you’re constantly worried about her, which you should be. Just don’t fight the truth. She needs you and you need her. The sooner the both of you admit that, the sooner all this will work itself out.”

Declan’s insightfulness is one of the reasons I’ve kept him so close over the years and even now, he makes me wonder: will Isla only get her memories back once she truly accepts who she is? And does that include being my mate?