Chapter 463
Talia’s POV
“Yeah, I’m hungry,” I said, and the kids cheered.
Nolan smiled and walked me to the dining room. “Clara went all out. She made your favorite foods as soon as she heard you were up.”
Clara. The name caught me off guard. For a second, I remembered a girl from my past. My maid in Shadowclaw was also named Clara. It was probably just a coincidence. Clara was a common name, but it still made me uneasy. The Clara I knew had betrayed me, so it couldn’t be her.
I watched kids run around as more guests arrived in small groups. Some walked in and looked right at me. They already knew. Others didn’t, and I saw it happen: someone whispered in their ear, and then they’d turn to stare at me.
People kept whispering and glancing at me, but when I looked back, they’d quickly look away. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone knew something about me that I didn’t. It wasn’t lying. It was just something everyone else knew except me.
I tried to remember. It was like poking a bruise to see how much it hurt. I searched
for anything: something after that dinner with my father, a familiar face, or any reason I’d be here.
Nothing came. Instead, a sharp headache hit me so fast I grabbed a chair. I winced and rubbed my forehead, trying to breathe through it.
A woman I didn’t know came over, looking worried but calm. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked. “Don’t force it. Your headache will get worse.”
I blinked, confused. “Do I know you?”
She smiled softly. “Not right now. But you did.”
Della, standing nearby, jumped in. “Talia, this is Leslie.”
“Leslie?” I repeated. The name didn’t ring any bells.
“Leslie is the Luna of Silverfang and Solon’s mate,” Della explained.
I stared at Della, then looked at Solon. “Really? When? How…?”
“Let Nolan explain everything when you’re ready. You don’t have to prove anything,” Della said.
“This…this is a lot to take in,” I said. “I have missed so much.”
“It’s okay. We’ll help you get your memories back,” Della said.
I managed a small, thankful smile. Della looked at me kindly. “You really don’t remember Leslie?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, it’s all blank.”
Leslie grinned. “If you want, I can give you a massage. You used to come to me for help every time you got into trouble. Tonight you’re so polite. It’s like meeting someone new.”
I laughed nervously. “I hope I wasn’t a handful.”
Della laughed. “You were, but we loved you for it.”
I nodded, a bit embarrassed. “Thanks, Leslie. I’d like that.”
Leslie stepped behind me and started massaging my shoulders, her touch gentle but confident. She found a knot right away, like she already knew where to look. “See? Still the same, Talia.”
I closed my eyes and focused on her hands. “You’re really good at this,” I muttered. My headache started to fade.
Leslie smiled. “It’s my thing. I’m glad I can help, even if you don’t remember me yet.”
Della teased Leslie, “I keep telling everyone she’s the best healer in the pack. She’s Solon’s mate and one of your best friends, even if you forgot all your bad habits.”
Leslie blushed and rolled her eyes. “Della, don’t embarrass her on her first night back.”
Even with the jokes, I felt a pang of regret for all the memories I’d lost: the laughter, the stories, the sensez of belonging, Leslie’s hands worked out the knots in my shoulders and neck My headache faded, replaced by a gentle tingling.
I opened my eyes and looked up at her. “Della wasn’t exaggerating. You really are good at this.”
She smiled. “Told you.”
A bell rang from the dining room. Suddenly, everyone started moving again. Two women came out of the kitchen carrying trays of steaming food, and for a second the rest of the room faded away, because I knew one of them.
Clara.
My Clara, who had looked after me at Shadowclaw, was always gentle, always watching over me in the hardest times. She was older now, a few lines on her face and her hair
pulled back, but it was the same
warm smile, and her eyes found mine before she’d even set the tray down.
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My wolf growled within me, ‘She shouldn’t be here. She betrayed us.’ The last time
we saw Clara, she lied for Viki, and that ultimately led us to reject Jason.
‘We must have made up. We can’t hold the past against her just because we can’t remember,’ I said and my wolf huffed, still unsure.
She set the tray down, came straight around the table, and hugged me tightly.
“I am so glad you’re awake. You don’t know how I have been praying for this day,” Clara cried. “I couldn’t I thought
believe it at first, but the to be.”
about how hungry you
She pulled back and wiped her face with the back of her wrist. “So, I started cooking. We have to put weight back on you. Try the stew, Luna, it’s the way you like it.”
“We even made your favorite rolls, Luna,” the young woman next to her added. I had no idea who she was, and she clearly knew me well. And Clara had no idea that she was the last person in this room I could still remember.
I felt both grateful and sad, not sure what to say. Nolan seemed to understand. He took a spoon, scooped up some stew, and held it out to me. His eyes were gentle and patient, as if telling me it was okay.
“Here,” he said quietly, bringing the spoon to my lips. “Try it.”