Chapter 468

Talia’s POV

Nolan let go of my face, and I jumped back so quickly I bumped into the desk.

The guy standing in the doorway was already trying to leave.

“Marco,” Nolan said. “Stay where you are.”

He stepped back in, staring at the floor. “Sorry. I should’ve knocked.”

“Nothing was happening,” I said too fast and too loud, instantly embarrassed.

They both looked at me. Nolan was two feet in front of me, his hands still half up, and I held onto my desk like it was going somewhere, and I heard how that sounded about a second too late.

He was Nolan’s second-in-command and Della’s mate. Someone told me that yesterday. I couldn’t remember anything else about him, which frustrated me.

“What did you come up for?” Nolan asked him.

“This.” Marco reached into his jacket and took out an envelope. “It came up from the gate an hour ago. I nearly left it on your desk, and then I thought better of it.”

Nolan looked at the front of the envelope. His whole expression changed. Nolan looked suddenly hopeful, but nervous too.

“Camilla,” he said.

I knew the name. He’d used it when he was telling me about the ritual, and it had gone straight past me.

“She’s the witch, the coven leader, right?”

“Yes,” Nolan said as he showed me the envelope. Her handwriting looked old- fashioned.

“How did we manage to become allies with the coven?” I asked curiously.

“Well, you made it happen,” Marco replied.

I stared at him in surprise. How could I have done that? Father had always told Solon and me to stay as far away from witches as possible. He was tolerant of them, but he also didn’t underestimate them.

Before I could ask more questions, Nolan said, “Leslie contacted Camilla when she couldn’t help you. Nyla and Elian are alive because of her and you as well.”

“Why would she randomly write to you now?” I asked.

“I wrote first. I didn’t expect her to respond so quickly, as you just woke up,” Nolan answered. “I asked her whether there was anything more she could do for you.”

I couldn’t help but feel hopeful. If anyone could restore my memories, it would be the powerful witch who conducted the ritual.

Since I woke up, I’d wanted nothing more than to remember. It was like I was watching someone else’s life, and I didn’t want to look on the outside anymore.

“Well, open it. Let’s see what she has to say,” I said.

Nolan opened the envelope and started reading.

“Alpha Nolan, it is good to hear from you. I’m glad she’s awake. You probably want me to say I can bring her memories back, but I can’t. They’re not gone, just locked away, and can’t open that door. What will help is already in your house. Let her spend time with people and places She knows. Give her the things she used to like. Her memories will come back when they’re ready. Be patient. Camilla.”

No one said anything. My hope disappeared, replaced by emptiness. I wished someone would say something, anything, to break the awkward silence.

“So I just wait,” I said, forcing a laugh that didn’t sound right. “That’s what she’s telling me. Walk around my own house touching things and hope something comes back.”

“Yes,” Nolan nodded.

“And what happens when that doesn’t work and my memories don’t come back?” I asked.

Nolan came and crouched down in front of the chair, so I wasn’t looking up at him. “You have everything you need to make sure it comes back.”

“Then what do I need?”

“Me,” Nolan said, placing a hand on my knee. “A minute ago you told me you wanted to find out whether you love me. So let me start again with you. From the beginning, the same way we did it the first time.”

“And how did we do it the first time?”

“Slowly, at first.” He wasn’t quite smiling. “And then not slowly at all.”

Heat coiled in my stomach, and the flirting wasn’t what got me. It was that he’d already decided. He wasn’t waiting to find out whether I came back to him; he was going to start again and have me either way.

‘And this is what we want in a mate. He is serious about us,’ my wolf said. ‘If his Beta hadn’t walked in, we probably would’ve already been renewing the mate bond now.’

‘Stop it.’

‘You were thinking it before I said it.’

I blushed and cleared my throat,

trying to compose myself. With both of them there, all I could do was force a smile and nod Nolan

me a sly smile that made me plate

squeeze my legs tighter together as he stood up.

“Anything else, Marco?” Nolan asked.

“Just one more thing,” Marco replied. “Walden’s got his final three candidates. Tomorrow’s the last round. He’s testing them to choose his new deputy. He wants both of you there.”

Nolan looked at me and waited, which I was starting to notice he did instead of deciding for me.

“I want to go,” I said.

“Then tell Walden two o’clock tomorrow afternoon,” Nolan said.

Marco got to the door and put a hand on it. “I’ll keep out of this end of the house the

rest of the day. You two can get back to…well, whatever I didn’t just walk in on.” He winked, grinning shamelessly.

“We weren’t doing anything!”

“Of course not.”

Before I even realized it, I had jumped up from the chair, the need to escape overwhelming. “I

promised Della I’d see her. Sheet

seven months pregnant, and we

need to catch up

blurted, voice

higher than usual.

“Talia,” Nolan started.

“I’ll see you at dinner,” I said, not letting him finish. I hurried out of the room, not

looking back at either of them.