Page 3 of Forgotten Mate

“The Assembly,” Greyed replied. “Yes, I metmy mate there.”

“Your mate?”

“Yes. I met my mate there. That woman,Zenia, her scent … I followed her in here to find out why, and how,she smells just like my mate.”

Jericho studied him. “I don’t scentdeception on you, but I also know what that woman has gonethrough.”

Greyden frowned. “What has she gonethrough?”

“None of your business if you don’tremember.”

Greyden looked away, trying hard to clearhis sluggish thoughts. “I’m trying to, but it’s like moving throughquicksand.”

“Are you trying to say you haveamnesia?”

“No,” he replied. “Of course not. I just …most of that day is perfectly clear. But there are patches ofmissing memories. That doesn’t make any sense, does it?”

Jericho crossed his arms over his chest.“Let me tell you that you did meet your mate there. That mate isZenia.”

Greyden shook his head. “No.”

“No?”

He went to say it was impossible. A shifterknew his mate at first smell. As much as he wanted to deny theclaim that somehow Zenia was his mate, something held him back. Herdark-eyed stare seemed familiar for some reason, although hecouldn’t pinpoint why.

“Zenia met her moon-fated mate five yearsago, at the Assembly,” Jericho continued. “You and she spent onenight together, and then the next morning you disappeared. Therejection caused her wolf to retreat, hiding so she didn’t have tomourn the man who didn’t love her.”

“That’s not me,” Greyden declared. Except,why weren’t the words matter-of-fact? Why did Jericho’s story ringwith a feeling of truth? “It can’t be me.”

Jericho cocked his head. “It can’t?”

“Why does she smell like my mate?” he askedagain, more to himself than to Jericho. “That’s impossible, right?Two people can’t smell the same. I can’t have two mates. CanI?”

“Tell me what you remember from thatday.”

Greyden searched his memories. “I arrivedwith my pack and went exploring the vendors. I caught the scent of… um. Wait. I don’t remember how I saw her. She was justthere.”

He closed his eyes, concentrating. Trying toremember. All he got were flashes. How the cool breeze made strandsof auburn hair dance. They way his hand curled around her softshoulders. Were they memories of her, or something his mind justconjured? His mate wasn’t a redhead.

“You arrived in the day?”

Greyden opened his eyes and noticed thoseflashes disappeared.

“Yes. But then, suddenly it was night. Ihave no memory of the time between.” He looked at Jerichowide-eyed. “What the fuck is happening to me?”

“I think someone has tampered with yourmemories.”

“That makes no sense. Who?”

“That’s what we have to find out. I’d liketo take you down the street to an enchantress. Perhaps she can shedsome light on your missing memories.”

Chapter Two

Five Years Ago

Zenia didn’t know where to look. The annualgathering of the packs was like a huge carnival with rides, games,and food. This was the first time she and her best friend, Layton,were able to attend. Zenia’s parents didn’t allow her to attend forfear she’d find her mate at fourteen and leave them.

There was an acre of vendors, sellingeverything from homemade preserves to fur-softening cream. Tattooartists, barbers, face painters. Anything or everything one couldwant was there. She and Layton walked through the rows, staringwide-eyed at the fanfare. Wolves from all over North Americagathered to form alliances, settle grievances, and find mates.Zenia had this feeling she was going to find hers, so she made sureto keep her senses open and her eyes roving over everyone.

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