Page 26 of Predator

This is different. Like it’s a whole other side to Lucas, the walls are painted a deep gold color that is similar to the shade of my eyes. A large—and I mean large—bed takes up most of the space in the center, with dark blue bedding and an inviting mound of pillows. I see a door that’s his closet, and another that probably leads to his attached bathroom.

His dresser is made of wood—and when I say made, I mean it. This is no IKEA special. Almost as tall as I am, with knotholes that serve as handles for each drawer, it looks like someone cut down a tree or two in the forest and handcrafted it.

By his window, he has a chaise lounge that I instantly claim. In my imagination, I see the big, black wolf sprawled out on it, sunbathing on days when the angle hits just right for the sun’s rays to find their way inside of the big stone castle.

To my surprise, though, it hits me that that’s just my imagination. Because unlike so many moments since I’ve learned about my previous life, I have no reference to what it’s like to be inside of Lucas’s bedroom.

And isn’t that odd? Unless… unless this isn’t his room.

“What’s this?” I ask. I mean, it should be obvious, but why doesn’t Jolie remember it at all?

Lucas confirms my suspicions when he says, “It’s my bedroom.” A pause as a shadow falls across his features, then, “I’d like it if it could be ours. My mate should sleep next to me, and this is my personal territory in the house. I can move it to the third floor if you’d prefer, but… this has always been my den.”

And he’s inviting me to share it.

Kirk and Eleanor share a room. I guess it never occurred to me that mating a wolf shifter was kind of like marrying him. Of course we’d share a bed… but we hadn’t yet. Every time we were intimate, Lucas always found a reason to sneak away.

I took it as a rejection. What if… what if it was his instinctive need to return to his… what did he call it? His den? And since I wasn’t his bonded mate yet, he didn’t think he could ask me to join him?

That has to be it. Why else would he look at me with such a guarded expression, almost like he expects me to reject him?

Always been my den…

Again. If that’s the case, why doesn’t Jolie remember it?

I must’ve frown or given something away because Lucas’s eyes darken. “Is something wrong?”

“This isn’t familiar.”

“Is it supposed to be?” As though that wasn’t the answer he expected, his eyes flash in a hint of amusement. “I know you have a tendency to walk around the house when everyone’s sleeping, but I didn’t think you’d sneak into my room. I mean, I hoped you would… but I’ve never caught your sweet scent in here before, sucre.”

God, I love this flirty side to the grumpy, protective Alpha. Usually, a quip like that would have me teasing right back, moving into him, tilting my head back in an open invitation to kiss me after I said something like, “What would you have done with me if I did?”

But that’s usually. I don’t give him a classic Fallon response because I’m too stunned by what he said.

I know you have a tendency to walk around the house when everyone’s sleeping…

Shit.

I thought that was a dream. The one time I woke up in the middle of the night, searching for Lucas… I heard music playing. I followed it to the piano room where I saw the 1950s version of Lucas playing before I closed my eyes and he simply vanished.

I thought it was a dream—but how much do you want to bet that, as I sleepwalked around the pack house in some kind of a daze, Jolie’s memories were overlaying what I saw?

It could be. I mean, whenever I caught a flash of Jolie’s memories, I thought those were dreams, too…

He’s waiting for my response. I wish I could tease him back, but I can’t.

I’m still too confused.

“Sorry. It’s this whole Jolie thing,” I confess. “Ever since I found out I was her before I was me, a thing will seem familiar and I’ll realize it’s because it’s from her memory, not mine. I’m trying not to let it drive me crazy, but?—”

But if it stopped me from making a move on my gorgeous mate again, there’s a good chance it already did.

Lucas’s brow furrows, instantly concerned again. “I thought you… she… I thought she was gone. That it’s just you and me, Fallon.”

I shake my head. “It is. It’s just… there’s still these flashes of recognition that come from time to time. With this being your room… I don’t know. I guess it surprised me that I’ve never seen it before.”

His forehead furrows. “That’s because I never brought you here when you were Jolie.”

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