Page 16 of Eclipsed Heart

Taking a few steps toward me, Samuel scanned my face as if searching for something.

“Are you saying it’s possible that she’s—” Michael’s jaw dropped, and he blinked several times.

My body tingled. I had no clue what they were thinking, and I wanted to curl into a ball. Anything to get away from the prying eyes that were locked on me. Somehow, this was worse than when they’d all stared at my brand-new tattoo.

Bodey took my hand, his surprise morphing into calm. He squeezed my hand and took the spot next to me, our legs brushing.

“Are you saying that she’s my sister?” Samuel murmured. His voice was thick with feeling.

Dina nodded, and my body went numb.

I wasn’t sure what I was actually feeling. Terror and hope bloomed, mixing together, negating each extreme. “Sister?” I said the word slowly, despite it being a common word in my vocabulary, struggling with the new meaning in relation to Samuel. “But that's not possible.”

Tilting her head, Janet stared at me. “Now that I look at her, I can see King Richard’s features in her. The eyes and hair color. It’s uncanny.”

I shook my head, and a tremor rolled through my body. “I would remember. Being a princess is a huge-ass deal. Somethinghasto be off. Maybe the witch hid the spell from others.” You’d think a princess wouldn’t be able to have her memory wiped. There had to be a mistake. I couldn’t be the girl the king and the queen had hoped would unite shifters across the US.

“A witch can’t hide a spell from another witch, especially one with my power.” Dina moved about five feet away from me and continued, “In regard to your memory, even the strongest supernatural can have their memories blocked or altered if a witch is strong enough. Though it’s faint, I feel enough magic to know something in you is still being suppressed, and it's not your wolf.”

“There has to be a way to get my memories back. I’ve heard stories.” I furrowed my brows.

“There are two possible ways.” She lifted a finger. “One, a witch removes the spell. Two, if a vampire was the one who altered the person’s memories, they’ll usually come back—the loss won’t be permanent if a person has a strong, intelligent mind. I doubt you were wiped by a vampire.”

I blinked, trying to absorb this new information. Every time I thought I was catching up, Fate bitch-slapped me again.

Stella placed a hand on top of one of Miles’s on her shoulder. “Then remove her spell.”

“Easier said than done.” Dina blew out a breath. “The only witches who can do that is the person who cast the spell or one of their direct descendants.”

My eyes burned. That was just my luck.

“Then tell us who cast it so we can find the witch and unblock her.” Jack leaned forward, bracing his arms on the couch.

Bodey laughed bitterly. “Let me guess; you can’t tell who cast the spell.”

His resentment flowed through our bond into me, making my lungs struggle to fill.

“No. It’s not an energy I’ve felt before.” Dina pursed her lips. “However, that doesn’t mean I can’t find them.”

At least all wasn’t lost. “None of this makes sense.” I rubbed my free hand on my thigh. “How can someone likemebe queen? A wolf shifter who’s been treated like crap and couldn’t shift for most of her life?”

Everyone cringed, and Bodey snarled. The calm that had been flowing from Bodey switched to boiling anger.

That was when realization dropped on my shoulders.

Zekewould know.

“No,” Janet said, placing a hand over her heart. She continued, “Zeke wouldn’t do that. Surely.”

“He must have.” Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. “There is no way he didn’t recognize Callie. He visited the queen and king several times a month, even when there wasn’t anything pressing going on. He was with them for every celebration, including birthdays.”

A shiver ran down my spine. If that was the case, Zeke had known me as a baby. He knew exactly who I was, and he still treated me like trash. “What about Theo?” My heart ached. Had everyone I’d trusted betrayed me? Stevie was like a gut punch, but if Theo had too…

Michael shook his head. “Theo never went with Zeke to visit them. He stayed home with Tina, so he wouldn’t have known who you were unless Zeke told him.”

At least that was something, but had he eventually figured out who I was? So many questions rushed through my head.

“Think about it.” Bodey wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side. “So many things that didn’t add up finally do. He didn’t want you to attend school with other wolf shifters and humans.” He wrinkled his nose. “He didn’t want you in town. He wanted you to stay on your pack lands. He was trying to hide you.”

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