stumbling over his own feet. Several others laughed and shook their heads.
"Stupid newbie," muttered the siren and went back to his seat.
Soleil's eyes turned back to green. They seemed a much more vibrant shade than when I'd spoken with her earlier. "Sometimes it pays to be an angel of death." She winked at Tap.
"I could've taken him," Tap huffed and headed back his place behind the counter.
"Oh, I know," Soleil practically sang. She grinned at me.
"Did you find Victoria?" I asked, ready to get down to business.
Her expression sobered. "Yeah. You want to go somewhere more private to talk?"
My heart plummeted. "Bad news?"
"Well…"
I turned to Tap. "Any of your private rooms available?"
He gestured down the hallway. "Take your pick."
"Lead the way, sailor," Soleil said.
"Sailor?" I asked.
She shrugged.
I went down the hall and into the first available room.
"What did you find out?" I closed the door behind us.
Soleil and I sat across the table from each other. She stared at me with her deep green eyes. I couldn't pull my attention away from them. The color was mesmerizing. That was probably one way she lured her prey.
"Her memory has been wiped—"
"Permanently?" I exclaimed.
"I wouldn't know, but I couldn't access what she didn't know. So there's that. Make of it what you will. But I was still able to pick up plenty for us to work with."
The room seemed to spin around me. "What did you find out?"
"She can't access any memories before she came here, and she suspects it has something to do with the jaguars, but has no idea they're shifters. In fact, it appears she has no idea about the supernatural world at all."
My mouth dropped. "But that wouldn't keep her from turning on the full moon."
"No, but being spelled would."
"Spelled? You mean by a witch?"
"I don't know of anyone else who casts spells."
"The curse can be broken with a spell?" I slunk into the chair.
"Seems to be." Soleil smacked her lips. "Spells always leave a foul taste in my mouth. Bleh."
"Tell me everything. Don't leave anything out." I sat up straight and stared at her.
"She feels a connection with you—"
"I knew it. I could see it in her eyes."
Soleil frowned. "It's not much, though. She doubts her own feelings."
My shoulders slumped. "Oh."
"But if I were you, I'd go after her. Make it so she can't doubt. Whatever you two had together, it was strong enough to leave remnants despite that spell. She can't remember her family or anything else about her past, but she does remember you."
"What, exactly?"
Light pink colored her cheeks. "This is where drinking people's essence gets uncomfortable. I experience their memories and feelings as though they were my own."
"Meaning?"
"Though she hasn't gotten close to you, she knows you smell good, feel nice, and are a great kisser. Every time she looks at you, those memories bubble to the surface."
My pulse raced. "That's something I can work with. If I brush my hand against hers, she might remember more. I can find the cologne I used to wear—"
"Aftershave. She liked the way it smelled with your soap."
"That's right," I whispered.
"But there's something you need to know." Her tone shot fear through to my very core.
"What?"
"She seems to be building a relationship with one of the young jaguars."
"Why?"
"He keeps taking her to the Jag. I've never seen anywhere nicer, outside of a castle. I can't blame the girl. I'd start to fall for someone who took me there, too."
"No wonder she wasn't impressed with me buying her lunch today at the cafeteria."
Soleil put her hand on mine. "She's confused. Feels alone. Don't take it personally."
"Is there a way to get her memories back?"
"If I were you, I'd find a witch and try to get to the bottom of the spell. I'd also try to spend as much time with her as possible. Tutor her or something, but don't sit around while that young leader woos her."
"He's a leader?"
She nodded. "Next in line to be their version of an alpha."
"Why are the
"Stupid newbie," muttered the siren and went back to his seat.
Soleil's eyes turned back to green. They seemed a much more vibrant shade than when I'd spoken with her earlier. "Sometimes it pays to be an angel of death." She winked at Tap.
"I could've taken him," Tap huffed and headed back his place behind the counter.
"Oh, I know," Soleil practically sang. She grinned at me.
"Did you find Victoria?" I asked, ready to get down to business.
Her expression sobered. "Yeah. You want to go somewhere more private to talk?"
My heart plummeted. "Bad news?"
"Well…"
I turned to Tap. "Any of your private rooms available?"
He gestured down the hallway. "Take your pick."
"Lead the way, sailor," Soleil said.
"Sailor?" I asked.
She shrugged.
I went down the hall and into the first available room.
"What did you find out?" I closed the door behind us.
Soleil and I sat across the table from each other. She stared at me with her deep green eyes. I couldn't pull my attention away from them. The color was mesmerizing. That was probably one way she lured her prey.
"Her memory has been wiped—"
"Permanently?" I exclaimed.
"I wouldn't know, but I couldn't access what she didn't know. So there's that. Make of it what you will. But I was still able to pick up plenty for us to work with."
The room seemed to spin around me. "What did you find out?"
"She can't access any memories before she came here, and she suspects it has something to do with the jaguars, but has no idea they're shifters. In fact, it appears she has no idea about the supernatural world at all."
My mouth dropped. "But that wouldn't keep her from turning on the full moon."
"No, but being spelled would."
"Spelled? You mean by a witch?"
"I don't know of anyone else who casts spells."
"The curse can be broken with a spell?" I slunk into the chair.
"Seems to be." Soleil smacked her lips. "Spells always leave a foul taste in my mouth. Bleh."
"Tell me everything. Don't leave anything out." I sat up straight and stared at her.
"She feels a connection with you—"
"I knew it. I could see it in her eyes."
Soleil frowned. "It's not much, though. She doubts her own feelings."
My shoulders slumped. "Oh."
"But if I were you, I'd go after her. Make it so she can't doubt. Whatever you two had together, it was strong enough to leave remnants despite that spell. She can't remember her family or anything else about her past, but she does remember you."
"What, exactly?"
Light pink colored her cheeks. "This is where drinking people's essence gets uncomfortable. I experience their memories and feelings as though they were my own."
"Meaning?"
"Though she hasn't gotten close to you, she knows you smell good, feel nice, and are a great kisser. Every time she looks at you, those memories bubble to the surface."
My pulse raced. "That's something I can work with. If I brush my hand against hers, she might remember more. I can find the cologne I used to wear—"
"Aftershave. She liked the way it smelled with your soap."
"That's right," I whispered.
"But there's something you need to know." Her tone shot fear through to my very core.
"What?"
"She seems to be building a relationship with one of the young jaguars."
"Why?"
"He keeps taking her to the Jag. I've never seen anywhere nicer, outside of a castle. I can't blame the girl. I'd start to fall for someone who took me there, too."
"No wonder she wasn't impressed with me buying her lunch today at the cafeteria."
Soleil put her hand on mine. "She's confused. Feels alone. Don't take it personally."
"Is there a way to get her memories back?"
"If I were you, I'd find a witch and try to get to the bottom of the spell. I'd also try to spend as much time with her as possible. Tutor her or something, but don't sit around while that young leader woos her."
"He's a leader?"
She nodded. "Next in line to be their version of an alpha."
"Why are the
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