Lost Wolf Page 23

  “You never told me about that.”

  She clung to me. “I never had time because I needed to get away.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to make sense of it all. “He wanted you to marry Franklin right away?”

  Victoria sat back and nodded, holding my gaze. “Elsie went to a school dance with a boy from her class. Father found out, and he killed her in front of me.” Her eyes filled with tears and they poured down her face. Her lips trembled and she shook.

  It broke my heart to see her in such pain. I held her close and rubbed her back. “I’m so sorry, sweetness. I never knew.”

  She sobbed, and finally sat up and took a deep breath. “Th-then he said he would put a stop to the family’s rebellion, starting by forcing me to quit school and marry Franklin. That’s when I fled to you.”

  “It all makes sense now.”

  Her eyes shone with tears again. “I know. It was all my fault.”

  I shook my head. “No, it was your father’s. And my father’s. All we wanted was to be together, but their stubbornness and old ways prevented that.”

  Gessilyn came over and sat on the other side of Victoria. “I know you’ve just been through so much, but do you remember everything?”

  “I know Toby tried to save me. He did everything he could.”

  Gessilyn put her hand on Victoria’s. “I don’t doubt that. What I mean is, do you remember anything after that?”

  Victoria glanced up, looking deep in thought. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”

  “The spell is going to keep working until you recall everything, and I want to stay here until it completes its course.”

  “Okay.” Victoria leaned against me, shaking.

  I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m really sorry you have to deal with all this.”

  “Do you remember anything about why your memories were wiped?” Gessilyn asked.

  Victoria shook her head.

  “It’s coming. You should eat.” She reached for the tray I’d eaten from and handed it to Victoria. “You’ll need the nourishment.”

  “She’s right,” I urged. The next round of memories might even be worse—it was too hard to say. There was no telling what had happened to make her forget everything. Had it been a spell? Or had she experienced something so traumatic, her mind could do nothing else except block it all out?

  Either way, we were sure to find out soon.

  Victoria nodded and picked up the fork.

  I couldn’t help fearing what might be found. She’d kissed both me and that vile jaguar after drinking the tonic. A part of me kept asking the question I didn’t want to think about—what if something had changed, and he was her one true love now?

  A lump formed in my throat. I wasn’t sure that was something I could deal with. I’d lived without her all these years, and now that I had her back, could I let go? I might not have a choice.

  She handed the empty tray back to Gessilyn. “Thanks. I’m feeling sleepy now.”

  My pulse drummed in my ears.

  Gessilyn spoke to Victoria, but I couldn’t hear a word. All I could think about was whether or not Victoria would still love me when she woke up.

  She lay down and pulled the covers up, her eyelids starting to close.

  I leaned over and brushed my lips across hers. “I’m not leaving your side. When you wake up, I promise to be here.”

  Her eyes closed. “I love you, Toby.”

  “And I love you, forever and for always.”

  Please remember that.

  Chapter 34

  Toby

  “Get something to eat,” Gessilyn urged. “I won’t take my eyes off her. I promise.”

  I glanced down at Victoria. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and had been for a while. “Do you think she’s remembering anything else?”

  Gessilyn put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s possible. She could also just be recovering from such an emotional trauma.”

  “Trauma? That seems like a strong word, don’t you think?”

  “She just recalled her death, and not just that, but her sister’s, too.”

  I frowned. “True. I can’t imagine what it’s like to go from remembering almost nothing to having all that flood back.”

  Gessilyn squeezed my shoulder. “But now you two can move forward together. I know how long you’ve wanted this.”

  “And how badly.” I leaned over and brushed my lips across Victoria’s. Then I turned to Gessilyn. “The moment she wakes, let me know.”

  “You have my word.”

  Relief swept through me, and I realized how hungry I was. “Do you want anything?”

  She shook her head. “I ate not long ago. You can send Killian up, though.”

  “Sure thing.” I rose from the chair. “Thanks again for everything, Gessilyn.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.”

  I arched a brow.

  “Not until I’ve figured out how to break the curse of the moon.”

  My heart nearly broke in two.

  “What’s going to happen to her if she doesn’t shift?” Gessilyn sat in the chair.

  I shook my head, not wanting to talk about it.

  “I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

  “The truth is, I can only speculate. Maybe she’ll lose the ability to shift, or maybe she’ll finally shift into the wolf and never return to this state.”

  She gave me a sympathetic glance. “I sense another or coming.”

  I frowned and then whispered, “She could die again—worst case scenario.”

  Gessilyn jumped up from the chair. “We’re not going to let that happen. Do you hear me?”

  I nodded, not trusting my voice.

  “Toby, I’m serious. I won’t let that happen. I’ll move in here and work day and night if I have to. The jaguars have found a way around the curse. So can I, and I will.”

  “Thanks, Gessilyn.” My voice cracked. “If anyone can, it’s you.”

  “Darn straight. In fact, while you’re eating, I’m going to call my parents. They’ve been around longer than me. Surely, one of them can think of something I’ve never heard of.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.” I glanced at Victoria. “I’d do anything for her.”

  “That’s why I’m going to put in everything I’ve got into this.”

  “And if you ever need anything from me…”

  She pulled out her phone and waved me away. “Just get something to eat. Or just talk with your guys. You need a break.”

  It was hard to pull myself away from Victoria, but Gessilyn was right. I needed to think.

  I went downstairs. Everyone was gathered in the kitchen.

  “How’s it going, sir?” Brick asked, standing from his seat.

  “She’s still sleeping, and she doesn’t seem to be having any bad dreams.”

  Relief swept over his face. “I’m so glad to hear it.”

  Soleil jumped up from her spot next to him. “Me, too. Is there anything we can do?”

  “I just need to clear my head.”

  “There’s nothing like a good meal to help with that.” Brick spread his arm toward the table, which held enough to feed our pack right before shifting. “I can also put some roast beef in the oven.”

  “This is fine.” I took my usual seat and filled the plate.

  “How’s Gessilyn?” Killian asked.

  “She wants you to go upstairs and sit with her.”

  He finished up his drink and turned to me. “I’m really glad Victoria remembers you.”

  “Me, too.” I dug into my food. My emotions were too raw, and I didn’t want anyone to see them.

  Everyone spoke around me. I was grateful for the distraction as I listened to them discussing possible cures for the curse of the moon.

  Once I’d finally had my fill, I glanced around the table. Each member of my pack took a turn giving me a reassuring expression.

  Strength filled me, replacing my aching emotions. My
family had my back and the high witch was deeply invested in fully restoring Victoria to her natural state. And the best news of all was that Victoria remembered me and our time together before her death.

  We had each other, and that was something I’d desired for so long. Too long.

  The love of my life was now back with all of her memories. We were together once again—really together. And with Gessilyn working on curing the moon’s curse, that left me with only the worry of when and how to give her to the proper proposal. Now we had nothing standing in our way of getting married and running the pack together.

  I glanced around the table. Everyone was joking and laughing, blissfully unconcerned with the vampire or the valkyrie sitting with us. Brick, especially, seemed pleased with Soleil’s presence. He was grinning wider than I’d ever seen as she shared a story about an unfortunate encounter with a pharaoh’s daughter.

  Killian came over to me. “Victoria’s starting to wake.”

  My heart leaped into my throat. I jumped from my seat and bolted up the stairs.

  Chapter 35

  Victoria

  I squeezed Toby’s hand as Moonhaven came into sight. The sun sat behind it, creating a show of bright pinks and oranges against the darkening sky.

  He turned to me and took my other hand in his, gazing into my eyes. “Have I told you how happy I am to have you back?”

  “One or two hundred times,” I teased. “But I can’t hear it too much. Not after everything we’ve been through. I wish I could remember why I forgot everything.”

  Toby pulled me closer. “It doesn’t matter. The only thing that does matter is that we’re together now.”

  My heart fluttered. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. Deep down, I missed you horribly. I just didn’t understand it.”

  He stepped closer and brushed his lips across mine. “That’s because our love is too powerful for a memory loss. What we have goes deeper than memories. It reaches into the depths of our emotions. It’s part of who we are. You’re as much a part of my soul as I am. Without you at my side, I was only half a wolf—half a man. You make me whole.”

  My mouth gaped and tears filled my eyes, pooling and blurring my vision. “You… you’re equally part of me. I just can’t say it as eloquently now that you’ve melted me with your words.” I blinked, causing tears to spill.

  He wiped them away and held my gaze. “There’s only one thing I need to be fully complete.”

  “What?”

  Toby stepped back and knelt on the grass.

  My heart rate sped up.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. “I’ve never loved anyone more than you, Victoria. Even your death couldn’t keep my feelings at bay. You’re the most important person in my life, and I couldn’t be happier to have you back—and remembering me, no less.”

  I laughed and wiped new tears from my eyes. My knees wobbled, so I lowered myself to the ground, also.

  Toby took my left hand. “I want nothing more than to lead this pack with you. I love you, Victoria. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes! We’ve waited too long for this.” I laughed while more tears ran from my eyes.

  Smiling, he slid the ring on my finger. It was a perfect fit.

  “You’ve just made me the happiest man alive.” He beamed.

  “But you can’t be any happier than I am.” I wiped my tears away.

  “I beg to differ.” Toby pulled me onto his lap and pressed his mouth on mine. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him greedily, excited about our future together. After all these years, we would finally get married—and this time, there was no one around to stop us.

  More curses…

  What will happen next? Will Toby and Victoria get their happily ever after? Find out in Chosen Wolf, now available!

  What about poor Carter? Is he going to be left pining for Victoria forever, or will he find true love? Find out in Secret Jaguar, the sixth and final Curse of the Moon book, coming in the second half of 2017!

  Learn more and see the gorgeous covers here!

  What about Soleil? She’s getting her own series in 2018! Will she find love again? Or might she be able to find Brick again? Or will her superiors in Valhalla figure out that she’s playing hooky? So many questions!

  Join my newsletter, reader group, or street team to be the first to get cover reveals and be alerted about new releases!

  Other Books by Stacy Claflin

  If you like Lost Wolf, you’ll enjoy the Transformed series where it all began…

  But first, read the next Curse of the Moon books to find out what happens with Toby and Victoria!

  Curse of the Moon

  Lost Wolf

  Chosen Wolf

  Hunted Wolf

  Broken Wolf

  Cursed Wolf

  Secret Jaguar

  The Transformed Series

  Main Series

  Deception

  Betrayal

  Forgotten

  Ascension

  Duplicity

  Sacrifice

  Destroyed

  Transcend

  Entangled

  Dauntless

  Obscured

  Partition

  Standalones

  Fallen

  Silent Bite

  Hidden Intentions

  Saved by a Vampire

  Sweet Desire

  The Hunters

  Seaside Surprises

  Seaside Heartbeats

  Seaside Dances

  Seaside Kisses

  Seaside Christmas

  Bayside Wishes

  Bayside Evenings

  Bayside Promises

  Bayside Destinies

  Bayside Dreams

  The Gone Saga

  The Gone Trilogy: Gone, Held, Over

  Dean’s List

  No Return

  Alex Mercer Thrillers

  Girl in Trouble

  Turn Back Time

  Short Story Collection

  Tiny Bites

  Standalones

  Haunted

  Visit StacyClaflin.com for details.

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  Author’s Note

  Thanks so much for reading Lost Wolf. This book has been a long time in the making. Ever since Toby’s role in my Transformed series lessened, I’ve received numerous emails asking for more of him. Unfortunately, his place in the series had mostly dwindled down as that world exploded, going in some directions I never imagined.

  I’ve been excited to write his story. Not only is he one of my favorite characters, but I’m excited that so many of you love him, also! I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. As with the previous series, I have no exact plan as to how many books there will be (I like to see where the stories go on their own) but there will be at least four!

  Feel free to let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. The easiest way to do that is to join my mailing list (link below) and reply to any of the emails.

  Anyway, if you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased it. Not only will your review help me to better understand what you like—so I can give you more of it!—but it will also help other readers find my work. Reviews can be short—just share your honest thoughts. That’s it.

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  I’ve spent many hours writing, re-writing, and editing this work. I even put together a team who helped with the editing process. As it is impossible to find every single error, if you find any, please contact me through my website and let me know. Then I can fix them for future editions.


  Thank you for your support! I really appreciate it—and you guys!