Page 83 of Jackal's Pride

Grinning, familiar faces stared back at me.

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I faded outside the cave right at the entrance. It was no longer snowing here, but the snow—in no hurry to melt soon—still clung to the mountains. It was just as cold as before. I shivered and materialized an extra layer of clothing on then stepped inside. I materialized a torch and lit it even though my eyes had no problem in the dark. The warmth was a nice comfort.

With no memory spell or potion, I was left on my own to see if he did indeed forget about me. I scratched my fingers over the warm wool over my legs then flicked my ponytail off my shoulders—nervous jitters. I could handle it though. As much as my fear messed with me, I was just as determined to walk in there and tell him his sun and moon rises and sets onme.A little on the sappy side, but that was just the way it was going to be with me. I thought he knew that… Well, hedid.

A few steps in, the anger began to rekindle. I had time alone, time for my haughtiness to come to the forefront. He dared to forget about me? The nerve of him! After everything he went and made me feel, then he went and let himself forget about me with a measly spell—who could be sure what the witch gave Jackal. Maybe he hadn’t forgotten. Maybe Newt was lying. Maybe pigs flew and fish talked.

It didn’t matter that it wasn’t his fault. If he didn’t recognize me, I was… He was going to grovel when he did remember.

He better know me.He better love me. If he didn’t, well he better remember before I got my hands on a memory thingy—

The whooshing sound that escaped my throat wasn’t what took me by surprise. I was too busy inside my own head that I didn’t even hear or feel him approach. Jackal tossed me against the cave wall. Somehow I managed to hold on to the torch. He grabbed my shirt between my breasts and wedged his knee between my legs keeping me in place. I didn’t feel held down, but I definitely felt something.

“Jack,” I finally hissed. “What are you doing?”

“Jack?” he growled.

This wasn’t promising.

“Who are you?” He scrunched up his nose as his eyes slowly closed a bit, then he inhaled. His eyes slowly popped open and did that glassy thing they always did when he was about to fuck me. Then he pushed himself away unexpectedly. “You smell offensive!”

“What?”He did not just start up about my smell again. Forget making him remember, I was going tokillhim. “You don’t know me?” I tested hotly.

“I’ve been asleep! I don’t know anyone, nor do I want to. What are you doing in my cave?”

“Really?” I sized him up with my heated glare. “You just woke up?”

His eyes fluttered with uncertainty. “I woke up in a mess in the human world. I assumed that was my doing… Strangely, I don’t remember doing it. ” He shot an accusatory stare my way. “Do you know something?”

“Oh, I know something all right.” I leaned off the wall and held the torch between us. “You have two seconds to remember who I am, or I’m kicking your ass for the rest of our lives! And that’s forever—ever, ever, ever since you don’t fucking remember!”

He tried to come at me again. I sidestepped him, waving the torch around like a weapon. “Think instead of act, you giant behemoth!” I yelled.

“I can’t think when the only thing I want to do is fucking kill you!” he spat.

I stopped, took him in head to toe, then grinned. “Are you sure? Are you really? It kind of seems like you want to do something else to me.” I gestured to the tent in his jeans.

His gaze followed my hand. His eyes took on this wide-eyed, bewildered appearance. It was oddly cute for someone his size. “What the fuck?” He couldn’t stop staring at it. “That doesn’t happen.” How strange? The fact that his language and actions all stayed the same despite having lost his memories of us. That made me hopeful.

“I assure you it does, and it works rather fabulously.”

“Quiet! You don’t understand, I don’t—” He peered down at his bulging cock again.

“Yeah, you do,” I told him.

“I can’t—”

“You can.” I nodded. “You feel everything perfectly thanks to the hearts.”

His stare hardened. “How do you know that?”

I clenched my teeth. “Would you remember already!”

“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to remember!”

“How did you feel waking up in the human world—thinking you did all that damage?”