Free The Forgotten by Marly Mathews Page A

Neri trust again, even if she still couldn’t give her heart to a man, Elaine had made her see that not everyone would betray her and leave her in her moment of need.
    Those years spent with Elaine had been the best years she’d ever lived. The village had enjoyed a peaceful happy time after Elaine had passed from the world. That had all changed when the last earl had died from a lung ailment.
    Shadows had slowly crept across the land as Lord Ulwyn had taken power. For a long time the Cambrians had prayed for help to come from the Crown City. They had prayed for a miracle in the form of a distant relative of the earl’s returning to claim their inheritance.
    Instead, they’d had twenty long years of misery and that had to change. Lucan had to be their salvation. He had to the one to put everything back to rights.
    “Only shifters, specifically wolf shifters, are allowed to frequent the Tavern. I tried allowing the other villagers to come inside and when Lord Ulwyn found out who they were, he had them killed. I won’t make that mistake again. I keep them away for their own safety, Lucan. I try to keep everyone from suffering, but sometimes there are people in the village and outside who fall through the cracks. Sometimes, all that I can do—is never enough.”
    He gave her an understanding smile. She knew his thoughts had gone to Nell. Had she known that Nell and her family were suffering so, she would have attempted to help them. She wanted to tell him that but if she did he would figure out she was the blue tabby cat and right now she didn’t know if she could trust him with that secret.
    She felt like unburdening her many truths to him, she wanted to get it all off her chest, so she had someone that knew everything the way that Elaine had known everything.
    Elaine hadn’t judged her, or viewed her any differently once she’d told her what had happened to her to set her on the path of fleeing her home country. She’d accepted her, she’d comforted her, and she’d gotten her through the worst time in her life.
    If Elaine hadn’t been there to help her, she would have given into the urge to lose her mind completely.
    Elaine knew why Neri could never return to Avonry. And she’d known that one day, Neri’s past could potentially catch up with her.
    She had no doubt that some of her enemies still lived in Avonry. She could only pray that none of them figured out that she’d escaped to Shardizar for they wouldn’t stop searching for her if they suspected she’d escaped with her life.
    It would be so easy to tell Lucan and have someone else understand why night terrors still interrupted her slumber. She wondered if he, too, dealt with the same issues. He looked as if he’d weathered the storm that curse had blown his way relatively well. He’d probably been born with a stronger countenance than she’d been blessed with—that and the fact that he had not suffered alone. He had the camaraderie of the other men in his Order to get him through the ordeal.
    “You look far too sad, luv. If my wager has caused you this trouble, I take it back. I don’t to cause you any grief, that’s the last thing I want to do, Neri.”
    His voice was soft, almost cajoling. She wanted to find shelter in his arms, despite her want, she remained distant. Maybe someday soon she’d let go and allow him to bypass the wall she’d erected around herself.
    “I’m ravenous. I think I need to eat. I feel like a feast akin to the ones my mother used to make. Can you cook?” he asked her.
    “I’m a decent cook. I do confess, I am nothing like your mother. She had a magic touch in the kitchen. She made me love food in a way these hips should never love the stuff,” she chuckled.
    “Aye. That she did. And she passed that magic touch down to me. I like a woman with curves, it’s just more to hold onto. Come on, let’s see what I can make for us.”
    He offered her his hand, watching her as he held his hand out to her far longer that