She liked him. I laughed to myself at the fact that she was treating the Alpha of the Mount Hood wolves like a little boy.

We walked towards the backyard and introduced my mother to the pack. We made sure to tell everyone not to bring beer to the event and blow the cover of an alcoholic rehab center. My mom talked with everyone thinking they were struggling alcoholics. It was pretty comical to watch.

When we got to where Sylvia was sitting with Emma, I could see her looking at my mother with pinched eyebrows. I could see alarm register on her face. She masked the expression and shook my mother’s hand. “I’m Dr. Sylvia, the resident psychologist.” Sylvia held my mother’s hand longer than appropriate. My mom pulled her hand away looking confused. “Have we met before?”

Sylvia looked at me as she answered. “Not that I remember.”

Okay, something weird was going on and I would have to ask Sylvia about it later. As we ate and Kai and my mom got to know each other, the pack unloaded the moving truck and I “officially” moved in with Kai. My mom asked Kai one-hundred questions about India and he seemed to enjoy talking to her and teaching her things.

After a few hours, Kai and everyone said goodbye to my mom. I walked her to the truck and pulled out a wad of money I had borrowed from Kai.

“Here ya go, mom, to cover the cost of gas and the moving truck.” She took the money but after seeing how much it was her eyes widened.

“Aurora, this would cover ten moving trucks. It’s too much.” She made a move to give it back to me. I wanted better for her. I tried to help her when I could but owning a nonprofit didn’t exactly make me rich. Now that I was staying with Kai, I could afford to help her. I closed my hand around hers. “I want to help you more, mom. Let me.” I held her gaze. She looked behind me at Kai’s large house. It must cost at least half a million dollars, not to mention his other properties on the mountain.

“Okay,” she said and stuck the money in her pocket.

I hugged her tight. “Love you.”

“You too, sweetie. I’m glad you’re happy. I like him. He looks at you as if you were the only woman in the world.”

I was shocked at her appraisal of him. She never liked guys I dated; no one was good enough. I looked nervously at my shoes. “Good, because I think this one will be around for a long time,” I admitted.

I waited until she got to the end of the driveway and then went in search of Sylvia.

Memories

Sylvia, Kai, and I were gathered around the desk in his office.

“What do you mean my mother has a memory blocking spell on her?” I shouted. I felt like shifting. My wolf was close to the surface and I knew my eyes were yellow.

Sylvia patiently continued. “That’s not all. I am the one that put it there. I don’t remember it but when I touched her hand, I could smell the spell. It was my work. I’m at a loss. I don’t understand how I could memory spell someone and not remember it myself!”

Kai looked pissed. But before he or I could say anything Sylvia put her hand to her lips. “Oh God.”

“What?” I stumbled forward.

Sylvia tucked her hair nervously behind her ear. “I have a very good memory. I’m not that old. The only way I wouldn’t remember a spell or a client, is if I also did a memory erasing spell on myself. I would only do that, if the knowledge I was hiding was life or death.”

I felt my breath leave me. “So is my mom in danger?”

Sylvia shrugged. “I don’t think so, but I obviously can’t remember.”

I stepped forward. “Undo it. Make yourself remember. If my mom is in danger then I have to protect her!” I wanted to shift so bad. I could feel sister wolf and her growing impatience.

“Aurora, calm down. Your wolf is too close to the surface.” Kai put a light hand on my shoulder and I took a deep breath.

Sylvia cocked her head to the side as she looked at me.              

“It might not be your mother who is in danger. I could have hidden the memory to keep myself safe, or you. Do you really want to know what was hidden?” She asked me, chewing her lip.

I thought about it. Yes, I did want to know. I needed to know.

“Yes.”

Sylvia sighed and looked at Kai. “I will need powerful blood for the spell.”

He looked at me and held out his wrist to her. She pulled her bag onto his desk and lay out a white silk cloth. Then she removed a small ornate golden dagger with a matching bowl. She placed a large clear crystal on the cloth and another purple crystal next to it.

“Kai, do I have your permission to do the spell here in your home?”

He looked at me. “I hate magic.” He then looked to Sylvia. “Yes, you have my permission.”

I cringed. Kai was doing this for me. I was subtly picking up on clues that werewolves, witches and vampires kept to themselves.

She nodded and took the dagger to Kai’s wrist and dropped a few drops of blood into her bowl.

“I call on my ancestors and spirit guardians who come in the white light. I provide the powerful blood of an Alpha as an offering. Help me to find what was once lost. Open my mind to the memories no matter the cost.”

I could see a white mist coming down from the ceiling and into Sylvia’s head. I gasped and she looked at me with silver-coated irises. Her expression became blank. The mist intensified and I stumbled back to avoid it. Kai looked at me oddly as if he weren’t seeing the mist. Sylvia looked horrified and then she smiled and a tear rolled down her cheek. I watched her face play out a dozen expressions as if she were watching a movie.  The mist retreated and Sylvia’s eyes returned to their normal color.