Page 24 of Shadow Boxed (Shadow Warriors #2)

Chapter twenty

Muriel reached across the seat and grasped Olivia’s fidgeting fingers. “Doctor Brickenhouse said this is to be expected. That amnesia often results after cranial trauma.”

“I know.” Olivia’s fingers twitched beneath Muriel’s palms. “But…but…” she trailed off, her eyes glassy.

“He’s awake, that’s good news, right? And he was able to move his right leg and arm.

” Muriel’s throat tightened at the thought of the left side of his body.

Brickenhouse said Samuel took the news of his missing limbs well.

But she would describe his reaction more like complete apathy .

She brushed her worry aside. He was still processing, still healing.

He was at the very beginning of this journey.

They needed to give him time. “He’ll remember us once his brain recovers. ”

She forced certainty into her voice, although she was less than certain. Brickenhouse hadn’t said all amnesia patients recovered their memory. He’d said a significant portion recovered some of their memories.

And the scope of Samuel’s amnesia was alarming.

He didn’t remember anything or anyone. Not her, not Olivia, not Wolf, none of the doctors or nurses.

Plus, he’d forgotten his life—his entire life.

All of it. He didn’t remember their childhood, the Brenahiilo , their Anistaa or Anestoo, Daniel or Gracie, Shadow Mountain, The Neighborhood.

He didn’t even remember the elder gods or the old tales, the one’s they’d learned as anvaat . He’d forgotten everything.

His entire life and personality...just...gone.

How could anyone recover so many missing pieces of themselves?

“The thing is…the thing I keep coming back to…” Olivia choked the words out.

“He says he doesn’t feel our spirit mate bond.

” She choked again and the words turned thick and raspy.

“But that’s…that’s not possible. The mate bond is a spiritual tie, not a physical one. The amnesia should not affect it.”

“Give him time to—”

Olivia shook her head and pulled her fingers from Muriel’s grip.

“A couple cycles back, a friend was in a head on collision. She went through the windshield, ended up with a massive head injury. She was comatose for weeks. And when she awoke, she didn’t remember me.

Didn’t remember her fiancé.” Livvy’s voice slowed.

“Even so, even without her memory, she still felt the spirit mate pull toward Issac. She instinctively recognized what he was to her.” Sitting back, Oliva wiped nonexistent tears from her cheeks.

She was holding the tears inside again. “This doesn’t feel right, Muriel. It feels wrong on every level.”

“People respond to trauma differently. Or maybe a different part of Samuel’s brain was injured. He’s only been awake for two days. We need to adjust our expectations.”

Olivia’s throat fluttered. “Kait has done multiple healings on him, including two since he awoke. So have the other healers. What if his brain never heals more than it already has?”

Muriel grimaced. She’d hoped Olivia wouldn’t consider that possibility so soon. “It does no good to focus on worse case scenarios. Giving into fear won’t help him.”

“Maybe,” Olivia acknowledged. “But he doesn’t want our support, he doesn’t want our company.”

It was hard to argue with that statement when Samuel had kicked them out of his room and told them not to come back.

“What of your twin bond?” Olivia asked. “Is it still there?”

Sitting back, Muriel considered the question. “I can sense him, sense he’s in pain. But the connection is...distant...muted. But the twin bond has never been as strong as the mate bond you two share.”

“Used to share,” Livvy broke in, her voice thick.

That stopped Muriel cold; she regrouped. “But your spirit bond is still there, at least on your side, right? That hasn’t changed, has it.”

“No.” Olivia allowed, but there was no relief in her voice. Just anxiety and loss. “But it doesn’t feel the same.” Her gaze lowered until she was staring at the floor. “It feels empty…lacking.”

“Olivia…” Muriel blew out a tight breath.

“You’re exhausted. You’ve barely slept since Samuel arrived.

And these past two days have been brutal.

Samuel doesn’t want our company. How about we get some food and sleep?

In that order. We can use the apartment Wolf assigned us.

That way we’ll be close if Samuel changes his mind.

Or if Brickenhouse call us in for a consultation.

The situation will look less...scary...after we’ve filled or stomachs and gotten some decent sleep. ”

“I suppose…” Olivia allowed Muriel to pull her to her feet and guide her across the waiting room.

The door to the clinic slid open and O’Neill stepped through. His green eyes landed on her. He stepped to the side and stopped, waiting. A gray t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and chest and a pair of charcoal-colored tactical pants hung low and loose on his hips.

He looked...gorgeous. Fit and strong. Muscles everywhere. Masculine. A masculinity that came from life, rather than a bottle or pill. Her stomach started to flutter.

Her footsteps faltered. O’Neill and Samuel had long had an antagonistic relationship.

From what Livvy had told her, that hadn’t changed once O’Neill landed on base.

It was unlikely he was at the clinic to see Samuel.

Since her brother was the only patient in the clinic, O’Neill wouldn’t be visiting anyone else. Was he here to see her?

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she steered Olivia toward the door.

“I need to speak with you,” O’Neill said, his voice neutral, his glowing eyes scanning her from hair to shoes.

Olivia offered him a polite smile and turned to Muriel. “I’m too tired to eat. Sleep first, then food. Don’t worry about me. I can find my way to our apartment.”

Muriel watched her pass through the open clinic doors, before turning to O’Neill. “Do you want to talk here? Or somewhere else?”

O’Neill scanned the empty waiting room, his gaze lingering on the two women watching them from the receptionist desk.

“This base thrives on gossip. A more private place would be best.” His forehead furrowed.

“It’s lunch, so the cafeteria’s swamped; we will find no privacy there.

” He hesitated. “My quarters are near. We can speak there. If you are uncomfortable being alone with me, call Wolf, and tell him where you’ll be. ”

Muriel’s eyes widened. What in the Goddess’s name gave him the impression she was uncomfortable with him? He’d never, not once, at any time, acted threatening toward her. “Your quarters are fine.”

O’Neill studied her face, possibly waiting for her to reach for her phone. When she didn’t, he stepped aside and gestured at the door. They walked through it together.

She balked when he led her to one of the utility carts parked outside. “Can we walk? I’ve been sitting for days.”

Without a word he turned and headed for the walkway that skirted the edge of the base thoroughfare. He took the side closest to the traffic and kept pace with her shorter strides.

“Is Gracie staying in The Neighborhood?” he asked with a quick, sidewise glance.

“Today? Yes. She stayed on base after your tour, but there isn’t much for her to do up here and Samuel kicked us out of his room. She took the chopper back down yesterday.”

She knew Gracie had initially remained on base. hoping O’Neill would return to train with her. When he hadn’t, her mood had soured. She’d accused Muriel of driving him away again, even claimed Muriel was purposely wedging herself between them.

She knew it was Gracie’s disappointment talking. And while she loved her daughter, she’d been relieved when Gracie left for The Neighborhood. Life was much more peaceful with a chopper ride’s distance between them.

“I’m sorry I bailed on you.” O’Neill’s apology was quiet, but sincere. “Something came up. Something that couldn’t wait.”

“The text.” Muriel had already figured that out. All those quick phone checks. He’d been waiting for something to drop. Something important.

She understood the situation though. Wolf had explained the terrifying new reality barreling down on them.

Wolf, O’Neill, and the rest of the Shadow Warriors were desperately trying to stave off the Wanatesa .

Anything concerning the nanobots had priority.

She’d explained what was happening to Gracie, but her daughter had brushed it off, accusing her of being melodramatic.

“The text.” O’Neill echoed with a nod, followed by a deep breath. “The info the text provided was critical and could not go unanswered.” He led her to an elevator and pressed the up button, before turning to face her. “The Chinook will spin up within the next few hours. And I’ll be on it.”

Muriel flinched. The last time a chopper had taken to the sky, she’d lost her son and her brother. While physically, Samuel was still alive, he was not the brother she’d known—mentally or physically. The thought of O’Neill facing a similar fate stung her heart.

She’d finally found him, and there were still so many unanswered questions. And what of Gracie? Was her daughter about to lose her father, after losing her brother?

“Do you have to go on this mission?” she asked, the question startling her. As the sister of a Warrior and the mother of another, she knew better than to ask such things.

The look O’Neill turned on her held surprise.

“Yes.” He hesitated, as though he was about to say more, then closed his mouth.

She couldn’t tell whether irritation was mixed with the surprise. The elevator chimed, the doors opened, and they stepped inside. He pressed the button for the third floor.

Before the silence had a chance to lengthen and harden, Muriel started talking. “Can you talk about this mission? Where you’ll be? What you’ll be doing?”