Page 25 of Waste (Legendary Shifters #4)

Drew/Ghoul

A chill settled in his stomach as Shelley looked at him like he was a stranger. There was no recognition in her eyes, and Drew felt panic rise. He didn’t understand why he felt like this, but Shelley not knowing him hurt. She was clearly distressed, and Drew had no idea how to soothe her.

“I found you after the accident, and we became friends,” Drew said as Waste raised its head.

The sheer glee Waste emitted was overwhelmingly indecent.

Drew slapped the Sin back, but Waste continued to gloat.

He had to question why, because Drew was experiencing a terrible feeling right now.

Something wasn’t right, and Drew did not know what.

“I don’t know you,” Shelley replied, shaking her head. She looked at Drew with no other emotion than confusion and a little bit of fear.

“Mum, I don’t remember him or the accident. What’s going on?” Shelley demanded tearfully.

“I’ll remove myself for now. The last thing I want to do is upset Shelley,” Drew said, seeming so caring and reasonable.

“Thank you, Drew. Please hurry the doctor, if you see him; this memory loss is confusing Shelley,” Gail said, continuing to offer comfort.

Drew nodded goodbye, and with one last look at Shelley, left the room. Lilith’s spell had clearly done its job, but why was Drew so miserable that Shelley didn’t remember him?

Shelley

She watched Drew go with relief. Once he was gone, she turned to Gail. “I want to go home. I don’t understand any of this.”

“Shelley. Let me explain what has been going on,” Jake said with a sigh.

Shelley looked at her dad, noting how old he was looking, and guilt swamped her.

This was all taking a toll on her family, and Shelley wished to spare them further grief.

She listened as Jake carefully explained what had happened, and while Shelley was aware of everything, she pretended to be unaware.

She had to. Guilt swamped her, but Shelley kept up with the memory loss.

Hopefully, Drew would believe her and disappear from their lives again. Shelley shed some tears and pretended to need the rest. She had to gather her thoughts as things were overwhelming her. It was not decidedly too much for her to handle.

Shelley closed her eyes and sought clarity, because that was what would save everyone moving forward.

◆◆◆

“Dad, I’m not going home with him; I don’t know him,” Shelley said two days later.

She’d undergone a barrage of tests around her alleged memory loss, which resulted in her feeling guiltier, but she kept quiet.

Drew had been to visit several times, and she gazed at him blankly.

He’d appeared distressed by her lack of recognition, which made Shelley want to scratch his eyes out.

She felt nothing but disdain for how he’d played her. It was manipulative and cruel.

“Shelley, the man has been looking out for you—”

“Dad! No! He’s a stranger. Drew means nothing to me,” she hissed and saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

Drew flinched at her harsh words, but he deserved them.

Under that handsome visage was a creature she’d thought held a heart.

She’d clearly been mistaken, and Shelley was kicking herself for believing otherwise.

Ghoul or Drew, whatever he wanted to call himself, had been prepared to let his friends mess with her mind.

Worse, he’d have let them kill her. What type of person did that?

Allowed that? A monster. Ghoul hadn’t lied when he claimed he was one.

Shelley had removed her rose-coloured glasses and saw him for what he was.

“Sweetheart, we just want to keep you safe.”

“Well, we can do that at home. I’m not running off with a total stranger. How do we know he’s not behind this?” Shelley demanded as she packed the last of her things into a bag.

“Drew’s not, I can assure you of that,” Jake retorted.

“Good. I don’t like, trust, or want to be around him. I’m going home and locking myself away behind closed doors.”

“If you won’t go with Drew, come home with me,” Jake said.

Shelley looked her father in the eye. “Will you stop going on about Drew?”

“Yes.” “Fine, I’ll come home with you. Has the police inspector got back in touch?”

“No, DI Wilson hasn’t contacted us with any information,” Jake replied and took Shelley’s holdall. As they both turned, they spotted Drew standing there. The look on his face would have cut Shelley if she hadn’t realised what a liar he was.

“Would you not consider coming with me? I can provide security for you,” Drew offered. “Charlie, naturally, would be welcome too.”

“Sorry. No. Honestly, you might be a nice guy, but I don’t know you from Adam. Thank you, though, for everything you had done for me. That was decent of you.”

“Shelley, I’m not comfortable letting you go like this,” Drew pushed.

Shelley released a loud laugh. “I beg your pardon? This may seem rude, but why should I be worried about your opinion?”

“Because I care.”

“Then I apologise again, but I don’t. I don’t know how to make you understand, but honestly, you’re nothing but a stranger.

And not one I want to get to know. Circumstances may have thrown us together, but they’ve also decided to keep us apart.

If there even was a friendship. I have far too much to worry about now, around whoever this person is trying to kill me,” Shelley stated.

She ignored Jake’s surprise at her attitude and firmness.

Drew regarded her sadly. “If you ever need anyone—”

“I’ll call my family, who I know would help me no matter what. They’d put me first before anyone and anything else,” Shelley said, unable to help the dig.

Drew’s eyes narrowed on her. “That was a strange thing to say.”

“Was it?” Shelley asked airily. “If your family wouldn’t do the same for you, you have my sympathy. Thank you for everything you’ve done, but my family has me now.”

With that, Shelley walked to the door and, without hesitation, stepped through it. It took a lot of self-control not to slap Drew around his lying, duplicitous face, but Shelley managed it.

“Look, give Shelley a few days. The doctors said she might recover in time and regain her memories, boy. I think Shelley’s overloaded at the moment, and she can’t handle anything else,” Jake murmured to Drew.

If Shelley had her own way, she’d never see the lying bastard again.

She kept walking, not willing to hear what lies Drew would undoubtedly spill to her parents.

In her opinion, Drew had caused enough damage.

She’d been in the media twice and dragged through the mud because of Jo’s lies.

Who had now been fired. She was done with Drew Martin and his shapeshifting Ghoul.

Drew/Ghoul

Days ticked by, and he’d not heard a word from Shelley. He was missing her desperately, and even though he’d contacted Charlie and her parents for updates, it wasn’t the same. Drew felt like he was coming out of his own skin. It didn’t help that Waste was being smug, and Drew didn’t grasp why.

He longed to see her, but Shelley refused to see him. Drew didn’t understand why she was against even meeting him to get reacquainted, but she was. He was beginning to realise just how stubborn Shelley was, and he was unimpressed when it was used against him.

He’d spent a lot more time at Bran Castle and had become even more of a recluse. Marie had tried visiting him, but Drew had rebuffed her. However, Drew could honestly say he still didn’t feel the mating bond.

None of it made sense. There was no bond between them, and yet Drew needed to be around Shelley. Not even Pandora could or would explain it to him, and she’d been one of the few people Drew had sought out. Everyone seemed as perplexed with him.

More so than Lilith. She swore she’d been careful erasing Shelley’s memories and had no idea why Shelley didn’t remember Drew.

They had considered that maybe it was because of all the trauma, and Shelley’s mind had been unable to cope.

Lilith admitted that Shelley’s mind may have latched onto the spell to remove Drew.

After all, Shelley had known Drew was Ghoul, and by removing Ghoul, Drew was forgotten because they were the same person.

It made sense in a roundabout way, but it left Drew very unhappy.

He felt at odds with himself, something he’d not experienced for thousands of years.

Drew was unsettled, irritable, and just downright miserable.

Shelley had brought a light into his life that he’d unknowingly cherished, and it was now gone.

He wanted it back, but the damn woman wouldn’t entertain him.

His siblings told him it was for the best, but Drew strongly disagreed.

He’d been a better person for having her in his life.

Annoyed with the world, Drew slowly dropped his phone calls from daily to every other day.

It had been best for Shelley to forget, but Drew had underestimated the impact on him.

And that made him incredibly mad at the world.