Wolf Rain (Psy-Changeling Trinity #3) - Nalini Singh Page 0,73
border. The M-Psy carried a small bag and at her side walked a tall man with amber-colored hair tied back in a queue and watchful eyes of near-gold, his movements subtly feline. He stopped next to one of the Arrows, an older man who appeared to be in charge of this unit, while Ashaya moved toward Memory.
The other woman’s face was drawn, her body stiff.
Rising to her feet, Memory girded herself for the confrontation to come; she had no idea what had passed between Ashaya and Amara after they left the cabin, but she could guess that it had been nothing good.
Rubbing her damp palms on her jeans, she blurted out, “I’m sorry,” before Ashaya could speak.
“You don’t ever have to apologize to me.” The blue-gray of Ashaya’s eyes shone with emotion. “You gave me a gift I never expected,” she whispered in a voice that trembled. “The effect may have been temporary, but for three hours yesterday, I saw a glimpse of who my twin might’ve been if she hadn’t been wired wrong in the womb.”
All the air rushed out of Memory. “She didn’t hurt you with her new understanding of your vulnerabilities?”
A poignant smile. “I long ago learned how to conduct myself around Amara to ensure that I didn’t put myself or those I loved at risk.” She inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. “Bittersweet though they were, I’d never give up those three hours.” Ashaya reached back to tuck a curl behind her ear.
Memory was suddenly conscious of the state of her own hair; it hadn’t dried enough to become a huge mess, but she had nothing like Ashaya’s beautifully separated curls. “Would you like a coffee?” she said despite the heat in her face.
“I’d love some, and I brought a gift I hope you’ll like.” She lifted the bag she was holding.
Only after the two of them were seated around the kitchen table did Ashaya open the bag. As Memory watched, she took out a number of items.
Hair care products and tools designed for tight curls.
Heat crawling over her entire body, Memory looked down into the fragrant dark liquid in her mug. “My hair looks terrible, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, I didn’t do this to make you feel bad.” Ashaya’s tone was distraught. “I thought maybe no one had remembered to get you curl-specific products.”
Memory looked up, her eyes burning. “Alexei did,” she whispered, wanting to kiss him all over again for seeing her. Not a victim. Not a strange E. Her. Memory.
“Will you let me do your hair?” Ashaya’s throat moved as she swallowed. “I need to do something for you. Please.”
“Oh.” No one else had done Memory’s hair since she was eight years old. Her emotions got all tangled at the idea of it, her throat thick. “Yes,” she managed to say.
Ashaya’s face lit up.
As she got up to come around behind Memory, she said, “I kept my mate up all night telling him about Amara and our strange, wonderful afternoon.” The M-Psy went on to speak about her leopard changeling mate and her Psy son, who considered himself an honorary cat and was with his adoptive father today. “Learning leopard secrets,” Ashaya said with a laugh. “Important man-business.”
Memory found herself wondering if Alexei took wolf pups off to learn wolf secrets. The idea of her growly golden wolf corralling curious pups made her grin.
Jaya returned while Ashaya was still detangling Memory’s hair. “We can start on the drills while Ashaya does her thing,” she said, her elegant features warmly affectionate. “First, we’re going to do the psychic version of piano scales to warm you up.”
It became clear within the first quarter-hour that the usual E exercises simply didn’t work for Memory’s brain. Memory fisted her fingers into her palms, her gut churning at this evidence that she didn’t belong in Designation E, but Jaya wasn’t about to give up. She threw out a far different exercise . . . and Memory flew through it.
“Interesting.” Jaya sat back in her chair, rubbing the back of her neck. “That particular exercise was originally designed for telepathic Arrow trainees,” she said just as Sascha arrived. “Abbot showed it to me.”
The room was now filled with so much friendly feminine energy that Memory felt overwhelmed—in a good way. Never had she imagined she’d have this many friends around her, people who seemed to like her regardless of her dark ability. She felt shy about claiming them as friends out loud, but she hugged the thought close in her heart.