ROWAN.
“Well, how did it go?” Rina asks the moment I walk out of the room.
“He is lying, I just know it,” I say as I make my way out of the clinic.
“How do you know that?” Lisa asks as they take places up my sides.
“Said his name is Louis, but doesn’t remember his last name. Has no recollection of how he got to that field or what he was doing,” I reply
“He might be telling the truth,” Rina interjects.
“He had broken bones, internal bleeding and a few more bruises. Nothing to his head, so where does the amnesia come in?”
“Maybe it’s trauma?” Lisa adds.
“Really? Trauma? That is what you are going with?” I ask sarcastically.
“I don’t know. Look, all I am saying is… maybe you should just give him a chance. He might actually be telling the truth .”
“He is not!” I snap at her.
“How do you know that?!”she snaps back.
“Because I looked into his eyes! Okay. There was no confusion, Los lost sense of direction, no desperation. He knows who he is and the fact that he is lying about it tells me I can not trust him,” I tell her.
They are both silent at that, both of them exchanging looks that only serves to get on my nerves.
“What?! What is it now?” I demand.
“Not to detract from your instincts and intuition,” Rina begins.
“But?”
“But… is it possible that you are so willing to believe the worst of him because of your past, with Dominic?” Lisa finishes.
*Not this again.”
“Yes, this again. Not all men are the same, Ro.”
“I know that.”
“Do you? Because I didn’t sense any excitement when you told us about him. Instant distrust, fear, apathy. Is it possible he picked that from you and that is why he lied.”
“Why would he care about how I feel?”
“Because you are his mate! And you have shown him nothing but distrust. Maybe he is lying to you because he doesn’t understand why you would behave like that to him.”
“No, he is lying because he knows whatever brought him close to our territory will not sit well with me.”
“Well, we wouldn’t know the truth if you continue to keep him locked up In there” Rina says
“What are you saying?” I ask.
“I am saying you both have good points but we will not be able to ascertain the truth with him confined to the room. He says he has no recollection of who he is? Give him space, let him roam around, interact with people, and while he is doing that, have him watched. Get to know him. Lower his guard. Something is bound to slip out.”
“Sometimes, I forget how smart and insightful you can be,” I say as I catch sight of Dawn. “Hey, Dawn!” I call her over
“Thank you,” Rina says in response to my statements.
“That was not a compliment,” Lisa snarks at her.
“Yes, it was. Right, Ro?”
“Of course,” I tell her as Dawn arrives.
“You called for me?” she greets with a bow.
“Yes. Our John Doe’s name is Louis, according to him.”
“Louis? Lovely name.”
“Yes, sure. I want to see the reports on him. Also, do you think the injuries would have any effect on his head? His mind?”
“What are you saying? like amnesia?” she clarifies.
“Yes, exactly that.”
“There were no hits or bruises on his head, at least none that I can remember. I would have to look into that.”
“Please do. And have it sent to me, I will be waiting. Also, send a meal up, he must be starving.”
“Yes, Guia.”
That done, we leave the clinic and begin our walk to the mansion.
“A meal, huh?” Rina remarks with a mischievous smile.
“What now?” I ask, with exasperation coloring my voice.
“Nothing, nothing. I am just remarking on how kind you are to have him fed, with him being a liar, a threat and all that.”
“Am I supposed to let him starve?” I retort. “Besides, if he dies, how are we going to find out information about what actually happened out there?”
“She has a pont,” Lisa says.
“I always have a point,” I snap.
“Eehn, let’s just say most times you do.”
“And the other times?”
“You are a raging, hormonal, crazy mama, who screams and cries for no reason.”
That was years ago. Years. And Jhenelle was still an infant. I think I am allowed the occasional tantrums and such.”
“You clawed at a tree until it fell. A large, thirty foot tree. Downed by you, a sixty, sixty five pound woman. I think that is more than a tantrum.”
“Whatever. You two are biased,” I scoff as I increase my speed, leaving them behind. “Don’t follow me!” I shout back to them and thankfully they listen.
They do that, occasionally.
It is past two in the morning when I hear a knock on the study door.
“Come in,” I call out, my focus still trained on the documents before me.
Trade routes, sympathetic lies, human supporters and the likes, basically resources that help us to survive.
The door opens to reveal Dawn with a folder in her hand.
“Talk to me,” I say as I take it from her outstretched hand.
“I did a thorough scan of him, and there were no bruises, swelling or bleeding anywhere near his head. The possibility of him suffering from amnesia is slim to none.”
“So, he is lying.”
“Hmm, maybe.”
“You just told me it is impossible for him to have amnesia.”
“No, I said the chances are slim to none. There is still so much we don’t know about our physiology and the fact that he survived such an attack… well, I can’t tell you with absolute certainty that he does not in fact have amnesia.”
“But the chances are very low, yes?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“What are you going to do with him?”
I smile as I look at his reports, a plan already formulating in my head.
“I am going to let him out.”