Page 2 of Dark Rover's Luck

"I'm happy for you both." Fenella tore off a piece of the most delicious chocolate croissant she'd ever tasted and put it in her mouth. Groaning with pleasure, she turned to Kyra. "So, you came back to the village and celebrated by shagging Max all night long."

Kyra snorted. "You are terrible, Fenella. My daughter is sitting right here with us."

"It's okay, Mom." Jasmine put her hand on Kyra's arm. "Don't feel shy. There is nothing you can say that will shock me, trust me. Think of me as your best friend rather than your daughter."

"I'd like to think of you as both."

"Oh, that's so sweet." Fenella took another piece of the chocolatey goodness and ate it greedily.

"Let's just say that a lot of pent-up energy was released." Kyra sighed. "I'm still rediscovering it all. Max was my first consensual sexual experience in nearly two and a half decades."

The momentary darkness in Kyra's expression was an unwelcome reminder of what they'd all been through. For all the lightness of their afternoon coffee date, they'd each survived horrors that would haunt them for a long time.

Maybe even forever.

"I'm so glad I don't remember most of it," Kyra said. "I wish my sister Yasmin could be made to forget so she could be spared the grief of losing her husband. I don't know how to help her."

Jasmine nodded. "She and the children didn't even have the closure of a burial ceremony. It must be so hard for them."

"How are the children of your other sisters doing?" Fenella asked.

"All of them have been traumatized to some extent," Kyra said. "Being taken from the life they knew, however imperfect it was, and thrust into this completely foreign environment can't be easy for any of them." She shook her head. "I need to talk to my sisters about seeing the clan psychologist."

"You need to see Vanessa as well, Mom," Jasmine said.

"I know." Kyra leaned back in her chair. "If the Clan Mother can't help me with the retrieval of my memories, I might contact Vanessa. I heard that she's very busy, though, and Yasmin needs her much more than I do."

"When are you going to see the Clan Mother?" Jasmine asked.

"When I am summoned. I know she wants me to help her find her beloved, so I expect it to be soon." Kyra put her hand over the pendant she always wore. "Although I really don't know how I will be able to help her. Finding missing people has never been one of my gifts."

"I'll help you," Jasmine said. "I wasn't able to do it on my own, but I have a feeling that together, we will be stronger than the sum of our parts."

Fenella lifted her hand. "Hey, maybe I can help too. After all, we seem strangely connected somehow. I think the Fates Max keeps talking about are trying to tell us something. Right?"

Mother and daughter regarded her with curious expressions.

"You might be onto something," Jasmine said. "Do you know that Amanda, Kian's sister, tried to get Max interested in me? He took one look at me and disliked me instantly because I reminded him of you."

Fenella waved a dismissive hand. "I heard that story, and I think it's absurd. We look nothing alike."

Jasmine was tall and curvy. She wasn't carrying extra weight or anything, but she was a big woman who occupied a lot of space. Compared to her, Fenella felt almost petite.

"We have similar coloring and the cleft in our chins." Jasmine pointed at Fenella's, which was much less pronounced than hers. "Anyway, he was mad at you for coming between him and Din."

"Men are so bloody ridiculous," Fenella muttered. "And they blame everything on women. I didn't even know Din had feelings for me, but Max did, or should have known if he considered Din his best friend. It's his fault, not mine."

"He knows that now," Kyra said, "Max has matured a lot since then."

"Yeah, he has." Fenella remembered their talk on the way back from Iran. "Max and I have sorted it out. But I still don't get why you reminded him of me. You're tall and sexy, and I'm not."

"You are beautiful," Jasmine said. "I never liked my height or the size of my hips. I would have loved to look as delicate as you."

"Delicate?" Fenella barked out a laugh. "No one who knows me would call me delicate, love. I've always compensated with my big mouth and even bigger attitude."

Smiling, Kyra nodded. "I'm starting to realize that about you. I bet that's what Din fell in love with."

"He doesn't know me, let alone love me." Fenella turned to Jasmine. "Speaking of my supposed future with him, though, you promised me a tarot reading. Now that your mum's back with the cards, I could really use your mystical guidance."

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