“I’ll tell you all about why there is a night gown in the closet when we talk. Just call when you’re ready.” Nicholai allowed Marcus to lead him out the door with a hand on his shoulder, and closed the door behind them.
Chapter 41
Kat sat for a moment waiting to see if the door would open. When it didn’t, she slipped out from under the sheets and stood carefully on her unsteady legs. The floor swayed and she grabbed the bed for support, waiting until the dizziness passed before she grabbed the nightgown and made her way to the bathroom.
She looked curiously at her reflection in the mirror. Memories of being badly injured while tortured flooded her mind and her knees threatened to give way. She leaned forward, using her straight arms to brace her weight on the counter, when she remembered how they’d broken her leg and nose. Yet the only sign of the injuries still visible was a little bruising and the dried blood on her skin and hair. Her mind wanted to explore how that might be possible, but Katrina ruthlessly pushed the thought away not yet ready to examine it. There were other things that needed her attention, like staying vertical.
Her hand went to her hair, smoothing over the matted strands. It felt stiff and hard under the pads of her fingers. She cringed as she studied her reflection in the mirror and decided a bath was in order.
Kat pushed down the stopper in the tub and ran a bath. Sliding into the water, she savored the feel of steamy water on her body. The warmth soaked into her skin, replacing the ache with a tranquil lassitude. After washing her body and hair, she laid back and closed her eyes, letting the water lap at her skin in a soothing rhythm. Her eyes drifted closed.
Kat startled as she heard a voice whisper in her ear, “Kitten, wake up. You fell asleep in the bath.”
Katrina covered herself, as best she could with the wash cloth in her hand and turned to find Stephan kneeling beside the bath.
“Do you always just barge in on a woman when she is taking a bath?”
“No, I can assure you I don’t. I came in to make sure you were all right. Marcus grew concerned when you did not call him back into the room to talk.” Stephan ran his fingers over her hair. “I was worried about you.”
“Get out,” she ordered pointing toward the door.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed. I’ve seen it all before,” he said easily, as if seeing her in her birthday suit was an everyday occurrence.
He took the wash cloth and rubbed it over her shoulders lovingly. The feel of his caress sent heat pooling down low in her belly. Damned man! He touched her as if he had the right. The audacity!
Wait. What did he say?
She eyed him suspiciously. “What do you mean you’ve ‘seen it before’? Were you the one who undressed me?”
“Yes,” he admitted dipping the wash cloth back into the water before running it down her arm and across her exposed chest causing her nipples to pebble as if they were reaching out for him.
A blush crept into her cheeks. Katrina’s temper flared. She was tired of being manhandled even if the one doing the handling was incredibly sexy and seemed to have her best interest at heart.
“Get out,” she repeated more forcefully and adjusted one arm to cover more of her breasts while she pulled the cloth from his hand. “Get out now!”
She could see Stephan’s jaw tighten as he stood, towering over her. “As you wish. I didn’t mean to upset you.” As he reluctantly obliged her command and turned to leave, he paused, his back still toward Kat. “I put some towels on the vanity for you,” he informed her before leaving the bath.
Kat took a deep breath. That man affected her in a way that made her uncomfortable. When he was around she tended to lose all sense of self. All she wanted was to melt into that tall dark stranger, and it scared her. Despite the liberties he took, he demonstrated thoughtfulness and caring that threatened to undo her. She felt drawn to him on a visceral level, like they were destined to be together. And that was just plain ridiculous.
After drying herself off, she wrapped one towel around her lithe body and patted her hair dry with the other towel Stephan left. She found a brush and ran it through her hair. And finally, she brushed her teeth.
Feeling almost human again, she slid into the soft gown, then tucked her arms into the robe, and tied the sash tightly around her waist. After using the facilities, she crawled back into bed and called out to the gentleman who had identified himself as Marcus.
“So you ready to hear about your past?” the handsome man asked, entering the room.
“Yes, but first I have a question.”
“Go ahead,” he prompted, sitting down beside her .
“Why do I feel so funny when I’m around Stephan?”
“I can answer that by telling you about your past. Are you ready to talk?”
Katrina swallowed hard to gather her courage and nodded her answer.
He told her of their years together. She apparently danced at a club he owned. They were best friends. They lived together for seven years. He explained what her life was like and how both he and Stephan fit into it.
Though he seemed forthcoming, she got the distinct impression he left out specific events and couldn’t help but wonder why. But she didn’t ask. Instead she remained silent letting him tell their tale.
Coming to the present events, Marcus inquired, “So did you remember any of the things I told you about?”
“No, but it at least explains why I react to Stephan the way I do.”
Katrina could not believe all the information Marcus had shared. She had no memory of a large chunk of her life. It was unnerving to know that she was surrounded by people she should know and trust with no memory of them. Marcus had said she loved Stephan, yet as she searched her mind she felt nothing for the man, other than perhaps lust, but nothing more. It seemed so strange, knowing the men in the home knew her so well and she didn’t know them at all. At least, not any more. Her only memories were of her foster homes and Dr. Garsoe.
“Wait a minute,” Katrina said, confusion raising her voice. “I remember waking up in the hospital. Dr. Garsoe said I had been in a coma for the past seven years. Was that a lie?”
Marcus took a moment before he spoke as if he needed to carefully arrange his thoughts before answering. “Dr. Garsoe is a memory expert. He thought it would be less traumatic for you to think you had been in a coma then to have to tell you that seven years of your life were suddenly gone from your memory.”
Well at least that explained why she was in such good shape. She’d wondered how she’d awaken from a seven year coma without any muscle atrophy.
“I still don’t quite understand how seven years’ worth of memories just suddenly vanished. Was I in an accident or something? Will I ever get the memories back?”
“Perhaps if you look at some pictures, it might jog your memory,” Marcus offered.
A lassitude took her body making it heavy. Her lids dipped, vision blurred from fatigue. After the events of the night, the long bath, the even longer story, it was finally catching up to her. Kat stifled a yawn. “Maybe I could look at the pictures tomorrow.”
“Was I really so boring?” quipped Marcus with a sexy grin. With his brown hair and matching eyes, any woman would find him attractive, and yet he didn’t affect her the way Stephan did. It was a lot to take in. Maybe tomorrow things would make more sense.
“No, you’re not boring. I actually really enjoyed talking with you.” And she did. “I’m just very tired.” Kat gave him a sleepy smile and settled down onto the fluffy pillows, drawing the covers up under her chin.
“Tomorrow, then. Sleep tight, Kitty Kat.” Marcus leaned down to give her a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving her to her thoughts.
Chapter 42
The next evening began benignly enough. When Kat awoke it was late afternoon. Surprised she had slept so long, she quickly dressed and slipped downstairs for something to eat. At the foot of the stairs her eyes alighted on the couch to discover Stephan sleeping fretfull
y.
Marcus mentioned the previous night that Stephan owned the penthouse and that the two of them had been a couple before she lost her memory. She found it endearing and sweet that he chose to give her his bedroom and now slept on the couch—a couch that was clearly too small for his large frame as evidenced by his bare feet hanging off the end. Quietly, she made her way over and adjusted the afghan so his exposed feet would be covered along with his body.
She found herself inexplicably reaching down to brush a stray strand of hair away from his face. Realizing how intimate that seemed, she caught her hand back, holding it to her chest with the other and abruptly left, making her way into the kitchen for some breakfast. She shook her head at the action as she went, thinking that it was too familiar a gesture to do to someone she didn’t remember knowing.
Shortly after Stephan and Marcus rose, the penthouse became as busy as Grand Central Station, filled with large bodies of men who Marcus explained were all friends of his and Stephan’s.
“Alex, Vladimir, and Demetri are all here to help you get your memories back, Kat,” Marcus explained.
“Are you willing to let them try?” Stephan asked. She noted how hopeful he sounded and wished she felt as optimistic.
“I doubt it will work, but yeah, I’m willing to give it a try.” Her eyes darted between the men. She doubted the strangers could help her. In truth, they were so large they were a bit scary and made her a little reluctant to be alone with them. However, she pushed her consternation aside, determined to get her memories back no matter what it took.
“I’ll go first,” offered Alex. “Where should we go?”
Stephan’s hands flexed nervously at his sides. “I think the study would be the best place.”
In the study, she and Alex arranged two burgundy chairs to face each other. She sat across from the handsome blue-eyed, blond-haired man wondering just what he might try that the others hadn’t.
“All right now, darlin’. Just sit back and close your eyes. And hopefully you’ll get a big surprise.” He winked at her, disarming her instantly with his crooked grin. His southern drawl was like a soothing balm to her soul as he spoke and his affable teasing made her feel very comfortable.
“You might feel me rootin’ around your head. Don’t worry about it. It shouldn’t hurt.”
“What do you mean ‘rooting around’ my head? Are you psychic or something?”
He smiled a big toothy grin. “Something like that. We all are. You ready to give this a try?”
She nodded and closed her eyes, gathering her courage.
He held her hands gently as he worked to retrieve the memories. She felt a flutter in her mind, like tiny gossamer wings beating against her brain. Though unusual, the sensation was not uncomfortable so Katrina sat still and let him try to work his magic.
She had no idea how long he tried, but, after what seemed like hours, when her memories did not return, Alex left and the next man came in.
This man looked scary with his goatee, shaven head, and large frame. His thick Siberian accent reminded Kat of the Russian mafia. The muscular man nearly filled the chair with his girth.
“You ready?” he asked gruffly.
Obviously a man of few words.
She forced a weak smile. “Sure, the sooner the better.” Because the sooner they tried the sooner he would leave.
He did not hold her hands, choosing instead to stare deeply into her eyes, his dark, hard gaze boring into her like a drill. The flutter she felt with Alex turned into a dull throb as Vlad tried to unlock her mind, but Katrina gladly bore the small pain in hopes it would work.
Unfortunately, Vladimir had no more luck then the others, and Kat was relieved to see him take his leave when he finished.
A man, who could have easily won a Mr. Olympia contest, entered the study with heavy steps and arms so thick they could not lie fully at his side. When he sat in the wing-backed chair, it moaned under his weight.
Though introduced to him earlier, Kat found nothing comforting or familiar about this man. His brow furrowed, drawing his eyebrows down menacingly over his eyes, and the perpetual frown on his face made it look hard. They had obviously saved the scariest man for last.
A cold sweat broke out on Katrina’s forehead. It seemed all the men were trying to use mental powers to help her regain her memory. She felt their presences in her mind as they worked with her. The thought that the enormous man in front of her now might also invade her mind terrified her.
Without so much as a hello, he grabbed her head with his large hands on each side of her face and brought it forward until their foreheads touched.
“Close your eyes,” he barked at her. “I want you to think about the first memory you have after the amnesia and we will work back from there. I want you to think about driving to the ranch.”
Katrina’s body trembled. She felt the man’s power surround her, push into her mind. His mental touch bordered on painful, causing her to shrink from his touch, but Demetri held her fast. Completely at his mercy, she felt wholly trapped with this man. Only her desire to retrieve her memory kept her from screaming out.
When the session ended, Katrina slumped in her chair the moment Demetri’s large hands released her head, grateful that the painful session had ended. Relief consumed her, not because her memory was back, but because she was glad to have some space between her and Demetri when he left the library. She remained seated after he left her without saying a word, trying to work up the courage to go down and face the overwhelming men below.
The sound of the stairs creaking under Demetri’s massive muscular weight drew Stephan’s attention.
“I’ll give you this, the female has courage,” Demetri said as he descended the stairs. “I could smell her fear while I worked with her, but she stayed with me and tried her best to remember.”
“Well, how did it go?” asked Stephan hopefully.
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid it didn’t work,” Demetri announced to the group, coming to sit beside Nicholai on the black couch.
Alexander crossed his legs at the ankles on the coffee table. “Well, that’s it then. We’ve all tried to help Kat get her memories back.”
“All but Michael,” accused Vladimir in this thick accent.
Marcus turned a questioning look to Stephan. “Yeah, that’s right. Where is Michael anyway?”
“He mentioned something about being in the middle of a building project back in Savannah. He took the first available flight home,” Stephan informed the group.
Marcus tsked. “Leave it to Michael to put his own needs first.”
“I want to thank you all for trying to help Kat.” Stephan met each Alpha’s eyes in a show of respect, then leaned his head back against the couch in resignation.
There was no hope now. They’d tried everything they could think of to help Kat. He would just have to accept that her memories were lost forever, and he had only himself to blame.
“With Gage gone, Kat’s safe. We could finally be together for eternity and I’ve ruined it.” Stephan turned his down-trodden face toward Nicholai. “I’ve taken away any chance we had at being happy. She might never love me again.” The thought made his heart clench with a fear that sent a shudder down his spine.
“I’m really sorry,” sympathized Marcus. “If I had just let you drink from her the first night you met, you would have known she was your heartmate and things might have been different.”
“You were only trying to protect her, and I thank you for that.” Stephan laid a consoling hand on Marcus’ shoulder before continuing. “I mean it, thank you for protecting her and keeping her safe these past years. I can never tell you how grateful I am that she had you to watch over her. Even if we do not have a future together, I will be forever grateful for the brief time we had.”
Nicholai leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees when he spoke. “I hold it true, whate’er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; ‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to h
ave loved at all.”
“Exactly. I now truly understand what Alfred, Lord Tennyson meant by that.” Stephan scrubbed his hand through his dark hair.
For the first time in his long, long life Stephan felt totally helpless. Unable to help Kat retrieve her memories, he was now at great risk of losing her forever. If she could not remember her feelings for him, she might decide to leave him. He could not stomach the thought. A knot formed in his throat as he tried to imagine him letting her go. Again.
It would be impossible, he knew. He’d loved her even before he discovered she was his heartmate. Now that he’d tasted her blood, his need for her drew him to her. He would always be tied to her soul, her body, her blood. She was the other half of him. Without her he could not live, but being without her was exactly what he now faced due to his decision to take her memories of him.
Kat quietly descended the stairs, trying not to draw attention to herself. Of course that only resulted in complete silence. Six pairs of eyes rounded on her as she made her way down. She felt self-conscious in the penthouse with a bunch of strangers who apparently knew her, but she couldn’t remember any of them. Oh sure, all the men had been nice enough to help her, even the scary ones, but she still felt awkward around so many people she didn’t know, especially when they kept asking her to remember stuff.
“Don’t let me interrupt. I was just going into the kitchen for a bite to eat,” she volunteered and made her way through the room. She heard the murmuring start up behind her as she entered the kitchen.
After pulling open the door to the fridge, she leaned over and opened the crisper drawer withdrawing an apple. She’d just taken a juicy bite of the Red Delicious when she turned to find Nicholai had joined her. She jumped in surprise. How was it that these large men moved without a sound?
“Can I get you something to eat?” offered Katrina.
“Sure,” he replied with a kind smile.
“What would you like?” Katrina opened the refrigerator wide so Nicholai could see the possibilities inside.
Alpha Mine (The Alpha Council Chronicles) Page 28
