“We have to lie to her too,” Dylan reminded. “We can’t change into our wolf forms and we can’t tell her what she is. If she gets mad at you for lying then she’ll have to get mad at us too. I’ll tell her so when she remembers everything.”
“You’d stick up for me like that?”
“Of course I would and so would Wyatt.”
“Why?” he asked, genuinely confused as to why the twins would take his side over their sister’s.
“Because you make her happy and if anyone deserves to be happy it’s Erica. Sometimes she doesn’t see things too clearly even though she’s older than we are.”
The wisdom of a child, Sebastian mused. It’s a surprisingly accurate thing.
“Besides, we like you. You’re fun to play with. If Erica has to have a mate, then I want it to be you.”
“Thank you Dylan, that means a lot to me coming from you.” He smiled, placing the sculpture back on the table and dragging the little girl onto his lap. “You’re a good kid.”
“I know,” Dylan grinned.
“Now, let’s put you back to bed before Erica wakes up and finds you out here.”
“Wait, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Do you live at the royal estate?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering because there seemed to be a lot of your family there. Your brother was there and then there was the really nice lady who gave us sweets, someone said she was your mom and her sister was there. I just wondered.”
“I do live at the royal estate for part of the year but otherwise I live in the estate of the Southern clan. The reason why so much of my family was there is because my cousin is the Prince,” he faltered as a conversation he had had with Ryan floated to the front of his mind. “Actually that isn’t quite true anymore, if my information is correct, he’s going to be the King any day now.”
“Wow! You’re Prince Tobias’ cousin?”
“Yes.”
“Will we have to move when Erica remembers everything?”
“Yes, I think we will. I have responsibilities within my clan and your cabin isn’t all that big.”
“We all fit in it fine,” Dylan pointed out.
“At the moment we do yes, but that won’t always be the case.”
“Oh I get it!” Dylan cried triumphantly. “You need more room for when you and Erica have babies.”
That was exactly what he had been thinking and Sebastian found that he was proud of Dylan's keen sense of observation. She was a very clever child. His newfound sense of pride didn’t however mean that he was willing to discuss the matter with him. “Like I said I think it’s time for you to go to sleep now.” Sebastian stood from the sofa with Dylan held firmly in his arms and began walking towards her bedroom.
“I don’t mind moving Sebastian, I like the people in your family.”
“It’s our family Dylan, yours and mine.”
She yawned, finally showing signs of tiredness. “Oh yeah, it’s our family isn’t it? I’m glad that you’re Erica's mate Sebastian. I don’t think I would be okay with anyone else.”
Opening the door and walking into the small bedroom, Sebastian placed Dylan back against the sheets of his bed. “It’s good that you feel that way Dylan because I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”
“That’s good to hear,” Wyatt yawned apparently having woken when he neared the room. “I always liked you. I told you there was nothing to worry about Dylan.”
“Thank you Wyatt, now the pair of you go to sleep okay?”
They nodded before settling in to sleep and Sebastian tip toed out of the room and closed the door behind him quietly. He was drawn to Erica's room as soon as he entered the hall and his body walked him there on instinct. She lay sleeping beneath heavy sheets and for once she looked peaceful. Crossing the room to her side, he placed a gentle kiss against her brow. “We have one hell of a family Erica.” Despite the lack of blood relation, that’s what the people under this roof were, his family. “I just wish you could remember how great.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Erica woke feeling amazingly refreshed. Her sleep had been peaceful and above all, nightmare free. It was almost as if a guardian angel had watched over to ensure that she was fully rested. As her eyes scanned her surroundings, she realised that it hadn’t been an angel that had watched over her, though in her eyes he came very close. Sat on the floor at the edge of her bed, Sebastian lay slumped over her legs clearly having slept the night in her room. His face was just visible beneath the strands of his hair and she smiled at the how peaceful he looked in sleep. She didn’t know why he had chosen to sleep in such an uncomfortable place, but knowing Sebastian, he had probably chosen to do it thinking it might benefit her in some way. Judging from her invigorating sleep he was probably right, but she didn’t want him sleeping in such an awkward position again, when he woke he was probably going to be in pain and the thought didn’t sit well with her.
Shifting upwards on the bed she pulled herself into a sitting position, careful not to move too much lest she woke Sebastian. He doesn’t get enough sleep as it is with all those people calling him late at night. The least I can do after he helped me get such a great night’s sleep is let him have a little extra shut eye. If anyone deserves it, it’s Sebastian. Her fingers began to lightly run through the strands of his hair, the simple motion surprisingly soothing and if the pleasurable groans Sebastian was emitting in his sleep were anything to go by, he was enjoying it as well. It took her several long moments to realise that as she was breathing, the air she was exhaling was condensing into mist in front of her face. Her brows furrowed in confusion at the sight, she didn’t feel cold but the mist before her clearly showed that the room wasn’t just cold, it was just short of freezing.
Exhaling deliberately, she breathed out a long stream of air and watched as it too turned to mist before her eyes. So, the first one wasn’t just a fluke then? Her breaths continued to condense but she still didn’t feel cold, if anything she was beginning to feel warm. It must be because I’m under the sheets, she reasoned. Placing her hands beneath Sebastian's head she lifted him from her legs and gently placed his head back down against the duvet all the while hoping that she wouldn’t have woken him. Her good intentions had apparently paid off and he remained asleep despite the shift and Erica grinned in triumph. Easing out of the bed she placed her feet against the wooden floor, expecting to finally feel the cold that was in the air. The wood beneath her bare feet was cool, but nothing like the sensation that she should have been experiencing. The air against her exposed arms did nothing to make her feel cold and Erica began to feel an increased sense of unease.
Is there something wrong with me? Why can’t I feel the cold? Am I sick? That’s just what I need on top of everything else. As the thoughts ran through her mind, her not so friendly voice returned.
What’s the matter with you now? Sheesh, there’s never a moment of peace with you. Do you intentionally think of ways to get under my skin? First, you forget all about our yummy Sebastian over there and now you’re griping about the cold! Woman, get a grip!
I can’t feel the cold, that’s not normal. I know that it’s cold, I can see that with my own eyes but I feel nothing.
And who exactly said you were normal? the voice demanded.
Am I not normal? Erica mused before realisation dawned upon her. Of course I’m not normal. I can hear a voice in my head. I’m clearly crazy.
The voice groaned loudl, If that’s what you need to believe to get you through the day then go right ahead and believe that nonsense. Crazy? When have I ever said anything that has been unhelpful? If anyone is crazy then it’s got to be me for putting up with this crap.
Do you know something that I don’t?
Of course I do Erica. My memory is just fine. It’s you that has the problem.
Are you going to tell me what you know? Why can’t I feel the cold?
I’m not sayin
g a word about what I know to you, the voice chuckled.
Why not?
Because our Mr. Yummy said that wouldn’t help you and I’m inclined to listen to him over you. He speaks sense unlike someone I know. Erica growled at the voice’s words, distinctly unpleased with what it had just said. You know you weren’t always this unhelpful. There was a time when I was proud to be in your head and then you stopped listening to me about important things and well…here we are now.
I think I’ve had just about enough of you, Erica huffed, deciding to ignore whatever else the voice had to say. If it’s just going to insult me then I have no reason to listen to another word it has to say.
Walking from the room, Erica strode down the hall and entered the room where her brother and sister were staying. Though she had expected them to be awake, they still lay sleeping, the gentle sounds of their breathing the only sounds in the room. Her eyes widened in shock as the breath from their lips misted in the air dissipating soon after it had formed only to be replaced with more as they continued to inhale and exhale.
They can’t stay here like this. I might not be able to feel how cold it is, but they can. If it doesn’t get any warmer then they’ll get sick. What the hell is going on? It wasn’t like this yesterday.
Seeking answers, Erica stepped away from the door walking down the corridor and out of the house. The snow crunched lightly beneath her feet, but again she was unable to feel the chill seep into her bones as she knew it should do. Pushing her body’s curious reaction to the cold to a far-flung corner of her mind, she walked around the house until she reached the outdoor generator that was meant to provide heat and warmth for the house. As she approached Erica tried to listen to the sounds that the generator was making. It should have been noisy against the silence that reined outdoors, but there was nothing and she realised that something was wrong. When she reached the large piece of machinery, Erica gingerly placed the tips of her fingers against the metal surface wary of touching it, as it should normally have been boiling to the touch. The metal beneath her fingers however was ice cold and so now increasingly brave; she placed her entire palm flat against it. There wasn’t even a modicum of heat emanating from the generator leading her to conclude that it was broken.
Just what we need, she groaned, the extent of her bad luck astounding her. I wonder if Sebastian can fix it. Let’s hope he can do something about it, otherwise we won’t be able to stay here anymore and I’m not sure I want to move. The landscape around her was almost a blinding white, covered as it was in a layer of freshly fallen snow. Though her memory was still almost non-existent, being here filled her with an amazing sense of peace and contentment. The longer she and Sebastian remained here, the less concerned she became with retrieving her lost memories. Everyday that passed she and Sebastian created new memories that were infinitely precious. The only thing that marred the experience was her distinct lack of memories surrounding him and her love for him, but even that worry was beginning to fade. The crux of the matter was that though she couldn’t recall her love for him prior to her accident, he was doing a very good job of recreating the emotion in her without her memories. With every kind action, each warm smile and every second spent simply being around him the emotion grew. She desperately wanted to tell him but although he hadn’t directly said it, she could tell that he was very anxious for her memory to return. There was something he wasn’t telling her and until she could recall just what it was he was so worried about, it was for the best to keep the words to herself.
Walking back to the house she shook the snow from her feet, increasingly disconcerted that she still felt nothing.
If I tell Sebastian, he’ll just worry more, she reasoned as she stomped the last of the clinging white flakes from her feet. Besides, it’s not as though I feel unwell. If anything I feel like I’m in great shape. She touched the back of her hand to her forehead, testing to see if she felt overly warm, the skin felt perfectly fine. I’m probably just worrying over nothing. We’ll get the heating fixed and then everything will be back to normal.
Quickly covering the length of the corridor, she stopped at the entrance to her bedroom. Watching from the doorway, she smiled as Sebastian continued to sleep. As the seconds passed, she became increasingly reluctant to wake him from his peaceful slumber. The breath misting as he continued to rest oblivious to his surroundings made the decision for her. Sebastian would be just as effected by the cold as her siblings and she didn’t want him becoming ill either. Walking to his side, she gently shook him, trying to rouse him from sleep. He grunted in response, but otherwise continued to sleep.
She called his name as she shook him more vigorously. “Sebastian, wake up.”
At the sound of his name on her lips, his eyes began to flutter open. “Erica?” he mumbled disorientated.
“Yes Sebastian, it’s me.”
“What’s going on?” he asked as he began to rub at his eyes trying to wake himself fully.
“The heating’s gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone? It can’t have just decided to get up and walk away. It’s impossible.”
She laughed at his sleep addled reasoning. “I know that silly. What I meant is that the generator is broken and so now there’s no heating in the house.”
“Oh,” he commented, failing to see the reason for her distress.
“Oh? Sebastian maybe you didn’t hear what I said. There’s no heating in the house at all. It’s snowing outside and we have no generator to warm the house. Can’t you feel how cold it is?”
No, his mind answered before it caught up to the problem. He watched as Erica's breaths condensed as she spoke finally putting all the parts of the equation together and realising what she thought the problem was. If they were normal humans and the same thing were happening, they would be worried. A human body wouldn’t fare well in these sorts of temperatures, but they weren’t human so the cold was rarely a concern for them, but Erica thought that they were. He barely resisted the urge to groan aloud.
“How broken is broken?” he asked, deftly sidestepping her earlier question. He had told so many lies that he was beginning to think a change of career was in order, maybe a lawyer or better yet, a politician. He wanted to avoid any new ones if possible.
“I touched it and nothing. It wasn’t even warm. Do you know how to fix it?”
“I haven’t got the faintest idea how a generator works let alone how to fix it. The only thing I can do in this situation is get us a new one and install it. I know how to do that.”
“And where exactly do you plan to get this new generator?”
“I saw a store when we last went to town that I think might sell them. It must be a fairly common problem in these parts. I’ll go and have a look.” He stood up from his position on the floor, stretching cramped muscles and cracking bones as he prepared to begin his search for the required piece of equipment.
Watching the way his body moved was fast becoming her favourite pastime but she managed to draw her gaze away from the movements of his body long enough to tell him of her plans for the day. “We’re coming too,” Erica inserted.
“Why? It’ll be boring. I’m just going to get the generator and come right back.”
“I need to get some ingredients for Dylan and Wyatt’s cake.”
“I thought you already got what you needed that time you drove to town without even knowing if you could drive.”
Her skin flushed at the reminder, her cheeks becoming increasingly red. “According to them I didn’t get exactly what the cake needs. They had a look through the cupboards and the things I bought and apparently I missed some vital ones. They told me that if I made the cake with the things I had it wouldn’t be worth eating because it wasn’t the one they wanted.”
“Picky aren’t they?”
“You’re telling me.”
“I suppose for the sake of your amazing cake I can’t leave you here. I have no choice but to bring you with me.”
“For
the sake of the cake?” she laughed.
“Of course,” he replied, his voice the model of seriousness.
“I’ll go and wake the munchkins then.”
“You do that. We can’t let them stay in the house if it’s this cold.”
Her smile faltered at the reminder that she cold not feel what everyone else could. “I guess.”
“Hurry up then. We’ve got a busy day in front of us.”
*****
Vincent wasn’t a man known for either tolerance or patience and as he sat within the confines of a large truck, he felt his capacity for both being put to the test. There were two others inside the vehicle with him, his right hand man David and the newcomer, Dominic. After many years in his service and having been personally trained by Vincent, David was well accustomed to what his leader expected while they performed reconnaissance. Silence. Dominic on the other hand didn’t seem to have a clue as to what Vincent wanted and his incessant questions were beginning to wear on Vincent’s nerves. Breathing deeply, Vincent tried to reassure himself that things wouldn’t always be this way. When David had first come to work with him, he too had been very talkative but over the course of their time together he had changed, learning his ways and becoming one of his most loyal subordinates. Having a large number of people loyal to you came in very handy within their organisation and he was hoping to inspire the same change in Dominic. The man was already half way there, gratitude went a long way to creating loyalty and Dominic had that in bucket loads.
Dominic’s questions once again floated through the air to reach his ears and Vincent reached the conclusion that the only way to acquire silence would be to answer them.
“I don’t understand sir,” Dominic began. “Why don’t we just go into the house and take them? There aren’t all that many of them. I don’t think it is outside of our capabilities to handle them.”
A Wolf's Oath Page 25
