A Wolf's Oath (32 page)

Disregarding all of his warning to the contrary, she had sat
up most of the night awake in her bed, determined to remember
something about him from before the accident. Being a
disappointment to him was no longer an option and she was
determined to do everything in her power to stop being a burden to
him. For all her hard work, she hadn’t managed to learn anything
new and had fallen asleep after the headache from trying to force
memories to surface had become too much for her to handle. Despite
the knowledge that the previous night was a spectacular failure,
she knew that she would try again tonight, and the night after that
until she had accomplished her mission. Even if the memory she
recovered was small, it would be a step in the right direction and
that was all that mattered.

From her position on the floor, she watched as Sebastian
entered the house with two large bags in his hands. She presumed
that the bags were the filled with her sibling’s belongings though
she was unsure of how two small children managed to amass such a
large amount of stuff. The bags looked heavy; the muscles in
Sebastian's arms straining as he walked, a bag in each hand, into
the living room.

“
Sebastian? You want some help?” she asked from above her
brother and sister’s heads.

“
I’m fine sweetheart. You just spend time with your brother and
sister. Don’t worry about this.”

“
Are you sure?” she pressed. The bags appeared very heavy and
she didn’t want him doing everything alone, that wasn’t what a
relationship was meant to be about.

“
Yes.” He smiled, walking down the hall and disappearing into
one of the bedrooms.

“
Dylan, Wyatt, do you mind letting me go? I have to close the
door.”

“
No,” Wyatt stated emphatically, his grip on her waist
tightening.

“
Come on now, we can’t just leave the door open, the cold air
will get in and that isn’t good for your health.”

“
Don’t care.” Dylan pouted apparently taking on the same line
of thought as her brother.

Erica sighed heavily, feeling the beginnings of a long uphill
battle of wills emerging. “Come on you two, I’m not going
far.”

“
No.”

“
If you don’t let me go, how am I meant to make your cake?”
Erica reasoned, resorting to quasi-bribery in an attempt to have
the children release her.

“
The special birthday cake?” Dylan questioned.

“
Yes, that’s the one. I told you I would try and make it for
you but I’m not going to be able to do that if you won’t let me
go.”

“
She has a good point,” Wyatt conceded. “I want cake, don’t
you?” His small arms finally released her and he took a step
back.

Dylan's gaze wandered between her brother and her sister
before she decided that Wyatt was right. If they wanted cake then
Erica had to be free to move about.

“
Thank you.” Erica grinned, standing up and moving towards the
door.

Her attempt to shut it was stopped by a small hand coming in
between the door and the frame. Erica's brow furrowed in confusion
as her gaze wandered over the body that was attached to the arm.
The woman in front of her was short and would have been so even had
Erica not been so tall. Her skin was a warm caramel and bright
green eyes sat in a smiling face with curling brown hair falling
haphazardly around her face. The woman’s bright smile reminded
Erica of the one thing she hated most about suffering from amnesia.
It was impossible to tell if people were smiling at you because
they thought it was the polite thing to do or if they were doing it
because they actually knew you and were awaiting
recognition.

Deciding to be direct, Erica asked calmly, “Do I know
you?”

The woman’s smile didn’t falter. “ Nope,” she chuckled.
“Well, not personally. You and I’ve never met before but I know of
you.”

“
I’m sorry, but I don’t know you and I have other things to be
doing right now, so if you’ll excuse me.” Erica's hand moved as if
to close the door but the hand stopped her once again.

“
I’m sorry, I know this is sudden, but I just wanted to check
on you and Sebastian to see how you two were doing.”

“
You know Sebastian? Or do you just know of him?”

“
Now Sebastian I definitely know.” As if to prove her point,
the woman slipped under her arm and entered the house, rushing to
embrace Sebastian as he walked back into the living
room.

Sebastian didn’t fall when the small body collided with his
own. The only movement he made was a very small step back as though
the woman’s weight was inconsequential. An unreasonable surge of
jealousy coursed through Erica as her eyes narrowed in on the
woman’s arms around Sebastian. She hadn’t thought she was a jealous
person, but this one encounter proved that she had been wrong. The
feeling was very much alive within her, alive and dangerous. The
urge to inflict bodily harm on the unknown woman was beginning to
seem more and more reasonable the longer she was against
Sebastian.

Why they hell are you letting that hussy drape herself all
over him?
The increasingly familiar voice
within her mind hissed.
He’s ours! Get her
away from him or God help her, I’ll do it myself.

I was wondering where you’d gone,
Erica mused, eliciting an angry growl from her mental
counterpart.

What does it matter where I was? Get rid of her!

So you did go somewhere?

I’ve been dormant,
it howled.
Think of it like hibernation, there’s practically
no point in me being out about when you can’t even chang – Oh for
crying out loud! I should have known better than to leave you
alone, because apparently this is what happens. I come up to check
on you and you’re just letting some random woman touch our
Sebastian. Kick her out! Throw her out of our home. Kill the bitch
if you have to.

I have no idea who she is. I can’t just throw her out. She
might be a friend of his,
Erica reasoned,
trying to remain calm despite the fact that she was seriously
contemplating acting on the voice’s suggestion.

I don’t care! The only people that have any excuse for being
that close to him are his mother and his sister. She’s too young to
be his mother and there’s no way that she’s his sister, just look
at her. Get rid of her.

The woman was saved from harm as Sebastian pushed her away
from him, holding her at arms length. “Alex, what are you doing
here?” he demanded.

“
I came to see you silly,” she laughed, the joyous sound only
serving to increase Erica's anger.

“
Why?”

“
That’s a silly question. You vanished without a word and then
I hear all about what happened from Ryan. Who wouldn’t make a trip
up here to see you?”

“
You. After what happened with you and Elijah, I’m surprised
Tobias even let you out of his sight for a second. I know that I
wouldn’t if I were in his position.” His brows drew together as a
thought occurred to him. “Tobias does know that you’re here
right?”

“
Of course he does.” She laughed and Sebastian sighed deeply
with relief. His relief however was short lived as Alex continued
to further explain herself. “I left him a note. He should have read
it by now.”

“
A note? You left him a note and just up and disappeared from
the estate?”

“
Yes.”

“
What is it with you women and your notes? They aren’t helpful
and we males don’t like them. In fact, I for one can say without a
shadow of a doubt that I hate them with a passion.”

“
You talk as though you’re speaking from experience. Did Erica
leave you a note and go somewhere?” She laughed, pulling away from
Sebastian's grip to face her. “I like your style. These guys worry
too much sometimes. I think if they had their way then we’d be
wrapped up in cotton in a tower somewhere, or at least I think
Tobias would.”

“
Tobias?” Erica asked confused.

“
I never did introduce myself did I?” Erica shook her head.
“I’m Alex.” She held out her hand in greeting and Erica gripped it
firmly as she shook it. “Tobias is Sebastian's cousin and Tobias is
my ma…husband,” Alex corrected hurriedly, hoping Sebastian wouldn’t
be too upset with her slip of tongue.

“
Oh.”
Well that explains why she was
so friendly with Sebastian. They are family in a way.

I don’t care! I don’t like the way that she was all over
him.

She wasn’t all over him. She gave him a hug that’s all. It’s
not as though it meant anything.

How can you be so sure?
The voice
demanded.
Affairs happen all the time and
I’m sure that the poor person who got cheated on probably thought
something similar.

Are you trying to say that you think Sebastian would cheat on
me? Because if you are, then I’m done listening to you. I told
myself that as long as you didn’t start spouting absolute rubbish
that I would do my best to put up with you, but the idea that
Sebastian would be unfaithful is absolute nonsense and I refuse to
listen to it.

I’m not saying anything against Sebastian. It’s Madam Slutty
that worries me.

Just shut up. I don’t want to hear anymore.

“
Erica, are you ok?” Alex asked. Erica was still shaking her
hand but her gaze was vacant as though she was no longer listening
to the conversation that was flowing around her.

She snapped back to attention at the question, smiling widely
as she released Alex’s hand. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“
I doubt that you remember but, I hear that you met at my
party.”

“
Like you said, I wouldn’t know,” Erica said
ruefully.

“
No worries,” Alex beamed. “Your memories will come back
eventually and when they do I think you should name your first
child after me. After all, where would you be without me?” She
winked conspiratorially.

Erica blushed reminded of the sexually heated encounter that
she and Sebastian had had so recently. “Can’t you name your own
child after yourself.”

“
No. That could get confusing. It’s better all round if you
name your baby after me. Luckily Alex is a unisex name so you can
use it for either a boy or girl. Only one mind, they don’t all need
to be called Alex.”

“
What are you talking about?”

“
Twins run in this family. Sebastian has a twin and on your
side there’s Dylan and Wyatt. Chances are that when you have a
baby, you’ll give birth to twins as well.”
If not more.
“So remember me when the
time comes ok?”

“
I suppose.”

Alex laughed loudly at Erica's dejected tone, causing her to
look at the new comer with curiosity evident in her gaze. “I’m just
kidding Erica. I don’t need you to name a child after me. Honestly,
the only thing you need to be worrying about is regaining your
memories. Kids and all the related stuff can wait until after that
happens. You know, I think that you’re a good person
Erica.”

“
How would you know that? You just met me and I don’t even know
exactly who I am.”

“
I think that the essence of a person stays the same throughout
life. It isn’t something you can change and it isn’t something that
comes and goes with what you remember. You seem to be making a
bloody brilliant go of things even without your memories. As for
how I can tell you’re a good person, I’m usually very nervous
around strangers, but you have a very calming air about you. It’s
nice.”

A smile made it’s way to Erica's lips at Alex’s cheerfulness;
it was infectious. “You’re not from around here are
you?”

“
Why do you say that?” Alex questioned, her smile never
fading.

The question and the sound of Alex’s voice forced a small
chuckle from Erica. “You have a funny accent.”

“
I don’t have a funny accent. It’s you and everyone else around
here. The way I talk is perfectly normal. But you’re right. I’m not
from around here. I was born in England.”

“
So how exactly did you manage to make your way here? Did you
come here by yourself or with your family? Then again you seem
pretty young to have made the trip alone.” Erica mused.

“
It’s a long story and I’ll tell you all about it at another
time.”

“
But…”

Alex was extraordinarily grateful for the reprieve from
questioning that Erica's siblings provided when they called her.
“Erica!” Wyatt shouted from the kitchen quickly gaining her
attention.

“
What is it?”

“
Hurry up, you said that you’d make the cake for
us.”

“
I’m coming,” she called back before turning to face Alex. “It
was nice meeting you but I have to take care of something in the
kitchen.”

“
That’s alright. Remember though, even though they can be a bit
overbearing, they only do it because they love us.”

Her eyes caught Sebastian's and Erica smiled warmly at Alex.
“I’ll remember that.” She turned and walked into the
kitchen.
She seemed nice enough. A little
forward, but nice.