Exposed Memories

by Sienna Aylen

  “At first, it just hadn’t crossed my mind, and when it finally did, it was right after you started courting me. What was I going to say? Oh, by the way, I might come with a premade family, I just have to find her or him first?”

  When she reached out, Damien handed her the glass of water so she could take a sip. Wiping her mouth with her free hand, she continued, “After that we were getting to know each other better. I wanted some time alone with you myself first. I had no idea she would be found so quickly.”

  “I understand that. But I’m telling you right now, Emma, don’t ever keep something like that from me. It’s the same as lying to me. I’m giving you the chance right now to clear the air. Is there anything else you haven’t told me?” Damien’s frown was severe as he ran a finger over Emma’s lip where she held it between her teeth.

  “No. That’s it. You seem angry. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to see me ever again after all this. I come with baggage and the Council member thing is a big responsibility,” Emma whispered painfully, fighting the tears that had been threatening all morning. Everything was overwhelming, and so between finding her Next Generation and dealing with Damien’s first hint of anger toward her, she was feeling wiped out. Drained.

  Damien pulled at her hair until she turned her face up to meet his. Incredulity colored his voice when he growled, “Are you kidding me right now, Em? You’re thinking about leaving me? How many times do I have to tell you that you are it for me? Remember what I told you before we made love? No matter what happens, we’ll work it out. Every time. No exceptions, because I love you, Emma.”

  Tears slid from the corners of her eyes when she whispered, “I love you, too, Damien.”

  “You can’t keep one foot out the door ready to leave the first time we have a fight. Us fighting and arguing is inevitable, baby, but it’s a part of mated life. I’d be more worried if we didn’t fight. This won’t work unless you are committed to staying here with me, Em. I’m putting all my cards on the table here. I’m in love with your stubbornness and your sass and I want nothing more than for you to stay.”

  Emma could see his bear in the gold and amber flecks that colored his irises as he spoke.

  “This is home now. There’s no going back for me. You’re going to regret saying that you love my stubbornness when you get a real dose of it. I’m totally going to throw that back in your face when you start complaining about what a mule I can be,” she teased.

  With a curse, he meshed his lips to hers. “I have no doubt that you will. Go to sleep, baby. We both could use the rest.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  #xa0;

  “Damien, what the hell? There’s a paw print on my ass!”

  Damien watched with an innocent expression as Emma stomped out of the bathroom the next morning. Wrapped in his robe, she lifted the edge away to show him the mating mark on her right butt cheek.

  Damien’s mouth watered at the sight of his mark on her rear. The black paw print covered her entire cheek. The mark itself was hot but what it stood for was even hotter. She was his. “I guess there is. Not just any paw, though, it looks like a bear track.” Shrugging, he sat on the bed while he pulled on his socks and sneakers, hiding his grin.

  Flipping the edges of the robe shut, Emma walked over to the dresser and opened her drawer with one hand before rifling through the pile of clothes for a tank top and shorts. Clothes in hand, she turned around and dropped the clothes into his lap before easing herself onto the bed next to him. “Why do I have a bear print on my ass?” she asked sweetly.

  Damien crouched in front of her and pulled the navy-blue panties over her thighs. Noting her heated gaze, he quickly followed them with the shorts before lifting her arms one at a time to help her into her shirt. “Probably the same reason I have your mark on my hip.”

  Readjusting the sling on her arm, Emma cringed when her shoulder popped loudly. “What mark? I haven’t seen any mark.”

  “This mark.” With one hand, Damien tipped down the edge of his pants to show her the white-inked star that matched her own. “It’s a mating mark. You gave me one and I gave you one.”

  Emma ran a finger over the edges of the flower on his hip. It was the same pattern as her Council mark but a delicate ivory instead of the stark black of hers. “It’s the same as mine. I’ll have to ask Gwen to be sure but I think it connects us.”

  Damien readjusted the sling on her arm and reached for the syringe on the bedside table. “How so?” He uncapped the painkiller and injected it into her good arm.

  “I’ll start to age…at the same rate you do.” Emma winced at the injection and rubbed a hand over her face.

  “I think that’s a good thing, baby. It would start to get weird in the next few centuries if I sported gray hairs and wrinkles while you still looked like you were in your twenties. People would accuse me of robbing the cradle then.” Damien waggled his brows, making Emma giggle.

  Her giggle turned into an irritated scowl. “How is it you got a small mark that’s barely noticeable, while I ended up with one that covers my entire backside?”

  Chuckling, he bent down and hooked one arm underneath her legs. “I have no idea. Fate decided on those, not me. If it were up to me, it would be my name tattooed across your ass, not just a paw print. Wrap your good arm around my neck.”

  Once in his arms, she opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her with a kiss.

  “Complete rest, Em. Don’t test me on this. Think of it this way, it’ll be one whole week that I get to wait on you hand and foot.”

  * * * *

  A few hours later, Damien was pacing back and forth behind his desk while he and Hunter waited for Ray’s voice to come over the line. “How about you, Ray? Found anything in your sector? From what Petra said, if she can be believed, there are other players besides Gene and Rafe. Something bigger is going on and they aren’t just targeting us, they’re targeting the Council as well. Specifically Emma. I won’t tolerate any threats to my mate.”

  Ray’s voice crackled over the line, the wind whistling through the phone. “A few traces of prints. We lost them in the hills though. Emma must have gotten him pretty good—the trail wasn’t hard to find. It looks like he stopped on Big-Top Ridge to bandage himself up but after that we lost the blood trail.”

  Hunter leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. “That means they might have crossed into your territory, Phil. If you send out a search party, make sure you send more than two men. One of them is injured and cornered. It makes him more dangerous than ever.”

  Phil’s deep voice came over the line through static. “I’m outside now and we’re getting a team ready to search our side of the mountain pass. If they’re here, we’ll find them. You can count on it. No one attacks the Clan or our Alpha female and gets away with it.”

  Damien barked, “Keep me updated.”

  Pushing the button to end the call, Damien then paced to the windows overlooking the valley. He wanted this done with. Having an open threat to his people, his mate, was unacceptable. His bear snarled in agreement. “Where would I go if I wanted to hide from my own people? Get a team together, Hunter. If they doubled back onto our territory, I want to know about it. I want him located and taken care of. Until they’re found, Emma and the kids aren’t safe.”

  * * * *

  Emma looked over her shoulder as Desiree hesitated before walking into the living room. With one hand, Emma waved her over to the couch where she was propped up, television remote in hand. “It must have felt good to have a shower after three weeks without one. The first time I saw the bathrooms upstairs I laughed out loud. The showers alone could fit three or four people in them.”

  Damp hair up in a bun, Desiree took the seat Emma offered and sighed. “I’m ashamed to say I was in there for almost an hour scrubbing the dirt off. I showered last night too but I still felt dirty this morning. I didn’t think I would ever get clean. I don’t know who left the shampoo and clothes for
me but I’d like the chance to thank them. Same goes for the fresh towels and bedding for me and the boys.”

  Emma rested her left arm over the back of the couch. “That must’ve been Gwen. I’m sure she’ll be down in a bit if you want to thank her then. She’s thoughtful like that and it looks like she got all your sizes right, too.”

  Desiree’s nose crinkled. “Is it weird that she guessed my bra size?”

  Laughing, Emma turned the television off. “For Gwen, no, not really. She’s very observant, to say the least. Where are the boys at? I haven’t seen them yet this morning.”

  Desiree bit her lip. “They went off with Bleu for a little while. He took them to meet some of the other kids and see if he could find some clothes in their sizes. He’s a good guy, right? I’m not making a mistake by letting them go with him, am I?”

  Emma shook her head and reached out to lay a comforting hand on the teenager’s shoulder. “Honestly, the men here are some of the best men I have ever known. Bleu will bring them back in one piece, I promise. Well, two pieces, since they’re twins. You can always read the furniture if you don’t believe me. I’ll warn you that the kitchen table has a few memories that are R-rated, though.”

  They both smiled as the back door slid open and the two young boys barged in. Running, they jumped onto the couch next to their sister. Emma hid her wince at the jerky movement.

  “Dez, look at this, isn’t this so cool? Spider-Man sneakers.” Lucas beamed.

  Kyle shook his head and stuck his tongue out at Lucas. “Mine are better. I got Batman.”

  Lucas jumped up and down. “And Bleu said he could show us how to fight and we can have as many cookies as we want. We’re getting our own rooms, too. It’s awesome here!”

  Emma found Bleu’s guilty gaze from across the room. “As many cookies as they want, huh?” Turning, she met the boys’ too-innocent grins. “Only after dinner…then you can have as many cookies as you want.”

  They both let out a whoop, identical smiles on their faces.

  The door to Damien’s office opened and Emma smiled. Damien waltzed into the room then crouched in front of the boys and inspected their sneakers. “Nice shoes. Batman and Spider-Man are the best…so much cooler than Aquaman. Would you two like to come up to the attic with me? I was going to go and pull down some toys and things for your rooms. I think I have some Batman and Spider-Man action figures up there somewhere.”

  With a boy hanging off each arm, he carried them up the staircase, barely missing Tessa and Gwen, who both ducked underneath the flying, giggling children and made their way into the living room.

  Tessa sat in the chair across from Emma with a huff. Gwen took one look at Emma’s empty cup and announced she was going to make a snack.

  “Do you need any help?” Desiree asked Gwen.

  Once both Gwen and Desiree were out of hearing distance in the kitchen, Emma turned to Tessa. “What’s going on with Gene and Rafe? Has anyone found them yet?”

  Tessa shook her head. “Not yet. I had a vision of the one who attacked you, though, and he’s going to be completely helpless for a while. By the looks of it, you fried all the nerve endings. He isn’t going to regain use of that leg. He’s staying in bear form, too, from what I can tell.”

  Emma nodded, satisfied she had inflicted that much damage. For the first time ever, she felt bloodthirsty. She was only disappointed that she hadn’t been able to finish him right then and there. With those injuries, though, it would hinder them, making them easier to find. “Good. At least he’s in as much pain as I am. We’ll call it a draw, for now. Hopefully we catch them soon. I don’t like having them roaming free in the territory with all the kids here in the valley.”

  Tessa tsked. “What’s this ‘we’ you keep spouting? There is no ‘we’. You’re injured and officially benched, girlie. The rest of us will handle things. You get to just sit here and look pretty while your shoulder heals.”

  Emma rolled her eyes at Tessa. Looking out the window, Emma saw two men at the back door. Hunter had a gun pointed at Gene as he escorted him through the entrance. At the snick of the handle, Tessa was up and palming two knives, standing protectively in front of Emma. Emma knew from experience that her knives were just as likely to be coated with poison as not.

  Gwen wasn’t far behind, flowing into the room like rushing water. Within seconds, she was in front of Emma as well, a gun in her hand with the muzzle pointed at the door. With no sign of Desiree, Emma knew Gwen must have stashed her in the kitchen for her own safety.

  All movement stopped. No one made a sound, though Emma could see where Tessa tightened her grip on the hilt in her left hand.

  Hunter spoke first, snarling, “Where’s Damien, Emma? We found this one strolling through the woods by the lake.” Gesturing to the kitchen chair, Hunter kept the gun trained right between Gene’s eyes as he nudged him into the kitchen. “Sit down.”

  Flanked by Gwen and Tessa, Emma followed at a distance. She met Gene’s surprised gaze as Hunter yanked open one of the kitchen drawers and proceeded to zip-tie Gene’s hands behind his back through the slats of the wooden chair. Gene’s finally spoke up. “What’s going on? I didn’t do anything. Hunter, why are you pointing a gun at me?”

  Hunter took a threatening step forward. “Because of what you did to Emma and Lysa, you bastard.”

  For the first time, Gene seemed to notice the bandages that covered Emma’s arm and leg, as well as the sling that held her immobile. His voice wavered. “What happened to you?”

  Sighing, Emma couldn’t decide whether or not to believe Gene’s innocent act. It would be so much easier if she could read his clothing but she knew Damien would have kittens if she tried. Then Aslynn would be called and Emma would likely be knocked out or doped up on painkillers. It wasn’t even worth it. “I was attacked. A bear tried to rip my shoulder off.”

  When Gene sputtered and gaped, Hunter stalked forward.

  Tessa waved Hunter back with one hand. “Wait, Hunter. Gene, where were you the night before last?”

  Gene flushed and looked down at his shoes. “I left the games before the bonfire was lit. I was in the woods by the lake. I’ve been working on a project out there.”

  Gwen strolled to stand directly in front of Gene. She crouched down and met his eyes directly. “What sort of project?”

  Gene gulped. “It’s…well, it’s a present for Emma and Damien. A mating gift. I didn’t finish it in time, though, which is why I left early. I stayed up all night and all day yesterday working on it. I just finished a few hours ago.”

  Tessa flipped her knife open then cut through the ties at Gene’s wrists and hauled him out of the chair. “Show me.”

  * * * *

  The thick beams of the attic ceiling were just high enough that Damien could stand up straight without bumping his head. Dusting off the boxes brought back memories of his childhood. His mother was sentimental enough to have kept almost every toy they’d owned as children, meaning wooden trains sat nestled inside boxes among superhero action figures. Pictures, blankets, even a pair of each of their baby shoes had been boxed away in the extra space. He had thought about downsizing the keepsakes years before, but now there were kids in the house, he was glad he’d kept them.

  Lucas grinned when he found the box of wooden blocks that had seen hours and hours of use as towers and forts for toy soldiers. The paint had peeled off in places but they were just as colorful as Damien remembered them. Kyle busied himself rummaging through the tissue paper in one of the larger boxes. He let out a whoop when he found a Batman figure then pulled out another toy…a baby doll, at which he stuck out his tongue and muttered, “Yuck, girl toys.”

  Damien chuckled. “Dolls aren’t just for girls, Kyle. That doll was my sister’s, but we played together. That Batman figure saved that doll’s life more than once from the bad guys.”

  Kyle pursed his lips before mumbling, “I guess that’s all right, but why’s her hair pink?”

  “I think
Hunter dyed her hair pink. It used to be black.” Damien watched as the boys went through and picked their favorites, and when they were finished, each had one toy clutched in their small fingers. Just one, though there were dozens to choose from. Lucas’ chubby cheeks showcased his smile that slowly turned into a small frown. Damien gently asked, “What’s wrong, Luke? Don’t you like the blocks?”

  Shifting his weight, Damien watched as the young boy scuffed his shoe against the floor without meeting his gaze.

  “I like them a lot.”

  Crouching down so he could meet Lucas’ eyes, Damien asked, “Then what’s wrong?”

  Lucas sighed and finally looked Damien straight in the eyes. For such a young child, he had aged eyes. Ones that had seen the harsher side of life. Older than his years. “Can we keep them? Or do we have to give them back when we leave?”

  Sitting back, Damien crossed his legs and motioned for Lucas and Kyle to sit next to him. “The toys are yours to keep. I know I already asked your sister but I think that I should ask you, too. Would you both like to stay here with me and Emma? I would like it if all of us could be a family. You can eat as much as you want and there are other boys your age you can play with here, too.”

  “You mean you won’t split us up?” asked Kyle with hopeful eyes. “The bad man sent Dez away when we stayed with him. It wasn’t any fun without Dez.”

  Damien shook his head. “Absolutely not. All of us will stay together. I know we aren’t your real parents but we’d like for you to stay here, if that’s what you want.”

  The twins looked at each other and Damien was sure they had some sort of twin telepathy when they both turned their heads at the same time and smiled. “Cool.”