Exposed Memories

by Sienna Aylen

  Emma yawned as she rummaged through the drawer for another pair of pajama pants. Damien saw her weariness, saw her sway to one side before righting herself. He gestured for her to sit on the bed, gently taking the pajamas from her hand.

  He crouched down in front of her and blew on her shoulder to remove any excess dampness. The first-aid kit was propped on the edge of the bed. Damien retrieved a tin of antibiotic ointment and twisted it open. Dabbing his finger through the serum, he then smudged it across what was left of her shoulder wound. With her sister’s help, she’d healed incredibly fast. He still couldn’t believe the progress she’d made in just a week. “Is it still painful, Emma? Do you want an injection?”

  She shook her head. “No, I can manage. It isn’t nearly as bad as it was a week ago. More sore than anything. It’s been sitting in the sling all week, so it’s stiff.”

  Damien met her tired gaze and lifted one hand to cup her cheek. “You were right. You need to stretch it out.” Dropping his hand, he cut two squares of gauze and taped them on the front and back of her shoulder. “How’s that?”

  “It’s fine.” Emma cleared her throat. “I called my sisters the other day.”

  Damien propped her foot up onto his knee while he smeared the antibiotic ointment over her leg. “How were they?”

  She searched his face for a moment, seeming to try and gauge his mood. “They’re working their jobs, though, these ones seem to be giving them difficulty. Ceila’s worried the wolves are somehow being poisoned. She thinks there’s a strain of mental illness that is spreading and it isn’t natural, possibly man-made.”

  Damien frowned. “What? That’s awful. How would someone be able to do that? Is it even possible?”

  Emma shrugged. “I’m not sure. That’s Ceila’s area of expertise. I’m sure she’ll figure it out. But I wanted to tell you that I talked to them, about my job. I told them I wanted to take a year off, only being on call in an absolute emergency. Told them I needed some time to heal as well as some time to adjust to life with you and the kids.”

  Cupping her cheek, Damien brushed his lips over hers. The kiss was soft, a whisper of emotion that flowed between them. “You didn’t have to do that, Em. I had no right to try to push you to give up your job.”

  Emma winced. “I didn’t do it because you dictated it. I did it for us, as a family. We need to show the kids that we won’t abandon them. I need to get to know them better and I have to train Desiree. My plate’s going to be full.”

  Damien shook his head at her generous nature. They were both supposed to compromise, not just Emma. It shamed him that she was taking the burden of change while his life was relatively untouched.

  “Emma, look at me. I can see taking off for a while but if you ever want to go back, I’ll support you. I won’t necessarily be happy with it, I can’t guarantee that. I’ll worry and be snarly the entire time you’re gone but I’ll support you in whatever you choose so long as you always come back home. So far, you’ve made all the compromises in this relationship. Between moving here, the kids, and becoming the Alpha female, you’ve changed your entire life to fit mine. It isn’t fair for you to give up your job, too. I just want you to be happy, Em. Everything else is secondary.”

  Her eyes were damp when they met his. Both of her hands framed his face before she pulled him in for a kiss. Her lips whispered over his, her love poured into the kiss. He could feel it. “I was only half-living before I came here, you know. I surely wasn’t enjoying my job anymore. I’ve had two millennia to play the superhero. I’m happy here, with you. I can’t guarantee that I won’t have to leave occasionally when a job requires my talents but I want to spend as much time as possible at home. I love you, Damien.”

  Emma reclined into the mattress as Damien shifted his weight over her, settling between her legs. He’d missed this— the intimacy. The closeness to her. He made sure to settle his weight on his right arm, on the opposite side of her injured shoulder.

  She grabbed the back of his neck and let her lips merge with his. Nips and licks turned into breathless moans of pleasure. Soft, inviting curves radiated warmth underneath his fingertips.

  A faint knock on the door broke the moment. The first knock was joined by a second when Damien rolled off Emma with a sigh. “Come in.”

  Readjusting herself, Emma propped up against the pillows as two mussed heads poked in through the crack in the door. Tight hands gripped the arms of two worn teddy bears as the twins made their way to the side of the bed. Bare feet poked out from the bottoms of superhero pajamas as they shifted their weight from side to side. Damien’s heart melted at the sight. Kyle was the first to speak. Lifting his head boldly, he announced, “Lucas had a bad dream.”

  Patting the bed with one hand, Damien asked, “Would you two like to come up here with us for a little while?”

  At their nods, he swooped them up and onto the bed where they settled between him and Emma, snuggling underneath the covers. Seconds later, Desiree poked her head in the door, her pajama top askew on her thin frame. “Sorry, I didn’t know the boys were up. They have nightmares quite often.”

  Damien saw the yearning on Desiree’s face. He would bet that Desiree had nightmares just as often as the boys did. Looking around, he watched Emma scoot backward a few inches before patting the spot right in the middle of the twins. “I know you probably think you’re too old, but there’s still space if you want to join us.”

  Without hesitation, Desiree climbed up the end of the bed and took the spot between the boys. A family of five. Damien was glad the bed was wide enough that they all fit on it with a bit of room to spare. Over their heads, he met Emma’s loving gaze. Stretching out her left hand, she linked her fingers with his above all their heads.

  * * * *

  Laughter echoed throughout the kitchen as breakfast was prepared. The sun was out and Emma was feeling lighter than she had in the past week. The night before had been rough, an emotional train wreck to be precise, but they’d survived it intact. She was ready to put the episode behind them and move on.

  Damien manned the stove, where he was frying bacon and eggs while she showed the kids how to make biscuits and cinnamon buns from scratch. Flour was everywhere, the white powder covering both boys’ arms up to their elbows. Smiles adorned their faces, lighting them up as sure as lights decorated a Christmas tree.

  She couldn’t help but grin at the scene. She realized it was what she’d always wanted, a home life and a family. Rambunctious kids and a loving man with a great sense of humor. The thought stopped her in her tracks. She had everything she’d ever wanted. Everything.

  She’d come into the territory with only one thought—the job. Each job was the same. Go in, find the evidence, prosecute-slash-dismember and get out. Simple, direct and to the point. The last few weeks had been anything but simple and direct. They’d taken her on twists and turns she’d never thought she would experience. But they’d taken her here, right now, to this moment where everything was perfect.

  Kyle and Desiree were cutting the biscuits into circles while Emma and Lucas worked on sprinkling the brown sugar over the rolled-out dough.

  Tessa strolled down the steps in her pajamas and sniffed appreciatively. “Mmm, I smell cinnamon and bacon. Nothing beats that smell in the mornings.” Bringing a steaming mug of coffee to her lips, she then took a long sip before looking over their work with a grin. “Lucas, don’t be stingy with the sugar. Cinnamon buns are supposed to be extra sweet. It’s like dessert for breakfast.”

  Little eyes widened as he looked up at Tessa. “You mean we can put more on?”

  Emma laughed. “Not too much, Lucas, you don’t want to end up with a stomach ache. But a little bit more couldn’t hurt.” If anything, a bit more sugar would help them gain back the weight they’d lost. She didn’t want to spoil them too much but she was anxious to see them at a healthy weight.

  Lucas grinned and grabbed a chubby handful of the sugar before dumping it in the exact center of the do
ugh, making a sugar mountain.

  Damien finished the last of the bacon and moved behind her. Muscled arms wrapped around her waist before he nudged her head to the side and nibbled on her neck.

  Kyle’s mouth dropped open. “Ew, kissing.”

  Desiree elbowed him in the side. “Grown-ups do that sometimes, Kyle.” She looked at Emma with a brow raised. “Though they could get a room and keep it to themselves.”

  Emma giggled as Damien bit the tip of her ear before standing back at his full height. His voice was teasing when he replied, “Where’d the fun be in that? I plan on kissing Emma every chance I get, so you’d better get used to the idea.”

  Emma smacked his hands and got a mock growl in response. “Kissing is fine. Everything else will be done in private. They’re kids, Damien.”

  “They need to get accustomed to seeing affection.” He turned his gaze to the kids. “Now, boys, I know it looks like fun, but you can only do this when you’re older.” With that, he leaned back down and Emma could feel the spit in the raspberry he blew against her cheek. The loud fart sound made them all crack up, even Desiree.

  Emma wiped the side of her face, only succeeding in smearing the wetness around. “Yuck.”

  Damien smacked her butt right where his paw print was before moving away to set the table.

  Twenty minutes later, they were all sitting around the table, rubbing their stomachs appreciatively. All three of the kids had bottomless pits for bellies and Emma was glad they were eating to their hearts’ content. At this rate, there wouldn’t be any leftovers to put away. Nudging her plate to the side, she sat back and groaned. “That was delicious, I couldn’t eat another bite. I’m stuffed.”

  A chorus of, “Me, too,” echoed around the table.

  The mental shove almost knocked Emma out of her chair. It came fast and hard, blinding her and demanding entrance. Expanding her senses, Emma saw the balance. Instead of a steady ebb and flow, it was swirling and twisting, smacking into her with force. Pushing at her to hurry.

  Images rushed into her mind— red hair, chubby cheeks, one purple flower…an open window and an empty bed. Parents crying, a bear slinking through the woods, and death.

  Emma gasped. The balance subsided slightly as Damien’s hand met the skin of her nape. She could feel his breath on her cheek as she shoved at the haze clouding her vision.

  “Emma, baby. What’s wrong?”

  Blinking at his words, Emma clutched at his arm before seeing Tessa’s wide gaze across the table. She croaked out, “Belle’s in trouble.”

  The front door slammed open a second later. Emma recognized the faces of Belle’s parents as they rushed in, worry and fear creasing their brows. Clutched in Jeff’s hand was a dingy piece of paper which had words from books cut and pasted onto it. Before they could say anything, Emma stood and motioned to Tessa. “Kyle, Lucas, I need you to go with Tessa. She’s going to take you both over to visit with Stella and Augustus. Desiree, you can go with them or you can stay here. It’s up to you.”

  “I’ll stay. I want to know what’s going on.” Desiree kissed both boys’ cheeks and sent them with Tessa.

  The door had barely shut behind them when Jeff spoke, “Belle is gone. That bastard took her. He left a note.” Lifting it up, he read it out loud. “Give me back what’s mine and you’ll get what’s yours. One for one, Desiree for Belle. Damien will bring the girl, alone, the east pass by noon or you’ll never see your daughter again. You bring company and she dies.”

  Lisa clutched her husband’s arm as tears dampened her cheeks. “She wasn’t in her bed this morning. The window was open and she was gone. He took my baby. She’s probably scared out of her mind. She’s just a baby.”

  “Bring me the note.” Emma opened her hand. As Damien’s scowl, Emma raised a finger. “Damien, I need you to touch me while I do this. If I’m right, your touch will cancel out the negative effects of the reading. Trust me. Please.”

  Damien pulled Emma into his arms and tucked his hands under her shirt, splaying them wide across her stomach. At his nod, Emma peeled off one glove and Jeff placed the note in her hand.

  The whirl of the memories was strong, trying to absorb her, claim her. They stomped their feet and threw punches but Damien’s touch was stronger. The rough calluses of his fingers against the smooth skin of her stomach helped Emma focus and riffle through the memories with expert precision. Rafe cutting up the words with his right hand, swearing at the uselessness of his left. His body was a macabre sight, hands and face in human form with the rest of his body still in bear form. Cursing her name, laughing before finishing the note. Holding up a syringe, chuckling. “See this, Emma? I’m not sure what’s in it exactly but the guy at the sporting shop said it could knock out an elephant. We’ll see how it works on Belle…” Rafe shrugged. “She may wake up, she may not.”

  Emma skimmed through the rest of the memories and ended the reading. Her head had a slight tingle but otherwise she felt fine. No headache, no blood.

  Damien blew out a breath when Emma gave Jeff the note and tugged her glove back over her long fingers. Two fingers tilted her chin up. She met Damien’s gaze with a nod as he searched her face for signs of strain. For blood. Her brief smile met his own. “It worked. You’re balancing me out.” Her grin turned into a frown. “Rafe knew I would read it. He left me a message. He’s going to drug Belle with a sedative, if he hasn’t already. He seemed almost fanatical. He’ll do anything to get Desiree back. I have a feeling his life depends on it.”

  Emma turned and noted the starkness of Desiree’s face, the teenager holding herself still waiting for the verdict. Stepping to her, Emma wrapped both arms around the girl. “We aren’t trading you, Dez, you’re a part of our family now. We’ll get her back.”

  “There’s no way I would ever send you back to be with him, Desiree. A group of us will go and get her back,” Damien chimed in. Turning to Jeff, he added, “Send out the call, Jeff. I want two groups of men, one to go with us to the pass and another to stay here to protect the cubs. We’ll leave in twenty minutes.”

  At Desiree’s nudge, Emma met Damien’s gaze. “We’re going with you. Tessa and Gwen will want to be there as well. Desiree’s presence alone will distract Rafe enough that we’ll have the upper hand.” She turned to the fifteen-year-old who had become a daughter to her. “One condition. You do everything we tell you. You so much as move without our say-so and I’ll have one of the men take you back here with the other cubs, understood? We have to work as a team.”

  Desiree nodded, her face firm. “I understand. I want to be there when he’s taken down. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

  Running a hand through his hair, Damien sighed. “I don’t like either one of you being a part of this, but Emma’s right, we’re a team. We go in together and take care of business without anyone getting hurt. Both of you need weapons. Emma, the knives you have in your bag upstairs should be enough for the two of you. Go get whatever you need. Meet back here in twenty.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  #xa0;

  A dim gray fog had settled over the worn path. Overhead the sun was hidden by a veil of sinister clouds that warned of an impending storm. Miniscule misty droplets were already starting to fall from the sky, dampening Damien’s hair and eyelashes. He could barely make out the silent, hulking shapes of the bears that flanked them in the forest, though their presence calmed him. This had to work. He couldn’t be responsible for a toddler’s death. For Belle’s death.

  She was a bright light in the Clan. Just as Emma and her sisters were becoming. Family. The easier choice would have been to make them all stay with his parents. Damien’s bear paced back and forth in his mind, snarling at the thought of Emma being hurt again. At the thought of any of them getting hurt. Protective instincts rising to the fore, he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and lock her up in his room away from harm. But he couldn’t.

  She wasn’t a coward. She’d grow to hate him if he ever tried something
so stupid. She had every right— as Alpha female— to protect the Clan, no matter the stakes. He had to trust her and her sisters. Trust their abilities, trust that they knew what they were doing. They’d been the ones to come up with this crazy plan and he hoped it was just crazy enough to work.

  Damien marched next to Desiree, his boots soundless on the narrow, trampled path. Rain drops splattered across the ground, turning sandy dirt into mud. Of all the men now in the forest, he was the only one who hadn’t shifted, keeping his human form so he could speak with Rafe. Emma had explained their plan to Desiree while they dressed, sliding one sheath-covered knife up Desiree’s sleeve for protection. Everything hinged on precise timing, where a few seconds could make the difference between life and death.

  Cold metal rested against Desiree’s wrists, the cuffs linking her hands together and yet loose enough that if she moved her hands from where they rested against her shirt, they would fall to the ground. From a distance, it would look as though she were restrained, a prisoner to be traded. Damien thought she shouldn’t even be put in this kind of danger at only fifteen years old, but she was a brave girl. She’d insisted on coming. It was all a part of the plan. Damien had made sure the cuffs were unhinged and rigged them so they couldn’t lock, even if they fell shut. If everything went to hell, he wanted Desiree to have a fighting chance.

  As they neared the cliffs, an eerie, disembodied voice traveled through the mist. “Damien, it seems that you finally came to your senses. Give me the girl and we can call it a day.”

  Damien’s voice carried and echoed off the sheer cliffs, the cracked rocks bouncing his deep timbre back at them. “I’m not an idiot, Rafe, where’s Belle?”

  The mist parted to reveal a limp Belle strapped to the fur on Rafe’s chest, her head lurching to one side precariously. Her eyes were closed and Damien could make out the soft breaths that whispered past the hair hanging in front of her mouth. Unconscious, but she was still alive. Hang on, Belle. Help’s on the way.