Repercussions

by Isabelle Arocho

  His heart tightened again. This was getting too dangerous. “I already told you everything I could.”

  Her eyes were like grayish blue flames as she stared at him, accusing him. “Then why can I remember the taste of your mouth if everything is so clean cut between us?”

  He silently cursed. On one hand, he wanted to push this topic and find out everything she felt about it. On the other hand, he didn’t want to face heartache, and with Evangeline that was all he was allowed. “That has nothing to do with getting your memory back.”

  “It’s my life and I decide if it’s relevant or not. Answer me, did we kiss?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have we had sex?”

  “Yes.” He groaned as the memories assaulted him all over again. They were always there breathing down his neck, wrapping around his throat, pinning him back with an assault he was powerless to.

  “But we’re not involved?”

  “Correct.”

  “So…?”

  “It was a one time thing you wished to forget. You were, or are, I don’t even know anymore, in love with a vampire named Michael. It’s been years since you and he broke up but you still carry a torch.” He stood from the bed, being close to her only worsened the moment. “The SCF doors have opened by now. We should go before they leave to patrol.”

  Chapter 3

  Caleb hated to admit it, but things were pretty tense with Evangeline by the time he pulled into the SCF parking lot. Every question she continued to try and ask him he dodged, and soon she learned to stop asking them. Whatever their relationship was or wasn’t, had nothing to do with the latest danger breathing down her neck and they needed to keep their focus on what was important. That was his new motto.

  At the newly opened SCF building, he was relieved to run into Jake first. He told his second the gist of what was happening with Evangeline, who was listening from the sidelines. “Do you know anything about what she was doing last night?” Caleb asked now.

  Jake shook his head no and addressed the woman herself. “You weren’t in the office last night at all. I don’t know if Bess had you on something more low key.”

  Evangeline nodded, trying to keep her frustration under wraps with weak smiles. “Is she here?”

  “Yeah, in her office.”

  Caleb knew the way and let Jake get back to his work. At first it hadn’t been ideal, to have his wolf in such a public light where one slip up could expose their entire race, but Jake breathed control and would never make such a mistake. Now the SCF was a way of life, for all of them.

  Bess had the office on the far right while other members of the SCF called the rest home. Evangeline looked around as they headed down the hall to meet with the woman in charge. The SCF headquarters wasn’t anything too fancy, it was meant to be boring and welcoming. Ironically, it was the exact opposite of the work they dealt with. Hunting vampires and figuring out the many mysteries to supernatural crime was never boring or welcoming. It was damn dangerous and he hated how mixed in Evangeline was with it now. His wounded ego could see why it was maybe easier to take on Bess as a boss opposed to him as an alpha.

  With a rasp of his fingers he made their presence known. It wasn’t uncommon for Bess to be engrossed in work and oblivious to her surroundings. She hung up the phone and gave them her full attention. Bess Jane was a beautiful woman, a few years older than Evangeline with blue eyes and brown hair. She wore her confidence on her shoulder, appearing to be ready for just about anything, from a vampire attack to the plague. Caleb couldn’t say he knew the woman very well, he heard stories from Jake and met with her himself a few times. What he could see in those short meetings was her passion, she gave a damn about her job and the pressure that came along with it.

  Bess was frowning as she took in the image of them in her office; together. He wondered what Evangeline might’ve told her about their past encounters. “What am I missing?” Bess asked, standing from behind her desk.

  When Evangeline remained silent, Caleb took the floor. “Jamie and I paid her a visit this morning to find she has no memory of anything but the last few hours. I have her staying with me, whatever wiped her memory has been trying to hurt her.” He explained the gash he found on Evangeline’s back, along with the only details they had managed to put together so far. He wasn’t used to going to somewhere else for help or explaining himself, the title of alpha rebelled such actions but this wasn’t his battle, it was Evangeline’s, and Bess was her boss with the right to be included. She was also a good someone to have on their side. He still wondered how pretty unassuming Bess Jane managed to get the coven to back off.

  “Well, shit.” Bess leaned her butt back against her desk. Her expression was thoughtful and carefully worried, she masked it well except he had seen through better. “You think it’s related to a SCF case? I wish it was, so we’d have a lead to follow but Evie wasn’t working anything major.” She addressed the woman in question and said, “I’m sorry.”

  Evangeline shook her head. “Don’t be.” She walked over to the empty couch and sat, her shoulders slumped in defeat as their only hope started to circle the drain.

  Caleb opted to keep standing. “Could it be something you wouldn’t consider major?” he knew it didn’t take much for something to go from clean cut to hell in a hand basket. In many ways that was the story of his life, and certainly his history with Evangeline.

  Bess gave a grim smile. “Evie only works major crimes, and as far as I knew she had the day off. I can talk to everyone and find out if you were helping with another investigation.” She made sure to address her employee accordingly, memory or not.

  Evangeline wasn’t holding out much hope. “Sounds like shooting fish in a barrel.”

  Bess walked over to the couch and sat, taking the younger woman’s hand. “That’s a saying you don’t hear everyday.” Her voice changed from worried boss to experienced federal agent in a heart beat. Caleb stood back like a fly on the wall listening.

  “It’s something my dad used to say.” Evangeline realized with a frown. “I guess the memories are still there.” Her stormy grey eyes went wide, a brand new light shined from behind them. Her hope was back.

  “Yes, and we need to pry them out. I know someone who might be able to help us find out what you were working on.”

  Evangeline’s eyes continued to brighten. “I’m willing to try anything.”

  “Her name is Rebecca Kayden, she has the talent to peak into memories, no matter how old or new. She once told me about a vampire nearly a hundred years old and she saw memories of him human.” Bess was trying to ease her friend’s fears and give her a reason to keep hoping. Caleb’s opinion of the woman was soaring high with gratitude.

  “When can I try this idea of yours?”

  Bess’ confidence and smile wavered. “She’s currently out of town and she’s not set to return until tomorrow evening.”

  “That’s not too bad.” Evangeline hid her disappointment well from her face but it was strong in her scent. Caleb hadn’t stopped watching her, he took in every little look on her face and every shift in her emotion.

  “I can arrange for you to be put under protective custody until then.”

  “No, I’ll stay with Caleb.” Evangeline turned away from Bess to meet his eyes. “If that’s ok?”

  There was nothing he wanted more. “I wouldn’t mind.”

  “Are you sure?” Bess asked, and again Caleb wondered what exactly the cop knew. It wasn’t as if he’d ever hurt Evangeline, memory or not, he’d offer any assistance he could.

  “Everything inside of my body is saying to trust him. Is it wrong?”

  “No.” Bess didn’t hesitate. “Caleb has and will do everything he can to help you, if you trust him it’s a good sign your memories are close to the surface. I’ll call you the minute Rebecca returns. Until then lay low.”

  Evangeline stood from the couch. “Thank you.” She followed Caleb out of the room. “What do we do no
w?”

  “We follow Bess’ lead and lay low. I know this must be hell for you to sit back but tomorrow will be here soon enough.” He silently vowed to keep his eyes on her until then, making sure whatever was trying to hurt her, wouldn’t get close again.

  Chapter 4

  Back at the house they both agreed it was time to slow down and eat something. Caleb banished her to the living room to watch TV while he prepared a surprise dinner. There was no quick fix to help bring back her memories but he could make sure she was well taken care of, with a hearty meal and a safe place to rest.

  It was easy to succumb to the mundane steps of cooking, it was something he did often, even when Jamie was back with her mother and he was all alone in the house. There was but so much fast food a person could take. Cooking was something he enjoying doing, he was comfortable in the kitchen, yet a hobby only his daughter knew of.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Evangeline didn’t stay away long. “there has to be someone I confided in. I’m new to the SCF, I couldn’t be foolish enough to go out alone.” There was a question mixed in with her reasoning.

  “You sometimes work with a partner, Bess probably had a good reason for not mentioning him tonight. I’m not sure he’s even here in Celestin.” From what Caleb knew about Thomas Monroe, he was human and an important asset to the development to the SCF offices around the country. It wasn’t uncommon for the human to leave town periodically.

  “When the last time we saw each other, me and you?”

  “You didn’t talk to me about work.”

  “Yeah, but what did we talk about?” her interest in her memory loss quickly turned again into curiosity about their shared past. Every time he thought she was scared away from the subject, there she was again to torture him.

  He busied himself with preparing dinner and that allowed him to keep his back facing her. “It was two weeks ago and we spoke outside on your porch. You had just started with the SCF and we did a little catching up. It wasn’t a big deal.” He cringed inwardly to lie to her, really there was no point in mentioning the truth though. It had no bearing on whatever caused her memory loss.

  “I know you can’t help me figure out what exactly I was working or who had interest in wiping my memory clean because you weren’t there, but you can help me fill in some other blanks. I don’t want to sit twiddling my thumbs with all this confusion, waiting to see if Bess’ friend might be able to help me.” Caleb didn’t have to turn around and see her eyes to know the desperation was real inside her voice. It couldn’t be easy to suddenly wake up with no sense of who you are. He really didn’t know what he could possibly say to help her cope with the next twenty four hours.

  Finished preparing the salad, he turned around. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Answer whatever I ask, even if you think its no big deal or not. I need to fill some of this space.” She tapped the side of her head.

  Staring at her, the kitchen fell into a deep silence with nothing but the meat sizzling in the pan to take up any space. Her blue grey eyes were dark with the seriousness of her desperation. “What do you want to ask me?” a knot of fear settled in his gut as the words left his mouth. He couldn’t say no, not when she was looking at him like that and there wasn’t another person around to play buffer. Right now, he was completely at her mercy and at the mercy of his feelings for her.

  “I want us to go back to my place and look around for any clues.”

  He couldn’t conceal his relief to hear that rather than another uncomfortable question. “After dinner we can do that.” He agreed it was worth a try to keep searching into the matters themselves. The worse they could do was find nothing.

  Evangeline nodded and glanced behind him at the stove. “I’d say I didn’t know you cooked but right now I don’t know anything.” She flashed a slight nervous smile that had his heart rate picking up. She was right, there was so much she didn’t know and it had nothing to do with memory loss, more to do with the fact he knew it was best to keep his true feelings to himself. The truer parts of his soul were part of those feelings. He couldn’t let her in without it being all the way.

  After his divorce from Jamie’s mom it had become easier to surrender himself to the pack and the demands of being alpha. Dating was messy so he avoided it, at first he told himself he’d wait until he was situated in Celestin then attempt searching for a partner, then he told himself it wouldn’t be fair to Jamie. Excuse after excuse he made to stay single, all because he didn’t want to admit another broken heart scared him. An alpha wasn’t supposed to fear anything, let alone something so mushy.

  Then Evangeline Cortez entered the picture. He had always been curious about her, the young girl that didn’t register human even before the vampire bite. She was a mystery, a puzzle he never knew. It didn’t take long for his curiosity to turn into appreciation for her beauty. She didn’t carry herself like most women with her looks and body normally would, she’d ugly herself because it was easier to hide in the background. It only further added to her mystery and the desire he had to unravel it.

  They wouldn’t have admitted it months ago, but they had a lot in common. She ran from heart break the same way he did, she used work while he leaned on the pack. After her infection with the vampire virus, he treated her like he would any other vampire. He was distant, rude, cold, all remedies to cure his infatuation with the odd unattainable beauty.

  That plan worked for years until she shifted into a wolf right on his front lawn. No lies he told himself worked after that. She was no longer the partial vampire, she carried a scent very close to his own as a wolf and he ached to get closer to it every second together since. It surprised him to think back on all the months he didn’t make an error by touching her, by confessing too much, that he was able to go that long before giving in.

  It wasn’t ideal but he couldn’t bring himself to regret the time they shared on his living room floor. It wasn’t just her magic high that pushed him over the edge, it had been years of curiosity and months of desire.

  He turned away from her eyes, saying, “Cooking isn’t something I share.”

  “So I wouldn’t remember it anyway, cool. These can be brand new memories then.” Evangeline kept trying to hide her worries, her eyes looked around the kitchen for the third time and he was sure there was nothing new to see.

  It was time to flip the steaks. “It’s almost ready, have a seat.” He motioned toward the table.

  “Caleb….”

  “Yes?”

  “The suggestion to go back to my home wasn’t the only thing I wanted to talk about.”

  Caleb prayed that Rebecca woman would be able to get Evangeline’s memories back because he wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. She was mentioning things she normally wouldn’t and he had no clue what he was supposed to do. He had to keep reminding himself her heart belonged to another man. “Ok, what is it?” he turned off the stove and put the beautifully caramelized steaks onto a plate.

  Whatever she was going to say fell to the wayside. He placed the two plates of food on the table and took his seat. “This smells amazing.” It was the first real smile to grace her face all day.

  When she grabbed a fork and started to dig in, a sigh of relief escaped Caleb’s mouth. It was nice to enjoy dinner without the weight of their difficult situations souring the taste.

  That nice comfortable peace didn’t last long. At first Evangeline groaned in pain, seconds later and ear splitting scream left her mouth, her body crumbled to the floor.

  Chapter 5

  Caleb gripped her shoulders trying to find the source of her pain. He knew someone was lurking close and using some form of magic to hurt her. He wanted to take off after the threat that could be lurking outside but he couldn’t leave her screaming on the floor either. The magician could be farther than he was guessing and leaving Evangeline alone felt wrong. If the attacker was planning a ruse, now wasn’t the time to leave her without protectio
n. “It’s ok.” He whispered gently, pulling her close to his chest.

  Her cries eased and thankfully this attack resulted in no blood. Her hands gripped the front of his shirt, bracing her weight while she lifted her face to meet his worried stare. “I don’t like this.”

  Caleb smoothed back her hair. “That makes two of us, honey.” His hand settled at the base of her neck, the thumping of her pulse strong against his skin as his eyes stayed glued to her face. He wanted to lean down and kiss her, kiss away all the pain and questions he couldn’t answer. “Are you feeling better?”

  “It’s like nothing happened. Whoever this person is attacking me, wants me to know they can reach me but they want me alive. We have to figure out what they want before they get more creative.” There was no hiding her fear and that left Caleb furious at the faceless assailant he vowed to kill with his bare hands and teeth.

  He gripped her shoulders and helped her off the kitchen floor. “I think we need to go to your house and see if you left any clues lying around while we pack.”

  “Pack?”

  “It’s not safe here. I want to take you to the cabin where there’s more security. It won’t be easy for anyone to get onto the grounds.”

  “It won’t mean anything if the person doesn’t have to be close to reach me.”

  “I’m working on the hunch it’s the other way around.”

  Evangeline put up no arguments and followed his lead every step of the way. There was warmth deep in his chest at her blind loyalty. She was treating him like he was her alpha, a relationship he only dreamed of. She normally feared he was trying to control her but that wasn’t the case, never was, he wanted to be her alpha so he could protect her and call her his mate.

  Inside her bedroom, Evangeline went over a stack of mail on her dresser. “Do I have a sister?” there was one envelope she opened and was now in the process of reading the letter.

  Caleb recognized it as the one she received two weeks ago from her sister. “Yes, a younger one. You’ve been trying to find a way to get her away from the coven.”