by C. L. Stone
Evie was in heaven, surrounded by warmth.
"What the fuck is going on here?"
The angry words jarred Evie out of the pleasure induced haze. The two men holding her didn't stop in their assault. Seemingly ignoring the interruption, not hearing him, or just not giving a damn. Turning her head, Dashiel captured Evie’s mouth with his own, driving his tongue deep, exploring every inch of her mouth. With Evie's head thrown back to kiss Dashiel, Cyne took her exposed throat as an invitation, placing light kisses across her collarbone. Her hands clenched Cyne’s shoulders, trying to find purchase; she was out of control and needed the anchor.
The heat that pooled between her legs spread. Small waves of pleasure pulsed within her as hardness from both sides continued to press against her. Fire lit her veins, threatening to burn her from within. Half afraid of the unknown feelings that gripped her so tightly, she struggled to reach some unknown pentacle.
Growls filled the room, coming from the chests surrounding her. That possessive noise ignited her body even further. Her hips started moving on their own, grinding into Cyne's hardness only to move back to rub against Dash's. In a frenzy of movement, her body arched between them in aching demand. Hands closed over each of her breasts. One from the body in front of her, one from back. Their touch, soft yet unyielding tore a groan from her throat. Hands squeezing her caused a new fire to ignite. One that went from her nipples to the junction between her legs.
"Fucking hell, that's hot!"
"Who knew Dash and Cyne could play nicely together."
"Care to take on a third, Beautiful?"
The sound of a slap echoed around the room. "Mother fuckin shit! I was just kidding. No need to get so violent."
"Oh, fuck. That's a human between them."
Both sets of lips pulled away from her, leaving Evie disoriented. More hands suddenly grabbed her, pulling her away from what was hers. She howled in frustration as she was hauled away from their warmth, their touch.
"Easy, Sweetheart. Calm down or else we are going to have a fight on our hands." Awareness prickled at Evie’s conscious. The man holding her, she’d met briefly, during her birthday celebration. Aaron, another member of the Shadewolf Kaveri.
One she had met only briefly. Aaron, another member of the Shadewolf Kaveri.
Growls filled the air, but this time, it was a threat. Dashiel and Cyne eyes glowed bright in anger. They weren't growling at her but in warning at the three others that had entered the room.
“Get her out of here, Aaron! We will try to calm them, but we can’t if she’s still in the room.” Evie startled at Xander’s yell.
"Come on, Gorgeous. We need to go now.”
With a whoosh of light, the room disappeared around them, replaced with a heavily wooded forest. Even though Evie didn’t know Aaron well, Evie found comfort within his embrace.
As Aaron’s foot hit the bottom stair leading into a familiar home, the darkness surged forward once again. Evie screamed as images began replaying in her head once more.
Aaron hollered into the house, “Caleb, call for Jaoel! We need him.”
Footsteps sounded heavily on the hard wood floors as two sets of feet came running. “What’s going on?”
“Fucking hell, that’s Evie.”
“Let me have her, Aaron. She knows me.”
Max clasped her around the waist, lowering her to the floor. He settled her in his lap as he cuddled her closely to his chest.
His comforting embrace so very familiar to her. Even lost to the darkness, Evie knew instantly who held her. Pushing the images aside that kept bombarding her, she lifted her hands up, clutching Max’s collar frantically.
“Please, Max. Make it stop. Take it away,” she begged, tears springing from her eyes.
“Take what away, Sweets? What’s going on?”
Another pair of footsteps walked through the open, front door. “Dash says she killed a demon. The backlash is killing her. You need to take her memories, Max. It’s the only chance she has.”
Max’s looked tormented, but he gave a resolute sigh and nodded. “Sweetheart, look at me.”
His voice cajoled Evie, giving her no choice but to look. She raised her eyes to his, her trust absolute. Black pupils met hers, and she was lost in a storm of chaos. She felt a ruffling, like someone sorting through the very recesses of her mind. A burning touch flared, coming from her forehead, but Max didn’t seem to be aware of it, his concentration elsewhere. As the heat increased, fog shrouded her thoughts. Evie slowly lost her fight to stay awake. Tiredness washed over her body. As she succumbed to the approaching darkness, she wondered who held her so tenderly.
11
CONNECTIONS LOST
“Evie. Wake up, Doll.”
The voice in her head was an irritating nuisance, calling her from the depths of darkness that surrounded her. It wasn’t a soft lullaby, gently easing her awake. It was more like being forcibly dragged out from under a warm blanket in the cold of winter. Goosebumps rose on her skin as she struggled to open her eyes.
An impatient hand shook her. “Wake up now, girl. We don’t have time for you to sleep the day away.”
Bright light penetrated Evie’s eyelashes, and she blinked rapidly, trying to force the room into focus. She was in her bedroom. Dominick stood to the right of the bed, her father on the left. The hand that shook her so vigorously was his. Green eyes, so much like her own, glared at her.
“You’re awake, finally. Others are worried. You need to get up and get dressed. The camp needs to know you are fine. Take a shower and meet us in my office. We have things to discuss. I expect you downstairs within thirty.”
Her father turned on his heels with a signal for Dominick to follow him. The door closed with a loud clank, and the sound of their combined footsteps slowly disappeared as they made their way down the stairs.
Evie threw the comforter off and struggled to sit up. Still groggy, her brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders yet. She didn’t remember going to sleep, but her tired brain refused to fill in any details.
Looking down at her hand, she noticed a strange ring on her finger. Perplexed, she tried to pull it off. It wouldn’t budge. Evie didn’t own any jewelry; her ears weren’t even pierced. She tried to recall where she’d gotten the small piece of metal, but her mind was a complete blank. Deciding to deal with it later, she grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom.
Under the hot stream of water, Evie was tempted to disregard her father’s orders and take her time. The heated water against her skin relaxed her, and she was finally waking up. Casting aside the urge, she hurried through her routine. Minutes later, fully dressed with her hair slightly damp, she made her way down the stairs, not stopping until she stood before the closed door leading to her father’s office.
Knocking, she waited until she heard her father call out for her to enter. Shoulders squared, she turned the handle and marched into the room. She didn’t know why, but she was nervous. She felt jittery unable to pinpoint the reason.
She took a seat in the chair next to Dominick. Glancing over at him, she was surprised to see him glare at her with suspicion in his eyes. Unease settled in the pit of her stomach. She turned back around towards her father who sat behind the desk. Waiting for him to speak, she rubbed her temples, trying to ease the slight headache she’d woken up with. It wasn’t a major pain, just a slight annoyance, but maybe if she could get rid of it, the slight fogginess she currently experienced would also dissipate.
“Let’s talk about yesterday. What do you remember, Evie?”
Her father watched her closely as he waited for her to answer. Trying to gather her muddled thoughts, she forced herself to concentrate and think back.
“I went with Dominick. On a special supply run.”
“That’s correct. What’s the last thing you remember about the run?”
She recalled driving into a warehouse but didn’t recollect anything else about the day. She relayed her information to her father.
When he got quiet, Evie’s emotions got the better of her. Frustrated, she burst out, “What happened to me? Why can’t I remember?
Her father sighed, running a hand through his hair in aggravation. “We were fed bad intel. It was an ambush. A demon was hiding in the warehouse. One with the express intent on killing you, just because you are my daughter. The demon was able to grab you, and we think your body went into shock. Luckily, Dominick and his men were able to save you. They killed the demon, sending it back to the hell realm. You were unconscious, and they couldn’t wake you so they brought you back here. The camp doctor checked you over and assured me you were fine, that you would wake up naturally.”
“Kill me? Just because I’m related to you? That doesn’t make sense. What did the demon think it would accomplish?” Evie’s nose scrunched up, her confusion transparent.
“I might not convey it, but you are important to me. Plus, your death would not only impact me. It would be a blow to this entire camp. Weaken us as a group. The demon counted on that.”
Evie’s heart warmed at her father’s words. He hadn’t spoken a kind word to her in many years. Maybe this incident would help open her father’s blind eyes. Help soften his attitude towards her.
“Why are they suddenly trying to kill me now? What’s changed? Surely I’ve been vulnerable in the past? Why the change in tactics now?”
“I have our intelligence teams working on those questions as we speak. But in the meantime, you will have protection whenever you leave the camp. An armed team will escort you when you make your jaunts into town.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“It is. You will follow my orders on this. No exception.”
“Yes, father.”
“Now I need you to make your rounds around the camp. Let everyone see your face, let them know you are okay. Don’t share any details of the attack with anyone. You’re only allowed to talk with Dominick or myself about this matter. If you remember any further details, you are to inform us immediately. Understood?”
This time, Evie nodded without speaking. She was still having issues processing everything that happened. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that she was missing something. Something important.
“Before we go, we have one more matter to discuss.”
Dominick leaned forward in his seat, smirking at her. Chilled, Evie tried to pay attention to her father’s words.
“Dominick has asked my permission to date you. I have agreed. I think the two of you would make a strong match.”
“What? But father, I’m not interested in dating anyone. Besides, you can’t tell me who to date. This isn’t the nineteenth century.”
Ice flashed in her father’s eyes as he folded his hands stiffly in front of himself. “I can, and I will. As my daughter, you have certain responsibilities that most young ladies do not. We must show a united front to the rest of the camp. If you were seen defying me or dating someone I didn’t approve of, others would question my authority.”
“Father, no. Please don’t order me to do this. It’s wrong.”
“Nonsense, child. Dominick saved your life. Without him, you wouldn’t even be sitting here, conversing with us. The least you could do is give him a chance. If after a few months you still feel the same way, we can revisit the issue.”
The look in his eyes signaled the conversation as a lost cause. Evie would have to play along for the short term. She would throw herself into activities around the camp. With little free time, she wouldn’t be able to go out. “Yes, father.”
*****
“Evie! Wait up!”
The call came from her left. She turned, surprised to see Max hurrying towards her. They were on the back field, away from the main activity in the camp. She’d been helping inventory the equipment; the others left a few minutes before her. About to make her way back towards the dining hall, she stopped, waiting on Max to catch up.
“Fuck, Sweets. I was worried. It’s almost mid-afternoon. Are you ok?”
“Of course, Max. I’m fine.”
Rumpled, Max’s normally pressed uniform looked like he rolled out of bed and jerked it on. His hair wasn’t brushed, and stubble ran along his chin. Light blue eyes met hers, the worry in them evident.
“We need to talk about what happened to you.”
“What? Why? ”
“We need to find out why you were targeted?”
“Max, what are you talking about? How do you know about the warehouse? Were you part of the team that helped Dominick?
“Dominick’s team? Shit, Evie. You must have been out of it more than I realized. I’m sorry, Sweets. I’m a shitty friend, leaving you unconscious like that with your dad, but it was my only option. Cyne’s ready to kill me!”
Evie’s confusion increased. Frustrated, she hammered out questions as they came to her. “Cyne? Who’s that? Another one of your team members? Is he a superior? I thought you were lead on all the missions you took? When did that change?”
The man in front of her looked at her strangely before he grasped her by both arms, his hands firm. His eyes bored into hers, searching her gaze deeply. “Sweets, who am I to you?”
“You are freaking me out, Max.”
“We’re friends, right? You remember that.”
Evie nodded, not sure where his questions were leading. “Of course, I do.”
“Good.” He rubbed his hands down her arms, like a mother trying to calm a child. “What do you think of the Surmata?”
Alarm bells rang in her head. She considered Max a friend, but she had to remember that he worked for her father. She could never share her true feelings about anything supernatural with him on the off chance that he’d betray her.
Looking him straight in the eye, she relaxed her pose, making sure to keep her expression neutral. Automatically reciting the standard line of bullshit she learned at a young age, she pronounced. “The Surmata have declared their intentions as the saviors of the human race, protecting all against the threat of demonic interference. But, they are wrong. Humans don’t need the protection. We, as a species, can handle our enemies ourselves, without intervention.”
Epilogue
Max was desperate. He needed help and he knew Dash wouldn’t disappoint. “Something went fucking wrong. Something with my spell. She doesn’t remember me, or any of us for that matter.”
Max’s older brother, the leader of the Shadewolf Kaveri, was always calm and sensible. It was a quality of a good leader, and he was considered one of the best. That unruffled presence that so many relied on was nowhere to be found at the moment. A storm raged within the depths of his indigo eyes. The vibrant violet all but disappearing, replaced with blood red fury. Dashiel was on the edge. His anger and rage make it hard for him to maintain control. If he didn’t calm down, he would splinter his human shell, and his demonic one would take over.
Not wanting to injure his younger sibling, Dash pulled on the last of his control, pushing down the beast. “What do you mean she doesn’t remember us? What went wrong? Is she ok?”
“Fucking hell, Dash! She’s not okay, and it’s my fault. I fucked it up somehow!”
“Start from the beginning. What did you do?”
Tears ran down his brother’s face, guilt and worry making his voice wobble. “The memory I took from her. Somehow, I took too much. Evie doesn’t remember who I really am. She doesn’t remember shit about me, you, Caleb, hell, she doesn’t remember any of your team at all. She’s like a blank slate when it comes to us. She fucking looked me in the eye and lied to my face. Just like she did when I first met her. She doesn’t know who I really am anymore.”
“Max, you can’t blame yourself. You did what was necessary to save her.”
“Fuck, Dash. She’s my best friend. I can’t lose her.”
“I know, bro.” Dashiel squeezed Max’s shoulder, offering the only comfort he could at the moment. “We will figure this out. You won’t lose her. You have my word.”
Rele
asing Max, Dashiel reached inside the top drawer of his wooden desk. Flicking a hidden switch, a hidden crevice appeared. He grabbed an object out. Nodding at Max to proceed him, he spoke resolutely, “We’ll talk to the elders. See if they know anything. Together we will figure out how to reverse the memory loss. The spell would’ve had time to cleanse the taint from her by now, so there’s no risk of trigging the backlash of her demon kill.”
“Caleb knows what’s happening. Are you going to inform the other members of your team? They may be able to help, especially Jaoel.”
“Not yet. I’m worried about how Cyne will take the news.”
“Why? He barely knows her.”
“He’s become attached to her, even though he’s only known her a short time. If he believes she’s in any danger, he’s likely to do something stupid. With any luck, he won’t find out until we are able to restore her memories. Don’t worry, Max. By this time tomorrow, she will be back to normal. I promise.”
Coming Soon!
With the theft of Evie’s memories, will her newly formed relationships survive? Will Evie and the Shadewolf Kaveri live long enough to find out? Look for the continuation of Evie’s tale in, “The Suoja Guild.” Releasing soon to ebook and print.
About the Author
AJ Anders is a new and upcoming indie author with a lot of different hats. She is an active mom, keeper of a full time job, and a passel of friends whose antics always keep her hopping. It's amazing she finds any time to craft her stories for her readers to enjoy. Fiercely loyal and protective of those she cares for, AJ enjoys creating stories where there may be strife and tears, but in the end it will be a well-earned happily ever after. Outside of writing AJ enjoys terrifying her friends with her driving skillz and relaxing at home with a good book.