“Queen? When did that happen?”
“Not long ago now. You missed the ceremony. It was beautiful,” Ryan laughed before his voice became serious. “Enough about other people. You needed a favour?”
“Yes,” Sebastian agreed solemnly. “I need you to watch over Erica.”
Ryan groaned at his brother’s request. “Not you too. What is it with my family trying to turn me into some sort of guard dog? This isn’t funny any more.”
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important Ryan.”
“Why can’t you watch over her? You seemed to have been doing fine without my help these last few weeks. What’s changed?”
“The full moon is coming Ryan. I kept hoping that she would have regained her memories by now but that hasn’t happened. She’s just as unaware of what we are as she was when she first had the accident.”
Ryan’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand what the problem is. She’s here, you’re here, claim her. It isn’t rocket science, although when I really think about it, you could probably manage the science with greater ease than dealing with your mate. Sheesh, I would have thought your wolf would have been guiding you along the right path, apparently not. You should claim her as soon as you can Sebastian, there’s no need to wait any longer. You found her; it’s only natural that you do so. I don’t know how you’ve managed to hold off for so long. I would be going crazy if my mate wasn’t bearing my mark.”
Sebastian's head fell into his waiting palms; he should have known that Ryan wouldn’t see the situation in the same light as he did. “You sound exactly like my wolf and I’m going to tell you what I told him. She didn’t want it before the accident; I won’t take advantage of her amnesia. What sort of a mate would I be if I did that?”
“I don’t understand how you can not agree with your wolf when he’s making a perfectly valid point.” Sebastian glared at him and Ryan threw his hands up in surrender. “But that’s your prerogative. I’m not here to ask questions, I’m here to do you a favour.”
“There’s more,” Sebastian began. “I don’t need you to just watch her from a distance, I need you to pretend to be me.” Ryan began shaking his head, not liking where his brother’s thoughts were taking him. “If I told her that I was leaving, she might want to come with me and that defeats the objective. The best thing I can do for her is to simply not be around her, but I can’t just leave and disappear for a few days, that would bring up questions that we can’t answer. I’ve got to go but she can’t realise that I’m missing.”
“No. I won’t do it. I won’t Sebastian.”
“You’ve already agreed to it Ryan. Remember? You said you’d do this favour for me in exchange for a future one. You can’t back out now.”
“It won’t work Sebastian.”
“And why won’t it?” he demanded.
Ryan’s eyes darted over his brother’s frame, looking for an escape route from a plan he had hastily agreed to. “I’ve got broader shoulders than you. The woman isn’t blind or stupid, she’ll know something is going on.”
“Wear baggy clothes and hunch your shoulders,” Sebastian replied automatically, refusing to allow Ryan to get out of helping him. He needed his brother’s help and when it came to Erica he was finding that he could be as ruthless as they came. “And the woman has a name, use it. Don’t talk about her in that way again Ryan, I don’t like it.”
“It won’t happen again. I’m sorry but it does show another difference between us, we don’t act the same. We never have. After spending all this time with you, surely Erica will be able to see that you’re not behaving like your usual self.”
“Yes, it’s true that Erica and I’ve spent a lot of time together.” Ryan breathed a sigh of relief hoping that this signalled the demise of Sebastian's ill-conceived plan. His brother’s next words however, ruled out that possibility. He should have known better, once Sebastian had decided upon something it was nigh impossible to get him to change his mind. “The time that Erica and I’ve spent together is however nowhere near the time we’ve been together. We’ve been at each others side for over two centuries, you should be able to think of what I would do or say in any given situation and respond accordingly.”
“Our eyes aren’t exactly the same shade of brown Sebastian, you know mine have a tendency to shift colours.”
“Try not to look at her too much or too long. As long as you keep your eyes averted and don’t make look at her for too long I doubt she’d know.”
Ryan breathed heavily consigning himself to his fate before giving one final last-ditch attempt to persuade his brother that this wasn’t the wisest course of action. “Your hair is shorter than mine.”
“I have a pair of scissors in the car, I’m going to cut your hair and then it will all work out fine. Ryan, we could do this all day but the end result is going to be the same. This is going to happen, you should just accept it.”
Even Ryan had to admit that the last attempt was pathetic and he finally gave up. “The favour I’m going to ask is going to be absolutely massive,” he groused. “It’s going to make your eyes bulge and your head want to explode and you’re going to do it with what?” he waited expectantly for a response.
“No questions,” Sebastian responded easily, moving around his brother to open the back door of the car. The boot space wasn’t quite as large as Sebastian would have liked, but it would suffice. “Sit here so that I can cut your hair. We don’t have long. I want to be off as quick as possible.”
Muttering under his breath, Ryan complied with Sebastian's request, sitting in the now open trunk space. Pleased that his brother was complying, Sebastian quickly retrieved his scissors. “Thank you for doing this for me Ryan. I couldn’t ask for a better brother.”
“Damn straight. I should be adored all across the globe for my fraternal services.” He took a deep breath, preparing himself to slip into Sebastian's persona. “What are you waiting for? Let’s get this over with. Just cut my hair so that we can both be on our way. The things you and Tobias are making me do for your mates, it’s unbelievable. The things you put yourselves through are astounding. First there was Alex and her unwillingness to even talk to Tobias, which left me behind to deal with the mess that had been created in England and now you. For you I’m willing to cut my hair, dress up like you and try to fool your mate into believing I’m you. All of this while you run away from something that you’ve wanted to do for nearly your entire life. It’s unbelievable.”
“When you find your mate, you’ll understand. You’ll be willing to do all of this and more just to make her smile or make sure that she’s not upset.” Ryan scoffed and Sebastian laughed at his attitude. “Trust me, you’ll see that what I’m saying is all true when the time comes.” Sebastian worked quickly and efficiently, cutting the almost shoulder length strands of Ryan’s hair until they just above his neck. Satisfied with his work, he brushed off the residual hair from his shoulders and stood back to admire his work. This is going to work, he grinned. Aside from the deep scowl that was etched onto Ryan’s face, they were identical.
“Judging from that smile on your face, I’m going to take it that you’re satisfied.”
“Definitely. Thanks for agreeing to help me.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan shrugged. “Is there anything in particular you call her? Or is it just Erica?”
“Sweetheart, I call her sweetheart.” The small piece of information seemed to have been torn from Sebastian, he couldn’t abide the idea of someone else using endearments to refer to his mate, even if that person was his brother and even if he had bullied him into doing it.
“Well go on then. I haven’t got all day to be standing around talking to you,” Ryan declared, shooing his brother with his hands.
“Right,” Sebastian agreed preparing to make his mad dash into the forest before he realised something. “You’re going to need my clothes. It will look pretty suspicious if I left the house in one thing and came back in a
nother.”
“There’s always one more thing with you isn’t there?” Ryan groused pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it in Sebastian's direction. They swapped clothes quickly, throwing the items back and forth between themselves.
“Ryan before I go, there’s just one last thing that I want you to do.”
“What is it now?”
“Don’t touch her,” Sebastian growled, the vehemence of the three simple words momentarily shocking Ryan. “I know you’re my brother, I know that you wouldn’t try and do anything to her but I’m not rational when it comes to her. Just the thought of anyone else touching her takes me to heights of anger I’ve never felt before. I can just about tolerate the idea of you calling her sweetheart, but touching her would be a step too far.”
“I’ll keep my hands to myself,” Ryan reassured him. “Now go.”
At the order, Sebastian transformed into his lupine form and sped off into the woods leaving Ryan alone in the clearing with nothing but the car. “The things you do for family,” he groused, pulling the car door open and hopping into the vehicle.
Chapter Forty-Two
The house seemed quieter without Sebastian within its walls, Erica decided. Though she could hear her brother and sister playing loudly outside as she walked aimlessly through the house, she felt remarkably alone without Sebastian's comforting presence nearby. She wasn’t sure when she had become so reliant on him being there but she knew without a doubt that she was as addicted to him as some people were to caffeine and she was most definitely experiencing withdrawal symptoms. He had been gone a few hours and he hadn’t told her when he was planning to return so that left her waiting anxiously for his return. Her mind seemed to be working against her, conjuring up a wealth of scenarios that could have taken place to prevent him from coming home. The idea of an accident was upper most in her mind, but she decided that after what had happened to her, it was reasonable that her mind would think it was happening to someone that she cared about.
Is this how Sebastian felt when I went to town without telling him? I did leave him a note but now thinking about it, it wasn’t really enough to reassure him that nothing would happen to me. Plus, I took the car without even knowing if I could drive. It definitely explains why he was so angry when I got back. I’m never going to do that again.
The door creaked open and a wide smile appeared on her face as Sebastian walked through the door, in one piece, safe and uninjured. She walked towards him before leaping into his arms to welcome him back. “Sebastian.” He tensed as soon as her arms wrapped around his body and a frown appeared on her face. Sebastian always welcomed her embrace, had something happened? “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine sweetheart.” He smiled though he refused to meet her gaze and the smile on his face seemed forced.
“You’re sure?” she persisted, tightening her grip on his body.
“Mmm.” He nodded, finally meeting her gaze.
The hands around his waist rose to his neck and Ryan tensed, he didn’t like where this was going. His concerns proved to have merit as Erica pulled his head down to meet hers and pressed her lips against his. His eyes were wide in shock and his hands hung limply at his sides, unsure of what he should be doing. Sebastian’s going to kill me, Ryan decided. His twin’s newfound possessive streak had forbade him from even touching his mate and yet here he was kissing her. I’m a dead man. He was trapped between his brother’s demands that he keep his hands to himself and his insistence that Erica know nothing of his absence. If he pulled away, Erica would definitely suspect something was going on but if he allowed her to continue, when his brother inevitably found out, his demise was assured.
The decision was thankfully taken out of his hands as Erica pulled away on her own initiative and he had to force himself not to sigh in relief. He hadn’t initiated it and the kiss had been brief, those points surely had to count in his favour. Regardless, he wasn’t going to willingly volunteer the information to Sebastian. It’s his own fault that this happened; he has no one to blame but himself. Ryan watched as Erica took a step back her hand rising to her lips before she touched them lightly with a finger. She looked at him bewildered but he simply smiled in response hoping that she wouldn’t probe too deeply into his behaviour.
“Are you ok sweetheart?”
Erica nodded while her mind raced. She had thought there was something odd about Sebastian's behaviour when he had first entered the cabin and the kiss only served to reinforce her misgivings. The simple kiss had failed to inspire the passionate feelings that coming into contact with Sebastian usually brought forth, coupled with his unwillingness to touch her, she was convinced something was wrong. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something definitely not right about the situation.
“Sebastian?”
“Yeah?”
Erica frowned, the word sounded strange coming from Sebastian's mouth. There’s definitely something going on. “You said you’d teach me some more carving when you got back. Come on, you can tell me all about your trip.” And hopefully explain what happened to make you act so funny. She could have sworn that she saw him grimace at her request, but the expression was so fleeting she was sure that she had imagined it. Sebastian loved sculpting; there was no reason for him to act as though she had just given him a death sentence. She grasped his hand, trying to ignore the distinct absence of the heated rush of pleasure that usually coursed through her when she and Sebastian touched. Leading them down the hall, she pulled him into his study, releasing his hand to retrieve the piece of wood she had been working under his patient tutelage. Picking up the knife he had set aside solely for her use, she sat down in one of the more comfortable recliner like chairs that were in his private space and waited expectantly.
When I next see you Sebastian, you and I are going to have serious words about what you expect from a favour. I hate sculpting. I’ve never had the patience for it and now you expect me to teach your mate? You’ve got to be kidding me. The least you could have done would have been to give me some warning that you had made plans for it. But no, you just throw me in at the deep end, the deep end filled with carnivorous sharks with a penchant for wolf flesh.
“Come on Sebastian,” Erica called, patting the seat next to hers encouragingly. “We don’t have all day. The twins will be coming in soon and demanding food. We have to take advantage of their absence.”
Dylan, Wyatt, you can interrupt us any time now, he groaned, hoping to see either one of them in the next few seconds. His wish wasn’t granted and so he walked with heavy feet towards Erica and sat in the chair beside her. “Where were we?”
“You were teaching me about how the grain of the wood affects how you can sculpt it.”
Ryan smiled, relief filling him. He could vaguely remember Sebastian trying to explain the concept to him when they were younger so that he would be willing to partake in the activity. His attempts to persuade Ryan had failed, he didn’t have the patience to care about which way the grain ran, but he remembered enough that he thought he could pretend to know what he was talking about. I just have to hold off until the two munchkins come in. It’s already fairly late, that shouldn’t be long. I can do this. “Well let’s see the wood then.”
Erica handed over the slab of wood and watched as Sebastian ran his hands over the wood, his long fingers inspecting the material. The action seemed reminiscent of what Sebastian would do, but at the same time it was different. Normally when he touched wood, his fingers seemed to caress it almost reverently. He loved the material he used and it showed, what he was doing now was different. Another oddity.
“Well the grain is nice and tight, but that’s to be expected from hardwood. Remind me what you want to make from this.”
“The flower Sebastian,” she sighed, pointing to a small wooden flower that rested on Sebastian's desk.
It’s beautiful, Ryan admitted but he expected nothing less from his brother’s work. Just because he didn’t have the patience to c
reate the work himself, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t appreciate the high quality work Sebastian produced. “Right, well if that’s what you want to make then you’re going to need to go with the grain. See here,” he began pointing to the lines that ran the length of the wood. For the next half hour he proceeded to reel off anything he could remember about wood working, taking care to leave long pauses between his statements.
Ryan’s plan to hold out until his young saviours returned home was a success and soon enough he and Erica were interrupted by young voices pleading for food. He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling down at Erica as he stood and left the room to begin cooking.
As the night passed, Erica continued to watch Sebastian with curious eyes. He acted as he always did but there was something off about his mannerisms. There was something wrong but she couldn’t put her finger on it. The thought plagued her as she slipped between the sheets of her bed and refused to let her rest properly. She eventually fell into a fitful sleep and her dreams did nothing to alleviate her anxiety. Her nightmare returned in force, the darkness and the mysterious voice that brought nothing but pain jolting her awake. Her body was covered in a light sheen of sweat and as she always did on nights like this, she walked across the hall into Sebastian's room seeking the comfort and reassurance that his embrace promised.
As soon as she saw him, she knew something was wrong. He was sleeping, as she had expected, but the sheets were still covering him. In all the nights they had been together he had never managed to keep the covers wrapped around his body. She continued to examine him becoming increasingly aware of subtle differences between the man in the bed and her Sebastian. His hair was cut short, like Sebastian's but it wasn’t quite the same colour. The man in the bed had streaks of dark brown mingled within the red strands while Sebastian did not, if she hadn’t been looking at him so intensely she doubted she would have noticed. She pulled the sheet down, exposing his chest and noticed several further differences. The chest of the man in Sebastian's bed was broader than her fiancé’s; it also had a heavier smattering of hair covering it and no matter which way she looked at it, he didn’t smell the same as Sebastian. The man was a good look alike of Sebastian, but he was just that, a look alike, an imposter.
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