A Wolf's Oath

by Alli, Jennifer T.

  “Not much,” she admitted reluctantly, dropping kisses over his chest.

  “Then for all you knew, I could have hurt you. You shouldn’t have taken such a risk with your safety. Don’t do it again.”

  “I don’t think that you could ever hurt me. It’s not so unreasonable for me to want to be with the man that I love. I don’t care that you’re different Sebastian. You should have told me, I wouldn’t have rejected you as this should well prove.”

  “I don’t care Erica,” he began before what she had actually said registered in his mind. “The man you what?”

  “I didn’t stutter Sebastian. I said it nice and clearly. I love you. It’s that simple. Where you are, I want to be. It doesn’t matter where that is.”

  “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. I love you too Erica, more than you could ever imagine.”

  “I don’t have to imagine Sebastian, I feel the same way.”

  His smile couldn’t have been any wider but he realised that he was letting her evade his questions and he forced his face into a frown. “How did you get out? I had someone watching you. I didn’t want you to see me like this unless your memories had come back.”

  “Ryan?”

  “How did you know that? I thought you snuck out.”

  “No. I left with his full knowledge and awareness. He’s not a very good actor, or maybe I just know you too well.”

  “What gave him away?”

  “Honestly? I knew something was wrong the first time I kissed him.”

  “You kissed him?” Sebastian snarled, his mind easily distracted from his questions as anger thrummed through his veins.

  “Well I did think he was you at the time,” she shrugged. “I was happy to see you. It’s not my fault that you decided to send your brother home in your place.”

  “What did he do?” he demanded, his rage increasing as he imagined Erica within the arms of someone that wasn’t him. The mental imagery was distinctly unwanted and his arms tightened around her as though to keep her with him while imaginary arms tried to take her away.

  “He didn’t do anything,” she sighed, trying to reassure him.

  Her attempt to pacify him backfired stupendously. “He just let you kiss him? Let you touch him? He didn’t try to pull way?”

  “Well…” she stuttered, unsure of what exactly she should say.

  “I’m realising that I’m a very jealous man Erica. I don’t like the idea of you touching other men. Please don’t do it again.”

  “It’s not as though you can talk,” she scoffed. “When Alex came to visit, she was all over you. I’m just as jealous as you are. If I can’t touch other men then it’s only fair that you can’t touch other women.” Just remembering the way Alex had touched Sebastian was angering her and her eyes filled with amber. Sebastian was hers and she wanted everyone to know it. She lowered her head to his neck breathing in deeply before placing a string of kisses against the warm flesh.

  Sebastian tensed as soon as he felt the sharp sting of her fangs against his skin. Erica might not remember what she was but her body did and apparently she was determined to make her presence known. It was rare that a female wolf marked a male but it was possible, a sign to the world that the female was just as possessive as the male. The sharp kisses stopped when he stopped talking and so he carried on, the muscles in his neck pressing against her lips as he spoke, silently encouraging her to bite him, to mark him, to claim him. “I don’t want to touch any other women. You’re the only one I want.”

  At his declaration, her fangs sunk deep, embedding themselves into his flesh as her tongue moved across his skin, engraving her initial into his skin. He howled as pleasure racked him and he pulled her away from his neck, uncaring of the tearing of his flesh as her fangs cut through his skin. Dragging her face close to his, he pulled her body even closer to him, kissing her into silence before proceeding to show her exactly how much he desired her alone. As desire clouded his thoughts, it became impossible to think and the all important question of how she had discovered his identity slipped silently away into the night.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  For the second time in as many days Erica's sleep was restful and rejuvenating. Her dreams were peaceful, amusing even as her mind recollected the events that surrounded the morning she and Sebastian had returned home. After a night filled with mind blowing sex, her clothes had been torn beyond repair and Sebastian had insisted she take his rather than walk through the woods naked. Though she had been clothed, he had refused point blank to let her walk into the house when his brother was within its walls. She had laughed at his visible possessive streak but he hadn’t found it amusing. His face had remained stoic while peals of laughter were ripped from her. When the chuckles had subsided she had agreed to his request and waited outside for him to return with clothes for her to wear. Dressing outside in the frigid air had been an experience, one she hoped never to repeat. The only thing that had made it even slightly tolerable was the look of desire that had been clearly etched onto Sebastian's face. The impulse to tease him rode her strongly and she couldn’t resist swishing her hips and exaggerating each movement of her body as she attempted to seduce him. His eyes had gradually shifted to amber, the bizarre shade no longer concerned her she had become very accustomed to it during the night. The colour now created feelings of excitement and anticipation within her for when his eyes changed from brown to amber, deliciously wonderful things were about to happen. He had reached for her, unable to prevent himself from doing otherwise but she had moved out of his reach.

  Laughing she had ran into the house, Sebastian eagerly chasing after her. He had caught her easily, lifting her from the ground and kissing her soundly. His smile invoked one of her own but his laughter had died quickly, an aggressive growl slipping from his lips. She struggled against his grip trying to see what had caused him to become so angry but his hold on her had only tightened in response. Turning her head she managed to catch a glimpse of Ryan standing shirtless in the hallway and his anger became clear. She tried to sooth him, but her attempt had failed. He finally released her and forced her behind him before striding over to his brother and punching him squarely in the jaw. The look of confusion on Ryan’s face was priceless. A growl began to rise from Ryan’s chest as the pain sunk in and she had thought that they were going to come to blows for a moment but then Sebastian had started talking. As he chastised his brother for kissing his mate, Ryan’s anger quickly died and a sheepish look replaced the aggression that had been imprinted on his face. Ryan had left soon after the confrontation, grumbling the entire way.

  The memory caused a small laugh to escape her lips as she moved closer to the warmth of Sebastian's body. His arms curled tighter around her body, holding her as close to him as possible. After the night in the woods they had both agreed that there was no point in them sleeping in separate beds and as his heat seeped into her, she was infinitely grateful that he had come round to seeing things from her perspective. Yes, infinitely grateful, she decided, remembering the previous night and how Sebastian had made love to her until she was beyond exhausted. Her limbs were heavy and her muscles deliciously sore. He shifted slightly, exposing the bare skin of his neck to her gaze and she frowned in confusion at the elegant ‘E’ etched into his flesh, surrounded by what looked like teeth marks. Her slow thoughts came to an abrupt halt as his thigh slid between her legs, pressing intimately against her. A low moan slipped past her lips and she purred in satisfaction, rubbing her core gently against him as her exhaustion once again caught up with her, forcing her eyelids to close.

  *****

  Anna watched as Erica slept in Sebastian's arms blissfully ignorant of the crime he had committed against her and her anger increased exponentially. The fact that they were now comfortably sharing the same bed confirmed her worst fears; Sebastian had taken advantage of Erica's memory lapse when the moon was full. Poor Eric, she hiccupped trying to prevent tears from falling. When she gets her memor
ies back, she’s going to be inconsolable. I can’t believe he would do something like this. It just proves my point, he’s a true bastard. Don’t worry Eric, I’m going to take care of him for you. That they were sharing the same bed did present a problem to Anna’s plan but she couldn’t back out now. Let’s just hope that he’s a heavy sleeper. She decided, knocking firmly against the glass pane. Erica shifted slightly in bed while Sebastian remained oblivious and Anna breathed a sigh of relief. She knocked again, harder this time and Erica's brows drew together as she struggled against the hold of sleep. Resisting the urge to knock incessantly in case she accidentally woke Sebastian, Anna spaced her knocks until Erica's eyes finally open.

  Her friend’s blue eyes locked with her own and she waved her over. Erica stared at Anna confused as to why she was there but she began to do as Anna requested. A predatory growl rumbled through her chest at the thought of Anna seeing Sebastian half naked and she slipped from the bed taking care to ensure the duvet remained covering him. Thankfully she managed to leave the bed without waking Sebastian and moved down the hall. Running to the front door, Anna waited for Erica to arrive. The door opened and Erica stood at the entrance staring at the small woman on her doorstep, her eyes still heavy lidded.

  “Anna, what are you doing here?” she croaked, the effects of being unexpectedly woken very much evident.

  “I’ve come to get you silly,” Anna laughed entering the house, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “For what?” Erica groaned, wishing that she could return to her warm bed.

  Warm Sebastian, the mysterious voice corrected in a purr.

  Erica smiled, silently agreeing with its amendment. The bed might have been warm but she wouldn’t have been half as desperate to return to it if Sebastian were elsewhere. All of a sudden I’m not feeling tired anymore. When I get rid of Anna, I’m going to go back to bed, wake him up and seduce him. I’ll only be satisfied when I don’t have the strength to leave the bed. His stamina is amazing. He literally loved me into unconsciousness last night.

  And you can’t wait for him to do it again. Neither can I. Get rid of Anna quickly.

  Unaware of Erica's mental musings, Anna continued. “We’re throwing a surprise party! Come on get dressed so we can head out and make the preparations.”

  She groaned loudly at Anna’s reason for waking her criminally early. It might take me longer than I thought to get rid of her. “I don’t want to throw a party Anna, I want to go back to sleep. It’s still dark outside for crying out loud.”

  “So you don’t want to throw a party?” Anna mused.

  “No!” Was the emphatic response.

  “Not even if the party is for Sebastian?” Anna could tell that she instantly had Erica's attention. Her eyes opened, shaking off the last remnants of sleep, she stood up straight and her gaze was riveted to her face. Though using Sebastian as a pretext to get Erica out of the house was part of her plan, it didn’t dull the sting that the simple use of his name was enough to rouse her friend and garner her attention. “I knew that you probably weren’t aware of it so I came to tell you that it’s his birthday.”

  “He didn’t say anything.”

  “He wouldn’t. He has always been insistent on not telling you anything about your life before the accident. He probably didn’t want to pressure you.”

  “It does sound like something Sebastian would do,” Erica agreed, her lust beginning to simmer down. “But why are you throwing him a party? From what I’ve seen you two don’t like each other.”

  Anna winced at the remarkable accurate assessment. “It’s true that we have our disagreements Eric, but what you said to me the other day really affected me. You said that you didn’t care about getting your memories back.”

  “I don’t,” Erica inserted calmly.

  “Which is fine with me, if that’s really what you want to do. But you’re going to need supportive friends and family around you. I’m your best friend, Sebastian is your fiancé and that means we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. It doesn’t make sense for us to be openly hostile towards each other especially when we both want the same thing when it comes to you. I thought I’d extend the proverbial olive branch and try to mend the fences between us. It’s the least I can do for you Eric. Besides, the way I see it, this is an opportunity for you, one that we can’t just let pass by. If you’re going to just give up on your past memories, then you need to meet everyone in his life and yours all over again.”

  Erica eyed her friend for a moment letting the words sink in before she leapt forward and embraced the smaller woman in a fierce hug. “Thank you Anna. I don’t know how I would have managed it if you two were constantly at each other’s throats. You’re both important to me, I want you to get along.”

  Guilt crept up Anna’s spine but she squashed it quickly. “Well if you want that to happen then I suggest you get dressed, quietly, so we can sneak out and get started. You don’t need to dress up, I’ve got clothes and all that you need for the party at my home.”

  “Thanks Anna, give me five minutes and I’ll be ready to go. Could you do me a favour?” Anna nodded automatically. “Write a quick note to Sebastian telling him that I’ve gone round to your place. He worries if he doesn’t know where I am,” she laughed before dashing down the hall and entering her old bedroom.

  A pad of paper sat on the table beside a few pens and Anna glanced briefly at them before tearing a single sheet off the notepad. She eyed the piece of paper with disgust confused at her friend’s concern for Sebastian. She was demonstrating the sort of concern that she felt towards her own mate. It’s not natural, her mind hissed. Sebastian had clearly done a very good job in convincing Erica that they were meant to be together. Grabbing a pen, she scrawled a brief note, another step to the successful completion of her plan, confident after decades with Erica that her handwriting was similar enough to that of her friend’s that Sebastian wouldn’t notice a difference. She walked into the kitchen and placed the piece of paper on a counter before walking back to the living room. True to her word, Erica was back in a little under five minutes, fully dressed with flushed cheeks that silently communicated the speed with which she had prepared.

  “Did you write the note?” she questioned the minute she arrived.

  “Of course I did Eric, it’s right over there.” She pointed to the kitchen. When Erica took a step towards it, she placed a restraining hand around her wrist. “We should be heading out Eric, we don’t know when Sebastian will wake up.”

  “That’s true,” Erica admitted.

  “If he finds us here then the surprise will be ruined. Come on.” She tugged Erica towards the door and pushed her gently outside.

  Erica instantly noticed that there was only one car in the driveway and turned to her friend. “Where’s your car Anna?”

  “I left it in town, I didn’t want to make any noise in case I woke Sebastian up by accident,” Anna lied smoothly. “I can always come back and get it later.”

  “You didn’t have to worry about that, he sleeps like the dead. You’re really going all out to make this party a success aren’t you Anna?”

  “Of course I am Eric. You mean a lot to me, I would do almost anything for you. Now come on, get into the car so we can be on our way. It’ll be quicker if I drive because I know where we’re headed.”

  “Ok,” Erica agreed climbing into the passenger seat as Anna slipped into the driver’s. The car started with a muted hum and then they were on their way. Anna’s gaze was glued to the front door the entire time they were backing away from the house; her mind constantly expected Sebastian to burst out of the front door and demand she return his mate. Luckily, Erica had been correct, he was a heavy sleeper and they managed to drive away with no impediments.

  The drive to the estate of the Western clan took longer than the journey to Erica's cabin had when she had been in her lupine form but Anna had expected this. Regardless of the longer journey time, the familiar stone walls o
f her home were soon visible. Anna quickly risked a glance at Erica, hoping to see a sign of recognition, she had spent many years here before her siblings were born, but her face remained blank. Suppressing a sigh of disappointment, Anna pulled into the drive way and led Erica down a series of halls until they were in a large, practically empty room that Anna had sectioned off for her explicit use.

  “There’s not much here at the moment but I’ve arranged for the caterers to come in later and the more impressive decorations and furniture should be right behind us.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you Anna. It means a lot to me that you’re willing to do this for Sebastian.”

  “I’m doing this for you Eric.” There’s no way I’d be willing to go through with this façade for him let alone doing it for real.

  As Erica's eyes scanned the barren environment, she swallowed audibly as trepidation filled her. “This is just an informal party right?” she gulped feeling slightly intimidated by the size and grandeur of the room that Anna had led her into.

  Though there was nothing in it aside from the fixtures, their golden sheen told her that the large chandeliers that hung from the ceiling were real and very expensive. The wooden floor beneath her feet had the sort of sheen that could only be acquired through meticulous and near constant polishing and Anna’s casual reference to the staff that were coming to assist them all served to make Erica anxious. While she had awoken in similar surroundings, she had almost forgotten that fact during the time she had spent in the much smaller cabin she shared with Sebastian. To be surrounded by such splendour now was slightly intimidating.

  “You’ll be fine.” Anna smiled, waving off Erica's concern. “You have other things to worry about.” The clamour of feet, hitting the stone floors told them that the people Anna had requested to help throw the party had arrived. The doors were thrown wide and Erica was swept away into a whirlwind of activity. Caterers, barmen, movers with furniture laden arms, beauticians and hairdressers descended on her, all demanding her attention at the same time. A surge of pride filled Anna as another step in her plan was fulfilled. She had instructed her staff to direct all their questions and demands towards Erica, which would keep her busy, distracted while she implemented the next step. Anna began shuffling towards the door, trying to get out of Erica's line of sight but she didn’t move fast enough.