73. A Memory
NEW YEARS DAY OVER FOUR YEARS AGO
VALERIE. “It’s so late.” I massage the back of my neck as I step into my apartment. We had left the Whispering Mountain Pack after midnight and the journey wasn’t too short.
I yawn, pausing as I stretch when I hear the faint creak of a floorboard, making me freeze. It’s not a violent stormy night that the wind would cause the apartment to creak.
I tilt my head, but there’s nothing more and I almost smile. Why am I being so paranoid? I walk to the fridge, grabbing myself a bottle of water; gulp it down and look through some papers. I have work in the morning.
I sit down at the counter, skimming through one of the reports of a big operation we have tomorrow when I think I hear something again.
Tilting my head, I pause, I really am imagining things. I shake my head. Well, I should shower and get to bed. I need to get out of this dress too.
I get up and walk to the bedroom. Sighing, I mull over everything with Zaia. I hate how life has done her dirty. I wish there was more I could do for her.
I’ll keep sending her the antidote, and I’ll keep checking her bloods but it’s just not enough. Fucking stupid alpha!
That stupid bitch Annalise!
Karma. Karma will bite their ass.
I walk to my bedroom, pausing when I see it standing ajar. Strange, I’m sure I shut the door when I left. I specifically remember trapping my dress in it and then opening it, pulling out the dress and then closing it…
I shake my head as I step inside and flip the light switch. Darkness. I groan in annoyance. “Do I even have a spare bulb?” Tonight is not my night!
I’m about to turn to leave the room when I see a slight movement from the corner of my eye. On reflex, I turn sharply, my heart dropping when I see the tall, masked man who stands in the corner behind the door. He’s in baggy clothing with his hood up, his head is lowered and in his gloved hands he’s holding… a hammer.
We move at the same time, and I instantly grab the small vanity table that stands beside the door, lifting it up and swinging it at him with all my might. He ducks, and the table goes flying against the far wall.
I turn, knowing I’m no match for him! I need to alert security!
I’m barely two steps out of the bedroom when he grabs my dress, yanking me back into the room and kicking the door shut. He grabs my hair and throws me to the floor.
“What do you want!” I scream as I hit the floor. Fuck, he’s strong! I’m about to shout for help, but his gloved hand covers my mouth. “I need to make sure you aren’t a Blood Born.” He hisses.
A what?
I kick him off, scrambling away. “I don’t know what that is! You got the wrong person!” I say as he grabs me by the arm and violently throws me onto the bed and climbs on top of me.
Fear envelops me as I struggle fruitlessly. “Don’t fight me and let me see if there’s a mark or not. You might just live,” he snarls. That voice sounds so… familiar…
“If-if I’m not who you’ ‘re looking for, will you let me go?” I ask, my heart thundering, feeling his strong thighs against my own.
They feel like rock. He’s pure muscle and in a battle of strength, I will lose. His hand wraps around my throat squeezing tightly. He pauses slightly, and at that moment I’m able to see his blue eyes.
Alpha? My heart plummets as confusion fills me. He was asleep in the car ten minutes ago. “If you really aren’t, then, of course,’ he says, caressing my cheek. “But one sound and I will kill you.”
The threat is real. My blood runs cold, even though he’s speaking extremely low, it’s him. It’s Sebastian. But if I tell him I know… he might just kill me… even if he’s wearing that black mask. I remain frozen as he moves my head sharply and begins searching for something. What is he looking for?
I break out in a cold sweat, sensing his anger rising as he yanks and pulls my hair – until he takes a long shuddering breath.
What has he found on my head? “Ah… there it is…” he yanks my hair as his attention falls to the hammer that lies on the bed.
No! I begin struggling as he lifts it, and I manage to throw him back. My eyes blaze and suddenly everything in the room is enhanced.
My wolf’s eyes! I’m using them! It’s rare for a werewolf to be able to do this, but I guess my emotions are helping me.
I manage to throw him off, but not for long as he grabs my arm, yanking me to the ground. I grab the bed sheets trying to pull myself up but it’s futile and I only manage to drag the bedding right off. I hit him in the face.
“Bitch!” he snarls, raising his hammer and then intense pain ricochets through my head. I let out a choked gasp and I grab my head, crying out.
There’s a faint silver glow spreading around me, but the pain is too much. “I’ll destroy it,” He hisses, as he keeps striking my head, bludgeoning it with the hammer. My ears are ringing and then… I can’t hear anything but my own laboured breathing. I’m going to die…
Each blow is dragging me into the darkness and that silver light… is beginning to fade.
This is it… I can feel it…
My heart hurts, my head is being split open and the pain- it’s… too much…
There’s a pause, and then the most excruciating pain I’ve felt rips through-
(PRESENT)
“Valerie!” I gasp as I look around the car, my heart hammering. I’m safe. I’m safe. I clutch my head as I rock myself, trying to compose my emotions. Goddess…
I can feel the ghostly pain in my head lingering. My head still has the scar…
“I’m fine,” I reply quietly. “And no one would have thought much of the symbol at the hospital,” Sebastian says quietly.
“Possibly, and the amount of stitches and damage her head had, there’s a possibility it was just hidden and once her hair began growing, we wouldn’t have noticed it,” Jai says, frowning thoughtfully.
I had just relayed the entire ordeal to them in French, but it was too much, and I am left shaken. Zaia wraps her arms around me. “It’s ok, no one will hurt you,” she whispers comfortingly in French.
“Could that have been when we knocked?” Jai asks, looking at Sebastian. They were the ones who apparently found me… but at the same time, it’s obvious they could cook up a story to feed everyone… They were together; they are best friends…
It was Sebastian! “What did you see when you came?” I ask, wondering what they’ll say. “Someone peeped through the eyehole, but no one answered the door so Seb broke the door down,” Jai replies.
“Once we brought the door down and found you in your bedroom, I think we might have come just in time,” Sebastian says. Zion’s watching us curiously. For a three-year-old, my gorgeous nephew is very smart.
“Well, he had your eyes…” I say quietly. “It wasn’t Seb, Val, trust me.” Jai’s eyes are soft and full of concern as he watches me. “He told me to get you to the hospital fast and called ahead to have everything ready.”
“It doesn’t matter, she’ll learn the truth, there’s no need to force her to believe us,” Sebastian says quietly. “I initially thought he had jumped but he had locked himself in your bathroom, I chased him from there, but he got away.”
“Fast as an Alpha,” Zaia says, frowning. Does she trust Sebastian? I look at her, but I don’t know… I think she does.
“Well, then… either you have a doppelgänger or a twin,” I say quietly. “You aren’t the first to say that,” Sebastian says quietly, I look up with intrigue, and Zaia sighs.
“Not long ago, a shooter on a bike attacked me, killing countless people and several of my guards. I managed to get his visor up and although I said to the police, I didn’t see him… his eyes were just like Bastian’s,” Zaia says.
I stare at her in shock, and she nods. “And you trust him?” I ask quietly. “Yes.” She says with a gentle smile. “So we need to find out who has eyes like Sebastian’s,” Jai says. He looks at me with concern in his gorgeous eyes and I look away. I don’t know how to react to him…
Zaia told me how he’s been taking care of me, how my own grandma and Dad had given up, but he refused to… he’s been the one who has taken care of me.. I’m not sure if I’m more embarrassed or more confused.
There were moments when I was conscious, and I can’t deny it was his voice that I heard the most… but I also didn’t know what to say… I owe him more than a thank you… but…..
“Alright look, until this is over, we are all going to live together at my safe house. A place even the guards and my parents don’t have access to.” Sebastian begins as he sits forward, his eyes on Zaia.
Her heart skips a beat and I guess that answers my question. I can tell from the crazy pull between them that they want one another badly, and I have no idea where they stand. I mean, I know we’re coming back, but have they really resolved their issues?
“I know,” Zaia says. “Val, you’ll be safe with us. I promise no one will hurt you.” She gives my hand a squeeze and I feel that tinge of power ripple through me.
Ever since she and Atticus touched me and that triangle formed, I’ve felt a zing of power ripple through me every time Zaia touches me. It’s a bit like a current of electricity and I got it from Atticus too. It’s almost like there’s this live wire connecting us somehow.
“I trust you,” I reply to her, even if I don’t trust the others, I trust her. We reach our new home soon after and once we enter through the triple security entrance, we are now standing in a modern yet gorgeous home.
“Alright, Jai, take the luggage up. We can unpack later… Zaia, we need to go see Dad and Mom.” Sebastian says quietly.
Zaia looks at me. “Are you alright to stay with the children and Jai?” she asks. I’m not sure I want to be alone with him. I’m just so confused.
“Yeah, sure,” I say. I still can’t walk much, but I’m getting some strength back in my arms and legs. “Alright, we won’t be long,” Sebastian says as he ruffles Zion’s hair.
Zaia gives Sia her medication and I notice she opens a new pack without touching the ones in the open carton, but I say nothing.
Once Sia is settled on the couch after taking her meds, Sebastian turns the television on for the children and Zaia passes me a phone.
“Call me if you need me.” She says before giving me a hug and kissing the children goodbye. I nod and they both take their leave, leaving me with the twins and Jai. He’s busy taking the luggage up and I simply sit there on the sofa playing with Sia.
“Aunty Val, you are so pretty,” she says to me, making me smile. “Oh, thank you honey, but I’m not as pretty as the little princess in front of me!” I respond.
“Who me?” she says. “Who else?” I say, tickling her lightly but not wanting to overexert her. She gives me a toothy smile before she returns to watching TV and I see Jai approaching. He takes a seat opposite me and I keep my gaze down, but when he calls me, I have no option but to look up. He’s serious as he leans forward, resting his arms on his knees.
“Val…”
“Not now Jai,” I say..
“Then when?” he asks, switching to French. “Oh no, not again,” Zion grumbles, making me smile. “Everyone just speaks French. Maybe we are French.”
That makes me chuckle as he continues playing with his cars, clearly not happy when we aren’t speaking English.
“I don’t know,” I respond to Jai. He sighs. “You need time, I get that…. but I just want to say I’m sorry, sorry for hurting you. For everything I’ve done, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologise. You did enough to make up for it. You didn’t need to… You shouldn’t have.” I say quietly, now looking him dead in the eye.
“That was not to make up for it. That was because I wanted to, Val. I fucked up… but I love you. I really fucking love you. I never stopped loving you, even though I know I don’t deserve you.”
His words make my heart squeeze. They’re abrupt, but filled with so many emotions. He cheated on me once, and I don’t know if I can forgive him even if he is regretful.
He watches me for a second before he looks down and forces a smile. “I just wanted you to know.” With those words, he stands up and leaves the room and for some reason, I just feel far worse than before we had that short conversation.
