^THE NEXT MORNING^
“She has no one else to turn to. She’s completely alone!”
Jocelyn glared at me from behind her desk, her hands on her hips. “You’re just going to throw her back out there to fend for herself?”
I’d come in the pack house this morning to find out that the omega wolf—a self-professed thief—had been awake for more than a day and Jocelyn hadn’t let me know.
She turned to look at Josh, but I knew she’d find no help there. Josh and I were in complete agreement on this. And even if we weren’t, I knew he’d back me up.
“She’s done all right on her own so far,” I growled. “There is no way I’m letting a rogue run free in my domain.”
Her eyes snapped back to mine. “Run? She can’t even walk yet.”
“So give her a pair of crutches! This is a pack house, not a waypoint for lone wolves looking for a handout.”
“Spoken like a true leader,” Jocelyn said sarcastically, staring me down. “Since when did the East Coast Pack become so self-interested?”
“Watch yourself,” I snarled.
“Jocelyn, you’re a trusting person,” Josh chimed in. “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing—really, I’m not—but sometimes you can be a bit ~too~ trusting, and this might be one of those times.”
“Don’t start with me about ~trust~, Josh,” she shot back. “Or did you forget about how you called in the Alpha of the Millennium because you didn’t trust your alpha to do his job?”
Damn, Jocelyn’s claws were ~out~ today.
Josh eyed me nervously, checking for my reaction. Yeah, I’d forgiven him for his misstep, but I sure as hell hadn’t forgotten about it.
“Josh can be a fuckup, that’s not news to either of us, but that’s got nothing to do with now.”
Josh’s face turned red. “The omega wolf has to go,” he snapped.
“Her name is Nina,” Jocelyn snarled back.
I’d never seen Jocelyn bare her fangs before.
~Ever.~
This was important to her.
I sighed. “No wolf is exiled without a good reason. Just because she was up front about stealing, and claims it was necessary for survival, doesn’t mean she can be trusted. It’s a risk to keep her here.”
“It’s a risk that I’m willing to take responsibility for,” she said, standing her ground. “As a healer, I have an obligation to my oath to rehabilitate any wolf that comes to me in need of help, to the best of my ability.”
There was no use arguing with Jocelyn now that she’d pulled the oath card. I had too much respect for her, even though I still thought this was a terrible idea.
“Fine, she can stay—but only until she’s healthy enough to take care of herself. And I’ll expect a daily report on her progress, along with any other information you might obtain.”
She nodded curtly. “I can handle that.”
~I fucking hope so, Jocelyn.~
“It’s a risk that I’m willing to take responsibility for,” I heard Jocelyn say as I eavesdropped on their conversation from the hallway.
~Oh, Jocelyn—why do you have to be so goddamn pure?~
Her trust in me just made this all so much harder.
That angel deserved the world, but all I could give her was lies.
I really was the lowest of the low.
I snuck back to my room and, once inside, stretched my limbs and groaned. Lying around in bed all day really made a person sore.
My benefactor had sure done a convincing job of making these injuries look real, good enough to fool even a talented healer and an alpha.
So good I’d believe I was close to death myself if these fake bruises and fractures weren’t completely painless.
Frankly, I’d rather they ~were~ real.
It was no less than I deserved, considering what I’d been sent here to do.
But I didn’t have a choice, no matter what I wanted. This was a job I had to see through to the end.
And I didn’t have a lot of time.
Once again I was sitting across from Konstantin in his study, but this time I knew why I was here.
I knew what I wanted.
I’d texted him as soon as I’d woken up and set up this appointment.
“Are you sure about this?” Konstantin asked, leaning forward in his velvet chair. “As I told you before, this will be intense. You might not like what you find—even in your own head.”
“I’m sure,” I replied. “Help me unlock my memories. I want to know who my birth parents are.”
Konstantin nodded and then locked his gaze on mine. His eyes flashed that intense silver that they did when he was focused.
“Very well, let’s begin. First, you must open up your mind to me, and I’ll share a memory of my own.”
I nearly fell out of my seat as Konstantin’s voice suddenly echoed in my head.
~“You have to let me in.”~
***
~Wow. The Eiffel Tower looks absolutely stunning from here.~
I was standing beside the Seine River, gazing at the magnificent structure as it glittered in the night sky.
The air must have been really crisp on the night of this memory, because everyone was bundled up in coats and scarves.
I was just in jeans and a T-shirt, but that was okay.
I couldn’t feel anything anyway.
Or smell.
Or taste.
It was an odd sensation, being able to see everything but not being able to feel anything at all.
~I guess that’s the drawback of being in someone else’s memory.~
I watched as Konstantin strolled arm in arm with a beautiful woman and wondered who she was.
A model?
An actress?
An ex-lover maybe?
They turned down an alley, and I started to follow them. Where could they be going so late at night?
But before I could find out, I was ripped off my feet and felt an excruciating sensation, like being forced through a keyhole.
***
“Why’d you pull me out so soon?” I asked, annoyed to find myself sitting across from Konstantin again. “I wanted to see more of Paris. It was incredible.”
“I can always show you more, Sienna. Almost anywhere you can imagine. There are few places in this world I haven’t traveled.”
“Where were you going with that woman? She was gorgeous.”
“Oh just some party, I’m sure.” He waved his hand like it was nothing.
“It felt so real,” I continued, still entranced by the memory. “Is that what it will be like when I go into my own memories?”
“Yes. I wanted to show you how I use my powers to bring my memories to life for you, but when we’re in your memories, you’ll be the one in control.”
“How will I even know what memory to look for?”
“This may sound clichéd, but you’ll follow your heart—quite literally. Your mind will create a guide that takes the form of someone you trust, and it will lead you to what your heart desires the most.”
My head was spinning. This vampyre stuff was all new to me, and even for a werewolf, it was a bit fantastical.
“I never knew vampyres were so…~magical~.”
Konstantin laughed at my choice of words. “Not everyone thinks so. For years, vampyres had to live in the shadows.”
“Really? Why?”
“The Millennium Wolves didn’t much care for my kind.”
The Millennium Wolves? Did that include Raphael?
I shook my head. “No one should have to hide who they are.”
“People often hate what they don’t understand. It’s been that way for centuries.” He smiled as he met my eyes. “But you’re not like most people, are you, Sienna?”
I returned the smile. Konstantin understood what it was like to feel like an outcast too.
“I hope I can help you find the answers you’re searching for,” he said.
I was nervous, but I was also excited to finally find out where I came from.
I needed to know who they were…
~My parents.~
They were the reason I was here in the first place. Trips to Paris were a nice momentary escape, a parlor trick, but that was not what I was after.
“I’m ready to do this,” I said. “Let’s go into my memories.”
“In time, Sienna. But you must be patient with this process. It won’t be good to push yourself too much too soon.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that the key to finding your parents lies deep within your subconscious,” he explained. “And diving that deep will be difficult.”
Konstantin stood up and approached me, softly running his finger around the perimeter of my head like he was marking me for surgery.
“Please, show me another memory,” I said. “I don’t feel exhausted at all.”
He sighed heavily. “Very well, if you insist.”
He placed his hand on the top of my head, with his thumb pressed against my forehead, and the room started spinning again.
But only for a moment, because Konstantin suddenly collapsed to the ground, shouting out in agony.
“Konstantin!” I cried out, kneeling down beside him. “What happened? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine…no need to worry about me. It’s just…I can only use so much power at a time, and today, I’m afraid I’m drained.”
His already pale skin looked paler than usual, it was true. I helped him into his chair apologetically.
“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have pushed so hard if I’d known.”
“No, don’t apologize,” he said. “I should have known my limits.”
“I hope this doesn’t discourage you from another session.”
He shook his head and smiled. “No, of course not. I just need a short rest. I promise you that when we meet again, perhaps on Wednesday, we’ll delve into your mind.”
And hopefully find the answers that I needed.
***
“Are you ready?”
Konstantin’s piercing eyes stared through me as I sat across from him in his penthouse study, as though he could see me in a way that no one else could.
~Was~ I ready?
I’d been waiting for this for two days, but part of me still felt like it was wrong—letting someone into my mind, into the innermost thoughts that not even Aiden knew.
But Konstantin was my therapist, and I needed to accept that there were some things that I couldn’t do on my own.
Nothing was clear, but if I was going to find my parents, I had to trust him.
“I’m ready,” I said. “Tell me what to do.”
~“Close your eyes.”~
He was speaking to me telepathically again. I followed his instructions.
~“Now, take my hands.”~
I reached out and felt for his hands, then held them.
~“Remember, Sienna…follow your heart.”~
***
Without so much as a ripple, I was suddenly in what appeared to be a castle, wearing a gauzy robe with nothing underneath.
I shivered, my nipples hardening through the robe.
Yup, this was definitely my mind. In Konstantin’s, I hadn’t been able to feel a thing, but in my own, everything felt real—hyperreal, even.
I began walking down a candlelit staircase, but found my way blocked by a locked door. As my hand slid into the robe’s pocket, I found a key.
~Of course—why wouldn’t I have the key? This IS my mind, after all.~
I unlocked the door and pushed through it.
And stumbled straight into a pair of muscular arms.