Chapter 14
Blaze
“Hey, man. Sorry I haven’t called in a few days. It’s been a little crazy.”
I waited for my alpha and friend to reply. “It’s okay. Did you work things out with your mate?”
It was nice to hear his voice. “Uh, well, it looks like my memories have been altered. Bluewater is my original home. And… I’m not sure if I want to have my memories returned or not.”
Gage sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Damn. Well, if that’s your home, is that where you want to be?”
The big question. “I don’t know.”
“What about Sammy? If you decide to come back to Grove Holler, will she come with you?”
I grunted. “I don’t know.”
“If she’s supposed to lead a coven, maybe she’ll want to come back to Grove Holler and lead it here?”
“Well, Gage. I don’t know.”
“Okay, so the gist is that you’re a broken record.” He chuckled. “It’s okay. I get it.”
I knew he’d be understanding. “I have a lot of questions and pretty much no answers. But I’ll figure it out.”
Anthony tapped on the doorframe to my bedroom.
“Gage, let me call you back,” I said into the phone.
“Sure, sure. Let me know if I can do anything to help you figure out some answers.”
I chuckled. “Will do.”
We hung up and I raised my eyebrows at Anthony. “What can I do for you?” I didn’t say it unkindly.
“Up for a flight?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I could use one.”
My dragon perked up at the thought. He’d been itching to take to the skies. Nodding eagerly, I jumped off the bed.
“Come on,” he said. I followed him downstairs and outside. Once we hit the front yard, he gave me a mischievous grin. “Race you.”
He took off running, but I moved fast and caught up. We both leapt off the cliff, shifting in midair over the ocean and flying as quick as we could until the border made our scales itch and we turned back.
As I flew across the water, skimming it with my claws, a memory flashed into my mind, and the impact of it nearly knocked me into the salty sea.
It was Anthony, as a kid, and Jace. I was there.
We sat near the ocean, on the coast. Somehow, even though I couldn’t tell by the memory, I knew it was the beach below the cliff I’d just jumped off of.
“What do you think my dragon will look like?” Anthony said.
He puffed out his chest. “He’ll be huge and powerful, I think. ”
Jace snorted. “More like puny and whiny. Like you.”
Anthony yelled and jumped on Jace, both of them rolling around in the sand until Jace screamed. “Uncle! I give up!”
Grumbling, Jace shot Anthony a dirty look.
“Why do you keep doing that?” I asked as I laughed at them. “He’s going to be the alpha. Fat chance either of us could take him.” I shot Anthony a dirty look. “But I agree with Jace about your dragon.”
“Well, even though you guys suck, when I’m alpha, I want both of you to be my first and second. My betas. You’re my brothers, and I don’t trust anyone as much as I trust you guys.”
Gasping for breath, the vision, memory or whatever it was faded, and I shifted back. My dragon had landed us on the beach, the same one from the vision. I stifled a sob and looked around.
Anthony shifted smoothly as he landed a few seconds later. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“A vision. It was us, as kids. Me, you, and Jace. You were telling us that you wanted us to be by your side when you became alpha.”
He patted my shoulder. “I remember that day.” Sadness laced his tone. “It was a memory.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to cling to it. As painful as it had been, I embraced the pictures of my old best friends. I was so wrapped up in it, I didn’t even feel the burn of my tattoo until I heard Sammy’s voice.
“What’s wrong with him?” she screeched as she fell to her knees in front of me.
“It’s okay,” Anthony said. “He just had a memory return, and it shook him up.”
Sighing, Sammy rocked back and sat on her butt in front of me in the sand. I mimicked her and settled back, getting off my knees.
“You’re going to give me ulcers,” Sammy whispered. “Stop making me worry.”
Grinning at her, I tried to lighten the mood. “At least I got you to admit you worry about me.”
I fully expected a snarky remark, but she just looked upset. “I am worried about you. I feel every emotion you do, and it scares me when I feel your trepidation and fear. I know it’s your memories, and I know I can’t protect you from them. I hate that I can’t.”
She looked so vulnerable, for the second time. I yanked her forward into my arms and held her tight even though she was stiff as a two-by-four.
“Whoa,” Anthony whispered when Sammy relaxed and hugged me back, tucking herself between my legs on the sand.
“Don’t get used to it.” She turned her head and though I couldn’t see it, I was sure she shot Anthony a scathing glare.
I laughed and hugged her tighter, my dragon purring with happiness when she didn’t stop me. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
She sighed and gripped my shirt at my sides.
“You don’t have to be sorry. It’s not something that can be helped.
Especially if you’re susceptible to having your memories back.
” She laid her cheek on my chest. “With you being back in Bluewater, there will be things that may trigger a memory. We just have to plan on how you handle them.” She grunted.
“So, I don’t feel the need to kill whatever is hurting you. ”
I couldn’t stop chuckling and hugging her tighter. She was pretty much in my lap now. “Stop,” she protested. “You’re making me feel like I’m the size of a toddler.”
“You’re not that much bigger.”
She pinched my sides, making me jump and release her.
Scooting back, Sammy looked deep in my eyes. “Feeling better?”
I nodded. “Thank you. I’m feeling better because of you.”
“So,” Anthony said, interrupting. “Sorry to be here.” He sucked in a breath and snapped his fingers. “Awkward.”
Sammy stood and shook the sand off her butt. “Come on.” She grabbed Anthony’s hand and mine, and before I knew it, I was bent over in Anthony’s living room, trying not to bring up my last meal. It didn’t seem like I was going to get used to portaling around. Poofing, as Sammy called it.
“Is there a way to bring his memories back?” Anthony asked.
I glanced up at him, not caring much about my memories so long as my stomach was heaving like this. Sammy gave me a sympathetic glance. She really was warming up to me.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Blaze.” She plopped down on his sofa and waved Skye off, who was offering tea. “Thanks, no. I have the power to make it happen, but it’s up to Blaze whether or not he wants to get the memories back.”
My nausea subsided, and I accepted a cup of tea from Skye. Maybe it would help soothe the residual ick from moving straight here from the beach.
“I can’t just reveal some of the memories,” Sammy said. “I have to do all or none. Like ripping off a bandage.”
“It’s up to me if I want to open the can of worms,” I murmured, then sipped my tea. I’d been thinking a lot about it. Without the memories, I wouldn’t know who I was, not completely.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t terrified of what those memories would reveal.
“You don’t have to know. I told you earlier, it doesn’t change who you are.”
“I don’t think that’s completely true,” I said. “The past shapes a person.”
She shook her head. “A person is more than their circumstances.”
I stared into her beautiful blue eyes and wished I could give her the world. Hell, she was strong enough to take the world for herself. “You’re trying to protect me. You know my past isn’t pretty.”
Her face crumpled, but she quickly got a handle on it and turned stoic again. “Yes. I don’t want you to have to relive whatever that witch did to your parents. I find it hard to believe you didn’t witness it. So, yes, I’d love to know how you survived, but not at the expense of it hurting you.”
Surging forward, I pulled Sammy into my arms and pressed my lips to hers. She clung to me with more of that vulnerability.
“Thank you for caring enough about me to want to protect me. But I want to know. I’d feel better knowing that if it breaks me, you’ll be here to help put me back together.”
She stared up at me with wide eyes. “I need you to be sure. Altering memories is tricky business.”
“I’ll be fine if you’re with me.”
She pushed away and swatted my arm. “You’re being too ooey-gooey. Trying to make me feel fuzzy things. I hate that shit.”
Anthony and Skye laughed, reminding me they were even in the room at all.
Sammy sobered. “We can get started later tonight, if you’re sure.”
I considered the memory that had nearly taken me out today. I couldn’t let that happen again. What if I’d been driving? It could’ve been bad.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I’m sure.”
My arms felt empty as Sammy pulled out of them. “I’m going to go home and prepare myself. This sort of thing is intricate, fiddly magic. I suggest you rest and calm your nerves while I’m gone.”
I nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you.”
Doing as she suggested was easier said than done. I lay on the bed in the guest room and breathed slowly, trying to keep my dragon from freaking out.
A couple of hours later, I’d managed to keep from totally freaking out, but when I heard the car pull up in front of the house, my nerves jumped. I was about to find out who I really was.
Jace stepped out of the car, and as he moved toward the front door, I pulled back from the window and headed downstairs.
It was go time.
We sat around the living room waiting for Sammy. I kept breathing evenly, fighting hard to keep calm as the seconds ticked by.
Jace clapped me on the shoulder. “We’re with you, man.”
I didn’t know Jace as well as Anthony, but I still felt kinship with him. Part of me had to know him, deep down.
“Okay, here we go.” Sammy appeared, and to my surprise, she had Gage beside her.
Gage’s face was ashy and green.
“Bucket!” I yelled.
Sammy looked over at Gage and blanched. She waved her hand and a garbage can appeared in front of Gage. He snatched it up but managed to keep himself from the ultimate grossness.
We gave him a minute to compose himself. “That mode of travel is horrible,” he muttered. “I’ll take a plane home.”
I laughed louder than anyone else, mainly because I sympathized with him. It was horrible.
“Gage is close to Blaze, and I thought the positive energy of those who care for Blaze would help the spell work better.”
My alpha grinned weakly at me. “I’m here for you.”
Being surrounded by support made this ordeal seem like it wouldn’t be so bad after all. My emotions choked me. I hadn’t realized I had this much loyalty in the whole world.
Sammy gripped my chin. “This is the last time I’ll ask. If you want out, say so now.”
I leaned forward and popped a kiss to her lips. “Do it.”
“Okay.” She kissed me back and sat down. “The memories may feel like they’re happening in the present. But remember, you are safe.”
“Okay. I’m ready.” I sucked in a deep breath and squared my shoulders.
“Sit back and relax,” Sammy whispered. She blew in my face, something that smelled sweet and spicy.
Then… everything went dark.