Chapter 3 #2
Anders had landed in trouble with them not long ago when he’d gone berserk and threatened to not only endanger our pack but expose the mundane world to the paranormal one.
He could have had his wolf stripped from him by magic.
Fortunately, we’d had an unlikely ally in Arlo, an enforcer for the agency.
Why he aided us, I cannot say, but I will be forever in his debt for helping my brother find his way back to us.
“You must do this, Lyall. By the grace of the gods, you avoided detection all these years. Sooner or later, you will be caught and punished for breaking the rules. Registering is the safest thing you can do. Besides, it’s a simple process. A child could do it.”
I hum thoughtfully. “Ah, so that explains how you were able to do it.”
He splashes water in my face. Normally I would splash him right back, but I can barely even muster up a smile in response to his teasing.
Anders’s scowl deepens. “Odin’s beard, brother. You are pathetic. The sooner you get your mate back the better. This sulking about isn’t becoming of you.”
His words are harsh, but beneath them, his heart skips a beat. My brother is worried about me.
“Why are you helping me?”
Anders’s bushy brows furrow.
“You can’t tell me you honestly trust Soren after the one conversation we had.”
A muscle ticks in Anders’s jaw. Years of gnashing his teeth in rage have left his jawline sharp. “You’re right. I don’t. Not truly. But I’ve watched you suffer in silence for too long. If I can help you, then I will.”
A smile, honest and true, curls my lips.
For a time, I wondered if Anders even saw us as family.
After losing our father, my twin’s kind disposition disappeared.
His loss hardened Anders into someone ruled by bitter anger and jealousy of Wulfric’s position.
Ever since he met Jamie, though, Anders has been a man reborn.
“Thank you.”
The branch of Yggdrasil Anders brought with us begins to vibrate, the runes glowing a pale blue.
The flash of a portal obscures my vision, and the next thing I know, we’re not at sea anymore.
The portal carried us into a pool of water within a large chamber where other boats of different sizes and styles are moored.
Beyond the pool, a line of travelers has gathered, all dressed in styles I have never seen before—from big hats adorned with feathers to shiny helmets. Once we’re at the head of the line, the woman behind the desk asks for my name, my paranormal identity, and my purpose for being here.
Afterward, I have to wait in yet another line to get my photo taken for this thing called an Eye D. It’s a long and dull process, but within the hour I have all the documentation I need and authorization to travel to the present.
“Let’s go,” Anders says, but I hesitate. There’s something I need to ask.
I approach a woman dressed formally like the rest of the staff. “Excuse me. Who is your Alpha?”
She frowns at me. “Alpha? Oh, you mean in charge? Helena Cartwright heads this branch of the TTA.”
“I need to see her.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to schedule an appointment.”
An appointment? A schedule? I haven’t a clue what any of that means, but it sounds complicated. “No, I must see her now.”
She sighs. “Ms. Cartwright does not accept walk-ins, so once again—”
“That’s all right, Isabella.” A woman with dark hair and fair skin stands behind me. Her scent of ozone tells me she’s a witch. “I have time but please be brief.” She motions me into her office.
“What’re you doing?” Anders asks.
“I want to ask her about Soren.” I brush off his hand and follow the witch into her office. Grumbling, Anders follows me in.
She closes the door behind us and motions to the plush armchairs by her desk. “I am Helena Cartwright, head of the Manhattan division of the Time Traveler Agency.”
“Lyall Erikson and my brother Anders.”
She smiles. “Yes, I recognized you, Anders. It’s nice to meet you, Lyall. Please, have a seat.”
I sit opposite her desk, drumming my hands on my thighs. I fear I won’t like what answers she has for me. “Many years ago, my brother and Alpha, Wulfric, banished Soren Erikson to this time. I… Anders encountered him and Soren had no recollection of ever knowing Anders. I need to know why.”
Pursing her lips, she waves her hand and across the room a file cabinet opens.
A file flies toward her, pages turning, and settles neatly on the desk.
“Just a moment…” She goes through the file, nodding to herself.
“He was exiled from your pack after a hunter clan led by his father burned your village and killed your father, the former Alpha Erikson.”
“Aye, but he wasn’t responsible.” My hands curl in my lap. “He had no idea his father was alive. He thought all his kin had been killed in an attack on his village when he was a boy.”
She frowns at me. “That’s not what I have in his file. It says here he knew about the attack and helped plan it with his father.”
“That’s a lie!” I snap, fangs sharp as my wolf rears his head to defend our mate.
Anders growls, “Calm yourself.”
I take a breath. “Apologies, but that isn’t true at all.”
“Do you have proof of your version of the story?”
A sigh escapes me. “No. Only my word.”
“I see.” She closes Soren’s file and meets my gaze. “Mr. Erikson, when Soren came to our time, we erased his memories and planted new ones to help him assimilate into his new surroundings as smoothly as possible.”
My heart drops into my stomach. They stole my mate’s memories of our life together. It’s their fault Soren doesn’t remember me.
“Give them back.” My shaking hands curl into fists in my lap.
“I cannot.”
“You must!” My fist hits the desk, knocking over some pens. They roll across the desk and quietly thud onto the carpet. “You stole our life together. You took him from me.” My voice trembles and cracks.
She speaks gently, as if to a child, when she replies. “Without proof of his innocence, we can’t restore his memories. It’s simply too great of a risk. I’m sorry.”
“You’re thieves. Thieves and cowards!” There’s a sharp sting in my palms.
“Brother, you’re bleeding.” Anders lays a hand on my shoulder.
I uncurl my fists, and blood pools in my palms.
“You’re welcome to spend time with him. We ask that when you travel to this time, you do so inconspicuously, such as over large bodies of water via boat or, preferably, through one of our own portals in this building.
If we find out humans have seen you while traveling to this time or that there have been attempts to remind Soren of his past, then there will be repercussions. ”
“Such as?” Anders asks, his hand tightening on my shoulder. His worry hits our bond.
“First, we will contact Alpha Erikson and tell him of this violation. He will have a month to come up with a solution. If he cannot, then the Travelers Council will get involved and your pack will lose the ability to travel.”
“What?” Anders snarls, outwardly furious. Only I can sense the storm of horror that crashes through the bond.
Dread makes my heart sink. “Why the pack? Why not simply me?”
Anders lives in the future with his family. Kieran still has friends he checks in on in this time as well. If we aren’t allowed to travel, I’ll never see Anders again, nor he us.
“The Travelers Council takes violations of traveler law seriously. We must maintain the peace and security of travelers in the past, present, and future. Do you have any other questions, Mr. Erikson?”
No, but I want to grab her and shake her. How dare she try to keep us apart! Taking a long breath, I urge my wolf to calm himself. This isn’t her fault. She gets her orders from the witch version of an Alpha, the Travelers Council.
“I understand.” I don’t, but I plaster on a smile. “Thank you. But just to be clear, I am allowed to meet with Soren?”
She returns my false smile. “Of course. As long as no attempts are made to remind him of his past, then you are allowed to see him. Have a good day, Mr. Erikson.”
Anders and I are silent as we make our way outside.
My family has suffered so much. Being separated would break our hearts.
It isn’t fair to put my own happiness before theirs.
If Anders is no longer comfortable with my plan to reunite with Soren, then that’s it.
I will have to stop. If I alone were the one to suffer, I would still risk it all.
But I won’t be the reason my family is torn apart.
The TTA office is a plain-looking building from the outside. The travelers I’d seen from the past and future spill out into the streets. Not one of them is out of place in their new surroundings. I’d never have guessed they were travelers at all.
With my hands in fists, I force myself to speak. “Being with Soren is risky. I understand if you no longer support my decision. If our family is separated because of me, I’ll never forgive myself.” My throat thickens, and the streets around me blur. “Say the word, and this will end here and now.”
Every second of silence that passes tears at my heart.
Anders huffs, the sound heavy. “Have you always been such a craven?”
Blood heating, I whirl around to strike him. He grabs my fist easily. “How dare you?” I snarl the words through clenched teeth. “It’s not craven to sacrifice my happiness for the sake of our family!”
Anders sneers. “All these years, you still haven’t learned to put yourself before others.”
“Like you do?” Anders may have never taken his role as eldest seriously, but I have. It’s my duty to protect my family. Aye, Wulfric is Alpha, but that doesn’t mean he must bear the responsibility alone.
His eyes narrow. “Once, Lyall. Just once, allow yourself to come first.”
The storm raging within me slows and then settles. “You… you want me to do this? Even if it means being separated.”
Anders shrugs. “Just don’t be an idiot and get caught. Simple.”
I gape at him. Anders would risk losing his connection to our pack, for me, for my happiness?
He grunts when I wrench him into a back-slapping hug. “You’ve changed, brother. Father would be proud.”
The tension leaves Anders’s shoulders, and he grips the nape of my neck. “We’ll think of something. I promise. Let’s ask Jamie. He’s got quite the imagination. I’m sure he’ll think up a way for you and Soren to reconnect.”
We linger a moment, basking in the warm glow of pack and brotherhood. Anders is blinking fast when we separate. My own eyes sting. He coughs. I scuff my boot on the ground.
Although I’ve been to this timeline often since Soren and I were forced apart, something feels different now.
I take a breath and find my chest is lighter, my heart racing with hope rather than fear.
For the first time, I’ve arrived here knowing I will find my mate.
Knowing that I will not be leaving brokenhearted.
After all these years, I’ve been given a second chance with the man I love, and I will be damned before I squander it.
This time, we will never be parted again.