Remember

Chapter 16: Boys Will Be Boys

I let out a soft groan as I felt the world of dreams release me to reality. Slowly the fog that had crept across me receded and I began to process what was happening around me.

Particularly the two males that were growling at the foot of my bed. The anger and mistrust of each other were rolling off of them as they faced off.

"Leave her alone." The warning in Bryce's tone was evident and laced with the air of protectiveness that had always flowed between us.

Janus's eyes flashed with anger, he didn't enjoy being told what to do. "I think you might want to take your own advice." His tone matched Bryce's inch for inch, not faltering for one instant in the Lycan's gaze.

Through the link, I felt Bryce's beast rise to the surface. I knew that I had to act before this turned into an all out fight for dominance.

"Alright boys, you have had your fun so chill out now," I told them as I pushed myself out of the infirmary bed and into a sitting position.

Both rushed to my side, glaring as the other touched me. I let out a sigh before turning to Bryce and opening my mind to him.

You need to calm down. Your constant growling isn't helping.

How am I supposed to when he acts like he owns you? He treats you the same way the Alpha did!

Bryce...

Don't, please don't. After you killed the Alpha and we lost you, I had to step up and lead the pack. It was supposed to be you! You earned that position but every day it was me and not you. They all thought that you were dead, but I knew better. Every day I could feel your emotions. I knew exactly what you were going through, every day they tortured you, everything, and there was nothing that I could do about it.

I saw the pain in his eyes and I wanted to make it stop, to do anything to protect him from it.

I'm so sorry, so very very sorry that I put you through that.

Don't be. You are willing to do anything to protect us, but let me be the one that protects you, please.

I reached out and grabbed my best friend's hand. The shared pain and loss flowed between us.

A sharp flicker of pain shot through my head and caused me to gasp out in pain. I clutched my head and held in a scream as the wave of pain and hurt rushed over me.

My mind raced as I tried to understand what was happening. Bits and pieces of conversations and fragments of memories flashed until I found what I was looking for.

The mate bond causes an empathic connection...

Janus. His emotions were overriding my own as his heightened. The emotions kept on coming, rage and loss and jealousy, every emotion he ever felt was now coursing through me.

The pain was unbearable and I couldn't block it out. "Stop it! Just stop it!" I cried out locking eyes with Janus as I did so.

Confusion was written all over his face as he tried to understand what I was trying to tell him.

Bryce understood what I meant, Bryce always understood. He quickly stepped forward to separate Janus and I.

"You need to leave."

"I can't leave her! She is in pain!"

"And you are the one causing it." His voice was level and barely above a whisper but there was a warning embedded in it.

"Never!" He stepped forward to shove Bryce out of the way, but Bryce was faster and landed a quick punch to his jaw to knock him out.

As Janus hit the floor the emotions receded and I was able to breathe. Bryce ran over and grabbed me, pulling me close. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on with everything that I had.

Finally, I broke the silence, "Was that how it was like, for you?"

Bryce pulled back and locked eyes with me before replying, "Nothing like that, it was more glimpses and flashes than anything consistent. More importantly, it wasn't physically painful." His voice was sincere and there was no hint of him bending the truth.

I let out a sigh before nodding. "What are we going to do about him?" I asked as I nodded towards Janus.

I saw Bryce's eyes flash before he responded. "We are doing nothing. I am getting you out of here and you are going to get yourself all patched up so that you can see the rest of the pack."

Before I could say anything Bryce had me tossed over his shoulder and we were already out of the infirmary.

After walking around the main pack area for a good half hour, Bryce finally stopped. I took the chance to hop off his shoulders and laugh.

"You don't know where you are going do you?" I chuckled as Bryce shook his head.

"Did you ever think of asking for directions?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Never. It's like that time during the Christmas party when we got lost before they cut the cake. Remember that?" Bryce answered jokingly.

I turned away, hiding my face and not responding.

"Hey," Bryce said softly as he tilted my face towards his, "What's wrong?"

Shame coursed through my veins as I worked up the courage to answer Bryce. He just waited patiently for me to be ready to tell the story that we had been dancing around since we were reunited.

I took a deep breath before I started.

"The Hunters did something to me, they erased my memories of everything. However, since I shifted again I have gotten flashes, bits and pieces of people, places, events. Yet never the entire story, there is always something missing.

For example, I had no memory of you prior to seeing you. It was as if a floodgate of information opened, just not everything."

Bryce nodded, understanding was written across his face. "You're scared." In an instant I was facing him, trying to understand what he was saying.

"Hear me out now. You are scared that you will not remember the pack members, scared that you will not remember how to run a pack. You are scared that you will fail. Well, don't worry, because I am here by your side for every step of this. I'm your Beta, it is my job to help you, so let me."

I smiled at Bryce before I bumped into him with my shoulder, "What would I do without you?"

"You would be lost without your brilliant Beta," Bryce told me as he bowed dramatically and waved to an imaginary crowd.

I laughed at his antics and we fell into a playful banter as we made our way to my room.

Before I knew it we were standing outside of a rustic looking guest house. Trees lined the outside and the only light was that of the setting sun.

I hesitated in front of the door, a thousand thoughts were racing through my head.

Bryce set a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave me a soft smile. "They don't care that you cannot remember. All they care about is that you are safe. They respect you more than you can possibly realize, you gave everything to protect them and keep them safe. They just want you back."

I nodded, Bryce's words steadied me. I took a deep breath and walked forward to the door, opening it up, to my pack.

So what do you think? Was Bryce right to just leave Janus? What about this empathic connection that now exists between Janus and Asteria? What is waiting in the guest house? Please don't be a silent reader, vote and comment so that I can improve! Have a great weekend and enjoy the rest of your weekend!