Falling For Storm

Amara

I woke up with a tinge of panic once again. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was home and in our room, but not seeing Storm beside me spooked me a little.

“Storm?” I called out through our mind link.

“I’m in the kitchen, baby. I’ll be up in a sec,” he answered, and that immediately helped calm my nerves down.

I can’t recall being badly hurt, but the fact that it was so easy for anyone to come close and drag me wherever made me feel jumpy and nervous about being alone. It was obvious that I needed to take my mind off things and relax, so decidedly, I headed to the bathroom to take a much-needed shower. I contemplated the things that took place and kept wondering about the things that I thought I had seen and heard. Everything was such a blur that I really didn’t know what to think anymore. The things that I thought were nothing but human-induced tales had now become my reality, and this reality was becoming more and more challenging. And what did it mean when Eric said I wasn’t who everyone thought I was?

With this in mind, I closed my eyes to enjoy the stream of water spraying over my face, and my eyes snapped open when I suddenly heard a steady beating rhythm. I tilted my head sideways, listening more intently to it, and wondered if it was coming from me. The sound was faint a few seconds ago, but it became as clear as the day. I was hearing a steady heartbeat, and it wasn’t just any heartbeat; it was Storm’s, specifically. I knew it was his because, just outside the bathroom door, I could smell him and sense his blood rushing through his veins, and that was exactly where the sound was coming from. This has never happened before; could it be a result of what happened, or does this develop over time? Like when you spend more time with your partner? I asked myself, even though I wouldn’t be able to come up with the right answer, so I made a mental note to ask everyone later on.

“How are you feeling?” Storm asked as I stepped out of the bathroom.

“Confused,” I admitted.

My answer made him frown for a second, and then he came up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist before tenderly kissing my temple.

“I know. Tell you what? Let’s just grab something to eat first, then I’ll tell you everything after that, alright?”

As much as I wanted to hear about every single detail that had happened right that minute, it was only then that I realized how hungry I was, and I was grateful that he thought about feeding me first before saying anything, because I was sure I’d lose my appetite if I heard anything that I wasn’t ready for.

Minutes later, Storm led me into his office, and to my surprise, Eric was waiting there with Wyatt and Hunter. I would have preferred it if it were just me and Storm, but at the back of my mind, I knew that they could help explain this better if all four of them were present. Especially Eric, who apparently seemed to know more about who I was than I knew myself. Then again, maybe they were here to protect me from Eric. Once we were completely inside, Storm sat on his chair and pulled me onto his lap before nodding to Eric.

“Do you remember anything about your childhood, Amara?” he asked.

I took a bit of time trying to recall everything about my life, but I couldn’t remember anything beyond the age of ten. I’d never thought about that before, but now that I was being asked this specific question, it seemed odd that I couldn’t recall anything else. It also didn’t help that they all looked at each other as if they were in on this little secret.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, particularly to no one.

“You were adopted when you were ten,” Eric suddenly declared.

It came as a shock, alright, and I wanted to ask how that was even possible, but the words died in my throat.

“Listen carefully to what I have to say because I am about to reveal important details about your life,” he instructed, and all I could do was slowly nod.

Storm’s arms tightened around me as if to say that I was in for a hell of a ride and that there was a ninety-five percent chance that I wouldn’t like it at all.

“I’m your older brother, Amara,” Eric finally said, and I almost roared into laughter.

Say what now? Did he just say older brother? I couldn’t even begin to fathom how he came up with that, but then the look on his face told me that he wasn’t messing around. Either he was good at this poker face thing or he was telling the truth, right?

“Your memories, abilities, and every piece of information about who you are were all altered to keep you safe. There is more to you than what you believe. You’re not just a wolf; you’re a hybrid,” he continued.

I was reeling from all the things he was telling me, and I couldn’t help but think that this was just the tip of the iceberg. What the hell was going on? A hybrid? What does that even mean? I asked myself. He couldn’t be serious about me being a hybrid. I was born and raised as a human; there was no way in hell I was what he claimed me to be.

“This is ridiculous! Is this some game you guys are playing? Because it’s not funny!” I exclaimed, clearly irritated and on the verge of breaking down. A few days ago, I just learned about Storm and his pack; then I became one of them, and now this?

“This is the truth, Amara, and I have ways to prove it to you,” he challenged.

I looked at each and every one of them in disbelief, but none of them gave away the idea that Eric could be lying. Maybe Storm suspected it, but he had masked his expression to hide it.

“How can you prove it?” I asked this time, feeling more confident.

He stood up from his chair and took a step closer, but Storm immediately growled as a warning, which made him stop in his tracks.

They looked at each other disdainfully before Eric turned to me and asked, stretching his hand in front of me, “May I?”

I simply nodded and held out my hand for him to take. He looked into my eyes deeply, which at first made me very uncomfortable. I felt uncomfortable, not because he was staring at me the wrong way or because there was something sinister in his eyes. It was just that there was suddenly something about them that spoke to my soul—like a sense of familiarity. Looking closely, we had the exact same shade and set of eyes, and though his own eyes were more intense compared to mine, I absolutely recognized the similarities; even the way we looked had similarities now that I think about it.

“Your wolf side has awakened when a rogue bit you, and to fully awaken the other side of you quicker, I need to give you a drop of my blood, which will eventually allow you to remember everything that was blocked from your memory as well. Are you ready?”