Chapter Eleven - Can't Catch Me

The look of my mom's perplexed face caught me off guard. I didn't know what she was expecting from me.

"Ephraim. Can you tell me the last thing you remember?"

I didn't know how this was relevant to anything. I remembered Paco chasing me through downtown Seattle, and possibly passing out in front of my dad.

As I told my story, my mom's face started to turn pale. My dad came closer to the side of my bed and grabbed my mom's hand.

"Mom, what is it?"

They were silent for a moment and about to speak, but the door opened and walked in a girl. She stared at me and her eyes filled with a gleam that radiated the room if it could. Her focus was directly at me. Her eyes widened and with the swiftest motion I've ever seen, she held onto my hands.

It was cold. It didn't take me long to recognize what she was.

"You're awake."

"You're a vampire."

Her smile became broken then her eyes brows furrowed at me.

"Are you joking?"

I wasn't. It was a legitimate statement.

"Ephraim . . . "

My mom took the girl's hands, "Ashling, he doesn't remember."

Ashling. So this was the girl or vampire who my Mom said saved me.

"My Mom said you saved me. Thank you."

The girl looked at me again. She mimicked the same face my Mom made earlier. I don't know why my being awake was a sudden disappointment for them. She tried to speak but the only motion were her lips quivering.

"Um, it's me, Ephraim. Ashling."

I've never met her before, and I didn't know her purpose of wanting me to know her.

"Yeah, I know who you are."

"Do you remember anything about me? About us?"

I shook my head. I would have remembered someone like her. I mean, she was pretty.

Before I could speak, Carlisle walked into the room.

"Good morning, Ephraim. Seems we need to all sit and discuss what's going on with you."

Carlisle asked everyone to sit as he discussed what had occurred to me. Retrograde amnesia was what they were diagnosing me with. Evidently, the force trauma to my head when I hit the ground caused damage to my temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex. This was the reason why I couldn't remember the most recent memories because according to the doctors, the neural path of my newest memories was not as strong as my older memories. Since there was no cure, Carlisle suggested revisiting recent significant memories that might trigger them back. It was the only suggestion he could provide after consulting with the neurologists.

I didn't know what I had to remember, "Carlisle, is it necessary to try and remember? What's so important that we have to trigger them back?"

Everyone froze for a moment, but Ashling took a few steps back. Who else besides Ashling did I not remember I wondered?

Carlisle then continued, "Ephraim, there could be a possibility that if you receive another injury that those memories would be lost forever. There's no evidence in it, and it's all in theory, but it's a risk I'm not willing to take. Besides, you're not the only one who's affected by it."

He turned to look at Ashling who seemed to be isolating herself in the corner. How would she be affected by me?

"At this moment, Ephraim, you need to rest up. We'll start some exercises of your memory later today. Otherwise, everyone, he's in good health and we should give him his privacy."

It wasn't long for all the pack and the rest of my family to trickle out the door one by one. However, Ashling stayed in the room with my parents. My Mom was holding her and comforting her. They exchanged a few words and I was able to hear it clearly.

"Ashling, be patient with him. We'll all work on this together so he'll remember."

My Dad chimed in, "When he phases, none of this will matter anyway. The pull he'll get from imprinting will change everything. It's just a waiting game for us now for his transition to take place."

Imprinting. I was never going to escape it.

My Mom walked over to me and took my hand. She gently kissed my hand and smiled at me.

"Ephraim, your Dad and I are going to go back to the hotel to get some rest. We'll return later. If you need anything, have Ashling call me and we'll be right over."

Ashling? She was staying? Why?

My Dad hugged me and then they both left through the doors. Now the awkward silence replayed itself over. The dark hair beauty, Ashling, sat at the edge of my bed. Her eyes were sincere and possibly shattered. I didn't like disappointing people, but this was unexplainable.

"You can sleep, Ephraim. I'll be here at the corner in case you need anything."

"You don't need to be here, you know? I think I can manage pressing the nurse button if I need anything."

"You know, you're more stubborn now after your head injury. You were a lot . . . simpler before."

"Last I remember; I've always been this way."

"Right, the problem is, you don't remember."

She was feisty. I didn't know if that intrigued me or annoyed me. Whatever the reason she was here, at least she was entertaining. Then without any warning, she was in close proximity of me. Her lips met with mine. They were cold and different. She pulled away, and something inside of me still wanted to continue.

"What was that for?" I knew my blood pressure was rising and I didn't know how to calm it down. She placed her hand on my chest.

"Your heart rate is rising. Does that mean you remember?"

"Remember? I don't know how I ever forgot that."

She laughed at me, but I was being serious. How could I forget something like that? Especially from her? Who was she to me?

"Are you supposed to be my girlfriend that I forgot?"

She laughed again throwing her head back exposing that long beautiful neck of hers and then with those massive black eyes directed her gaze at me, "Technically, we haven't labeled each other yet." She started to climb off my bed, and my instinct kicked in and my hand grabbed hers. I didn't want her to leave my side just yet.

"I'm sorry. Then let's establish what we are to each other. I mean, at least it might help me remember."

She seemed to hesitate. "We're complicated."

"Then let's start with how we met, and I'll decide what we are."

"You know, when I first met you, you were a timid guy that stuttered your words." I was so drawn to her dimples when she smiled. I felt I needed to make her smile more so I could embed it in my memory forever.

I didn't realize how much time had passed as she spoke about us. She slowed her pace when the story reached the dinner party at my parent's. I had taken her to my room and grabbed a box from my dresser drawer.

"Wait. I remember the box. My dresser drawer. I mean, I remember always having the urge to make this bracelet. Oh."

It hit me like a train. "You're my imprint." My eyes finally turned to her wrist, and I don't know why I didn't see it before. She was wearing my bracelet.

"I thought I haven't phased into a wolf yet? So how did you become my imprint already?"

"Again, another technicality." She explained further into the story, and spoke about my visions as an infant that my mom shared with us. Everything seemed to be clearer, but the emotional feelings were still missing. I don't doubt not loving Ashling, but it was too strange to fall so deep right now. My thought process was interrupted by my parents barging into the room.

My mom had prepped a home cooked meal for me. She started asking questions of how I was feeling, and Ashling managed to sneak out of the room.

"Looking for her already? Seems you don't need to recover your memory to know what she really means to you."

"I didn't think she was going to leave."

"Ephraim, she needs to feed. She'll be back, trust me."

I forgot about her vampire appetite. My stomach began to cry for food too. I finished my dinner in no time. Afterwards, I spoke to my mom about what Ashling revealed. She confirmed Ashling was speaking the truth. Exhaustion finally hit me, and my parents left back to their hotel after I went into a deep sleep.

When I woke, the room was dark but I could see the city lights reflecting through the glass window. But sitting on the window sill was Ashling; she was in deep concentration drawing into her sketchbook. I didn't want to disrupt her, so I watched her for a few minutes. I had enjoyed our earlier conversation, but sitting in complete silence with her in close proximity was just as alluring.

"You're awake."

I didn't see her face direct towards me at all. I was too busy studying the movement of her hand while she was sketching.

"Yeah." I felt as if I got caught, my body temperature was rising drastically.

"I like looking at you sleep. So at peace and with no worries to trouble you."

"You make it seem like no sleep is such a burden. It isn't that bad, is it?"

"It would be nice to be able to shut off the mind for a moment."

She was finally standing beside my bed, and I grabbed her hand. I was being so bold and didn't know it was in my character. "Were you able to feed?"

"Yes. Seattle has some natural parks and hiking trails close by, so it was convenient, but . . . "

"But what?"

"It felt eerie. It didn't feel right and I felt as if it wasn't safe to be out there."

"Did you want to stray from animal blood?"

"No, it wasn't that. It was something else. Maybe my paranoia of being in the city. I don't know . . . "

It all happened so fast. The window broke into a million pieces, and she hovered to the floor. Four figures slipped through the window. A vampire with washed blonde hair held Ashling by the waist.

"Hello, love." He thrusted his nose into her hair and took a hard sniff before looking at me.

"I like dropping in on you, wolf boy. But it's time I collect and leave." He placed a bag over her head and tied her wrist and arms together.

"Let me go, Luca!"

Luca. So this was him. There wasn't much I remembered about him from Ashling's story, but for some reason he boiled my blood. I climbed out of my bed and pulled out the IV.

His eyes pierced a fiery red color. "Can't catch me, Wolf Boy."

He jumped out the window with her and so did the rest of his boys. I looked down and saw how many stories were below me. This was going to be the end of me, but I didn't care at this point. My body forced itself out the window, and as I fell, I could feel my body burning with fire inside. I screamed wanting torment as my preference instead of this heat in me.

I heard a loud impact that shook the ground and created a concave. I slowly opened my eyes and realized, I was still breathing. I was alive, but more interesting enough, I was hairy or furry was the correct term. I was on paws. They were huge paws too. My claws came out and it etched into the pavement.

I looked up and with my keen vision; I saw them in front of me. The other guys with Luca couldn't close their mouths.

"What the hell? Luca, thought you said he was just a boy! He's a beast!"

They all split, but I could care less of the others. My only focus was on trying to find Ashling. Luca ran off with her still in tow. He was heading near the port, and I could sense his strong smell along with the saltwater. It burned my nostrils, but gave me a direct path to him. He reached the pier and stopped himself.

"All I have to do is jump, Wolf Boy."

My deep growl made him flinch and I lunged after him. He then threw her body out into the water. I dove into the water as he stood on the pier. His smirk caused me to never forget that face. I dove deep into the water to find her sinking body. My teeth pinched her jacket and I started swimming in the dark lurking waters.

We made it onto the shores, and I remember seeing the city skyline before I closed my eyes and involuntarily drifted into a deep sleep.

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A/N: Please leave a comment! I would truly appreciate it! Love hearing feedback! Much love and thanks for continuing reading this story 3

-kl