The Haunted Memories (Forgotten Series, #4)

Chapter 1

I stared at the white snow that covered the ground. It was always so fucking freezing during the winter in this part of the country. It was too close to the mountains and we always got foot upon foot upon foot of snow.

Images flashed in my head. Broken pictures of memories that weren't mine clashing together until I felt sick to my stomach. Sleep for me was hard. It had only grown harder as the time ticked on. More and more pieces revealed only for old ones to slip away. I felt like I was going crazy.

I scanned the grounds, counting the buildings that were there. One large building broken down into small ones. It was too dangerous to have a single building. A flash of a memory, the scent of fire and ash burning my nose as an inferno licked at the back of my neck. I rolled my head, rubbing at the spot that I knew was undamaged. Smaller houses took time to burn. It gave everyone a chance to escape. That was what my uncle had taught me.

I looked up at the dark sky. Night never wanted to give up its hold during the winter. I would have liked it if I could have fucking slept.

"Coffee?" At the voice I held out my hand. A warm mug was placed in it and I took a drink of the scalding, bitter liquid. It warmed me from my chest to my toes as I stared at the cold snow.

I took another gulp of the burning liquid. My tongue screaming at me for the action as I scalded it. "You broke Ben's arm." In four places. He had to spend the night in the hospital getting it re-set because it kept healing wrong.

"He was reaching for my tits." She moved to stand by me, her red hair pulled back into a french braid. I tapped my mug against hers.

"You were training." I didn't particularly care. Training was hard and bones were broken but Linnette was slightly more... aggressive than most.

"He was eyeing them up." She shrugged, I caught the motion out of the corner of my eyes and I took another gulp of coffee. My mouth was really not liking me but I needed the bitter liquid. I needed the boost it gave me and I needed the pain to distract me from my thoughts.

"They are rather..." I made sure she saw me blatantly look at her chest. "Large." I smirked as I looked away. She slapped my arm with the back of her hand.

"Don't be jealous." There was amusement coating her tone and I smirked. It was true she was an incredibly beautiful woman but I wasn't one to envy what wasn't attainable for me. I didn't have her red hair or her generous curves but I knew I was pretty enough.

"Never am, Linnette." I took another drink of the scalding liquid. My tongue giving up on telling me no and almost going numb. "However I am obligated to give you the speech. No breaking bones of pack members because you feel they have groped you with their eyes. Yada yada, blah blah blah." I made a talking motion with my hand. I could tell Linnette to stop all I wanted but she was going to continue her behaviour. I felt that it was sometimes needed. She had been a bit more promiscuous before I had arrived and I knew some of the male pack members assumed she would be more inclined to accept their advances so they tended to be a bit more open with their leering or grabbing.

I shook my head slightly. Some people were just dense. Linnette had trained long and hard to be where she was. She trained like I did. She got up when I did. She did everything like I did. She had fought for a place in the pack that wasn't as a toy to be used by the males. I knew that I had shocked her when I had given the Beta position to her. She had almost declined and I had to convince her that I had never seen a more dedicated pack member who deserved the spot. She strove to better herself, to make more of who she was. I appreciated that and I rewarded it.

That, however, did not stop the blatant comments and borderline harassment that she sometimes endured. That was why I tended to turn a blind eye to her breaking bones in training or nearly sending pack members through windows. She had to show them why she held the position and show them that she was more than they thought she was.