Mr. Valentine's Heart

Patient

~Caleb~

Lunch was very illuminating, to say the least. I would have never thought Cherish would open up to me like she did. She didn’t tell me everything, though, but I can be patient. After lunch, I sent her with Roman to get more training. It isn’t that she needed to be trained, but I needed to get my bearings. As exciting as it is to be around her every day, it’s going to be torturous for me. I’m going to have to work hard to maintain my cool.

I kick the bag again, making sure I’m exerting the maximum amount of power. I drop my leg and switch to punches, a combo of lefts and rights. “What did the bag ever do to you?” I stop punching, grabbing the bag to anchor it. I unwrap the gloves and peel them off while turning to look at Jamichael. “Your day couldn’t have been all that bad.” I sigh and grab my water bottle.

“Spending time with Cherish was amazing and it’s something I didn’t think would ever happen again.”

“So?” I take a drink, throwing my head back.

“It was what she told me during lunch.” We stand in silence for a bit before Jamichael lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Damn, do I have to guess or something?”

“She said that in the 10 years she’s been away, 5 of those years she was in a coma, and the last 5, she’s been remembering how to live again. With her husband.” Jamichael’s jaw hits the ground, and his hand travels to his chest.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, right? A husband?!” I nod my head and plop down on a nearby bench. The side door opens, and I watch an Omega walk into the gym with a stack of fresh towels. I wait for them to leave again before I turn to Jamichael.

“She said when she woke from her coma, there was a man there claiming to be her husband. She said that he told her about her accident and their marriage. She says that she can’t remember anything about herself and she hated to be around her husband.”

“Wait. She said that she hated her husband?”

“Yup. That’s why she’s here. She was able to escape and moved far away on purpose.” Jamichael plops down next to me, running a hand down his face.

“f***k, man! That’s a lot.” I nod and continue to sip on my water. “So, what’s his name? I’m ready to hand him his ass.” I chuckle and shake my hand.

“No can do, man. She didn’t tell me his name or where she came from.”

“Why is she protecting him? There’s nothing to find on her; I’ve checked her name and have come up empty.”

“Do you really think that’s her name, though? I can accept that the told her she was Cherise, but I’m going to guess that Perry is made up. There’s no way to find out about him or what she’s been through unless she tells us what we need to know.”

“How do you plan to get her to do that?”

“I don’t plan to do anything. I’m going to let her make the decision. I will reintroduce myself and get her to fall in love with me again. When she’s ready to tell her secrets, I’ll be ready to listen.”

~Alexi~

The days have been dragging, and I’m barely aware of what’s going on. My Beta has been stepping up in a major way, and I appreciate him for that. I know I need to focus, but I’m concerned about my wife. I keep thinking about the first time I saw her.

*Flashback*

My Beta opens my car door, and I step onto the sidewalk. I didn’t want to come to this Alpha meeting, but I needed to see about someone. I can never get any good information, so this was the next best thing. “I don’t want to be here for long. I just want to get my information and get out.” He nods and leads me to the front glass doors.

We step inside,e and I scan the room. There are a lot of wolves in here, and a lot of scents are floating around. There’s a steady stream of conversation bouncing off the walls. There are too many voices to focus on, so I decide to just use my eyes.

Her laugh stops me in my tracks, and my heart skips a beat. I’ve never heard anything as melodious as that laugh. It sends a chill through my body, and my pants are getting tighter. I put my hand on my Beta’s arm, stopping him. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what? There are a lot of people here.” Her laugh rings out again, and my mouth goes dry.

“That! That right there.” I’m turning slowly, trying to find the face that goes with the laugh. The Goddess must be on my side because she laughs again right when my eyes land on her. She has a hand to her chest, and her head is thrown back in amusement. “Her.” He turns his body to follow where I’m pointing. “I need to know her. I need her name, her status; I need to know everything about her.”

“What about the other information?”

“Right now, I need to know about her.”

*End of Flashback*

I knew then and there that I had to have her as my wife. I couldn’t see anything else or do anything until I had her. It wasn’t long after I got her that she had her accident. I was in agony, sitting by her bedside. When she woke up, my world brightened again, even though she was a bit different. I knew that if I gave her enough time and love, she’d be back like she was. Now she’s gone, and my world is dark once again.

My phone rings, breaking me out of my thoughts. I connect the call and say nothing. After a while, I disconnect the call, letting my phone fall from my hands. I don’t care what I have to do; I will have my wife back in my arms. There’s nothing anyone can say that will change that.