Between Secrets and Seduction

Maybe it's a Memory

Layla slowly opened her eyes to the sound of a quietly beeping monitor beside her. She weakly moved her arm, feeling the tug on an IV in her arm, and rubbed at her blurry eyes with a low groan. She blinked away the remaining sleep in her eyes as she peered around the unfamiliar room she was in. Fear began to tighten her throat and the monitor beside her began beeping faster, louder, more insistent. She watched the glowing numbers skyrocket as her heart raced.

The door to her room opened and a tall, beautiful, middle-aged woman stepped through. The woman stretched out a hand and spoke to Layla with a voice so silky and comforting the little girl had no choice but to stare in awe. "Layla, honey, I need you to take a deep breath for me. Can you do that for me, sweetie?" In silent compliance, Layla drew a shaking breath deep into her lungs and held it for a moment before exhaling slowly. She repeated this action a few more times under the soft, warm eyes that watched her. The woman smiled proudly as she spoke again, "Good job, honey! Let me know if you're ready to talk, OK? Are you hungry at all?"

Layla forced herself to look away. She took a moment to ponder her answer. Hungry? She was starving! Her stomach answered with a loud complaint from being so painfully devoid of food. A faint pink blush tints the little girl's cheeks as she nods slowly. The woman smiled softly at the sight of such an adorable and nervous child. "Do you have a favorite breakfast food that I could send off for you?" Layla glanced down at her own hands as she twisted her fingers around with an equal mix of embarrassment and nerves. She shook her head with a silent denial of having any favorite breakfast food.

Tears began gathering at the corners of her eyes as she realized slowly that not only could she not remember her favorite breakfast she couldn't remember anything before that moment! She looked up and searched the unfamiliar woman's face. Was this woman her mother? Had she been kidnapped by an insane woman? The heart monitor was nearly screeching as it beeped endlessly with Layla's pounding heart. The woman sat on Layla's bed slowly. "Honey, remember to take slow, deep breaths, please. You won't get any better by getting so worked up. It's OK if you can't think of anything right now."

Layla shook her head pitifully as she began to explain, "I—I can't remember!" She gasped out her first statement. Such a simple statement yet so devastating for the child sitting there. "I can't remember anything!" She half whispered, half screamed out. The woman wrapped Layla in a warm, firm hug. "Your name is Layla Anne Bartholomew. You had a birthday recently. You are 9 years old. I am your mom, my name is Natasha Bartholomew. Your dad's name is Daniel Bartholomew. You are our only child, and we love you very so much."

Layla hiccuped a couple of times, "You're my mom, and I have a dad? Why can't I remember this? What happened to me?" her voice was strained and tiny as she pondered out loud. The worry that painted her face had drained her of all color. She shook her head before placing it into her frail hands in exhaustion. Natasha's voice broke the deafening silence of the moment. "There was an accident back home. Our gas stove had a leak. I was at work, so was dad, when I got the call from the fire department that our house had exploded. Your nanny died in the explosion, and you were found under some of the debris of the house. I didn't even know if you would ever wake up, Layla!"

Layla leaned into her mother, tears running down her cheeks quietly. "What was she like?" the timid voice slipped out so softly that Natasha nearly missed her question. She looked down at her little angel and kissed the top of her head softly. "Your nanny was kind and enjoyed baking with you. Do you remember the soft, warm, chocolate chip cookies you used to make with her?" Layla shook her head sadly. She didn't remember her own mother, much less a nanny.

Natasha ran her fingers through Layla's silky blonde hair. "It's OK, baby, it's OK." she cooed softly. "Take all the time you need and don't try to force yourself into remembering everything all at once. Relax for now. I'll have our chef make something simple for you." Layla yawns and tucks herself tighter against her mother while she murmurs out a request. "Can I have some yogurt?" Natasha sighs in relief, "A parfait it is, dear. Now rest." Natasha gently guided her new little one back into the bed before tucking the warm comforter around the tiny child. Layla felt her energy drain away at an alarming pace. A dreamless sleep swallowed her quickly.

Natasha waited for a moment to make sure Layla was truly deep in sleep. She narrowed her eyes as she watched Layla's breathing stabilize into a shallow pattern of true sleep. Natasha stood up slowly doing her best not to wake the sleeping child. Her footsteps were nearly silent as she left the room and closed the wooden door behind her. Pulling her cellphone from her pocket to check the notifications as she walked from the girl's room. She swiped the screen from top to bottom and opened up her texts. One simple text to her husband sealed Layla's fate. She doesn't remember a damn thing!

Natasha put her phone back into her pocket with a triumphant smirk. Down the stairs she went and poked her head into the vast kitchen to bark at her chef, "Make some yogurt parfaits. Blueberries, strawberries, granola, and vanilla yogurt! My daughter asked for them!" The chef waved off his mistress with a curt nod and shifted his focus to preparing several yogurt parfaits. Natasha nearly cackled in twisted joy. She finally had a child, a daughter, and she didn't even have to ruin her perfect figure for a baby! Natasha nearly skipped out of her vacation home to her sapphire-colored luxury sports car. She unlocks it with a sharp beeping noise, and glides her shapely bottom into the driver's seat. The car purrs to life as Natasha turns the sleek key in the ignition.

A ringtone begins to play and the digital screen on the middle console in her car flashes awake. Incoming video call, would you like to answer? She tapped the button to accept the incoming call and her husband's scowling face came into view. "So you stole a child, and now we magically have an heir?" His gravelly voice was filled with a quiet rage at the situation. "Do you realize how desperately foolish this whole plan is?!" He spat out. Natasha narrows her eyes dangerously, "Daniel, she has similar colored eyes to you, wispy blonde hair like me, and no memories! This is a perfect plan! Her parents died in the attack on the Crescent Crown Pack! The entire bloodline is in chaos, and she has Alpha blood in her! What on earth could go wrong?!"

Alpha Daniel's scowl deepened even further, "Everything, Natasha, everything could go wrong! If this fails, you will take all the fall-out like you agreed on." His wife sighed dramatically and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Please, Daniel. Don't ruin my good mood. Can't you just be happy that we have a daughter now?" Daniel's voice thundered over the screen in barely contained fury, "You! You have a daughter! I will never see that runt as my daughter!" before he hung up the video call. Natasha stared at the black screen with her teeth clenched together, "You'll see, asshole, my plan will work!"