A Promise Made

Chapter 3

Present 

Emily was exhausted, she'd been to four bars, spoken to countless drunk people and six bartenders, one bouncer with an attitude problem, and four very defensive bar owners. Her feet hurt, her brain was mush and her wolf wanted to run. Emily understood why, she'd been holding her back for days, not wanting to cause trouble in unknown territory. At home she knew where she was allowed to let go, here, on the outside, she was still a bit lost. Only letting her wolf out at home, but she knew the yard was not enough, the house she'd rented had a big backyard, but not quite enough for her wolf to feel free. She had to admit that she was at the end of her rope. She'd been on the borders of Amber for weeks, and she still hadn't found anything more on where Simile was. 

Three years ago, Simile had left her, deciding that their mate bond was not enough, or so Emily thought. But her mom and Andy had finally told her that Simile left because she knew she was not good enough for Emily. It was a load of bull, but still, Emily sort of understood, her father, the Alpha was not an easy man to please, and he had standards, but he also loved Emily and would do anything for her. Or so she hoped. So now, three years later, after finally convincing her father she needed to bring Simile home, she was out searching with Andy. Or she was supposed to. She grimaced thinking about what Andy was going to do to her when she got home, she'd given her the slip, deciding to try and find Simile on her own. 

She was outside the last bar she'd visit that evening, then she'd go home, and hope Andy didn't kill her. She was surprised as she walked inside, the atmosphere was quiet, calm. A band was playing jazz, everyone seemed so, chilled, she thought, not sure what other word to use. Her eyes scanned the crowd, all sitting with drinks, talking quietly, or watching the band. Here and there, people gathered, looking at a painting or sculpture. Emily felt at home, something felt familiar and safe. She realized that it was not a normal bar, as she made her way to the bar counter, she looked around at the several paintings lining the walls, with lights highlighting them, sculptures were scattered all over the floor. At the counter she stood scanning the bar again, her eyes falling on the art she could see, she felt a smile spread as she recognized one as her friend Sammy's. She'd met Sammy when she'd done a short stint in art school, but she'd given up, not being able to keep her mind on the studies. 

She still painted, and she did quite well without the schooling. Emily turned and her gaze fell on the painting behind the bar. It was one of her first, and one that had sold at the gallery that held her paintings, within the first week. She'd been surprised, and sad, having hoped that it didn't sell. It was a pure white wolf, a tiny scar on the muzzle, one someone not looking wouldn't even see. The backdrop was home, the woods she missed so much, and needed to get back to before her wolf did something crazy. The green trees and blue waterfall running off the mountainside, made the wolf stand out, obviously the focus of the piece. 

"Can I get you something?" The woman behind the bar asked. "Not that, before you ask, everyone wants that." She added before Emily could speak. 

"Oh?" She said dumbly. 

"Yeah, it's the most popular piece, many men and women get drunk staring at the sadness in the wolf's eyes." The woman turned her back on Emily, looking up at the painting. "It's not obvious, but the longer you look the sadder she gets." Turning back she smiled at Emily. 

"So?" 

"What?" 

"A drink?" The woman asked. 

"Oh, ah..." 

"She'll have a coke." A familiar voice spoke behind her and Emily stiffened. "Me too," Andy added. 

"Andy, I'm sorry, I just thought..." 

"No, you didn't think. If you did, you'd have realized how dangerous it is for you to be out alone." Andy grinned at the bar lady, laying money on the counter as she handed them the cokes. 

"I was coming home after this." She gestured around. 

"You'd have gotten stuck here for hours. This is probably like heaven to you." Andy looked up at the painting of Simile behind the bar. "It's her." 

"Yes," Emily answered softly. 

"She here?" 

"I don't know, I just got here, I haven't asked yet." Andy nodded and called the woman behind the bar over. 

"Who owns the place?" 

"Sim, but she's not here tonight, she's on a hunt." She held out her hand. "I'm Braid, I run the place when she's out." 

"A hunt?" Andy asked, a frown on her face, then it cleared. "For art." She said, realizing. 

"Yep, she heard this artist, had a couple of new pieces available, and Sim always wants the first choice, that's if she doesn't come home will all the pieces," Braid said pointing over her shoulder at the wolf. "Can I help you with something?" Andy looked at the woman, kept eye contact as she took a slow sip of her coke. 

"You know who we are." She said eventually, setting the coke down slowly. 

"Andy, come on, I'm sure she doesn't..." Emily began. 

"She does," Andy said. "Maybe not me, but you know who she is." She gestured with her head toward Emily. "You recognize her from somewhere." Andy didn't ask the woman, Braid, she stated it and Emily took a closer look. 

"I've seen her before yes, but I don't know who she is," Braid admitted. "She's the woman in the picture Sim keeps in her office." 

"Do you have a number for her?" Emily asked, hope finally boiling up and threatening to bubble over. 

 "Nope." Braid turned to go but stopped. "She'll be here tomorrow night, it's swap night when the art gets switched out with new ones." She used the cloth in her hand and waved around the room. "Sim chooses what goes where, we open at six if you want to catch her before it gets busy." 

"Is it possible for you not to tell her we were here?" Andy asked. 

"Nope," Braid said and left them alone. 

"If she knows we're coming she won't be here," Emily said. 

"I know. But she can't avoid us forever, if we don't see her tomorrow, we'll just keep coming back, until she does see us." She threw back the last of her coke and ordered another. Braid gave her an appraising once over, and Andy grinned at her. 

"I'm going to look around," Emily said, leaving Andy to flirt with Braid. Emily was surprised at the variety and different styles and artists. No artist was ever represented twice, except her, she counted at least six of hers, including the wolf behind the bar. Even the sculptures were from different artists. She looked up as the band changed, two women, one on violin and one on piano started up, a bit more upbeat but still great. Emily smiled, it was an artist's heaven, music, paintings, sculptures, and drinks with friends. 

She made her way to the back, a room was softly lit and she made her way inside. She froze. Every painting she'd ever done was in the room, it took up all four walls, perfectly lined up and spaced, the lighting just perfect. It was a lounge of some sort, a desk in the one corner but no chair. Soft velvet couches and soft-looking bean bags were spread everywhere. 

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but no one's allowed back here." The voice was a lightning strike to Emily's heart, she felt the jolt of it through her whole body, still frozen in place in the center of the room. Her hand went to her belly, pressing lightly, trying to calm the stampede of summersaults. Slowly, the whole scene in slow motion, she turned. 

"Simile," She whispered. 

"Em?" Shock, relief, sadness, joy, it all flashed across Simile's face before she closed up on Emily. 

"Babe?" A woman came skipping in, she grabbed Simile's hips her head on her shoulder, eyeing Emily, interest flashed in her eyes. "What's taking so long, we'll miss the flight?" 

"Uh, I have to go." Simile said, she turned, taking the woman with her. "You have to leave." She was gone before Emily could move, by the time she got her feet to move, and she made it to the bar where Andy still chatted to Braid, Simile was gone. She felt like she'd been sucked up by a whirlwind and spat out like a burden. 

"What is it?" Andy asked, turning her focus on Emily now. "Em?" 

"I saw her." 

"What?" 

"She was here, Simile, she left, dismissed me, and left." 

"Where is she?" Andy stood now, scanning the crowd. 

"Gone. She told me to leave." Emily let out a painful laugh. 

"That's it, just you have to leave? I'll kill her, when I see her, she's dead," Andy promised, and after laying another bill on the counter, pulled Emily outside. It was raining, but Emily didn't seem to notice as she got soaked, waiting for Andy to get the car. She'd seen Simile, and Simile was with another woman. She'd moved on.