"If we take the bracelet off, will it help?" I asked.
"I don't know, I've no idea what she is, she never was very talkative." The elf paused for a moment. "But if you take mine off, I might be able to help."
I nodded and turned to Charlie who was now crouched with the other two trying to manoeuvre the woman into a more comfortable position. "Can I have the key?" I asked him.
He didn't look at me but held his hand out. I grabbed the key and turned back to the women, taking a couple of steps forward so I was close enough to unlock the manacles and let them fall to the floor.
"Thanks," Arwen said as the metal fell to the floor.
I turned to Scarlet next, quickly undoing the lock. "Is there anything I can get you to be more comfortable?" I whispered.
She shook her head but didn't say a word. I gave her a weak smile. Hopefully she'd hold strong until we were done with Jenny.
Without waiting for more, I focused my attention on my wolves, pushing Mika out of the way so I could get to Jenny's wrist. I slotted the key in and undid the manacle in a couple of seconds. I had to admit to being semi-disappointed when nothing actually happened. Magic didn't over take her body and heal the wounds. Nor did it do anything special.
Zeke gave me a sideways glance, as if knowing what I was thinking.
"Arwen is going to try," I whispered to him. He nodded, then gave his wolves looks that told them they needed to do his bidding. All three of them backed off in seconds.
"What do you want us to do?" he asked the elf.
"Nothing," she replied honestly. "I don't think it's a good idea for her to be surrounded by men with all she's been through."
Zeke nodded and backed away to stand with the other wolves. "And you're sure it was just the ten people?" he asked.
"Yes. I've been here for six months, I'm sure," she snapped.
"Six months?" I whispered, not sure if I was actually asking her a question or just stating a fact. Most likely a bit of both given where my mind currently was.
"Yes, six," she responded. "Here, hold this." She shoved a wad of fabric into my hand and I took it, not knowing what else to do.
She placed both of her hands on Jenny's forehead and began to sing in what I assumed was the elvish language, but I had no way of knowing. I had next to no knowledge of elvish ways, though I hadn't realised anyone other than necromancers and sirens used song to control their magic.
The wolves shuffled about in front of us, clearly not too sure what they should be doing with themselves. Zeke took one look at the situation and shook his head. "We'll go scout out the rest of the place."
I nodded, wishing I had an excuse to go with them, and not just because I wanted to be away from here. A part of me was morbidly curious about what they'd find. I hadn't seen much of this place during my stay here, and all the talk of the Greater Good earlier had me curious.
They left with lingering looks, but no further words.
"Good, they've gone," Arwen muttered.
"You wanted them gone?" I asked.
"Only because it's unfair to Jenny to check her while there are men in her room."
"Ah." I could understand that. I didn't really want them in a room with a mostly naked woman either.
The elf quickly stripped the woman down and began to take her vitals. "Okay, I think we're out of the danger zone."
"What did you do?" Curiosity got the better of me as the words slipped out.
"I did a calming enchantment. It's nothing like a fae could manage, but short of having one..."
"I am fae. But only Spring Fae have healing magic," I responded.
"Annoying," she replied.
"Tell me about it," I muttered.
"How come you're on this side?" she asked while redressing Jenny, who was still shuddering, but no longer bumbling out unknown words.
"A misunderstanding. You?" Elves normally lived on the fae side of the portals. I hadn't encountered one since before I'd left home.
"I was born here. I don't know what my parents did to get cast out, but they lived on earth their whole lives."
"I'm sorry," I replied.
"Nothing to be sorry for. I have a better life here than I would in elf society. I've heard stories."
"Present situation excluded."
She laughed lightly. "Oh no, included. This was bad, but not as bad as being sold to the highest bidder or bound to the High Lord."
"That really happens?" I'd only ever heard rumours.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "But every elf I've met has mentioned the High Lord's harem. And the designs he has on keeping a fae princess for himself."
I snorted.
Arwen raised a questioning eyebrow.
"He's one short. Plus, Summer and Winter were in a relationship last I heard." And having seen the two of them together, I didn't think anything would tear them apart, even if their seasons were at odds.
"You're a Fae Princess?"
"Of Autumn, yes." I saw no point in hiding it from her. Elves were from the fae side anyway and it wasn't like she was going to turn on me. Not with my wolves still close by and the other two women so close.
"Interesting." Arwen moved the other woman so she was lying in the recovery position, hopefully keeping her from being too sick. "Pass the shirt?"
I handed her the fabric I'd been holding and she slipped it under the other woman's head, creating a makeshift pillow. Smart. I'd have to remember that trick.
"Can you call your men back?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Not within my powers, but I can go find them."
"Probably best if you do."
I rose to my feet, pleased to have helped at least a little bit. "I'll be back soon."
She gave me a weak smile before turning back to Scarlet and whispering softly. I left the three of them behind and went back out into the facility to find my men. All we had to do then was leave this place and get to sanctuary.
And maybe burn it to the ground. I was all for doing that too. No one should ever set foot in this place ever again.
Chapter Eleven
Three Days Later...
Sanctuary. A word I'd thought about so many times since the world ended, never quite believing it was real. That there was a place where paranormals could feel safe and secure. Without the threat of the weather hanging over our heads all the time.
Yet, here I was. Standing at the entrance with my wolves and the three women in tow. All of us no less harmed than we had been before, despite the attempts of no less than four hail storms. I was just glad Zeke seemed to know the area well enough to take us to safety whenever they hit.
"It's a little...underwhelming," I admitted, looking at the rundown entrance to a block of flats. The windows had jagged edges where the glass had been and some kind of bindweed had taken over most of the concrete. it was pretty impressive that the plant had managed to survive this long. I wouldn't be surprised if it was able to survive a nuclear fallout.
Zeke chuckled. "It's not what it seems," he said cryptically.
I rolled my eyes, not dignifying him with a response. It might not be what it seemed, but that didn't change how I was feeling. I'd been expecting a giant fence and a platoon of guards.
"How do we get in?" Arwen asked. She had her arms around Scarlet, which seemed to be norm for the two women. She seemed taken by the elf, even more so than Jenny, who had regained proper consciousness the day before. She was still being carried though. I didn't know what they'd done to the poor woman. It was almost like she'd been destroyed.
"Alden!" Zeke called out.
Well that was stupid. Why was he letting others know our location?
To my surprise, his call worked, and the door creaked open, revealing a tall blond man who seemed vaguely familiar to me.
"Ah, Zeke, you made it back." The man beamed at us, but I was more focused on his voice. I knew him from somewhere.
Wait? What was the name Zeke had shouted? Alden? Could this be...
"Profes
sor?" I asked carefully.
Alden jumped slightly and his gaze swivelled towards me. He looked me up and down, his eyes widening as he did. "Rhianna?"
I nodded vigorously, tears pooling in my eyes. I really shouldn't be getting so emotional over seeing my English professor but seeing anyone from before was a miracle and it had me a little surprised.
"You know each other?" Zeke asked.
"I used to teach her," Alden replied. "I guess I was right about you not being human."
"Same here," I responded, a small disbelieving giggle leaving my lips.
"You should get in here before the weather turns," he instructed, turning a little more authoritative like the teacher he'd been before.
The wolves ushered Arwen and Scarlet in first, before Charlie followed with Jenny still in his arms. The rest of us brought up the rear and stepped inside the dark building.
The insides looked no better than the outside and the word sanctuary seemed like a little bit of a stretch.
"So...you know Alden?" Mika asked.
I nodded. "And you do?" I prompted, hoping he took it upon himself to answer the question I was really asking rather than the one I said out loud.
"He's the last surviving member of the Shifter Council," he responded, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me to him.
I pressed myself into Mika's warmth, enjoying his closeness.
"That we know about," Alden called back. "I somehow doubt Arabella would let a little thing like the end of the world stop her."
Zeke scoffed. "You can say that again."
The shifters all laughed, leaving the rest of us completely in the dark. Men could be pains sometimes.
"So, this is sanctuary?" I tried.
"Not quite," Jacob responded.
"Then..."
"Just wait," he answered before I could finish speaking.
Alden led us to a ladder going down into a cellar. I shot a look around at the others but none of them looked in the slightest bit surprised by this except for Arwen. Scarlet didn't seem to care at all and Jenny appeared to have fallen asleep again.
"It's the way in," Jacob said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Alright then..." I trailed off, watching as one by one, my wolves disappeared down save for Jacob, passing Jenny between them as carefully as they could.
"No way," Arwen muttered, shaking her head. "I can't."
"You can," I replied. "It's safe down there."
Terror crossed her eyes.
"You can do this," I whispered. "I can create a light to show you the way?" I offered, at a loss for what else to do.
She nodded eagerly and I had a ball of bronze light in my hand before she'd even stopped. I directed my magic to travel with her and give her strength.
The moment her arms left Scarlet, the other woman reached back out towards her. Cute, but worrying in some ways. The woman hadn't said a word since we'd left the facility.
"That was a good thing you did," Jacob whispered in my ear.
"Thanks," I responded. Though I didn't agree with him. It wasn't a nice thing I did, it was just a decent thing. To treat someone who'd been through six months of evil with an ounce of kindness was just what people should do.
Scarlet followed Arwen eagerly and I sighed in relief. That was one less problem.
"I guess it's our turn now?" I asked, looking up at him.
"In a moment."
Instead of moving, he turned me by my shoulder and leaned in to press his lips against mine. I melted into him, grateful for the contact. I hadn't realised how much I needed a kiss until that moment. Having the three women in tow hadn't been all that good for private moments with my wolves.
He pulled back and a giddy smile pulled at my lips. The bond was definitely strengthening, though there were a few more things we needed to do before it was totally complete.
"After you." He nodded towards the ladder.
That was my cue then. Slowly, I lowered myself down, nervous about what to expect when I got to the bottom. Somewhat surprisingly, that didn't take long, and my feet hit the floor moments later. The room I found myself in was completely barren, though cleaner than the building above at least. It only had one door though, which made it easy to work out what to do next.
I should have waited for Jacob, but my curiosity got the better of me and I made my way through the exit.
My mouth fell open as I took in the scene in front of me. When I'd imagined sanctuary in my head, this wasn't what I'd expected, but it was so much better. We'd clearly entered into what was a common area, and it was full of people, all of them busy talking and working. Some even had children playing at their feet.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Mika asked.
"Stunning."
"There's three more acres of this. Private rooms, some communal ones. A farm..."
"A farm?" I couldn't believe they'd managed to create a farm. They must have someone seriously intelligent here.
"Yes, a farm. How else would they feed everyone?" Charlie asked.
"Where's Jenny?" I avoided his question. I'd been wondering that but hadn't wanted to ask.
"She's been taken to the infirmary. I think Alden's mate is trying to figure out what they did to her."
"She's a healer?"
"No, a necromancer," Charlie answered.
"The one you mentioned?" I asked Zeke.
"One and the same," he acknowledged.
"This is..." I didn't have words. It was everything I'd dared to dream and more several times over.
"Home," Jacob said from behind me.
"Yes, this is home," I repeated.
Home for me and my wolves. Just where I always wanted to be, even if I hadn’t realised it until this moment.
THE END
Thank you for reading Wolf Blessed. If you’d like to continue the series, you can in Fae Blessed (http://books2read.com/faeblessed) and Elf Blessed (http://books2read.com/elfblessed) with book 4 coming soon! Or you can join my mailing list here: http://www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/mailing-list-sign-up.html
Other Reverse Harem by Laura Greenwood
Fated Seasons: Winter (Reverse Harem)
Saving Eira: http://books2read.com/savingeira (also available in Audio)
Reigning Eira: http://books2read.com/reigningeira
Frost’s Forfeit (Prequel): http://books2read.com/frostsforfeit
Fated Seasons: Spring (Reverse Harem)
Chasing Aledwen: http://books2read.com/chasingaledwen (also available in Audio)
Rising Aledwen: Coming Soon
Paranormal Criminal Investigations
Spell Caster: http://books2read.com/spellcaster
Spell Tamer: Coming Soon
Standalone Stories From The Paranormal Council Universe
Death’s Choice: http://books2read.com/deathschoice
Blessed (Paranormal Apocalyptic Reverse Harem)
Wolf Blessed: http://books2read.com/wolfblessed (also available in Audio)
Fae Blessed: http://books2read.com/faeblessed (also available in Audio)
Elf Blessed: http://books2read.com/elfblessed
Ashryn Barker Trilogy (Urban Fantasy Reverse Harem)
Shattered Illusions: http://books2read.com/shatteredillusions (also available in Audio)
Broken Illusions: http://books2read.com/brokenillusions (also available in Audio)
Tarnished Illusions: http://books2read.com/tarnishedillusions (also available in Audio)
Boxed Set: http://books2read.com/ashrynbarker
ME Standalone Contemporary Reverse Harems
Sweet About Me: http://books2read.com/sweetaboutme (also available in Audio)
Kneel For Me: http://books2read.com/kneelforme (also available in Audio)
Heard From Me: http://books2read.com/heardfromme (also available in Audio)
Laid By Me: http://books2read.com/laidbyme
Renegade Dragons, co-written with Arizona Tape (paranormal reverse harem)
Fifth Soul: http://books2read.com/fift
hsoul (also available in Audio)
Fifth Round: http://books2read.com/fifthround
Fifth Flame: http://books2read.com/fifthflame
Seven Wardens, co-written with Skye MacKinnon (Paranormal/Fantasy Reverse Harem)
From the Deeps: http://books2read.com/fromthedeeps (also available in Audio)
Into the Mists: http://books2read.com/intothemists
Beneath the Earth: http://books2read.com/beneaththeearth
Within the Flames: http://books2read.com/withintheflames
Above the Waves: http://books2read.com/abovethewaves
Under the Ice: http://books2read.com/undertheice
Rule the Dark: http://books2read.com/rulethedark
Through the Storms (Spin-Off): http://books2read.com/throughthestorms
Below the Baubles (Christmas Novella): http://books2read.com/btb
Beyond the Loch (Prequel): http://books2read.com/beyondtheloch
Books #1-4 Boxed Set: http://books2read.com/sevenwardens1
Harem of Misery, co-written with A.K. Koonce (Paranormal/Fantasy Reverse Harem)
Pandora’s Pain: http://books2read.com/pandoraspain
Pandora’s Envy: Coming Soon
Mountain Shifters, co-written with L.A. Boruff (Paranormal Reverse Harem)
Valentine Pride: http://books2read.com/valentinepride
Mountain Shifters #2: http://books2read.com/luckybts
About Laura Greenwood
Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary romance. When she's not writing, she can be found drinking ridiculous amounts of tea, trying to resist French Macaroons, and watching the Pitch Perfect trilogy for the hundredth time (at least!)
You can check out Laura's Website here:
www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk
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Hers From The Start: A Collection of First In Series Reverse Harem Page 10