“So, when can I leave?” It was the most important question on her mind, so it had to be the next thing she asked. He paused on the stairs to turn toward her.
“You can’t, at least not yet. Alpha Beatrice explained that-” he started but she cut him off.
“You can’t keep me here! I’m not one of you! You have to release me, there are laws about holding someone against their will! I’m not a werewolf, I’m human!” She couldn’t help it, she snapped. This was ludicrous, she was a human and not a werewolf. She had committed no crimes that they could prove, so she had to be released. She was trying not to freak out, but everything was moving so fast. Elizabeth reached up to grab her head, back against the wall as she sunk to the ground, knees to her chest. I am human. Human! She internally screamed.
‘Are you?’
That voice, she knew it. It was the voice that called her to come back from her coma. Elizabeth’s eyes flashed open and she glanced around quickly, frantically before she returned them to Nicholas who looked to be at a complete loss. His hands were out, as if to help her, but he didn't know what to do. It wasn’t him who had spoken, this voice was female. Who was it… and where did it come from?
“Elizabeth, are you okay? I can go get Dr. Gerald if you want to go back. Maybe you’re not ready, hang on I’ll b-” He turned to leave her in the stairwell. She couldn’t let him leave, she couldn’t be alone. He suddenly stopped, and looked down at the hand she had placed on his sleeve. She didn’t even remember moving, but she was glad she did.
“No, I’m… I’m fine,” her voice sounded flat, even to her own ears. She would have laughed at the look of panic in this strong man’s eyes if she had the ability. Currently, her mind was blank, with only a single thought able to surface at a time. “Prove it.”
“Prove it?” He repeated, confusion lacing his words.
She raised her emerald eyes to look into his pale blue ones. “Prove you are a werewolf. Transform. Show me the wolf inside you.” Did she really want to see that? Yes, it was the only thing that would for sure prove she had heard that voice, that she wasn’t insane as she feared.
“I…” he paused, eyes frantically searching for answers as if they were somewhere on the stairs in the dirt sprinkled at their feet. He seemed to have found nothing, as he sighed before responding simply, “I can’t.”
“You can’t?” She mirrored his words as he had done to her seconds before.
“No, I can’t. I’m sorry. If there is anything else I can-”
“Can’t or won’t?” She questioned.
“What do you-”
“You ‘can’t’ transform, or you ‘won’t’? You becoming a wolf right before my eyes, here in this stairway would prove beyond a doubt that you are a werewolf, and ‘you can’t’?” She sounded a little hysterical, but she didn’t care. This wasn’t real, maybe she was still dreaming, still asleep.
“I - look, I can’t do that right now, not here, but I promise it’ll all make sense soon. Let me help you up and we can talk, okay? I’m not going to hurt you. I… I hope you know that.” Those words seemed to hurt him to say. “Let me help you to your den, and maybe we can talk about you leaving soon. You’re clearly not feeling well, so maybe some quiet in some more comforting surroundings will help you feel better. And maybe… maybe I’ll show you there. I can’t do it here, okay?” His tone was supposed to be soothing, but it just made her feel like a child.
“Why?! Why can’t you transform here?!” She practically screamed at him, her voice echoing off the stone walls. The sound made him flinch back from her like he’d been slapped.
“I promised the Alpha that I wouldn’t, but if we get to your den, away from prying eyes, I will show you. Also, these stairs are a bit cramped for my transformed size. I might hurt you, so just take my hand and we’ll sort this out. okay? Please?” He held his hand out again, begging her to take it.
He promised, she thought. He promised to show me. Slowly, carefully, she reached up her hand to place it in his. He gripped it gently, as if fearing he might break her. Considering how fragile her hold on reality felt, his concern was warranted.
He led her up the flight of stairs, and upon hitting the landing, headed straight from there. Light seemed to emanate from the walls, easily enough light to see by but, compared to the brighter lights of the med ward, where they walked was dim. They passed a few hallways, a quick glance would show large holes carved into the Limestone walls presumably leading to other dens, but she couldn’t be bothered to look. He was taking her somewhere enclosed where he could “show her” his transformation. She was so close to either being proven wrong, or in an even worse situation, and the thought scared her. He was talking to her the whole time, but she only caught some of what he said, so she asked him to repeat it. At her words, he glanced her direction. She hadn’t spoken since the stairway breakdown.
“I was saying that there are different levels to the Packden. All single, unattached males and females are kept on the outer ring for defense. The family dens we are passing now, they are where the couples with children are housed. The Alpha and Beta chambers are above where we are now so they can get down quickly and help in defense should the need arise. I’m taking you toward the back of the female areas, but if you ever need me for...anything, I’ll be up the stairs in the first den on the right. You can come to me anytime you need anything, but there are other single females you may befriend, a very nice one named Camila is only two doors down from you.” They had stopped in front of a door with the placard F32 engraved on it. She looked around noticing other placards, some empty, some with numbers and names.
“You’ll get your name on yours soon. By the way, what is your full name? The Alpha wanted to get it, because you haven’t given us your full name yet,” he asked.
“Winters. Elizabeth Winters, is… is this my apartment?” She opened the door and was shocked it looked so… normal. Smooth walls, new appliances, open layout with a joined kitchen/dining/living room. She stepped inside, glancing briefly around the room before turning back to Nicholas. He had followed her inside, but still stood close to the doorway.
“We call it a den, but yes. Your bedroom is that door there, the bathroom is just down the little hallway. Clothes and linens are in the closets, and everything should fit fine. If you have any problems with anything I can-”
“Shut up, stop stalling and do it,” she snapped. He was trying to distract her, showing her all of this, but she wouldn’t bite. He promised to transform, once they got to her “den” and now that they were here, she could tell he was trying to distract her so he wouldn't have to be proven a fraud.
“Well, I j-just wanted to show you around. See if you like the bed you have, it's much better than the hospital bed you were sleeping on,” he tried again. Another distraction, but this one nearly worked. She did want to throw herself on that soft bed and sleep this nightmare away.
“No, not now. I can't leave because your Alpha says I can’t. I can’t see you transform because your Alpha says I can’t. There is so much that I can’t do, I just want something I can do and what I can do is look around later. Something you can do is transform like you promised. We are out of the open, you no longer have any excuse! Transform or let me leave and go home!” She wrapped her arms around herself trying to stop her shaking. She’d been in this kind of situation before, and she wouldn’t be trapped like that again. She wouldn’t survive if she did.
He took a step toward her, arms out in a non-threatening gesture. “I can’t disobey the Alpha: I can’t show you my wolf form. Trust me, it’s for the best. Please, I need you to believe me.”
“No, stay away!” She started backing away. She wouldn't be hit again, she wouldn't! Continuing to back up, her feet hit something and tripped over a table holding small, empty picture frames. One of them fell on the ground, shattering on the stone floor, the sound breaking what was left of her self control. Suddenly she felt a pull, a strong force pulling her deep into herself and sudden
ly her vision shrunk. She became aware that she was lower to the ground now, but she was standing. There was no pain, no fear, just anger. Protective anger, wrapping around her, keeping her safe. She heard a growl, low and deep, a warning. She could see Nicholas standing there in shock. Why did he look like that? Why did he look at her like that.
“Elizabeth, you need to calm down-”
She snarled at him, snapping at the air as she growled loudly. She was standing on four legs, she felt the pads of her paws on the cool stone floor, lips pulled back to reveal sharp teeth. Her ears pressed flat against her head, her tail between her hind legs. She wouldn’t let herself be hurt again!
She was a wolf. No, a werewolf.
Chapter Three
Elizabeth felt like an outsider looking in as she viewed the world from a little bubble of consciousness. She felt warm, protected, safe, like she could be there forever and never have to worry about being hurt or in pain again. She curled deeper into herself as she floated in her subconscious. Eventually, she became vaguely aware of someone calling her name, over and over again. Why wouldn’t they go away? Let her rest. She was safe here. She felt a slight pull again, and another clearer voice rang out around her.
“I keep her safe! Stay back!”
She knew this voice, trusted it above all else. She couldn't tell why, but she did. Whoever this voice belonged to, she would protect Elizabeth no matter what.
‘I understand that, but I-we need her here. We have to talk. Elizabeth, don’t lose yourself to the wolf! Whatever you do, don’t lose yourself!’ This new voice was male, and males were not to be trusted. But some small part of her knew this voice, and he had never hurt her.
“Not yet!” The defending voice said to Elizabeth. “He no hurt, but he will! All do!”
The shock on his face indicated that he heard the other voice too as he responded, ‘No, I won’t hurt her. I promised, the Alpha promised. You won’t be harmed while you are in this pack! You are safe here! Change back, and let’s talk calmly.’
He sounded scared, should she help him? She liked helping people, it made her feel better about herself knowing that she was important to someone else. Elizabeth started to push against the bubble she felt her consciousness in, push toward the male voice.
‘That’s it Elizabeth, I’ll help you understand all of this. Just change back so we can talk normally.’ His voice was getting louder as she drew closer to it, to him. She saw him rush away and come back with a blanket to drape it over her, making her feel warm and safe. There was no pain as her paws became hands again, her tail shrunk until it was gone, her ears returning to the side of her head. It was slow, slower than her changing into a wolf was, but she supposed her emotions had something to do with that. Nicholas still spoke to her calmly, keeping his distance until she was fully changed back.
“Welcome back from your first transformation, Elizabeth. Some don’t come back for weeks after their first shift,” He tried to make light of this difficult situation, but failed as she glared at him. He swallowed hard before he continued, his voice sobered up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to do or how to react. I couldn’t have guessed at...well, your past. We don’t know anything about you so I… I’m just really sorry. And stupid, I’m really stupid.”
Elizabeth pulled the blanket around herself, instantly knowing why he’d given it to her. Her clothes lay on the floor at her feet. She found herself unable to move, unable to process what happened even though she had just lived through it. For a few moments, she was a wolf. That voice that was speaking, it wasn’t hers.
“Who… who was that?” She stammered.
“Who was who?” Nicholas asked.
“The voice, the one talking to you. I-it wasn’t me, I was wrapped in warmth, not thinking just feeling… safe,” she tried to put words to how she felt, but she couldn’t. Nothing she could say did that strong sense of feeling protected any justice.
“Oh, that was probably your inner wolf. She was pretty strong to take you over so quickly, either that or your emotions overwhelmed you so completely that she came out. Our wolves, they are us, but also different. Not quite like another personality, but more like our defense mechanism. Our wolf forms are stronger and more durable than being as you and I are now. Judging from how quickly she learned to talk to me... You’re going to be very strong someday.” He almost sounded impressed.
“I just turned into a wolf and you are sounding smug about it! How can that, I mean how can I…” she couldn’t finish the thought because she knew the answer. She was bitten by a werewolf and became one because of it. “Who did this to me? Was it that Jeremiah guy?” She felt on the verge of tears.
“No, it wasn’t him. Honestly we… we don’t know who turned you,” he turned his head away as he spoke, in shame if she had to guess. The shame of not knowing who bit her? Or was it something else?
After a few steadying breaths, she stood up straighter and turned toward Nicholas. “Well, at least that answers my questions about werewolves. You said once I learned what I needed to, I’d be free to leave, right?”
“Well, yes. Once you’ve proven you won’t reveal us to the world by accident, then you should be free to come and go as you please. There is still a lot to learn, and you just went through your first shift, so you need some time to process everything. I’ll leave you for now so you can relax and come check on you later. Just stay here. Inside. Where it’s safe, okay? If you have another attack like that, you could really hurt someone and we do have several children in this pack who might be curious.” His worry, thick in his voice and etched on his face, made him look years older than he normally seemed. She felt for him, after all she had been through today, she still felt for him. Damn bleeding heart, that’s what got you into trouble last time, she cursed herself.
“Okay,” is what she said. “I’ll stay here. Will you come back soon? Maybe bring some lunch? I haven’t eaten anything solid in a while.” Which wasn’t a lie, she couldn’t remember the last time she had tasted real food.
“Sure, yes! Okay! I’ll go check the kitchen now, but there should be some snacks in the pantry. They should hold you over till I get back. Oh, and don’t be surprised by the amount, you’re gonna wanna eat more than normal. Being a wolf and all, plus you shifted so… yea, I’ll be going now. See you in about an hour.” He looked like he couldn’t be happier to be out of that situation, and she was glad of it too. She had to plan her escape and she couldn’t do that if he was there.
She went to the kitchen and started checking the fridge and the cupboards, finding a wide variety of snack foods. Everything from pastries, chips, and flavored beef jerky, she was shocked by the amount. Even more shocked when she felt her stomach grumble loudly at the sight of her favorite Fritos and snack cakes. She grabbed both and closed the cupboards while moving into the living area to sit on the couch. She tore open the chips and as she munched she took in the room around her. In front of her sat a 50” flat screen TV hooked up to a blu ray player and all the latest gaming consoles. Glancing around for the remote she noticed it had buttons for a few streaming services for quick access.
“Guess even werewolves get wifi,” she mused aloud. The couch she sat on was very comfortable with its overstuffed cushions. With a quick test, she confirmed that this couch had dual recliners, her favorite kind. She found herself smiling despite her situation. She stood up, still holding her Fritos as she walked around the den to get a better feel for the place. A small, round dining table stood across the kitchen in the open concept space. She remembered Nicholas explained where the doors lead and headed toward the bedroom, walking over a couple of different rugs which seemingly separated the spaces without walls. Upon opening the door, she saw a full sized bed against the wall, a desk on the opposite wall with a new laptop set up with a wireless mouse. When she pushed down on the bed she found it had the same firmness as her bed at home.
She saw two doors in this room besides the one she had come in through. Upon opening the firs
t, she found a closet full of different style clothes all with the Cool Type logo somewhere visible on the article. There was a note on the inside of the closet door that read, “These are all I have in your size. If something does not fit your style, please place them in the box on the floor and leave them outside your den. Anything not sent back will be assumed acceptable and you shall receive more of them every month. Signed, Alpha Beatrice.” Simple and to the point, what else could you expect from a businesswoman. “All she had?” As in she had this much in storage somewhere? What was she, a stockbroker for the creators of Cool Type? After selecting a few pieces and getting dressed, Elizabeth picked up her bag and found it empty. When had she ever eaten a whole bag of Fritos so quickly? Deciding she’d deal with the clothes later, she closed the closet and headed for the next door, dropping the empty bag on her bed to clean up later.
As soon as the thought registered she stopped, hand hovering over the other door handle. “Her bed?” Was she already claiming this space? Wasn’t she supposed to be planning an escape? Why was she eating and wandering around like she already belonged? Did she belong here, with these people? She was coming to terms with the fact that her life was forever altered by the little fact that she could turn into a wolf. Maybe she did belong here, with others like her. A sense of calm washed over her at that. She belonged. When was the last time she felt like she belonged… anywhere? With her ex, Rob? When she was a child? It had been a long time, or at least it felt that way. Chalking it up to shock, she decided to deal with that later too and continued the inspection of her temporary home. As long as she referred to this place as temporary, maybe things would make sense later.
Pureblood (Pureblood series) Page 3