by Sara Snow
Do you prefer to die than to live? I woke up with a start those words in my head.
The voice inside my mind had asked a good question. I looked around the room, realizing it was morning, but it felt like I had only just closed my eyes to sleep.
However, being trapped here as a prisoner forever among people who hate my species isn’t what I call living. Dying doesn’t sound fun either. I should be thinking of ways to escape, but I’d be a moron to think I could get out without a house full of werewolves noticing. There was no way I could outrun a werewolf, let alone a pack of them.
Time to face facts: life as I knew it was over.
Two days. I enjoyed life at college for two whole days before this shit show began. I’d long since lost track of time. I’m not sure how many days have passed since I was brought here, but I know I can kiss that scholarship goodbye.
I shook my head and turned my back to the window. There was only one explanation – I was cursed. I think I’ve always known. It’s time to stop pretending. What are the odds of almost being raped, only to be saved by a werewolf, who then tells you it’s their law to kill any human who sees them?
Am I the only one who sees how ridiculous this is? I’m at risk of being killed for being saved. If cursed doesn’t explain it, I don’t know what does.
Unable to lie in bed any longer, I got up and took a quick shower. Thank God there was a bathroom, and a room with a bed at least. I’d think they’d throw humans into dark dank cells. I pulled on the jeans and top that I had woken up to find on the sofa across the room. There was a comb, toothbrush, deodorant, and other necessities in the bathroom as well. In addition to being given all these things to be comfortable, I was being fed twice a day. It seemed I would escape the “immediate death” option.
A quick glance in the mirror showed me I was starting to look incredibly pale from being inside for so long. If I’m forced to deal with another week or even a month of this, I’ll become practically transparent. I couldn’t help noticing how good my skin looked otherwise, though. There seemed to be a glow to my skin and a brightness to my eyes that had never been there before. I also felt a strength within my muscles that I’d never felt before. Maybe it was all the sleep I was getting?
I shook my head and threw the hairbrush down in disgust. I wasn’t at a spa retreat, for God’s sake. I was trapped in a house filled with monsters.
Do they hunt and eat people? How long will I survive living here before someone decides I look like a tasty snack?
I was making my way across the room to sit by the window when a knock came at the door and it opened. My body grew tense and my heart pounded like a drum in my ears as the largest man I’d ever seen in my life walked into the room.
His body almost filled the doorway, and I swallowed hard as he bent his head to walk under the door frame.
He was tall, six foot seven maybe? His eyes were black pools and his beard was thick. It took me only a moment to realize who he must be, Mathieu Blackwood, Xavier's father and alpha of this pack. When I first heard Natalie mention him, I might have looked him up online. Just out of curiosity, of course. I hadn't been able to find any pictures of him, despite him being a millionaire.
Were all wolves this large?
He looked me up and down, his eyes and face revealing nothing of what he might be thinking. Like the good human I am, one who doesn’t want to be eaten, I stayed quiet and rooted in place.
“Come.”
He turned and walked away, leaving the door open for me to follow him. He didn’t spare a glance behind him to make sure I was following. He knew I wasn’t going to defy him.
I walked behind him quietly, my eyes trying to absorb as much of my surroundings as possible. I had imagined the house to be dark and mysterious, semi-lit, with antique furniture and creepy halls. As we descended a large double staircase, and then another and another before going outside, I was pleasantly surprised with how beautiful the house is. The décor was simple but elegant, gold-handled doors and marble floors. Mathieu Blackwood wasn’t just a werewolf; he was a wealthy man. Why would he not be living comfortably?
Yes, I’m curious about him, as well as Xavier and Natalie. I want to know what they are, what it means to be what they are. I want to know their history and their plans for their future. If I’m now linked to these people, I want to know everything about them. And not just werewolves for that matter.
I’ve always been a fan of the supernatural, and now I was a prisoner in their world. I might as well gain a better understanding of my new reality.
Once we were outside, I paused to stare up at the house, my hand on my forehead to shield my eyes from the morning sun.
I closed my eyes for a moment as I inhaled the scent of fresh air, and with my head tilted up to the sky I smiled as I felt the sun warming my skin. My body relaxed for the first time in days as I felt the cool breeze brush over me. The view from my room had shown nothing but trees upon trees, so I had known we were in the woods. But actually being outside, smelling the fresh air, was so soothing.
“When I was younger, I used to do the same.”
Just like that, my euphoric haze crashed back into reality. Since I had stopped walking and had fallen behind, distracted by the world around me, I hadn’t realized he had returned to my side. Mathieu’s deep baritone voice caused the air to vibrate with each word he spoke, pulling me from my daydream.
“I’d stand and inhale the air. The air in the city is stuffy, tainted.” He looked down at me, and although he wasn’t smiling, he wasn’t looking at me with hatred either. “Do you like the house?”
Was this man really asking me about his house right now?
“I do. It’s not what I was expecting.”
He scoffed at that. “I know.” He looked up at the house. “This house has been in my family for generations, with a few renovations here and there, of course. This is my home, and the home for many wolves.” He looked down at me. “A human being here puts them all, us all, in great jeopardy.”
I swallowed. “Sir, I find it hard to open a jar of jam sometimes. I’m no danger to any werewolf, let alone a pack of them.”
His brow arched. “Are you scared?”
“I’m scared of being killed. I don’t want to die.”
“Are you scared of the monsters that are surrounding you right now?”
I looked back as a man walked through the door we had just exited. He was shirtless with both his arms covered in tattoos and I watched as he paused, sniffed the air, and then looked my way.
He stood there, his eyes piercing mine, before he suddenly took off at a run. My eyes widened as within seconds he disappeared into the woods. Though my heart was hammering in my chest, I realized it wasn't from fear but excitement, and from curiosity to know how he was able to do that. No, I wasn't scared of werewolves. They are people, just not the kind I'm used to. It's not like I have a great love for humans anyway. Most people annoy me to no end.
"I'm not scared of werewolves unless one decides to attack me. What I am is curious. I want to know more. Humans I know all about, and sometimes I wish I didn’t. Werewolves are all new.”
After a few seconds had passed without a response from Mathieu, I looked his way and found him staring down at me.
Shit, had I said something wrong?
“I um…”
“I’ll release you,” he said as he cut me off, and my mouth dropped open. “I’ll release you to attend school and to work. I understand you work at a diner in the city. But you will be living here from now on. You may come and go as you please, but you will remain under my watch, my care. Say nothing about what we are to anyone and I’ll have no reason to harm you.”
His threat didn't go unnoticed by me. I wasn't being given freedom exactly, I was just getting a long leash. My mouth opened and closed, and he tilted his head to the side as he watched me. I didn't have to ask. I knew my options were to take this deal or die.
“Okay,” I replied, my voice a mere whi
sper. “But why? It’s your law to kill any human who finds out about werewolves. It’s already clear to me that humans are hated, that I’m hated. Why spare me and invite me to live with you?”
He turned his back to the house as he buried his hands in his pockets, his crisp white shirt stretching somewhat. We stood in silence, both of us listening to the sounds of the forest, but I knew he was hearing so much more than I was.
“My son spoke to me, as did Natalie. They’ve both convinced me to let you stay. There will be a time when humans and werewolves will have to come together again. And if you tell anyone I said that I’ll rip your throat out.” My eyes widened but I kept my eyes forward. “Times are changing, and we need to change with them. My wolves need to be comfortable around a human. We’ll learn from you and you’ll learn from us. That seems fair doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
In my peripheral vision, I saw him nod his head and remove his large hands from his pockets. I was all too aware that those would be the hands to strangle me if I ever stepped out of line. Would the alpha do such a messy job or would he get some sort of enforcer to do the deed. Would it be Xavier?
"The human saying is, keep your friends close and your enemies closer." He looked down at me. In my mind, I heard jail cells slamming closed. "You will be moved to a different room and someone will bring your things from your apartment. I'm afraid I must go, but it was nice talking to you Ruby. I see what Natalie saw in you."
◆◆◆
Ruby
Another sleepless night had me restless, my thoughts keeping me awake despite my tired eyes.
My new room would be ready tomorrow, the start of a new life as a guinea pig to werewolves. Mathieu had said his wolves would learn from me, but what was I supposed to teach them? Don't they all live alongside humans anyway? What had he meant when he said one day humans and werewolves would have to come together? He had also said again. Did that mean humans used to live alongside werewolves?
“I see what Natalie saw in you.”
What had she seen? I still couldn’t believe she had taken a deep dive into my mind. Maybe if I hadn’t told her to leave me alone I could find her and ask her to put me to sleep the way she had before. In the daytime I can force myself to think of other things, but night causes my doubts and fears to come alive to plague me.
I wasn’t even sure if I was handling this all correctly. What’s the correct way to deal with something like this? First I’m to be killed, and now I’m a part of the family? Something else was going on here.
“Too many questions,” I groaned as I pressed my thumbs against my temples.
Well, if I couldn’t sleep, might as well try to find something to eat. Since this was now my new home, I doubted anyone would hurt me if I took a walk to the kitchen, wherever that was.
It’s easy to get an anxiety attack when you know you’re sneaking around a house that’s filled with people who can hear a pin drop from a mile away. The house was deathly quiet as I made my way to the first floor. I’d left my slippers in my room, figuring I’d be quieter in my bare feet, but it probably didn’t matter, they’d hear me anyway.
I reached the first floor and heard a noise. I decided to check it out. Hopefully, whoever else was wandering around the house would be friendly enough to point me in the direction of the kitchen. I hadn't eaten anything all day, my appetite having been wiped away by the bomb Mathieu had dropped.
"Bingo!" I said under my breath as I spotted the kitchen. But as I entered it, I found Natalie staring right at me.
“You heard me coming?”
She smiled shyly and nodded. “Are you hungry?”
I nodded as well and walked further into the kitchen. My brow rose at her neon pink night set. “Yeah, I have a headache.”
She got up from the island and walked over to the fridge. “So, I guess Mathieu spoke to you then. It’s not so bad here, once you get used to it.”
She pulled out some rotisserie chicken and shoved it into the microwave before pouring us both some orange juice. I narrowed my eyes at her as she took her seat once more, the microwave rumbling behind her. She didn’t seem upset with me, though not exactly her perky self either.
“I’m sorry for how I behaved before,” I said.
She smiled again, although this time wider. “It’s okay. I can’t even imagine how confused and upset you’ve been.”
I made a face as I took a sip of the juice, my eyes taking in everything in the kitchen. “Oh no, this has all been so much fun.”
She chuckled, catching on to my sarcasm, and I smiled back, feeling like we were back where we were a few days ago. Before I had been attacked by disgusting men and kidnapped by a pissed-off wolf.
“I want to know more,” I told her as she grabbed the chicken and split it in half. “About you, all of you. Why do you all hate humans so much that if one finds out about your existence you kill them?”
Her hand paused in handing me my plate and a shadow flashed over her blue eyes for a moment. I took the plate from her, and she retreated to her side of the island.
“It’s not that we hate humans.” She puckered her lips. "Well, some wolves do, but I don't. Wolves and humans just have a bad history, a history that led to a lot of deaths on both sides." She inhaled after swallowing a piece of her chicken. "Decades upon decades ago humans and wolves lived together in peace, along with witches and other supernatural beings. Now those times were as dangerous as you might imagine because there's good and bad in all species. I don't remember the whole story, so I'll summarize what I remember; I haven’t heard it since I was a child.”
I nodded as I washed my chicken down and folded my arms on the cold marble island. From the look on her face, I could tell I wasn’t going to like this story. Since wolves now hate humans and humans don't know of their existence, something horrible must have happened.
She looked broken, however, and I had a feeling she remembered the story a lot better than she was letting on.
“Werewolves aren’t predators. We’ve always been protectors. We have the strength to hunt other supernatural creatures that plague the world. So back then there was a wolf pack living close to a human city. Both species found a balance. The wolves guarded the city and protected the humans, the king’s castle, and their own pack as well. Things got complicated when a human girl fell for a wolf. However, there was a human boy who liked her as well.” Natalie swiped her tongue across her top lip. “The human boy could not accept that a wolf had ‘stolen’ his girl, but obviously a human can’t fight a wolf. The fight is lost before it even begins.”
"The human boy did something stupid, didn't he? I feel like that’s where this story is going. This stuff is always about love and jealousy.”
She pointed her fork at me. "Listen. Eventually, the wolf found his mate and his relationship with the human girl ended. She was devastated and angry, so she ran right into the arms of the human boy who had loved her all along. On her wedding day, she and her new husband invited her old love and they arranged for the wolf to be poisoned.”
My eyes widened. “What?” After a few seconds of her saying nothing else I leaned forward. “And what happened after that?”
“That’s it. The human girl was the king’s daughter and the wolf was the alpha’s son. You can imagine how that all played out, and here we are now, divided. Wolves turned themselves into myths to keep away from humans.”
I sat back and sighed. “I can definitely agree that the princess was a total bitch for doing that. I can even understand why you all retreated to the shadows. But why release me yet keep me here? I’m not going to tell anyone, and who would believe me?”
She ate another piece of chicken and waved the bone at me. "Someone will, trust me. That's all it'll take to start another war. Humans are more dangerous now than they were back then. Humans from this century are even more jealous, greedy, and power hungry than before. And on top of that, now there are bombs, guns, and scientists that would...”
She trailed off, her anger was bubbling to the surface and her face twisting, and I couldn’t say I didn’t understand why. It’s never been difficult for me to put myself in another’s shoes, and right now I could see the pain in Natalie’s eyes. No one wants to imagine themselves cut open on a cold table while doctors run experiments on them.
“You’re right,” I replied softly, and she looked over at me. “A war now would be bad, but why can’t I just…”
“Give it a rest, Ruby.” Natalie and I watched as Xavier walked over to the fridge and removed a bottle of water. I hadn’t seen him since the day I had slapped him, and my fist tightened around my glass as he pinned me with a stare that could freeze water. I sent one back his way.
"Give it a rest? Are you serious? I'm being forced to stay here, with people who hate me just because I don't have fangs. Set someone to tail me, since you don't trust me to not talk. You've ruined my life, Xavier. I don't belong here!"
He slammed the bottled water down onto the counter and I jumped. Even Natalie flinched as the bottle burst. "I've ruined your life? You're so selfish and self-centered. Even after hearing what Natalie had just told you, you still really don't get it? You don't want to be here, but there are people here who don't want you here either. Our pack doesn't kill humans. We've never had to. So you can't leave here, ever. You’re lucky your life was even spared, but now I realize I should have left you in that alleyway to be raped!”
“Xavier, that’s enough!” Natalie yelled, but it was too late.
“No,” I said softly as I got up from the island. “He’s right.”
Natalie stood up as well. “Ruby he didn’t…”
“I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”
I turned away and left the kitchen quickly before either of them could see the tear that fell from my eye.
Chapter Five
Ruby
I stared at my laptop screen, but I wasn’t seeing the coursework I had to do. It had been a week since I’d been sentenced to my new life, but instead of going to school I decided to take online classes. I still had my job at the diner, but morning shifts only.