"I'm sorry I haven't called...." I sigh, eyeing the long-haired man at my feet.
"At least you've texted...." she sighs, making my heart hurt. God, if you only knew the truth, Mom. That wasn’t me.
"See," I say, trying to sound cheerful, "I can be a good daughter!"
"Macy, being a good daughter would have been telling me and your father about your plans. The only reason I haven't come looking for you and slap you across the head is because Denny asked me not to," she huffs. Thank God for Denny and his ability to come up with some believable lies. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing yet.
"It was last minute...." I whine, trying to pull on her heartstrings. I know she hates it when I do that, it reminds her that I'm her only baby.
"It's fine, Sweetheart," she sighs, "At least you called, finally!"
"I love you, Mommy!" I chime, reaching out to kick Elliot in the ribs when he begins to chuckle at me. His eyes twinkle as he stares at the phone in my hand while mouthing the word 'Mommy'.
"I love you too," she says, "I've got to get dressed for work. Promise me that you'll call more often?"
"I promise!" I exclaim.
"Goodbye, Baby," she tells me, "Oh, and have a fun trip!"
"Bye, Mom and thanks." I say before hanging up.
I glare at Elliot who looks way too comfortable as he spreads across the foot of the bed. He's a peculiar man, that's for sure. I'm not sure how much I understand about the weird, supernatural world that I now live in, but I know he's even abnormal with its standards.
I lean back into the fluffy pillows surrounding me and close my eyes. Elliot flips onto his stomach, pulling me from my inner thoughts. Luckily, he's fully clothed and doesn't seem so happy about that fact either. My mind roams to the image of him standing naked as the day he was born the night I first woke with him in my bed, well…when I was in his bed. I ask a question I've been curious about since then.
"Elliot, the scars on your body...." I say, breaking the oddly comfortable silence, "What happened?"
"Pass...." Elliot mumbles, turning away from me, "Ask me something else."
"Why is your community called a pack? I've only heard that term when referred to wolves."
"We're a pack because the originating members were all Wolf Shifters. There are Clans, Prides, and a whole slew of other names that communities call themselves. Our pack was a wolf only group until Ronan took over. From that time, he's opened our ranks to all breeds and races. Honestly, most Shifters live a solitary life, just as their animal counterparts would. Others, they've decided to join a group for either the purpose of sanctuary or companionship. We are also human after all and a life of loneliness is no life to live.
"All groups are led by what we call an Alpha. That's honestly a term that goes back to the beginning of our kind, only recently has it been turned into a term referring to wolves. Alphas are always natural and they possess an Umbra with the ability to lead and control others. We have physical differences as well. We are much larger when in form and our Umbras will always have different features than our human form. Take me for example, I have brown hair and blue eyes, but Olcan has black fur and silver eyes. It's the same with every breed, but no one knows why. We're built stronger. Just as in nature, the strongest almost always lead."
"Okay, so how are you an Alpha, but you are taking orders from one? Like you said, I thought being an Alpha made you a leader...." I ask, curious since I've still got so many questions mulling in my mind.
"Just because I'm an Alpha, it doesn't mean that I'm ready to lead a pack," he answers me honestly. He flips onto his back and lays his head on his crossed arms, "I'm the Pack Beta. Basically, I'm Ronan's second-in-command while I learn about running the pack on my own one day. When the day comes that I take over the pack, I will choose someone to take my place."
"Oh," I sigh, "that makes sense, I guess...."
"Yeah, I'm nowhere near ready to lead a group of people who depend on me for everything," he says with a sigh.
"So, Ronan...he's the leader of your pack? Does he own Boondocks as well?" I ask, trying to put all the pieces together.
"Yes and no," he says, "he owns a lot of businesses across the South, but I've started opening a few of my own, Boondocks being one. It takes a lot of funds to support a pack as big as ours. He leads our pack, but I try to help with as much as I can. Right now, he's placed me on Guardian duty, so Hank and Louis are taking care of my other duties. This isn't the first time. It's much easier for me to be here with you than taking care of pack business while Ronan tries to keep an eye on you and lead the pack. I guess my being an Alpha has its benefits for him."
"Oh," I sigh, turning my face to glance out the open window.
"I'm full of answers," he tells me as he rolls on his side to face me, "Ask me anything. I know there's a million questions floating around in that pretty head of yours."
"Where are we exactly?" I ask, honestly wanting to know more about my surroundings.
"The center of our pack's territory is on the Southern edge of the state. That's where we are now. Most of the pack lives here. Humans rarely venture this close to the center, so we've taken advantage of it. We make it appear as if it's nothing but wilderness for miles. Little do they know, we have about a hundred families living out here as well as a fairly large town center, the place I took you the other day."
"Really?" I ask, "Out here in the wilderness? No one knows it's here?"
"Macy," Elliot sighs, "some of the highest-ranking people in the political system are Shifters. We're heavily protected from the inside and out. Our property is protected as the disguise of a National Park. Hunting, fishing, everything’s off limits to humans. Think of our property like Area 51, no one can come in. If they do, we will kill them!"
"Why do you have to threaten everyone?" I ask, "Wouldn't it be better to get along with humans?"
"Oh, we tried generations ago," he says with a sad sigh, "They decided that it was better to enslave us or kill us. We're part of the world's forgotten past. The only thing society remembers about us is that we're urban myths and just old wives’ tales. The ones who know about us now, let's just say that they want us dead."
"Why would they do that?" I exclaim.
"There are humans that know about us that hate us. Hell, there’s always been people who want to exterminate us...." he tells me as he crawls on his hands and knees to my side. Subconsciously, I reach out to run my fingers through his long hair. I've grown accustomed to the sparks that run through my body every time we touch, "Their goal is to trap us, test us, and kill us. Sometimes it's in that order...most of the time it isn't. They want to harness whatever healing and regenerative powers we have, regardless of the consequences. I personally think they come from a line of Unshiftables who were envious."
"Oh," I sigh, my fingers spinning his long locks, "I would have never known."
"Most humans don't know about us," he says, his frozen gaze staring at the ceiling fan above us."
"Why? If it's so easy to turn someone, why don't Shifters do it more often? I'm sure people would jump at the opportunity to be turned," I ask.
"Yes, it's easy to turn someone," he mumbles, "but there are pack laws in place that nearly ban it. Many packs can barely contain and sustain their existing members. Laws were placed into effect many years ago, one of which outlaws turning humans without written consent from the Pack Masters. The widest known allowances are the turning of spouses and some charitable cases."
"Would I have been considered a charitable case?" I joke.
"No," he says seriously, "It's usually people with terminal diseases and they're almost always a member of a Turned's family. In your case, a disability wouldn’t have been enough unless you already knew about our kind."
"Well, why was I turned?" I ask. That's one thing I haven't been able to grasp. What made me so special? I was simply walking home the night that it happened. It could have easily chosen one of the drunk, skimpy bimbos back at the bar to att
ack. Why me?
"That's a good question," he says with a sigh, "We don't know. No one recognized the scent of the Shifter left on your clothes the night of your attack. We assume that it's a rogue, like the ones who attacked the other day...."
I sit up and toss my legs over the edge of the bed. I'm done with questions now. It feels as though I'm nearing a system overload and I really need a few moments to myself.
"Can I take a shower?" I ask, suddenly feeling tired.
"Of course," Elliot chirps as he hops off the bed, "follow me!"
I pad along behind the behemoth of a man before me. We walk into his room and Elliot opens a door, causing my mouth to drop open. Okay, this is fucking amazing!
In one corner of the room is a long vanity with double sinks installed, the entire surface made from a solid piece of wood like the bar at Boondocks. A large shower with a half wall takes up a large corner of the room, its surface covered in large stones. I spy a large shower head installed in the ceiling and my mouth gapes as I think of how awesome it's going to be bathing underneath that. I nearly change my mind when I see the large, stone bathtub in the opposing corner of the room. God, that thing could sponsor the Olympics!
"Feel free to use anything," Elliot tells me as he grabs a few towels for me from a cabinet underneath the sinks, "If you need something, just call out and I'll be here."
"Thanks...." I sigh before he leaves me alone in this gorgeous bathroom. So, do I want a bath or a shower?
I make up my mind and decide that a bath will be more relaxing. The sound of running water echoes throughout the room as I look at the collection of bathing salts and soaps stacked along the edge of the tub. For a guy, he really seems to like a selection when it comes to his baths.... Or maybe he lets Louis bathe in here.
A dark feeling overcomes me when I think of her being in here and I have to swallow the jealousy building in my gut. She's gorgeous and lives in the same house as Elliot. They probably hook up all the time and the only reason they haven't since I've been here is because he's been ordered to babysit me.... God, Macy.... Get that shit out of your head right now! I grab a canister containing lavender scented bath salts and pour a generous amount into the rising water.
Once the tub is full, I waste absolutely no time stripping. This is the first time that I've noticed what they dressed me in. I look at the pair of men's boxers and large, soft t-shirt and shake my head. I'm going to kill whoever saw me naked. That's just creepy. Hopefully it was Louis. I know she's a weird, psycho bimbo...but she also has a vagina....
I stick a toe in, testing the temperature of the water. A moan escapes me when I sink into the warm water, my muscles relaxing instantly. Lord, I won't ever be able to take a bath again. Nothing will measure up to this amazing tub. The stone walls hold the heat in, allowing me to relax against their warmth as the water laps against me. I close my eyes, letting my muscles relax in the healing waters.
"Macy?" Denny calls from the other side of the bathroom door.
I open my eyes, noticing at once that the water is ice cold. My teeth chatter as I crawl from the tub and wrap my body with a fluffy towel that Elliot sat out for me.
"Yes?" I ask as I open the door. Denny eyes me, his gaze traveling up and down my body.
"You've been in there for a while," he says before averting his eyes, "I was just checking to see if you were okay."
"I'm fine...." I reassure him, "I'm going to go get dressed."
Denny walks out of my way and I tip toe to my bedroom, careful so no one sees me in only a towel. Once I sneak into my room, I drop the towel and pull on a loose t-shirt and a pair of baggy sleeping pants. I curl in a ball atop my bed, the sound of my door opening behind me making me turn onto my back.
Elliot walks to the bed and slides in next to me, his warmth welcoming and I cuddle into his side. We don't say a word, just simply enjoying the incredibly comfortable silence surrounding us for a few minutes.
I lay on my side and admire the man beside me. This is the first time that I've seen him in this light, as a man...not the weirdo that's been ordered to take care of me. He's a real person, not just a man living in a fantasy world.
"So, what's my prognosis?" I ask, curious as to how I'm doing. My muscles are all achy and it feels as though I've swallowed gravel. Yet, I feel a lot better than I did the last time I was conscious.
"So far, you're doing well." he tells me, "You’re actually doing fucking great, especially given the circumstances.... Hell, Ronan is still baffled by your progress, but I think it's a miracle that you're still with us."
"Well, that's good news!" I chuckle sleepily. Maybe if I have a good aspect about this, everything will work out.
"Yeah," he says, a little twinkle returning to his eyes, "You're not going to be saying that soon. Remember, you're about to feel like you have the worst flu of your life."
"Hell, it's better than dead." I mumble, burrowing my face in his neck as exhaustion overtakes me. I close my eyes and bask in the scent of cedar that seems to radiate from Elliot's pores.
Chapter Sixteen
Elliot, how has she been doing?” a voice I vaguely recognize asks, pulling me from my deep slumber. I know I’m still wrapped in Elliot’s arms.
“She’s been doing better than could be expected,” Elliot replies to the unknown voice. I feel the bed sink and a large hand play with the hair at the nape of my neck.
“You told me that she’s entering the fourth stage,” the voice says, an emotion laced in his voice that I don’t like. Sadness.
A small sigh escapes Elliot’s lips as he plays with my hair and I fight the urge to roll over and let him know I’m awake. I need to hear what he’s so scared to tell me though, so I refuse to move an inch.
“She is,” he whispers, “and we both know what that means, Ronan.”
“We do,” the voice, of who I now recognize as the low baritone of Alpha Ronan, agrees, “but we need to make sure she stays as calm and comfortable as possible. Just because we haven’t heard of someone surviving this…it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.”
“I know, Ronan,” Elliot snaps before letting his hand trail down my back, “I can’t help the feeling of despair I have when I look at her though. She’s so strong, but I don’t know if she’s strong enough to survive this.”
“It’s only up to her,” Ronan tell him before the sound of his footstep fade away. He must have left me alone in the room with Elliot.
“Macy,” Elliot whispers in my hair, his lips only inches from my face, “you are going to survive this. You hear me? I won’t allow you to die.”
With his last words, he leaves me, but not before placing a gentle kiss to side of my temple. The air is caught in my lungs as I listen for his footsteps to retreat. Once I know he’s gone I roll over and look to the doorway.
∞∞∞
The room is dark, telling me that it’s sometime after sunset. I’m still tired and my bones even ache. I close my eyes again, letting my body get some more rest.
“Macy,” a faint, familiar voice whispers into my ear. I can feel lips tracing up and down my neck and I can’t help the moan that flows past my lips. This touch, it feels so familiar.
“That’s my girl,” the voice whispers into my flesh.
My eyes shoot wide open and I sit up. A mane of cinnamon-colored hair works its way down my throat and to my chest. My breath catches in my throat when I notice the warm gaze, the color of honey, staring at me.
“Henry?” I scream, shooting to sit up. He sits back on his knees, a playful smile etched on his face. God, how I’ve missed his smile.
“Who else would it be, Baby Girl?” he coos before leaning down to claim my lips with his own.
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down on top of me. Tears spill down from the corners of my eyes, but I don’t care. He’s back and he’s in my arms! I knew he couldn’t be dead. He would have never left me.
“How?” I ask once he pulls his lips away from mine, my voice shaky.<
br />
I run my hands up his arms, through his shaggy hair and along the planes of his perfectly angular face. He hasn’t changed a bit since the day of the accident. I run my fingers over his temple, noticing a tiny scar above his eyebrow that wasn’t there before.
“What do you mean?” he asks before diving back down to claim my lips. I can’t fight the urge and I kiss him back, pushing all my hurt and anguish into the loving kiss. It was just a dream, a terrible hallucination. He made it through the accident, just like I knew he would!
“You…died….” I whisper against his lips, not being able to hold back.
“What about it?” he asks with a smirk. I push him away from me and back up against the headboard.
I grab fistfuls of hair and bury my face into my knees. This is a dream! A awful, unfair dream! I can’t help the sobs tearing from my throat and I let them fall from my lips. This isn’t fair! God, what did I do to deserve this?
I can sense the faint feeling of arms wrapping around me and I look up, noticing the dark look that crosses my Henry’s features. I can hear hushed whispers somewhere in the back of my mind, but I can’t take my eyes off him. I watch as he crawls off the bed and stands, staring at me. His skin turns a ghastly shade, his cheeks hollow and his eyes turn an unnatural white.
“Did you miss me?” he asks darkly before walking around the bed to approach me.
I can’t hold back the shrieks as his cold, decaying hand wraps around my arm. He pulls me in for a kiss and I close my eyes, screams ripping themselves from my throat!
∞∞∞
“Macy!” A familiar voice screams, “Wake up!”
My eyes shoot open and I look up into the face of him…my angel. Elliot’s eyebrows are drawn close together as he gazes down at me, a pained look on his face.
“Elliot?” I croak, my throat sore.
“Hush,” he whispers, “It was just a dream.”
I sag against his chest and notice the pain radiating through my body. It feels as though I’ve been doused in hot and cold water both at the same time. My breaths are shallow, as if by taking a deep breath will suffocate me. Pain radiates behind my eyes, the feeling radiating around my skull.
The Dying Fate (The Umbra Chronicles Book 1) Page 18