I looked down at myself. I felt exactly the same. “I don’t feel any different.”
“Wait until the next full moon. That’s when it will take full effect.”
“Oh, of course. I guess the myths are true then?”
He smiled, his face lighting up with amusement. “Not entirely. Most of us change with the full moon, yes, but we can change right back if we want to. We’re not trapped in that form all night.” He suddenly became serious again, his features frowning as he thought. “You’re not the least bit curious about your parents?”
I shrugged. “Why should I be? They didn’t want me, so why should I want to know about them?”
“Emma, you’re royalty. Whether your father raised you or not, you received the royal collar,” he stated, pointing towards my necklace. “The only way you would have received that is if he claims you as a part of his family. Only the royals have access to the jewels, and only one from their pack could deliver it to you. Who delivered that to you?”
I palmed my necklace as I thought back to this morning. The man who delivered it wasn’t wearing a courier’s uniform. He’d had a twinkle in his eyes, like he knew something I didn’t, but knew that when I found out, I would be surprised.
My mind returned to my childhood, to what I had to endure day in and day out, the loneliness despite being surrounded by other children, children who continually disappeared, either because they were adopted or because they received foster parents, escaping the harsh daily grind of the orphanage. The head mistress, Meriam, was a bulldozer. She ran us into the ground with chores. If we didn’t do them to her liking, we were whipped. I never knew how she got away with it. I was certain the state would step in and defend us at any moment, but alas, it never happened. I suffered through my childhood because my parents didn’t claim me. There was no way I would allow them to do so now. If they didn’t want me then, then I didn’t want them now.
I reached behind my neck to unclasp the necklace. I struggled to undo it. Frustrated and upset, I felt the tears slowly building. There was no way I would let him see me cry though. Weakness bought us a whipping, or as Meriam called it, “a reason to cry.”
I huffed, unable to remove the necklace. “Will you please help me take it off?” I asked, lifting my hair, exposing my neck for easy access.
Marco moved beside me. He ran his fingers down the side of my neck below my right ear. A chill ran through me at his tenderness. “I’m sorry, but I cannot remove it.”
I stiffened. “Why?”
“The necklace contains fairy dust; it’s binding. The moment you put it on, you will never be able to remove it again. That was the only way the royal family could ensure the jewels were never stolen.”
“So I can never take it off? As in forever?” I turned towards him, hoping I misunderstood.
“Yes, forever,” he affirmed.
“Well, what if I don’t want it? What if I changed my mind? I don’t want to be a part of their family.” I knew I was acting like a rebellious teenager, but I was upset and felt I had a valid reason to be.
“I’m sorry, mi amor.” His eyes gazed directly into my own. It was as if he was offering me his soul to prove his sincerity. As gracious as I was for his sensitivity, it didn’t change anything.
I sighed, bowing my head, taking in the necklace as I wrapped my arms around my waist. Why didn’t they just raise me? Why wait all these years to claim me?
“So what now?” I whispered, lost in bitter despair.
“You were led to me. So you’re now a part of our pack. I’m your new alpha.”
I glimpsed sideways at him. “What does that mean?”
“It means that you will live with us. We’re your new family, and we’ll take care of you.”
My head shot up. “But I have a place to live.”
“It’s a rule that all pack members live together until they find their mate.”
“What if I refuse?” I slid away from him needing a little distance.
He narrowed his eyes at me. I started fidgeting when the silence carried on for over a minute. I was beginning to feel trapped. It’s not that I was opposed, I just wasn’t willing to give up everything I’d known and created for myself overnight. I didn’t know these people yet. How could he expect me to simply trust that he would do what he said?
His face softened. “Do you really want to leave, Emma?”
“I, uh…I think I’m going to go for a walk.” I stood up and headed towards the swinging door.
—
Chapter Five
When I walked through, I was surprised to see everyone had left. It had been just Marco and me here the whole time. I guess when the alpha said he wanted to talk alone with someone, everyone took that literally.
I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around it all. I would technically be a werewolf after the next full moon, but I wouldn’t shift? What did that leave? In the books, they had heightened senses in both forms. Maybe that’s what I’d end up with. I didn’t think to ask though and really didn’t want to face him again.
I got to the front door and realized I didn’t have my winter layers. Sarah had taken them. I looked around the room, but didn’t find them anywhere in sight. I really didn’t want to ask Marco. I sighed. There was only one thing left to do: defiantly freeze my butt off.
I walked several blocks, before I began to shiver from the icy wind and subzero temperature. Even with a long sleeve white undershirt and black turtleneck on top, I had no chance against winter’s harsh beauty. With only my apartment key in my pocket, I had no choice but to go home.
My mind was reeling from everything I’d learned. There’d been so much more that I could have inquired about, such as the fairy dust, but didn’t know if I could handle it all. I was trying to be strong and brave and take everything in stride. I didn’t want to push myself though, and I didn’t want to push him, especially after what I’d seen. Anger clearly played a role when his animal instincts surfaced. I didn’t understand why he was angry with my parents; I just knew he was.
By the time I reached the one-mile mark, I couldn’t feel my fingers. I’d always tucked my hands in my jacket pockets for warmth. My nose was an ice cube and my ears were close to it with my hair offering little to no protection. I hugged myself tighter, pushing forward. Perhaps I was being stubborn by not going back, more like stupid Wilma would argue if I got sick, but I just couldn’t face it all right now. I guess I was a coward. Funny since I’d never read about any werewolves being a coward.
“My, my, you are a silly girl walking around with no protection.”
I jumped at hearing his voice. Something about meeting him here caused the hair on my body to stand up. It didn’t feel right. It was as if his aura was suddenly dark as night, sweeping me into a cloud of grey. He seemed off. I’d always sensed his instability, but now, now he appeared a cynical master of chaos and pain, much like the Joker. His black eyes pierced me; they froze me in place, having halted me the moment I looked up to find him blocking my path.
“So it seems you’ve betrayed me, Emma. You were supposed to be mine you know.” Ryan reached out and fingered the stone of my necklace. “Now this hurts me even more.” He glared at the charm, a scowl on his face. I swallowed hard and took a step backwards. I didn’t dare take my eyes off of him though.
Abruptly, he yanked me towards him by the chain of the necklace, the stone centered in his palm as he began to wrap the chain around his hand. I lifted my chin, struggling to breathe as he choked me with the collar.
“What…do…you…want?” I croaked, barely able to speak with my airway strained.
“You! You’re supposed to be mine!”
Unexpectedly, I was airborne. White blurred past me as I flew backwards. Abruptly, I felt my head and back slam into something cold and hard, metal if I had to guess. My neck whipped forward upon impact as I quickly fell to the ground. I heard a tiny snap when I landed in the cold, wet snow. My head instantly swelled, pulsating, gaining i
n weight rapidly it seemed. It throbbed, pounded; every microscopic move hurt. I couldn’t move without pain assaulted some part of me. I almost didn’t want to move.
I squinted my eyes to find Ryan standing over me. He leaned down in front of my face. “You will be mine, Emma. I’m supposed to mate with a female werewolf, and you’re it.” He spoke so calmly, as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn’t just thrown me into something. I couldn’t explain it. I didn’t fear him, despite his antics. My only thoughts were just to get away from him.
I closed my eyes against the pain shooting through my body. Everything happened so fast. And as numb as I was from walking in this weather, I couldn’t pinpoint what specifically hurt.
When I opened my eyes again, he was gone. I struggled to get up. I would freeze to death if I didn’t get home to warmth. Inch by inch I maneuvered myself across the snow, dragging my body on my elbows until I could build up enough strength to pull myself upwards. I took a deep breath; a sharp pain was my reward. I awkwardly bent my knees and lifted my arms at once. Upon standing upright though, I instantly began to teeter. Something was wrong. I felt dizzy and nauseous; I felt like the walls of nature were closing in around me, like I was going to lose consciousness. I fought to focus on the streetlight pole ahead of me. I had to stay awake, especially if I had a concussion. I furrowed my brows, struggling to push through the heavy fog enveloping me.
I drooped my head, surprised to find blood on the snow beneath me. I reached my hands up and touched my hair. They both came away bloody. Studying the blood on my hands, I noticed my right hand and wrist were swelling. I knew I needed to do something, but I couldn’t think. It was so hard to stay conscious between the pain, the cold and the haze.
“Emma?”
I instinctively looked up at the sound of my name. The male standing before me looked familiar with curly brown hair, brown eyes and olive skin, but I didn’t know him. I only associated him with the athletic shorts.
“I…” I fell into his arms, quickly surrendering to the darkness.
—
I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my eyes to the limited light illuminating the room. With one look at the comforters layered on top of me, I immediately knew where I was. He’d brought me back. Whoever he was had returned me to them.
I rolled over, wincing at the acute pain that shot through my ribs and down my right arm. I was surprised to find everyone in bed around me, tucked in and sleeping. I looked at my neighbor on the right. I chuckled softly when Kuha let out a hefty snore.
“How do you feel?”
I turned over to find Marco sitting atop the bed on my left. The moonlight illuminated him, enhancing his physical allure. My heart melted at the genuine concern in his eyes.
“Um…okay, thanks.” I offered him a small smile.
He reached over and gently tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. The back of his hand swept across my cheek and forehead. “You’re still running a fever.”
“Oh,” I frowned. “I feel fine though.”
“You feel like you’re running a fever still.” He grinned. I started to shift to sit up when he stretched out his arm to stop me. “Don’t. You, uh, aren’t clothed.”
I instantly flushed. I’d been so warm and comfortable beneath the blankets I didn’t even realize it. I instantly felt around, surprised to find not only was I naked, but my right hand and wrist were wrapped.
“Um, you didn’t…” I cringed just at the thought of someone, especially a male, seeing me naked. I pulled the covers up higher.
“No. Sarah did everything. Your clothes were soaked from the snow and…” He hesitated. He was trying to control some sort of emotion. “…and your blood. It was the only thing we could do. Sarah tried washing your clothes, but they’re ruined.”
I merely nodded my head. “What happened to my hand?” I didn’t feel any pain, but then again I couldn’t really feel much in my hand, just a dull throbbing I assumed was from falling on it wrong.
“It’s broken in a few places. Dr. Herville injected a local numbing agent to help with the pain. You have a few bruised ribs and will probably have a headache for at least the next few days since you have a concussion. He left you a prescription in case Motrin isn’t strong enough.”
“I take it werewolves don’t heal as quickly as they say in the books.”
“We heal in hours in our wolf form. In our human form, we heal in half the time it generally takes a human. But since your transformation isn’t complete, you will be stuck at the human pace for a couple weeks until the full moon.”
I brought my arm out on top of the comforter to inspect it. Sure enough there was a splint running along the base of my wrist and palm of my hand. It was then firmly wrapped in an ace wrap and my right ring finger was in a cushioned metal brace. I frowned at the sight of it. What was I going to do now? Not only did I have a doctor bill I couldn’t afford, but I was down for the count on one side. How was I going to wait tables like this? A lump formed in my throat as my chest tightened. Tears gathered quick, catching me off guard. I immediately looked away from him, blinking rapidly to try to hold them back. I didn’t understand why this all had to happen. I didn’t do anything to anyone.
“Can I borrow some clothes please? I promise to return them.”
“Yeah. Jake is still young; his clothes shouldn’t hang off of you.”
I turned back around to him, feeling somewhat collected.
His lips were a thin line, wrought with tension, but he didn’t broach the subject…at least not right now. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
I watched him walk away, surprised to see him leave out the door to the stairs. Looking around though, I didn’t see a closet anywhere. Come to think of it, I didn’t see a bathroom either.
After checking to make sure everyone was still asleep, I gently sat up and quickly wrapped the comforter around myself. It was difficult given I couldn’t feel what I was doing with one hand. The moment I stood up, Marco walked through the door with several items of clothing hanging over his left forearm. I swayed a bit as a dizzy spell set in, the throbbing in my head intensifying. He was at my side in a second, his arm firmly supporting my back. I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath and steadied myself. I just wanted to go home, shower, put my own clothes on, and get a few more hours of sleep before my opening shift tomorrow. He handed me the clothes.
“You can change in the living room. No one’s in there.” I nodded and headed that way. He held the door open for me and watched me until I dropped the clothes on the sofa.
The clothes were a little big. I had to roll the sweat pants a few times, and the t-shirt and sweatshirt both hung down to the middle of my thighs. It was strange not wearing underwear or a bra, but at least you couldn’t tell the garments were missing. I patted my head, feeling the dried up blood coating my strands. I was definitely in need of a shower.
I awkwardly folded the blanket; it looked like a half-rolled, lopsided mess, though at least I tried. I nearly ran into Marco the moment I walked through the door. “Sorry.”
He looked me over, struggling to cover up his smile. His eyes sparkled with amusement, giving him away. I already knew I looked like a mess; I didn’t need him to point it out.
“I’ll take that,” he said, grabbing the blanket and proceeding to throw it in the corner of the room on the floor. He stood there staring at me.
I shifted back and forth. “Uh, where are my other clothes and shoes?”
He remained silent, merely studying me with a frown.
I shifted, my stomach beginning to knot. “Please just tell me where they are.”
“No. You’re not leaving tonight.”
I wrapped my arms around my upper stomach, looking at the sleeping men. I knew some might think me foolish for wanting to leave the protection of these men, but I wanted the comfort of my own space, my own clothes; familiarity I wouldn’t find here.
“Please, Marco. I just want to go home,” I softly pleaded.
<
br /> He gently cupped my face, lifting my chin towards him. “Who did this to you, mi amor?”
I knew I should have told him, but I didn’t want to make him mad and somehow I knew it would.
“Can I please go home? I open tomorrow morning and I need time to walk home, shower and change into my uniform before I go into work.”
“No.” He left me standing there, storming off into the kitchen. I quickly followed him.
“Are you planning to keep me a prisoner here forever?” I called, the door still swinging behind me.
He swung around and closed the gap between us with one step. I immediately shrunk back as he towered above me, his muscles bulging and eyes already changing color. “No, but someone clearly doesn’t like you very much right now.” He gestured generally at my injuries. “It’s my job to protect you, Emma. How am I supposed to do that when you’re trying to run off every two minutes?”
“I never asked you to protect me. I’ve been just fine on my own these last twenty years. I don’t need anyone.”
“What do you think would have happened to you today had Noah not happened upon you, huh? You fell into his arms unconscious for Christ’s sake, Emma! How the hell is that protecting yourself?” His eyes fully changed, shining a bright honey color as his hands flexed into fists at his sides.
I swallowed uneasily. He was angry with me. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but that didn’t erase the discomfort of his focus. Worse, I knew he was right. Something changed this week. Werewolf or not, my life changed the moment I encountered these people, Ryan in particular. It was hard for me to trust people though, and you had to trust someone to rely on them. Even after two years, I never asked Wilma or Harvey for anything. I always had to take care of myself. Why should that change?
Tears welled once again. I bit my bottom lip hard, distracting myself, giving me the leverage I needed to suppress my tears. “I just want to go home,” I said softly, unsure of what else to say.
His eyes returned to their normal color. Without notice he pulled me into him, wrapping me tightly into him. “I’m sorry, mi amor, but I couldn’t live if anything happened to you.” He kissed my head and gently pulled away. “I’ll drive you home in the morning, but you need to stay tonight.”
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