Chapter 2 | Owl Bay

Amelia

Getting exiled is the worst thing that can happen to a werewolf. We thrive off of living in a pack along with our fellow werewolves and once you’re exiled, no one will accept you into a pack in fear of what you’re capable of.

I ran out of the pack in my wolf form, carrying a small duffel bag in my mouth. I ran through the woods and went in the direction of the train station. My dad gave me a little of money. He said it was enough to get me where I needed to go and that he would figure out a way to make arrangements for me to live once I got to Owl Bay. 

Low growling caused me to run faster. The one good part about being small is that I could fit in areas most werewolves couldn’t, so that meant I could hide easier than others and if it was a crowded area, I could run faster than them. 

A wolf jumped in front of me, baring its teeth, and I skidded to a stop. I turned to run away, but there was another one and another and another. My body quivered and one of them shifted. It was a man, and he looked… kind? It’s a weird way to think of a rogue whenever you’ve been taught all your life that they are unhinged and crazy.

He said, “Guys, let’s turn away and let the she-wolf have some modesty as she shifts. I just want to speak with you, maybe offer you some protection.”

I look at him skeptically, but my wolf was tired, and I knew she couldn’t handle me trying to outrun them.

I shift into my human form and grab a sundress from my duffle bag as I ask, “What do you want?”

He turns towards me and smiles this megawatt smile and says, “Wow, you’re just stunning.”

I narrow my eyes at him. I’ve been called a lot of things, but stunning is not one of them.

He shakes his head out of his daze and he says, “My name is Ross, all of us here have been exiled from our packs. We learned early on that it’s hard to survive on your own. So, we formed our own little pack, if you will. We noticed you on your own and just wanted to extend a friendship. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like. We know it’s not much and it might not be what you’re used to, but it’s better than nothing, right?”

I looked at him and the four other wolves around him and he says, “There’s more back at our camp and you won’t be the only girl if that helps anything.”

To be honest, I really appreciated his offer, and he seemed like a nice guy. But my dad has a plan for me and I trust in him more than I do some random rogues. 

I smile softly and say, “I really appreciate the offer, Ross. But I think this is a time where I need to try and figure some things out on my own.”

He purses his lips as he nods and runs his hand through his shaggy dirty blonde hair and says, “I guess I can understand and respect that.” He holds his hand out for me to shake as he says, “It was nice to meet you…?”

I force a smile as I shake his hand and say, “Amelia. And it was nice to meet you too, Ross. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

I walk behind a tree in my human form, then strip and put my dress back in my duffle bag. When I shift back to my wolf, I see that Ross and his pack are gone. I take off towards the train station, hoping I’ll be able to leave tonight and get some rest. 

I’ve been running off adrenaline and until that moment where I finally stopped, I didn’t realize how much pain my body was in. I just want to lie down and cry over the events that have transpired. But I don’t have the time to focus on it right now. I need to push through and get to Owl Bay.

The train was mostly empty, and I was thankful for that. I could rest and just enjoy the scenery as I crossed the country. I didn’t realize how far away Owl Bay was, but I trust my dad knew what he was talking about. He remembered to put my phone in the bag, but forgot about a charger so I was careful not to use it much. He told me he would email me where to go because he was nervous about what would happen in the pack if Alpha Kyle realized he was communicating with me, an exiled wolf.

When I finally got to Owl Bay, I checked the phone and found the directions to a small cottage that he had rented for me. I smiled as I went inside the home. It was perfect for what I needed. It was by the lake and a small wooded area. The cottage had 1 bedroom with a nice sized bathroom and kitchen, the living room was a little small, but this was the perfect size for what I needed. It was also partially furnished, which was such a blessing. 

There was no bed in the bedroom, but there was a futon that pulled into a bed in the living room. After I pulled the futon out, I checked the freezer and when I saw there was ice; I wrapped some up in a cloth and placed it on my private area and moaned out in relief. I didn’t realize how badly it hurt; I’ve been too focused on just trying to survive.

I’m going to allow myself a couple of days to rest, but then I need to focus on finding a job. I have no clue how long my dad would be able to support me for and I need to be prepared for the worst. 

My eyes flutter shut as I let the darkness consume me.

The next 48 hours were a blur. When I woke up, I would go to the bathroom, get water or food, and then come right back to bed. There was one time I woke up to someone delivering groceries to my front door, and I knew my dad had arranged that.

But now, it was the middle of the night and now I feel wired from sleeping so much. I sigh as I look at the time and see that it’s only 3:30 a.m. 

A knock on my front door causes me to jump and look wide eyed at the door. 

I feel like my body is frozen as I panic, wondering whether I should answer. There’s a soft grunt, and I hesitantly stand up and walk towards the door. When I looked out the peephole, but all I could see was a head of dark hair. I take a breath and creak the door open when suddenly the person fell inside. The body was too heavy for me to catch, so I helped brace the fall and then moved out from underneath them and then look at the stranger. 

It is a tall, handsome man and my eyes widen when I see the blood marks on him. I glance outside and wonder what could’ve hurt this strong-looking guy.

I drag him inside and then close and lock my door as I pray to the goddess to keep me and this stranger safe from the unknown dangers out there. I look at the unconscious man and observe his injuries before I rush through my house as I search for all the things that I need to clean him up.

I tend to his wounds and hope the man will live. I don’t know if I could mentally handle something else horribly happening. 

Once he is cleaned up, I put a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body. I yawn as I look at the time and notice that I have been working on him for over an hour. I need to get some more rest so I won’t look sleep deprived when I go job hunting tomorrow.

When I wake up, the man is still unconscious. I go through my morning routine; I get dressed, make coffee, make breakfast, and I even made enough for him, but he never woke up. Periodically, I look at the clock. I’m eager to leave and I don’t know how much longer I should stay here. I can tell from his scent that he’s a werewolf and he might not be nice to me because I’m a rogue.

On top of that, I don’t know the town too well and I want to be home before it gets dark. When the clock hits 11:00 a.m. I knew I needed to head out. With how long he’s been out for, I expected that he’d still be here by the time I get home.

I was wrong.

I came home a few hours later, and the man was gone. As I looked around my apartment, I breathed out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. When I went to the kitchen, I noticed the extra food I made was gone and none of my belongings were missing. I can’t help but wonder who the man was, yet at the same time I’m grateful for his disappearance. He was definitely a werewolf, and who knows what kind of trouble he would’ve caused me?

I take a deep breath and I can't help but wonder if I'll ever get to see him again.