Meeting helpful humans

~ Elvira~

"I’m Lisa, and that handsome giant over there is my brother, Carson," Lisa said, her voice sounded bright and eager.

She pointed toward the door where a tall, blonde guy stood.

He was 6'1", with lean, functional muscle. He gave me a sheepish smile, his bright blue eyes filled with a warmth I wasn't used to. In my past, men were things to be feared, but Carson looked completely harmless.

"Hey," he said, stepping into the room.

"You look better. We were surprised how fast you healed, seems you have a strong constitution."

"Thanks for helping me. I really appreciate it," I mumbled,

Lisa bit her lip, tilting her head as she studied me.

"Can you remember what happened? We found you near the road, completely naked, we were just coming back from a hike. If we hadn't been there..."

She trailed off, a shudder ran through her small frame.

"The good news is we did find you," Carson interrupted gently, cutting off her trailing thoughts.

"What's your name?" Lisa asked,

"Elvira," I replied.

"Elvira," Carson repeated softly.

The way he said it made me feel seen, not hunted.

It brought that dangerous sense of safety again.

"I love the tattoo on your lower back, by the way," Lisa added.

"The shape is so intricate, but I've never seen a design like—"

"Tattoo?" I cut her off.

"I don't have any tattoos. I've never even been in a parlor."

The siblings exchanged a confused look.

"But you do," Lisa insisted.

"Right at the base of your spine. It’s a strange symbol. I saw it when we got you into the pajamas."

A feeling of dread drove through me.

I didn't have a tattoo when I lived with my stepfather.

Was this a mark of my mother’s heritage, or something my wolf, Val, had brought to the surface?

Carson stepped closer, his hand reached out to check my temperature.

"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile.

"Just tired."

~~~~

The next two weeks one of peaceful existence and quietness I wasn't used to.

I learned their rhythm, Lisa’s laughter brightened the gloomiest afternoon, and Carson moved with a steady, quiet strength.

They were survivors too, orphans who ran the store their parents had left behind, they were a fortress of two, and I wanted to disappear into their world.

But I was a werewolf, and they were humans, If my stepfather found me here, he would kill me and tear their world apart.

I had heard my stepbrother, Calvin, mention that the Silverblade pack was the "Deadliest Pack," a place of high-tech weaponry and legendary warriors.

To most, it was a place of fear.

To me, it was a chance.

If I survived their training, I would be strong enough to kill the man who murdered my mother…

One late afternoon, as the sun dipped low and they began closing the store, I broke the silence.

"I’m leaving tomorrow, for Pennsylvania."

Lisa froze, a dusting rag still in her hand.

"You could stay, Elvira. Until you’re really back on your feet."

"I can't be a burden anymore, Lisa. You’ve done too much already." I fidgeted with the cotton shirt she’d lent me, looking down at the floor.

Carson walked over,

"You aren't a burden. We don't owe you anything, but we care about you. If you want to go, we’ll help. If you want to stay, we’ll stand by you."

The sincerity in his voice nearly broke my resolve.

I looked from Lisa’s hopeful face to Carson’s quiet strength. For the first time, I felt like I belonged. And that was exactly why I had to leave.

"Can you give me a ride to the border tomorrow?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"I’ll write. I’ll call. I promise."

"Okay," they whispered back, pulling me into a tight, three-way hug.

As I pulled away, I glanced at the long shadows stretching from the trees outside.

Tomorrow, I would walk into the jaws of the Silverblade pack, it was a one-way ticket, and the odds were high that I’d end up dead or in a cell.

I wondered if I was making the biggest mistake of my life, even as Val stirred in my mind, catching a distant sense of unease.

On the brighter side of things maybe I would finally become the weapon I needed to be..