Four.

Elsa

“How did you get here?” I groan. I could smell him before I even opened my eyes. The vanilla bean scent was welcoming, but also frustrating. How did he even find me?

Nate stands over me, his white tee covered in my blood. At least the beatings had stopped. For now.

“I can feel your pain. This isn’t the first time though, is it?” He hands me a glass of water and a couple of paracetamols. His brow creases into a frown. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Does it matter?” I murmur, propping myself up. My sweater had been replaced with a tee, it was rolled up and tucked into my bra band. The bandages on show for all to see. “Did you undress me?”

“You left me little choice. I couldn’t have you bleed out now, could I? Your other bandages weren’t doing much anyway.” He sounded annoyed. How could he be annoyed with me? I was the one who had been beaten. I was the one in agony.

“Where are they?” I mutter, peering at my watch. A sharp pain shoots through my head. “I need to make dinner.”

“That’s what you’re worried about. Damn that woman has you brainwashed.”

“I have too, it’s my job.” I wince from the pain. Why did they always go for my ribs?

“Fuck dinner, after what they have done to you, they’re lucky to be alive. Fucking humans! They won’t be using you as a maid anymore.”

“I’m human.” I quietly mutter.

Nate shakes his head. His dark eyes flash up to me. A look of pity. Nothing like how he had looked at me at the bar.

“What have humans ever done for you?” His voice is low

“Just go. I can handle myself.” I mutter in annoyance. 

“Do you really think I’m going to leave you here, with them?” He cocks an eyebrow at me.

“It’s my home.” I may have bad memories here. But it was all I had ever known.

“It’s not a home if your family is treating you like shit.”

“SEE! I told you she wouldn’t want you here. You can let us go. You can’t hold me hostage in my own home!” Kyra’s voice travels through from the kitchen. Who was she yelling at?

Nate rolls his eyes. “Mason, shut her up! I don’t want to hear anymore of her whining.”

There’s a scrapping of chair legs on the tiled floor. The sound hurts my head.

“Get your filthy hands off of me! Fucking mutts!” Kyra screams

Did she just call Mason a mutt? Wait, did she know about them? That couldn’t be possible. She hasn’t ever been able to keep secrets. The whole town would have known.

“Shut up!” Mason’s voice rumbles through the house, silencing them for a few moments.

“I bet it was you, wasn’t it? My poor Dillon, he didn’t deserve it!” Why was she bringing up my Dad? He had nothing to do with this! 

I had been there when the shooter came from nowhere, not her. I had watched his life fade from his soft blue eyes as I begged for him to stay with me. I was only ten and that day still haunted me. Days later, I became Kyra and Sadie’s puppet. I hadn’t even been allowed to go to my own father’s funeral.

I try to stand. I needed more information.

Nate shakes his head at me. “You’re not going anywhere. Unfortunately you can’t heal until after the full moon. And I’m not willing to let you suffer more than you need to.”

“Full moon?” 

“Werewolf, remember?” He mutters, but he is still frowning at me as I held my ribs. “A lot of things are changing. But you already know that. You already feel it.”

“You turned her?!” Kyra shrieks. The sound rings through my ears. This hearing thing was too much.

“Of course, she is my mate.” Nate shouts back, locking his eyes on mine. A smile creeps on his face. “And I will do anything to protect her.”

There’s a flurry in my chest as my heart skips a beat. No one had ever vowed to protect me. I had always been on the receiving end of jokes, pranks and beatings.

Forcing myself up, I hobbled to the kitchen. I could feel Nate’s disapproving glare but I needed answers. And Kyra was hiding something from me.

Kyra and Sadie were each tied to a chair. Mason sat between them, drinking a coffee. Completely unphased by what was happening.

Sadie searches my face. For the first time ever, she looked scared. “Please, sis. Please. I didn’t mean to, she made me do it. I’m so sorry.”

A single tear makes its way down over her cheek. Her deep blue eyes search mine. I knew her though, everything about her was fake. There was always a hidden motive. She had always wormed her way out of her problems.

Turning from her. I look to my stepmother. “Why did you bring up my Dad? What does he have to do with this?”

Kyra’s eyes flash past me to Nate. 

“Go on, tell her. Tell her the dirty little secret that you have been hiding all these years.” Mason growls

Nate takes my hand. Sparks of electricity hit my skin, taking my breath away. He guides me to one of the free seats. “The information may come as a bit of a shock. But I will be here.”

He stands behind me. His hands rested on my shoulders. “Tell her.”

Kyra clamps her mouth shut.

“What is he talking about?” I was getting frustrated with the secrets. I was in a lot of pain. All I wanted to do was lie down and sleep.

Kyra is glaring at me, she refuses to say anything.

Nate moves away from me. He leans over her. His lips inches from her ear and growls. “Tell her!”

Fear. I didn’t believe that she could ever feel it. As she watches me, she trembles. Her eyes drop into her lap. 

“It seems as though the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” She whispers. “Elsa, just know that I loved your father.”

“You better start talking! Or I will.” Nate snaps

“He wanted to tell you when you were old enough to understand.” I had never seen Kyra so nervous. Her eyes darted between us.

“Mum, whatever it is, just tell them so they can leave us alone!” Sadie pleads

“Okay.” She gives her daughter a small smile. “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She had used the same phrase when she found out he was dead. Is this what this was about? Did she know who killed my Dad?

Kyra starts crying. Big fat tears running down her face, leaving streaks in her caked on make-up. She wasn’t looking at me, she was looking at Nate. “He promised me he would never leave me and then he told me his secret.”

“What did he tell you?” I was starting to wish that we weren’t having this conversation.

“Dillon was a werewolf.”

Everything seemed to stop. How did I not know? My own father. It seemed impossible. I see Nate’s mouth move but none of the words are going in. He presses his lips to my forehead. The spark of his touch snapped me out of my daze.

“How? How could he be ....” I was trying to make sense of it. How was he one?.

“Werewolves are not born.” Nate mutters like he had read my mind. “Lycan’s are born, werewolves are made.”