"Hello, Elizabeth, it seems you've had quite the evening." Madame Richert smiled at Ellie, looping her arm around Ellie's shoulders and walking with her back toward the school. She was calm, with no panic or excitement marring her face. The tan wolf took off running back into the woods, presumably to help the other wolf now that Ellie was safe in the arms of the professor.
"I'm so sorry, Madame Richert, I didn't mean to take off. I just, it's just that," Ellie stumbled over her words as tears finally coursed down her cheeks. "I just, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe and I needed to get out. I needed out." She sobbed as Madame Richert pulled Ellie into her arms, holding her close.
"I know. It's alright. You're safe now." Madame Richert said soothingly as she rubbed Ellie's back, encompassing the young girl's small body with her arms. "You're alright, you're safe. We found you."
After a few minutes, Ellie calmed down and was overcome with embarrassment.
Thank you so much for reading! I would love your thoughts :) this is my first time writing and editing a story longer than a couple of chapters and I'm loving the journey. I can't wait to tell you the next few chapters and I hope you enjoy them, too!
The week had gone by slowly and steadily for Ellie. After her run-in with a scary werewolf in the forest, she was relieved to find the rest of the week was mundane in comparison. Jake had avoided being alone with her Wednesday and Thursday, despite the fact they had several classes together. When she realized he hadn't told any of their friends about the chase in the woods, she breathed in relief, she wasn't sure when she would be ready for the fuss Sam was sure to throw over her adventure, but it wasn't today. When Friday afternoon finally came, she sighed in relief, glad that her classes were done for the week. She was looking forward to going to town with Sam and Meredith, looking through shops and trying out the Italian restaurant they'd been raving about all week long. Ellie was coming to realize that while she missed her friends at home, and she was desperate to return the first chance she got, her friends at the academy were pretty likable too. She had a lot in common
Ellie had never had pasta quite as tender and delicious as Fiorelli's. If she ate here every day, she was sure she would never have another worry in the world, except maybe how she would afford all of the new clothes she would need as her waist expanded. The food tasted like the embodiment of comfort and home, it was a warm hug in her stomach. She watched as Sam finished the last of her risotto and sighed in happiness. "I'm going to get fat," Sam said to the table. "From one meal?" Ellie asked. "No, but I'm going to eat here every day. Probably for the next month or two. I have dreams of this sauce," Sam said as she scraped her fork along the bottom of the plate, licking it clean. Firash closely watched her mouth; his eyes were trailing the path Sam's tongue took across her lips. His face was a mask of something close to desire before he shook his head and looked away. "You can not possibly be serious about eating here every day, it wo
Ellie raced back to campus, she thought how ironic it was that she had spent the last 16 years avoiding any physical exertion that caused her to break a sweat but since coming to The Academy, twice in one week she found herself sprinting as if her life depended on it. The last time she had been sprinting, her life had depended on it. This time she was sprinting as if Jake's life depended on it, which it did. A glimpse of the building flashed in her mind as she tried to work out where the shooter was going to be and when it would happen. The last time she had seen a vision, she had apparently saved a mall of wolves from a bombing but she didn't remember any of it. She didn't know if the vision seven years ago had happened right before the event or if it happened a few times leading up to it. Was the shooter going to try to kill Jake tonight? Right now? Did she have time to save him? Had it already happened? Ellie looked behind her and noticed with relief that Sam and Meredith
The doors to the elevator opened and two people exited the small confined space, their rubber soles making no noise on the roof as they crept toward the edge facing the faculty office building. They were dressed in all black, with masks covering their hair and faces. They walked with purpose toward the edge of the building, whispering to each other. They were easily twenty feet from the edge and Ellie and Meredith stood frozen on the roof watching them. The adrenaline that had pushed Ellie into action now froze her in fear, the threat was there, in front of her and it was up to her to handle it. She wasn't sure she was ready for a fight but the face of Jake swam through her mind and she knew she had to do something. There was no one else. The crates Ellie and Meredith were crouching behind were set at such an angle that the girls had a view of the faculty building from the left side of their position. Ellie could see the doors of the building where she had seen Jake exit in
Ellie walked back to her room next to Meredith, the two were behind Sam and Jake. Sam was asking Jake about the meeting he had earlier and whispering questions about Hannah, trying not to bring attention to her when Ellie was walking so close. Ellie's thoughts were focused on the image of Jake, lying on the ground, covered in blood. There was no way to prove her visions were true, there was no way to prove her visions actually happened since she was the only person who could see them. In fact, other than Jake, Sam, and Meredith, she wasn't sure anyone else would believe what she told them had happened in the vision, except Firash. Ellie wondered briefly where Firash had been during the attack and remembered that he was going to be in his room, picking out a movie for tonight. "Listen, you can't tell anyone about the vision," Ellie looked up as she spoke softly but firmly, realizing she didn't want everyone on campus to know. She didn't need stares and w
The weekend went by slowly. Ellie tried to avoid Jake as much as possible, which was more difficult than she hoped given the fact that they had all of the same friends at school. Hannah stayed for the weekend visiting Jake. Thankfully, Jake spent most of his time entertaining her away from everyone else. Ellie was able to avoid them, for the most part, in peace. Sunday afternoon brought rain, hard downpours, and thunderstorms. The lightning and thunder crashed in the distance and the trees swayed violently in the wind. Ellie sat on her couch, a blanket tucked around her and a book in her lap. She was reading Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. It seemed appropriate given her mood. It was a story of unrequited love and sacrifice. When she saw Jake with Hannah, she knew how Carton felt as he watched the woman he loved with another man. She didn't know how it happened, or when it happened, but Jake had wormed his way into her heart and set up camp, for better or worse.
Monday came quickly, and with it, a flurry of nerves as Ellie thought about facing Jake. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but by planning a date with Stefano, she somehow felt like she had betrayed him. Every time she thought of her date with Stefano, her stomach did cartwheels and her face sported a small, pleased smile. She woke up early Monday morning, she was up and dressed by 6 am, bouncing around her room getting her books and things in order for the week. She managed to waste about an hour before she decided 7 am was late enough to wait before waking up Sam. She peeked her head out and noticed that the light in Meredith's room was on, which meant she was up for the day. If she woke Sam up now, they could hit breakfast by 7:45 which meant she would have enough time to get a coffee and sneak out to her first class without seeing Jake. 'As if. You secretly want to run into him, admit it,' the voice inside her head sneered. 'NO!'
"Jake," Ellie said softly, her voice shaking as she looked into his eyes. Her heart was pounding, her stomach lurching into knots but she stared calmly at the man in her doorway, willing her body to remain calm and her voice to remain steady. Jake leaned against the doorway to her room as he watched her, his eyes shooting flames. "Care to let me in?" Jake asked as he gestured inside her room. "I don't think that's a good idea," Ellie replied, her breathing getting shallow. Her stomach was in knots. Every time he was near butterflies took over and she could hardly breathe, she could hardly think straight. "I heard some interesting news just now. You're going on a date with Stefano this Saturday?" Jake asked her, his eyebrows raised, his voice accusing. "Yes, I am," Ellie replied, willing her body to listen and not give her away. "Do you think that's a good idea?" Jake asked. "Obviously, or I wouldn't have said yes." Ellie