Chapter 7

Elaine

I opened my eyes, and the white lights blinded me again.

I swallowed hard when I found myself in another hospital room, on a much larger and more comfortable bed, but with my arms hooked up to IVs. That was a complete reality check.

Shit, it’s real, I thought in horror.

I had lost my memories, but I knew that humans were the weakest link in the world, and that’s why I swallowed hard.

I had no idea how I remembered the reality of the world when I didn’t know who the hell I was. That stressed me out more than I could admit. The monitor next to me began beeping loudly, and then the nurse who had attended to me earlier walked in.

“Calm down, don’t panic; we’re not going to do anything to you,” the nurse said as she approached the monitor.

My body tensed up completely, like the strings of a violin about to snap.

The nurse checks everything, and I can see her name embroidered on the front pocket of her scrubs.

Carlis Brown.

I took a good look at her; she was a tall, slender woman with an elegant posture. She was beautiful, with gorgeous blonde hair and striking amber eyes. She looked focused as she ignored my scrutiny. She jotted down several things on a tablet and then adjusted something on the monitor.

She finally sighed and looked at me carefully.

“We aren’t the monsters humans think we are,” she said, and those words shook me to the core. “We’re a species defined by our sense of community. We have powers, but we also have responsibilities, and humanity has become an ally in recent decades. I can assure you that no one will hurt you and that we’ll help you.”

The certainty in her words sent shivers down my spine.

I believed her; she was genuine, but the unknown terrified me, and something told me I was easily frightened.

“I—”

“You don’t have to say anything right now; just let us help you,” Carlis said with a gentle expression and a very sweet voice. “You’re still very injured; you need help, treatment, and regular check-ups. The accident you had was really bad; you could have died, and we just want you to be okay.”

The truth hit me like crashing into a big, hard concrete wall.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” I admitted. “I’m afraid of that.”

Claris smiled and calmly walked over to the other side of my bed, then sat down on the comfortable, plush sofa next to me.

“You can ask anything, and we can provide you with all the information you need,” she said in an extremely kind tone. “I know it’s not easy being in your position, but I can swear to you by the Goddess who created us, and who is no longer with us, that we won’t hurt you.”

I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t help but cry.

“Has no one been looking for me?” I asked, my voice breaking.

Claris looked at me seriously.

“No,” she said. “We haven’t received any reports of a missing human woman, and unfortunately, the car you were driving is a total loss because the engine caught fire.”

That news made me swallow hard, and I wiped away my tears.

“Can you drink water?” I asked, and she smiled.

“Of course,” said Carlis, and she poured me some water right away.

Just then the door opened and the beautiful woman who had offered me protection walked in.

Her beauty was extraordinary; she radiated an energy unlike anyone else’s, and I knew she was no ordinary she-wolf.

“I’ll go get the doctor, Ms. Selene,” said Claris, and she left.

“Are you feeling calmer?” Selene asked before sitting down on the sofa next to me, and I nodded. “I’m sorry we had to sedate you so we could restrain you and perform the imaging studies needed to assess the current state of your brain.”

I raised my eyebrows and then looked at the beautiful brunette guiltily.

“I’m sorry,” I said softly.

“You don’t have to apologize for feeling afraid,” Selene said without hesitation. “Fear is normal and common. Don’t be ashamed of being human and feeling like one. You are who you are, and it’s natural for you to feel at a disadvantage.”

I swallowed hard.

“I don’t remember much, but I do remember that we have different worlds within the same world and that humans are the weakest link,” I said carefully.

Selene raised her eyebrows in surprise, then smiled and nodded.

“I suppose that’s how humans see it, and it’s normal,” Selene said with a calmness that put me at ease. “I don’t know what kind of propaganda you’ve been fed over the years, and honestly, at this point, I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to show you our village, our people, and who we are. That way, you can judge for yourself what we’re like. Mind you, perfection doesn’t exist here.”

I didn’t know why, but that last sentence made me laugh.

“That’s true,” I said calmly. “Perfection is only for the divine.”

Selene looked at me intently for several seconds that felt like hours before she burst out laughing. I didn’t understand why she was laughing, but that laugh made me realize how beautiful she was. Her dark hair was gorgeous and curled at the ends, her skin was radiant, and her blue eyes stood out against it.

Then, something in her eyes made me realize that she was truly the mother of the man who had held me back earlier.

“You’re a charmer,” she said before smiling calmly.

“Where am I?” I asked cautiously.

“You’re in the Crescent Pack,” Selene said without hesitation. “It’s a border pack that lies between the land of the sorceresses and human lands. It’s one of the most powerful packs on our continent and is led by my son, Arsel.”

The name resonated through my body like a call.

I clenched my hands and looked at her carefully.

“Aren’t you the leader?” I asked cautiously.

She smiled.

“Yes, I’m Luna from another pack, the Eclipse Pack, and it’s a bit far away,” she said with a smile. “My husband is the Alpha of that pack, so I help him lead.”

I frowned, not quite understanding the situation.

“Aren’t successions here father-to-son?” I asked, confused, and she laughed.

“They are; we’re actually the race that created that type of succession,” Selene said without hesitation. “The position of Alpha in a pack is a family position, passed from one firstborn to the next, and it’s not transferable unless very specific conditions are met. But you don’t need to get tangled up in the politics right now. “So you don’t get confused, Arsel is my son with the late Alpha of this pack. That’s why Arsel is the Alpha of Crescent.”

Then a piece of the puzzle of this place fell into place.

“You’ve been married twice,” I said, impressed.

“Yes,” Selene explained calmly. “Why are you surprised? I understand that divorce is common among humans and that they can have more than one partner throughout their lives if they’re unhappy with their marriage.”

That was true, but I cleared my throat before setting the glass aside.

“It occurred to me that werewolves were monogamous,” I said cautiously. “Maybe I’m wrong.”

“You’re not wrong,” said Selene. “Once a werewolf finds his ideal companion, that relationship usually lasts a lifetime. However, let’s just say that my circumstances with Arsel’s father were different, and we parted ways. But that allowed me to find my current husband and enabled Arsel’s father to meet the love of his life before he died. It was complicated, but today I’m very happy with the man by my side, and I’m sure that my son’s father, wherever he is, is also happy with the woman he met.”

Her words were clear and precise, and I was taken aback.

“I’m sorry to hear about the death of your son’s father,” I said carefully.

Selene smiled wistfully.

“It happened a long time ago, so don’t worry,” Selene said. “He was a great man and did his very best for his son and for the people of this town.”

The way she said it left a lot unsaid, but I didn’t want to pry further into the subject because it seemed very sensitive to me.

“Do I have to pay for all this?” I asked cautiously.

Selene looked at me firmly and shook her head.

“No, medicine and education are free throughout the Wolf Territory,” she said seriously. “I don’t know what you remember from the human world that you take for granted, but here we help people and we uphold justice.”

That last sentence struck a chord with me more than I’d like to admit.

“Justice,” I said, my voice breaking. “Do you think I didn’t consent to what they did to me?”

She looked at me firmly and seriously before taking my hand.

“Sweetheart, call me Selene. That’s my name, and I’m giving you permission to be informal with me,” she said without hesitation. “And yes, I think they hurt you because you showed signs of self-defense. It may have been instinctive, but life has taught me to study violent behavior, and I suspect you may have had an abusive partner.”

My body tensed.

“I—”

“Relax,” Selene said firmly. “You’ll be safe here. My son is a faithful protector of women and has excellent shelter programs. Once you’re better, you can decide what you want to do, but rest assured that we’ll help you, regardless of your decisions.”

“Why would you help a fragile human like me?” I asked, a lump in my throat.

Just then, the door opened and her son walked in.

He was the most beautiful man I could remember ever seeing, and I swallowed hard at his gaze. He quickly scanned me from head to toe, while my heart began to pound.

He was tall, muscular, and dark-skinned like his mother, but with much darker hair and a healthy, tanned complexion that made him stand out even more. However, his greenish eyes were like looking into a well of emeralds.

He approached slowly, like someone closing in on prey, and I grew nervous.

“I don’t think I’ve formally introduced myself,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I’m Arsel Dubois, Alpha of the Crescent Pack and leader of the Alpha Council.”

Something about his name rang a bell in the back of my mind, and I stared at him.

“Thank you for helping me,” I said hurriedly. “I—”

“You have nothing to thank me for,” Arsel said calmly, holding out his hand. “It was the right thing to do. Now you’re safe, and you’ll have protection, support, and care. You have my word that nothing bad will happen to you on my lands.”

I raised my eyebrows but nodded and returned his greeting with a handshake.

The moment our skin touched, a static shock jolted us, and I gasped before quickly pulling my hand away.

I looked at him immediately, and he was tense as his eyes turned completely golden.