8 - What Are You?

~Ellie’s Point of View~

My eyes flickered open and I sat up with a shudder, and immediately regretted it. I reached instinctively for the pain in my head expecting a gash to be there, but I felt something soft.

 Maybe a bandage? I looked down at my arm and saw a large bandage. 

I was in a small but quaint bedroom, and it was night time. There was a small lamp in the corner that illuminated the room. I threw the blanket off me and much to my shock I was only dressed in a large shirt, with literally nothing else on. Who took my clothes off?!

There were scrapes and cuts all over my legs that looked freshly cleaned. They looked like they were already healing, and I gaped at that. Was my wolf helping me? There was a bit of pain from my left leg and it had some ugly bruising. 

I knew I likely didn’t have the strength to stand, but I tried to lift myself enough to see out the window, to gauge where I was at least. I couldn’t make out anything but darkness. 

I didn’t feel like I was back at Blood Claw, the mood felt light, I didn’t have a sense of danger. If Tyson had gotten me, he’d likely be right next to me.

I tried to speak but nothing came out, my throat was dry as dirt and it hurt. I didn’t see any water on the side table and I hoped someone was nearby. I gently laid back down and decided to knock on the wall. A wolf would surely hear it from anywhere in the house.

After my third knock I heard a shuffle and some voices arguing. I couldn’t tell what they were saying but the man’s voice sounded upset. Suddenly, a woman appeared in the door. She looked about thirty and she had long jet black hair and wore ripped jeans with a tank top, despite it being winter. I wasn’t getting the vibe that she was a wolf and it confused me. Was she a human?

“Look who is finally awake! Hey guys, the pup is awake!” 

Two men and another woman came into the room, all regarding me carefully. I pointed to my mouth and made a drinking motion and one of the men said, “oh duh she’s probably thirsty!” He promptly left the room.

I noticed the faint smell of maple and it dawned on me that it was coming from my shirt. I hummed, looking down at it, feeling safe and loved. That was stupid, it’s just a shirt. I sneaked a look at the three people surrounding my bed, and I couldn’t tell for sure but it didn’t seem like any of them were wolves, which puzzled me greatly. 

The black haired woman took my hand and I let her, still being confused.

She said, “you’re safe hun, there’s nothing to worry about. My name is Angel, this is Godfrey, Pat and coming with your water is Max.” 

I cracked a smile at that and for whatever reason felt like I could in fact trust them. I probably trusted too easily. Max popped back in the room with a bottle of water, removing the cap and putting it to my lips as Angel helped to prop me up. After a few gulps I cleared my throat a couple times.

“I’m Ellie,” I finally croaked out. I sounded awful. I cleared my throat.

“Please, please I need to know if my pack is safe, is my family okay?” 

I immediately noticed another scent coming off of me, my arm smelled like … oranges? It smelled incredible, and I found myself smelling my arm. I quickly recovered, and tried to act like I was just scratching my nose. I would investigate that later.

Angel let out a deep sigh. “Well I don’t know who your family is but … roughly a dozen or so of the pack were lost, all men though, no women or kids. We are Shadow Warriors, do you know who we are?”

I slumped, fearful of who the casualties might be. That meant the help did come! The warriors did show up! I thought it was super cool I got to meet them.

“I only just learned of you recently, but I only know you are who people help, that’s what I was told. Please, my family, they are Thomas and Valerie, can you see if they are okay?”

Godfrey sighed, “I can ask around, but understand we are far from there now, and I’m sorry but you cannot go back.”

I shivered, and felt tears coming. I was wondering if he knew they weren’t my real family, they were my family to me. But I was also getting a vibe from him, like I wanted to fight him. I looked at him, trying to figure him out. 

“What … what are you?” 

I cocked my head to the side.

“I’m a vampire, have you ever met one,” he smiled, a perfect white smile.

I gasped and shuffled back toward the headboard all while covering my mouth and instinctively brought my knees to my chest, pulling the big shirt down over me like a blanket. Godfrey took a step back and held up his hands. 

“I would never hurt you child, please don’t be afraid,” he whispered.

“A vampire probably wouldn’t come right out and tell me he’s going to hurt me,” I said, shivering.

He stepped back and sat in a chair. 

“Hopefully I can earn your trust,” he said.

Everyone turned back to me and I guessed I was supposed to talk.

“No, I … I know there are other … beings but I only know wolves. I’ve never even met a human,” I said, bashfully.

I could swear I heard a shuffle from the hallway, and two voices out there. I couldn’t stop trying to focus on it. Max put the bottle of water down on the side table and smiled at me. 

“Would you like something to eat, what can I get you,” he asked. 

I looked at him with the same wonder. I kind of didn’t like him either, he seemed … sneaky somehow.

“Are you a vampire too,” I asked. 

“No sweetie, I’m a fae, do you know what that is,” he beamed. 

I pressed my lips together in confusion. What a big world there was out there, and I was ashamed to admit I knew so little about it.

“No clue.” 

They all smiled. I couldn’t make out much from any of them, either they were all just overly polite or maybe other creatures weren’t so bad. I probably trusted too easily though. I wanted to always believe people were good, even though Blood Claw didn’t show me a whole lot of good.

I really hoped they didn’t think I was an idiot. I spent the last ten years or so trying to hide from the Alpha that I did know a lot more than I let on, but now that I was free, I didn’t want to be seen as a dumb pup.

“I am very hungry, we were all about to have dinner when…” I said, defeated. 

“I’ll be back in a few then,” Max said, turning to leave. 

The events of the night hit me suddenly and I sat up straight. My heart raced as I remembered seeing Gunner.

 “What about Alpha Gunner, his pack, did any of them die?” 

Godfrey looked at me like he was trying to decide what to say. I knew that face well, since everyone kept things from me all the time.

“We took out his Beta, but Gunner and Tyson got away. How did you know them, he asked.