Chapter 60: Totally Screwed
***Authors note: Thank you so much Zac_Cooper and SpicyReads for the Golden tickets. You guys are the bomb! This Chapter is for you***
ODETTE’S POV:
I was so grateful to no one disturbing after Ambrose left. I needed to think. I couldn’t leave the room, I was exhausted. My wounds have healed, but I was sore everywhere. Especially between my legs. And oh god did my stomach hurt.
Everything was a mess in my head right now. My feelings, and thoughts. Everything in complete turmoil.
Flashes of last night kept running through my head. And the link, the bond, I wanted to deny it. But I felt it, the snap. The recognition of something familiar, it was stronger than ever before. Like my soul recognized him.
When he took the collar off, I felt all the power rush back to me. The crash I felt only intensified what I felt with Ambrose. His touch sparked something in me. And now I feel this burning in my chest.
Was it really possible? For a vampire to have a fated mate? A werewolf mate? I’ve never heard of a single incident, all the books say we’ve been at odds for centuries. Since the end of the first war.
There wasn’t much on what was before the war. My Mammy was one of the only people still alive from back then, most of what was before was lost. Even a lot of what happened during, the records of it aren’t clear and my Mammy never speaks on it. She claims that it’s a part of her memory that’s been blocked out. Her memories of that time are scarce and fuzzy. It was right after transition.
I wish there was a way to research more. I wonder if the shifters have their own records?
Would getting access be easy? They probably wouldn’t just let some vampire waltz into their records and request for their history texts.
Sigh.
I run my hands through my hair and kick my feet on the bed.
Ow. Ow. Ow. I’m so sore, why did I do that?
I throw myself back on the bed in frustration.
How can the Gods do this to me? Why Moon Goddess? Why would you gift me such a curse.
I miss my mommy. I wish I could just call her and hear her voice. Ask her what to do.
My dad would probably kill me. If he ever found out I slept with a wolf.
Oh man. I’m so toast.
A small sliver of hope still lived in my chest that they would find me. But another part in my chest ached thinking about leaving.
Did I actually want to return to my dull life? My lack of control. Where my entire life is monitored?
I don’t know if I did. My life wasn’t bad and I missed my parents, a lot. Delilah and Kalvin. But the idea of being away from Ambrose. It hurt. Like someone was carving out a piece of my soul.
Is this what it felt like to have a mate? Gods, how do shifter deal with such intense feelings?
A sudden knock stirred me from my thoughts.
"It’s Emalea." The familiar voice from behind the door spoke.
"Come in." I answered.
Emalea came through the door with urgency. Her face lined with worry. "Are you okay?"
She rushed over to me.
"I’m okay, a little sore and tired, but I’m healing. It’s not the first time I’ve almost died." I recalled the time where Ambrose choked me to death, and I shivered.
"I heard about what you did, that was so impressive and brave. There’s no way I could rush into danger with such courage. I’m a weaker wolf with weaker healing abilities." Emalea was now on her knees at the floor of my bed.
"You heard? Am I being talked about?" I asked curiously. I wonder what’s being said.
"Yes, they say a white-haired beauty came from nowhere and fought the rogues like a hired assassin. Brutal, ruthless, and unrelenting. Some of the soldiers saw you arrive, but many of the civilians haven’t really seen you, so you’re an enigma to some of the people in the pack." She said excitedly.
"Could you get off the floor and sit on the bed beside me, honestly, you’re my friend and I don’t consider you beneath me, so please don’t kneel." I smiled; I really didn’t like it when people I care for greet me with such formalities. It feels wrong.
"Yes, sorry, it’s just habit. Wolf shifters are big on respect and etiquette." Emalea apologized and rose from the fall and taking a seat on the bed. I hiss slightly as I prop myself up with the second pillow on the bed. The pack house was homie humble and warm. The room had a great bed, honestly, and fur blankets.
"Here, let me do that." Emalea moved quickly to help, but I stopped her.
"No, no, it’s okay. I can manage, I’m not that disabled." I joked with her.
"So, tell me, why did you do it, why did you come and help with the defense?" She asked me with a slight smirk. Just barely there, but I could see it. "Don’t you think lowly of most wolf shifters?"
"Yes, but that doesn’t mean I want them to die. And I am here as well, as a guest, they basically attacked me as well. I don’t like being threatened." I should feel guilty or bad about taking someone’s life, and I took several lives last night.
But I didn’t, in all honesty, I didn’t feel like these people were my people, but because I was a part of their world now and still wasn’t sure I wanted to stay or try and figure out a way to escape. Funny how being a prisoner and hostage here, I had more freedom than I did at home.
"Hmm... Sure it’s not because us wolves are growing on you?" She said in a teasing tone, leaning back on the bed comfortably.
Which I liked, I liked how relaxed she looked around me. It made me feel like she was actually my friend.
"Well, maybe some are. I noticed everyone has blue hair here. Why is that a thing?" I saw they all had blue hair when I arrived, but I guess I never actually processed that noticeable difference.
"I don’t know, that’s a question for Ariel. A few packs are known to have, unique, hair colors. But it’s not common. This pack is the only one where everyone has blue hair." Emalea answered.
I leaned back and we both laid in a calm silence for a moment before she broke it, speaking first.
"I heard the Alpha King was pretty distraught over you. When I spoke with him, he seemed pretty panicky. They said they saw him carrying, bridal style in last night." She said with knowing smile.
"Yeah..." I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about what happened last night with Ambrose, but I feel like I should. Maybe she could help with my dilemma.
"So, Em, something happened last night. And I don’t know what to do anymore. Everything is different now, I don’t know what I’m doing, what’s happening to me."
Emalea sat and turned to me picking her legs up and sitting crisscross "What else happened last night, besides you’re heroic deeds?"
"You can’t tell anyone. Like at all. I still don’t understand everything, and a lot doesn’t make sense, yet it all adds up." Okay here I go. Confession time. I always imagined telling Delilah first, but Emalea, she’s pretty trustworthy.
"Woah, juicy secret’s, I’m here for it. Promise I won’t tell." Emalea said with sincerity and put her pinky out.
I chuckled and hooked my pinky around hers.
"Pinky Promise."