Chapter 14

Gabriel

I found myself unable to look away from her as she slipped back into sleep. It pained me to see her so distressed from her nightmare, but there was a silver lining—it was the first time she had let me in.

I found myself wondering about her past. How old had she been when they took her away? Had Ellie and her brother initially lived with their parents, not in the camp? Were they once behind the wall?

If Ellie hadn’t received any education, she must have been quite young when they took her. Or perhaps they were on this side of the wall, and her parents were allowed to keep their children for some reason.

I knew I needed to talk to my father again. See if he had any more insight into the human situation.

By the time I reached the door, she had curled up on her side, making herself as small as possible. My eyes landed on the furry toy wolf on the dresser.

I’d spotted it while shopping for bedding and furniture online. I just tossed it into the cart. I’d arranged for it to be picked up so it would be ready when we got home.

I’d asked my gamma Theo for help. He was more than happy to assist and even rounded up a few of the Omega females to help select the clothes Ellie would need.

I had hoped that Ellie would still be awake when we arrived, but she had fallen asleep in my arms.

She was sleeping a lot. I made a mental note to talk to Erik tomorrow, just to check if this was normal. The poor little pup had been through so much in the last couple of days.

I was sure it was just her tiny body’s way of coping, but it wouldn’t hurt to double-check.

I picked up the wolf and walked back to the bed. I gently tucked it under her hand. She didn’t stir.

I switched on the baby monitor on the bedside table; its counterpart was in my bedroom. This way, if she woke up from another nightmare, I could come and check on her.

After setting up the listening monitor in my room, I went to bed. I’m a light sleeper, but I woke up around six without having heard a peep from the pup.

Just to be sure, I tiptoed to her room and cracked open the door. Her arms were wrapped around the furry wolf, and she was sleeping soundly.

I quietly closed the door and headed back to my room to prepare for the day. I hoped that meeting my parents, her grandparents, wouldn’t overwhelm her.

Both of them could be a bit intense, especially when it came to their grandpups, but the sooner she started interacting with other pack members, the better.

I still had to bring up the topic of the pack joining ceremony. It was only a small cut to the hand, but considering everything my little pup had been through, it might be a big deal.

Also, standing in front of the whole pack might scare her half to death. I knew my father wanted me to do this sooner rather than later, but I had to think of Ellie first.

When I heard noises in the kitchen, I walked in to find Millie, one of the Omegas, preparing breakfast.

When she saw me, she bowed.

“Good morning, Alpha. Do you have any special requests for breakfast?” she asked.

I smiled. Theo had arranged for one of the Omegas to cook and clean for us. Apparently, there had been a flood of requests for the job. Theo had chosen Millie.

She was a bit older than some of the others. I’m sure Theo had made a good choice; she was more of a motherly figure, rather than a young girl.

With no mate, most of the young girls were vying for my favor. Now that I had Ellie to consider, I could do without the distraction.

“Thank you, Millie, just the usual plus a bowl of fruit for Ellie. She’s particularly fond of strawberries,” I added.

Millie chuckled, “ahh, a sweet tooth. Perhaps I should whip up a few chocolate chip pancakes?”

I smiled and nodded, “not too many, she can only eat small amounts right now.”

Millie nodded, a look of sadness in her eyes. Theo had probably told her about Ellie’s past, at least as much as I had told him.

I took a seat at the breakfast bar.

Millie looked at me, a puzzled look on her face. I guessed she wasn’t used to having the Alpha watch her work.

“It’s just in case Ellie comes in, she’s a little wary of strangers,” I explained.

Millie smiled and nodded.

“Coffee?” she asked.

I nodded, “yes, please.”

As I sat there sipping my coffee, I heard a door open.

It sounded like it came from Ellie’s room.

As much as I wanted to rush down the hallway and scoop her into my arms, I held back.

I knew I needed to give her some space, if she wanted it.

She might only look like a five-year-old, but I had to keep reminding myself she wasn’t a baby. Yes, I would need to baby her at times, but I also wanted her to trust me. To want my help.

That way, I hoped she would open up. Put her demons to rest. Allow herself to be a child.

I couldn’t help but smile as she wandered into the kitchen area. She was dragging the wolf by its tail and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

She looked so tiny in the little white nightdress I had changed her into when we got home.

“Hey there, pickle,” I greeted her, “how did you sleep?”

She stopped rubbing her eyes and looked up at me.

“Ok,” she mumbled, “but I need to pee.”

I chuckled and stood up.

“Come on then, I’ll show you where it is,” I said as I held my hand out for her to take.

I was surprised when she lifted her hands up to me.

I didn’t say anything but lifted her up. One arm wrapped around my neck, the other still clutched at the wolf’s tail.

“Do you like your wolf?” I asked.

She nodded, “he’s soft. Does he look like you?” she asked.

Her big blue eyes stared at me curiously.

I chuckled, “maybe a little. Maybe we should leave him here while you have a bath or a shower,” I suggested.

She pouted, “I had a bath yesterday,” she exclaimed, “I only need to pee!”

I took the wolf from her and laid him on the breakfast bar.

“You’re going to have one today, and tomorrow, and the day after that,” I teased, leading her towards the bathroom.

Her pout remained. I figured she either wasn’t a fan of baths or wasn’t a morning person.

Once we got to the bathroom, I set her down. She looked at the toilet, then at me.

I reached behind the toilet and pulled out a small step stool.

“This is so you can use the toilet on your own,” I clarified.

Her lips formed an ‘o’ as she stepped onto the stool.

She lifted the hem of her nightgown and sat down on the toilet.

I turned my back to give her some privacy and started running the bathwater.

When I heard the toilet flush, I glanced over. She was standing on the stool, having just flushed.

I couldn’t help but smile.

She stepped down from the stool.

“Am I wearing this today?” she asked, lifting the hem of the nightgown.

I chuckled.

“No, sweetie, that’s just a nightgown. We’ll find you some clothes after your bath.”

She frowned, “I don’t get it, what’s wrong with this? I just need some underwear, right?”

I held out my hand, which she took, and led her over to the bath.

“Arms up,” I instructed.

She raised her arms, and I pulled the nightgown over her head. I quickly lifted her into the bath.

“This is just for bedtime,” I explained, holding up the nightgown before tossing it into the laundry hamper.

I grabbed the soap and started to wash her.

“Why did you put it in there?” she asked, looking puzzled.

I picked up the sponge and squeezed it over her shoulder, letting the warm water rinse off the soap.

“That’s where we put dirty clothes, sweetie. Tonight you can have a clean nightgown. Today you’ll have clean clothes.”

Ellie stared at me, her face full of surprise.

“I get different clothes every day?” she asked.

I nodded and grabbed a towel from the rack.

“Now let's get you dried and dressed, then you can meet Millie. She’s making us breakfast.”

I stood her up and wrapped the towel around her before carrying her back to her room.

Once she was dry, I went to the closet and pulled out a bright yellow sundress covered in pink flowers, short white socks, and a pair of underwear. I grabbed a matching pair of yellow sandals.

“Let’s get you dressed, we have a busy day ahead,” I said cheerfully.

I led Ellie over to the full-length mirror, standing behind her I rested my hand gently on the top of her head.

“What do you think, sweetie?”

She tilted her head to one side.

“What is this again?” she asked, holding the hem of her dress.

“It’s a dress, haven’t you worn one before?” I asked.

She shook her head, “it’s nice. What color is it?” she asked.

I smiled. “It's yellow, and the flowers are pink.”

I watched her as she mouthed the words yellow and pink under her breath, trying to remember them.

“Come on,” I chuckled, “let’s go get you some breakfast.”

She smiled up at me, reaching for my hand.

“Strawberries?” she asked.

I ruffled her hair and laughed.

“Yes, sweetie, you can have strawberries.”