Chapter Thirteen

Ellie

I’d never experienced a panic attack before, and if that was what it felt like, I didn’t want to go through it again.

I sat there, sipping my orange juice, sandwiched between the Beta and the Alpha. Or should I say Seth and Clayton. It felt a bit odd to be using their first names.

Even Gabriel, I had always called Daddy, until he broke his promises and left me. Maybe it was for the best. Not the time I spent with Zagan, of course. But ending up here.

Or was I being too trusting? I’d made that mistake before. I would just have to be cautious. It seemed that every time someone found out I was neither wolf nor human, something bad happened.

I just had to live in the moment, but brace myself for the worst.

Clayton gave me a tour of what he referred to as his ‘apartment’. It was similar to Jason and Jasmine’s place, maybe a bit smaller. I wondered why he didn’t have a house like Gabriel’s, but I didn’t ask.

I just absorbed everything I saw and heard. I’d already revealed a bit too much about myself. If I started asking questions, they might start probing too.

Seth, it seemed, had his own room, but often spent time with Clayton.

When I touched one of the beer bottles they had left on the table near the sofa, Clayton quickly grabbed it away, laughing.

“I think you’re a bit too young for beer, little pup.”

I just shrugged. I had no clue what beer was. Maybe it was something only Alphas and Betas were allowed to have.

“How about something to eat?” Seth suggested.

I nodded. I wasn’t really hungry, but after having so little food for such a long time, I wasn’t going to refuse. Also, realizing how thin I was, I knew I needed to gain strength.

If the time came when I needed to escape, then I would probably need to be able to defend myself. At least with all the training I had, I knew how to fight.

The girl in the kitchen had learned that.

Seth walked over to the fridge, and opened it.

“What would you like?”

I froze for a moment. I didn’t want them to know how ignorant I was. Didn’t want them to know that I couldn’t read or write, or even know what foods looked or tasted like.

So I thought about the last proper meal I had eaten, before I was taken.

“Lasagne,” I said.

Clayton burst into laughter, and Seth frowned.

“Well you did ask her,” Clayton teased Seth.

Seth rolled his eyes.

“I’ll make us some sandwiches,” he grumbled.

I wasn’t sure what a sandwich was so I just nodded in agreement.

“Come on,” Clayton encouraged, resting a hand on my shoulder, “Come and sit down and you can tell me about what happened with Alpha Gabriel and the Crescent Moon Pack.”

I would have to think hard, come up with some story. I wasn’t ready to tell him yet about me escaping across the border, or what my life had been like on the human side.

Before we got very far, there was a loud bang on the main entrance door. Not once or twice, but three times. Really loud like someone was pounding on it with their fist. The first bang made me jump.

“It’s okay Ellie, it’s just the door, go and sit down. I’ll be there in a minute,” Clayton reassured, gently squeezing my shoulder. He probably thought I was going to have another panic attack.

Clayton let go of my shoulder, and in a couple of large strides, he reached the door.

I watched as he unlocked it. He obviously hadn’t trusted me not to run, which irked me a bit.

Before Clayton had a chance to invite him in, the doctor barged into the apartment.

“Where is she,” he snarled.

Then his eyes locked onto me.

“You fucking filthy little half-breed,” he spat.

He grabbed me by the throat, as his fist collided with my face. I felt something crack, as blood gushed from my nose and my lip split for the second time in a few days.

“What are you?” he hissed, “I thought the boy was the hybrid, but it was you all along. I ended his life for nothing. How the hell are you immune to silver?”

As he spoke he shook me.

My vision started to blur.

Nix...help me!

I called out to my wolf. She didn’t answer, I couldn’t rouse her. What had he done to my wolf?

When I didn’t answer, he threw me at the wall. The back of my head hit the wall with a thud.

I watched through blurred vision as he stormed over to where I was laying. This was it, he was going to kill me.

I saw a shadow move across my peripheral vision. The doctor didn’t make it to where I was laying.

“Get that fucking piece of shit out of here,” Clayton growled.

I closed my eyes and whimpered as I felt two hands on my shoulder.

“It’s okay Ellie, you’re going to be okay,” Clayton whispered.

I thought he was talking about me. Why wasn’t he hurting me? He knew what I was now? Why didn’t he let the doctor finish me off?

Then it suddenly dawned on me. Sammy, he had killed Sammy.

“Open your eyes, sweetheart,” Clayton urged.

I did as he asked. Tears welled up in my eyes, not because of the pain, but because of the realization that he had murdered Sammy.

A tear trickled from my eye.

“No sweetheart, don’t cry. It’s gonna be okay,” Clayton soothed, the pad of his thumb gently brushing the tear away.

I heard the door open again.

“Shit is she gonna be okay,” Seth asked, worry in his voice.

“Get the med kit, and a towel. What have you done with him?” Clayton hissed.

I saw someone walk into another room. I could barely see through the tears and my double vision. I guessed it was Seth.

He handed something to Clayton.

“He’s in silver chains in the cells. I can’t believe that piece of shit kill...”

Seth’s voice trailed off, and then he was kneeling beside me.

“Everything’s going to be alright, Ellie,” he reassured me.

“You...you don’t despise me?” I stammered, “I’m a weirdo.”

Another tear slipped from my eye.

I felt Seth’s hand on my head, then he pulled it away.

“Blood, Clayton,” Seth murmured.

“No, sweetheart. You’re not a weirdo, you’re just unique. It makes you extraordinary, very extraordinary. Now this might sting a little,” Clayton whispered.

I felt one arm behind my back and another under my knees. Clayton gently lifted me up and carried me a short distance to the couch.

My head pounded, and so did my nose.

I closed my eyes. I just wanted to sleep.

“No Ellie,” Clayton cautioned, “You need to stay awake, talk to me sweetheart.”

“About what?” I mumbled.

“Anything,” he quickly replied, “what’s your favorite food? What was your favorite thing in school? Do you have any siblings? Anything sweetheart, just try and stay awake, okay?”

I hissed as I felt something poke the back of my head.

“It hurts,” I whimpered.

“I’m sorry Ellie, I just have to clean it up, keep talking to Clayton. It’ll distract you,” Seth encouraged.

Clayton gently wiped the blood from my mouth and nose.

I guessed they would find out sooner or later. They already knew I was unique. I didn’t feel extraordinary though.

“I never went to school,” I mumbled, “I don’t know much, not even about food. Sammy always showed me what was safe to eat.”

My words were met by silence. That was it. Now they wouldn’t want me for sure.

I closed my eyes again.

“Tired,” I mumbled.

“Oh no you don’t,” Clayton chided gently.

“Why do you like Lasagne,” Clayton asked.

I frowned, “I only had it once...Nana...I mean, Gabriel’s mom made it.”

Clayton stroked my face, “well that’s something you know, isn’t it.”

I hummed.

“I suppose.”

I felt some pressure on my head.

“Wh...what’s happening?” I stammered.

“It’s okay Ellie, I’m just putting on a bandage, you hurt your head when it hit the wall,” Seth explained.

I jumped when I heard a knock at the door.

“It’s okay, Ellie,” Clayton soothed, he held me a little tighter.

It was then I realized he was still holding me on his lap, while Seth had been bandaging my head.

“I’ll get it,” Seth declared.

I heard the door open, and I heard muffled voices, the two sets of footsteps.

“Oh my goodness, what happened?”

It was a woman’s voice.

Clayton sighed.

“Veronica! Thank you for coming. Joseph went berserk. He punched her in the face, and threw her against the wall. If we hadn’t stopped him, he would have killed her. He killed the other pup.

“I think she has a concussion, we’ve been trying to keep her awake.”

I opened my eyes, and looked at the woman.

“I’m tired,” I muttered.

She let out a small laugh.

“I’m sure you are poppet, let me just take a quick look and then I’ll let the Alpha put you to bed.”

I frowned.

“His name is Clayton,” I huffed.

I heard Clayton chuckle.

I winced as Veronica gently touched my nose.

“Are you a doctor?” I mumbled.

“Yes, I am, poppet. Now, can you sense your wolf?”

I sighed, “she won’t wake up.”

Veronica hummed, “I’m sure she will soon. I’ll come and see you again tomorrow.”

“You should let her sleep, just keep an eye on her. I can either pop by, or you can bring her to the hospital. I’m going to need another doctor, Alpha Clayton.

“We can’t run the hospital with just one doctor,” she concluded.

“I know,” Clayton sighed, “right now my priority is this little one. I’ll look into a replacement in the morning.”

I heard footsteps disappearing, I figured it was Veronica leaving. She seemed nice, but what did I know.

I suddenly felt like I was floating, then I realized that Clayton was carrying me.

“Where are we going?” I mumbled.

Clayton chuckled.

“I’m putting you to bed, little wolf.”

I hummed an acknowledgement. I didn’t feel him lay me on the bed, because by that time I had already drifted off to sleep.