Chapter Twenty-Three

Ellie

The only sounds I could make out were the rhythmic beeping and a man’s voice I didn’t recognize. The last thing I remembered was the pain. It was a pain so intense, it felt like my bones were breaking and reforming. I was worried about the trouble I’d be in. Now, I was just sore. It felt like every bone in my body had been bruised.

“Please...I’m sorry,” I managed to whisper, my voice barely there. My throat felt like it was being scraped raw.

“Hush, angel, everything’s going to be okay.”

That voice again. It was unfamiliar, but it brought comfort.

Hands gently brushed the hair from my face, barely touching me.

Then a large hand cradled the back of my head, and something touched my lips.

“Just drink,” he whispered.

I forced my eyes open and let the water trickle down my throat, soothing the burning sensation.

Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision.

“I didn’t mean to, she made me...it hurt so much,” I sobbed, letting the tears roll down my cheeks.

I couldn’t keep this up. I couldn’t be strong anymore.

“Hush, my angel, it’s all over now. I’ll keep you safe,” he whispered.

Who was he? How could he keep me safe? No one could.

I tried to lift my hand to wipe away my tears, but he gently held it down.

“Who...Who are you?” I stuttered.

“I’m your grandfather. I’m going to look after you now,” he said, “no one will hurt you again, not even your wolf.”

Grandfather? I didn’t have one. The closest thing I had to a grandfather was Gabriel’s father. But he wasn’t my real grandfather, just like Gabriel wasn’t my real father.

“You can’t be,” I mumbled, “I don’t have any family...not anymore.”

I heard him chuckle.

“I’ve always been here, my precious little one. Just waiting for you to come home. Now you must rest.”

He gently kissed my forehead.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I must be dreaming, or maybe I was dead. That could be it.

Then I heard him say a name I recognized. That meant I couldn’t be dead.

“Veronica, she’s awake.”

My eyes snapped open, and I could just make out a woman walking towards me.

“Hello, poppet, you’re back with us...how do you feel?”

Veronica. I recognized her voice. If she was here, I must be back at the pack-house.

“Sore,” I whispered, “everything is blurry.”

She took my hand, and I noticed something attached to it. I tried to focus on it, but I couldn’t. I’d had something like this in my hand before, when I was at Gabriel’s pack.

It shouldn’t be there. Last time it made me sick. I closed my eyes. I didn’t have the energy to fight.

“It’s just something to help with the pain, sweetheart. You need to rest,” she explained.

I shook my head and let out a muffled sob.

“I don’t want to do this anymore, I don’t want to be a wolf, I don’t want to fight,” I cried, letting my tears flow freely.

I was tired of fighting, of trying to survive. If people wanted me dead, then maybe it was for the best.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt strong arms wrap around me and lift me up.

Then I heard the voice of the man who claimed to be my grandfather.

“You don’t have to, my angel. You don’t have to fight anymore, and there’s plenty of time before you even have to think about your wolf.

“All you have to do now is be a pup,” he soothed, his voice cracking slightly.

I felt his huge arms around me, gently rocking me.

He was humming a tune. I recognized it. It was a lullaby my mother used to sing.

I closed my eyes and let his warmth envelop me. For the first time since I was taken from my parents, I felt truly safe.

I didn’t know how long this feeling would last, but I would hold onto it for as long as I could.

I don’t know how long I slept, but when I woke, the beeping had stopped. The needle was still in my hand, attached to a bag. The man who said he was my grandfather was still there.

He was watching over me like a guardian.

My vision was clear now, and I could see him clearly.

His hair was long and golden like the sun. Two braids hung neatly in front of his ears. His face was rugged, marked by a scar.

I was surprised. I thought werewolves didn’t scar, not when they had a wolf. He didn’t look old enough to be a grandfather.

He smiled at me as I woke up. His eyes were a deep blue, reminding me of the lake.

“Grandfather?” I whispered.

His hand gently stroked my face.

“Yes, little one?” he responded, encouraging me to continue.

I tilted my head slightly, frowning.

“What happened to your face?” I asked.

He chuckled. Of all the questions I could have asked, that was probably the last one he expected.

His finger traced the scar on his face.

“This... I got this in the war. A silver blade.”

He chuckled again, and his finger moved from his cheek to mine.

“But you, my little angel, you will never have to worry about things like silver blades.”

I lifted my hand, the one not attached to the medical device, and ran my fingers across the scar.

It was slightly raised. The skin around it was rough, weathered.

“Were you a warrior? A fighter?” I asked, wondering if all warriors had to go through what Zagan and Dante had put Sammy and me through.

My Grandfather tenderly took my hand, pulling it away from the scar. He kissed the top of it, his beard tickling my skin.

“I was,” he started, “It was my path, my destiny. But I never regretted it, not even once.”

He gently placed my hand back on the bed.

“Your destiny will be a bit different though,” he added.

I pouted a little and furrowed my brow.

“I’ll pick my own destiny,” I declared confidently.

My grandfather gave a wide smile.

“It doesn’t work that way, little wolf. Your destiny will find you, no matter how hard you try to dodge it. Once it finds you, you’ll have choices to make, sometimes tough ones.

“The choices you make will shape your future, and in your case, the future of others.”

I frowned.

“I don’t get it, Grandfather. What does that even mean?”

He looked at me and nodded, “All in good time, for now you need to heal and grow. Are you hungry?”

I hadn’t really thought about food, but my stomach growled in response, making me realize I was.

My grandfather chuckled.

“I think your wolf had migrated to your belly, maybe some food will help?”

I nodded and he helped me sit up. I watched as his eyes flashed black. I knew he had mind-linked someone, but I had no clue who.

They soon returned to the stunning blue that I had seen before.

“Now,” he started, looking me in the eye, “You need to tell me everything. What happened to your parents, why you crossed the border, and how you ended up in Zagan’s dungeon?”

I shuddered. Some of what he was asking I didn’t want to remember.

“Will you tell me things too, why I was born across the border? Why the rest of my family didn’t have a wolf?”

Grandfather frowned, “Rest of your family?”

I nodded. Even though he’d abandoned me, I still thought of Jackson. Thought of the last time I had seen him, when I had my first taste of chocolate.

“I have a brother, his name is Jackson, but he didn’t have a wolf either.”

My grandfather closed his eyes and nodded. A shadow of pain passed across his face. When he opened his eyes, they looked sad, and the smile he gave me looked forced.

He licked his lips nervously.

“Perhaps I should tell you some things first,” he started, “it might help to explain why you’re different from your brother.”

We both looked up when we heard Clayton’s voice.

“You have a brother?” he asked.

Clayton was carrying a tray of food. He placed it on the bed. It was soup and some bread.

“I’m sorry...I didn’t run...it was my wolf...I’m sorry about the dress,” I blurted.

Clayton smiled, “I know. Don’t worry about the dress, you didn’t like it much anyway.”

I bit my lip.

“You did though, aren’t you mad?” I asked.

He shook his head, and rested his hand on the covers where my knee was.

“I could never be mad at you, not really. You’re my cousin after all.”

I frowned and looked between my Grandfather and Clayton.

Grandfather smiled and nodded, confirming what Clayton had said.

“Your mother was my cousin, which makes you my cousin, once removed, but a cousin none the less.” Clayton explained.

I shook my head, trying to wrap my brain around the idea. All this time I had family. Real family. Had Jackson known? If he had, why had he called them monsters. They weren’t monsters at all.

When our parents had sent us both away, why didn’t Jackson take us across the border. Come and find the rest of our family. All he would tell me was not to think about crossing.

Was he trying to keep me away from my real family. Was he even my brother. Were my parents even my real parents.

I sighed.

“Why has no-one ever told me the truth. Why didn’t they tell me who I was?”

My grandfather stroked the top of my head.

“I don’t know the answer to that Ellie, but once you’ve eaten something and the doctor has checked you over, I’ll tell you everything I know, then we’ll try and fill in the gaps.”

I nodded, and started to eat the soup. It was good. It made me realize how hungry I was.

Just for a few moments it made me forget about everything. Perhaps my grandfather was right.

Maybe destiny or fate, or whatever you wanted to call it, had caught up with me, and this was where I was supposed to be.