She smiled up at her friend, hugging her tightly before saying, “I missed you too.” Camila hugged back for a moment before sniffing and perked up, smelling the waffles.
“I’m starving, let’s eat, then I’ll take you to George. I heard you got kitchen duty for a few weeks. That sucks, but it could be worse,” she said as she helped her friend off the ground. Together they walked into the kitchen, got their food and sat at the table after putting the rest of the box into the toaster. A pair of werewolves finishing a whole box of waffles, easily done. “So, tell me everything! Start with if you’re hurt.”
“No, I’m not hurt. Nick saved me from the Ferals. How many Ferals have ever wandered so close to the pack?” Elizabeth asked, hoping she wouldn’t run into too many more.
“Not many. Since they aren’t attached to an Alpha or in a pack like we are, they wander around. Some come from other countries or just other states. Most don’t cause too many problems, they wander into our turf and we scare them off with no harm done. This was a weird case though, attacking a member of a pack… it’s kinda scary,” Camila said, as she shoved a large slice of waffle into her mouth. Elizabeth sat quietly, staring at her food thoughtfully. If these attacks were rare, maybe she was worrying for nothing. Or maybe this was the start of something bigger. They seemed to be looking for something when they sniffed her out. She was probably just thinking too much about it.
“Beatrice said she was glad I was safe. That made me feel kinda weird, since she hasn’t, as of yet, been really kind to me,” she blurted without thinking it through.
“Well of course she is, she’s your Alpha of course she’d be glad you're safe. I know Beatrice can come off a little stuffy and uncaring, but she really does love each and every one of us. She is CEO of her clothing line, plus making sure we have all that we need down here, all while keeping our secret from the world, so she is really stressed all the time. The more we help by giving her less to worry about, the better and happier she’ll be. Besides, I heard that she has a crush on Nick!” Camila whispered the last conspiratorially.
“Wha-what?! Really?” She nearly choked. Something about that statement made her upset and she didn’t know why.
“Yep! Well, that’s the rumor anyway. If it’s true, she hides it really well. But enough about the Alpha, I wanna know more about why you ran away! You had me really worried.” The sad puppy dog eyes Camila gave her friend made her sigh heavily.
“I’m sorry, I thought I could handle it but clearly I was wrong. I know I have a lot more to learn before I’m ready to go back outside the pack. I promise I won’t leave again, okay?”
“You better not,” she stated, “we are friends now! More than that, we’re a pack and we stick together!” Camila held her expression stern as she held her hand out to Elizabeth. She took it and both dissolved into giggles. There was a gentle knock on her door, so Elizabeth swiped at a happy tear in the corner of her eye as she went to answer it. As she opened the door wide, her laughter died away and her cheeks felt warm.
“Morning, Liza. Wanted to make sure you weren’t going to miss your first day of punishment,” Nicholas said calmly. Why did she suddenly get so flustered around him now? Was it because he’d saved her life? While that was a very good reason, she should be angry with him for forcing her into this life. But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to. And when did he start calling her ‘Liza’? Not that she minded.
“Morning Nick, I haven’t forgotten I’m just getting some breakfast. It seems I was missed more than I realized by my little ‘outing.’” She tilted the door open further allowing him to see Camila sitting at the table, about to snag her last waffle. “Hey! That’s mine!” she charged over to rescue her food from her ravenous friend, watching her expression sink.
Nicholas laughed from his position leaning in her doorway. “Well she may have missed you, but my responsibility wasn’t the only reason I went after you that night.” She turned to him in time to see him look away and clear his throat. Were his cheeks flushed as much as hers were? “I mean I would have been worried about you, and it seems I was right to. Beatrice is going to be doubling patrol and sending word up to the Land Alpha. Seems she got some information from those Ferals we found last night.”
“Good! Lord Byron needs to know about our poor Liza’s attack!” Camila recovered from her loss and stood, shaking her fist in the air. Elizabeth truly cared for this girl.
“Glad to know I have such strong people by my side!” She smiled brightly at the pair, and they responded with their own smiles. One way or another, Elizabeth was glad things had turned out the way they did. She’d left her home knowing she needed a change and while this was not quite what she had meant, she wouldn’t change it even if she had the chance.
“I also got a message from Terry today. Word came this morning from Byron, Colin is on his way down here. Seems he has some information for us regarding Ferals and since we had that attack, Byron thought it would be best if Colin brought it in person,” Nicholas spoke calmly, but there was excitement in his eyes.
“I’ve heard of Byron, but who is Colin?” Elizabeth asked, confused.
“Lord Byron is our Land Alpha, you should have learned about him in your tutoring. He protects the Seaside Territories from as far north as the Virgina’s to as far west as Mississippi. That includes Florida and since Byron is a Brady, he’s asked his cousin and my close friend Colin to come by and deliver the message with a few guards,” Nicholas explained. His calmness gave way to his excitement. “Colin and I have always been close, he’s like a brother to me and it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. I hope he’s gotten stronger, last time I saw him he couldn’t beat me in a fight. Gonna have to test him again.” Nicholas punched air a few times, and Elizabeth thought his enthusiasm was cute.
“When will Colin be here, Nick?” Camila asked, just as excited, if not more so, than Nick.
“He’ll be here in about 3 days, he had some other matters to take care of first so he’s covering that and flying down.”
“Well, I look forward to meeting him,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“I’m sure he’ll lo-like you,” he didn’t stammer, more like he was about to say something but changed it at the last second. “Well, I should be going. You have kitchen duty and I should get a little more rest before night shift patrol. Up at sunset and running till nearly dawn.” They said their goodbyes and Nick closed the door behind him, causing an odd empty sensation in Elizabeth’s chest.
“Don’t worry, Nick will be fine. It’s just a patrol and he’s been on night shift before,” Camila tried to console her, thinking she was upset about him being punished for her actions. But that wasn’t it, she wasn’t sure why but she felt that pull again, towards the door he had left through. It was strong enough to be painful, and she just wanted it to stop.
Chapter Fourteen
It was on their way to the kitchen to see George that Elizabeth got an answer to something that had been bothering her for days. That internal pull was still present, enough that she could almost tell where Nick was at that very moment, but it wasn’t strong enough anymore to be bothersome. As the two entered the lower level of the den, they passed by a couple she hadn't noticed together before. As they passed, she heard the female mention “a pull” and she suddenly tuned into their conversation.
“I can’t believe it! I felt a pull and I just knew you had to be the one!” She was saying to him, smiling. He nodded along, smiling as well as holding her close.
“I promise, I’ll always protect you, Babe. We need to go tell the Alpha! She’ll be so happy for us.” The rest of the conversation was cut off as they began going up the stairs. Elizabeth had stopped in the middle of the hallway, Camila was calling to her, but she couldn’t focus. She felt her feet start walking back the way they’d come.
“Liza!” She yelled for her friend. Elizabeth blinked and turned back towards her friend, shocked. “What’s gotten into you? We have to get you t
o work before you get in trouble.”
“Camila, you wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” Elizabeth’s heart began to beat so hard, she thought it might beat out of her chest. Her palms and cheeks became cold, fear racing through her limbs.
“No, of course not. Why?” She suddenly looked very concerned for her friend, seeing her pale face. “Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should go get checked out by the med ward. Come on.” Without another word she led her stunned friend towards the medical ward and away from the dining hall.
“What do you know about the Full Moon Ceremony? What does that have to do with the ‘pull’ those two were talking about?” Elizabeth asked as they walked.
“Oh that? Everyone knows that, you should too! It was even in the story the Lorekeepers told you, the Huntress and the Wolf. When O’Connor looked at the injured wolf and knew that was his mate? It was a full moon. The full moon is when the Goddess is strongest, and thus when we are to search for our mates.”
“Ma-mate? Like…” she couldn’t finish the thought. She wasn't ready to admit what was becoming clear to her.
“Yep, like your partner in life. The male or female who you will spend the rest of your life with, have children with, oh how I wish I could find mine! I still have plenty of time, but I’m impatient. Liza? Liza!” The darkness edged her vision again as the floor quickly came up to meet her.
Shortly after she had passed out, Elizabeth woke once again in a white room on an uncomfortable hard bed, a cool cloth on her forehead. Camila was beside her, her knee bouncing nervously until she looked over at her friend, relief washing over her face. She blinked a few times, looking around the room, her eyes falling on Nick in the corner of the room, arms crossed until he caught her looking at him, and moved to her other side. She didn’t know why she hadn’t seen it before, maybe she had just ignored it or didn't want to see it, but it was there now.
“Liza! I’m so glad you’re awake! What happened? You just passed out. This must have been from those damned Ferals, I’m gonna go tear them apart!” Camila started to storm out, but the next words spoken stalled her in her tracks.
“That pull wasn't nothing, was it Nick?” Elizabeth stared at him calmly as he sighed, shaking his head.
“I knew a little about your past from that first day out of the med ward, but I didn’t know the full depth of your situation. I was waiting for the right time to bring it up, I just couldn't find the right time with everything going so fast.” He spoke calmly, carefully. He knew about her abuse, knew about her heartache, he knew everything. Her cheeks heated quickly when she realized she had also seen him naked. His were pinked as well, making him feel very much like a teenager, not the hundreds of years old wolf he was.
“I think I’ll see myself out to, y’know, let you two talk,” Camila said to them before she quietly slipped out.
Elizabeth was the first to look away, but that wasn’t enough so she turned her whole body from him as her cheeks blazed. “How long have you known?”
“Since I first saw you shift into a wolf on the full moon. I may have suspected something with that first shift in your den, but I assumed it was just due to your emotional state.”
“So, you just weren't going to tell me, ever? Seriously, why did you keep hiding it for so long?” she exclaimed, sitting up and facing him, her tone accusatory.
“It would have come out for sure when you saw my shifted form the next full moon, but I wasn’t planning on waiting that long. I was just trying to avoid this reaction. I’m just saying this right now, I will never force you into anything you aren’t one hundred percent comfortable with.” He watched her carefully as if she were a frightened rabbit ready to bolt, which she very well may have been.
“All this time, that pull towards you. You said you didn't feel it, even Beatrice said it was nothing. I got so mad at you both that night, ugh I’m such an idiot!” She hid her face in the pillow, cursing herself for her stupidity. She felt a warmth spread across her back, down her spine and touch her heart. A soft moan escaped her lips, but muffled by the pillow, she prayed he didn't hear it for fear of his reaction.
The sound of the door opening had them both springing apart suddenly. Doctor Gerald stepped inside, pretending not to notice the reaction his entrance caused, and sat on the stool next to Elizabeth. “Now then, Miss Winters, seems ya ‘ad a bit of a faintin’ spell, but it’s nothin’ to worry about. Your vitals are fine and you are free to go when ya please. I do believe ya should take it easy today and, as I understand ya were supposed to be in the kitchen today, I’ll send word to Mr. George about your absence.”
Seeing the good doctor, and needing a distraction from what just happened before the doctor entered the room, Elizabeth remembered something Nick had said last night after she poured her soul out to him. “Oh, Doctor, can I ask a question?”
“Of course, love. But before you ask, do you want the Beta to know this? If it regards your records, I can only discuss it with your permission.” He eyed the Beta carefully, but knowingly.
“It’s fine, he can stay. I had some… medical issues in my past, I was wondering if there was any sign of them after my change?”
“Issues? Hmm, let me check your chart,” he said as he pulled her chart up in the little laptop he brought with him. After a few moments he sighed. “I see some old scarring around your abdomen before your change. We did full body scans before and after your change, and all the scarring was gone before your discharge. Everything should be fine now, but if you want, I'd be willing to schedule you for another CT scan to confirm any particular areas you are concerned about.” The question was in his tone.
Nick smiled knowingly at Elizabeth, causing her blush to deepen further. She thought she heard his quiet laugh, but he covered it with a cough. “No, that should be fine.”
“Alright then, the option is always open should you feel you want it. If that’s all, I’d like to see you again tomorrow to confirm you are well enough to work, alright?” Elizabeth agreed as the doctor left the room. She glanced at Nick, who was still smiling, she turned away quickly.
“Wipe that smile off your face, sir!” She was only a little mad at him. Well, she was mad at his smile.
“I told you you were fine. I am excited to see what kind of pups you have,” he could barely contain his laughter.
“Oh shut up, you!” she squealed, hiding her face again. After a few more moments, a nurse came in to escort her out of the medical ward and wished her a good day with Nick on her heels.
“So, I guess you have a choice to make, Liza.” Nick kept pace with her, even though he could probably move past her. “You can return to your den and relax, or you can use mine.”
“Wh-why would I want to be in your den?! I don’t feel anything for you, well at least not that way!” She leaned away from him a little, shocked that he would be so forward as to assume such a thing.
“No no, it’s not like that. The way a mate bond works is comfort and protection. Here, follow me and I’ll show you.” They had reached the stairs now, and she still gave him a disbelieving look. He started up the stairs, and she could do little more than follow. He lead her up past her floor to the upper floor where the Alpha and her Beta’s lived. He strolled causally up to his den and opened the door, stepping aside. She waited for him to walk in before her, but he didn’t. She didn’t go inside either.
“Well, are you going to show me what you were talking about,” she questioned, crossing her arms. He snickered a couple times but simply kept holding the door open for her.
“I will do better than that. I will let you see for yourself. Step inside,” he clarified. She looked inside his den, it was cleaner than the last time without all the food wrappers and boxes lying around. It looked similar to hers in style, but bigger and set up differently. Bigger TV, no game systems, a desk against the wall that she assumed was his bedroom. A bigger 6-person table to eat at, which was a little odd since this was supposed to be just for him. He had a bigger kitchen too, wi
th an island in the middle that had a sink and dishwasher built into it, a wide cutting board set into the counter above the appliance. He had several smaller appliances spread out around the other counter, including a coffee pot, blender, toaster, and can opener to list a few. Some of them she didn’t even recognize. But there was something about the space that seemed to settle her, something that spread out from the open doorway.
A smell. Something smelled wonderful, but she wasn’t sure what it was. It wasn’t some kind of food that she could place, and he didn’t seem to be cooking anything that would have caused that smell. Maybe it was an air freshener? This certainly wasn’t some summer breeze though, this was something wilder. A scent that made her think of snowy mountains in winter, a cozy fire with warm cocoa and she didn’t even like hot chocolate. Fluffy blankets and soft pillows on an early Sunday morning, that’s what this scent meant to her. She felt her shoulders slumping a little, all her anxiety from the past couple of days melting away and before she even realized it, she stood inside the middle of the space. She turned behind her, Nick standing in the doorway. He hadn’t moved one inch from where he was, but she had.
Pureblood (Pureblood series) Page 14
