Saving Ellie (Lycans Book 1)

by Whitney R. B.

  Saving Ellie

  Lycans

  Whitney R.B.

  Copyright © 2021 Anam Cara Print LLC

  All rights reserved.

  www.whitneyrbauthor.com

  No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the author. Excerpts may be used for review purposes only.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, locations, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people (living or dead), locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN 978-1-7357001-0-6 (paperback)

  Cover Design by We Got You Covered Book Designs

  Developmental Edit by Lilac Daggers Press

  Copy and Line Edit by EditElle

  Proofread by Alchemy Editing and Whimsical Words

  Format Artwork by Evenstar Books

  Formatting by Anam Cara Print LLC

  Contents

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Foreword

  Books aren’t required to have trigger warnings or disclaimers, but I like to warn my readers of any potential triggers. If you don’t need a trigger warning, feel free to skip the next couple paragraphs, but for those that need them, I list the possible triggers in this book below.

  This book touches on: dark themes, violence, graphic scenes, suggestive themes, mild language, parental death, past abuse, eating disorders, depression, confinement, and discussion of suicide.

  While some of these may only appear in one chapter, I would never want to risk someone’s personal health while reading my book.

  For those who read the first Saving Ellie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading it and now giving this new edition a chance. I hope you love this one even more.

  While you read you may notice similarities. This is because I used the first edition of Saving Ellie as a stepping-stone to this one. With that said, I did completely rewrite this book, so while a scene may seem similar, it’s still different from before. There’s also a lot of new content. With all of that said, I hope you enjoy this new edition of Saving Ellie.

  For the ones that didn’t give up.

  Stars invade my vision with the force of the blow. No matter how many times I get punched in the face, the effect is the same. A touch of pain, flashes of light, and a side of dizziness.

  “Fight back, Ash.” Zac bares his teeth in frustration.

  I bite back a groan while the white spots fade. I wipe the blood from my mouth, grimacing at my split lip. “You know I won’t.”

  “Why?” He runs a hand through his dirty-blond hair. He seems more on edge than usual today. He also threw more power into that punch than I’m used to from him.

  “I already told you why.” I sigh as I roll my neck, trying to relieve the tension. “I won’t fight my—”

  “I know that,” he says. “But why? I just want—” He stills, his blue eyes are wild, jumping around our surroundings.

  From what I can see, there’s nothing in the pines around us. Then again, my senses are off right now. But it’s always been just me and him, has been for years now. He finds me while I’m on patrol and attacks, trying to incite a challenge. I always expect it, yet I never do anything about it.

  A breeze ruffles our clothes. There’s a chill in the air promising snow and a hint of something else. My eyes narrow across the field. Maybe I spoke too soon. It seems we do have company today.

  “What do we have here?” Zac’s beta Austin walks out into the open not even a minute later. His red hair is a striking contrast against the green of the trees and the blue sky. He’s flanked by Zac’s other beta, Eryn, and delta, Rick. Austin looks back at his companions. “I told you they would be here.”

  Zac growls. “What are you doing here?”

  I spit blood on the ground near them as they grow closer. I’ve never liked the lycans he chose to stand behind him. They only want power and have no respect for anyone, including their alpha.

  Eryn grimaces but still flashes me a flirty smile when she catches me watching. She takes a step back in surprise when my lips curl in disgust. I’m sick of her advances. Going for any male lycan with two legs, her loyalty sways as swift as the wind. She’s been persistent in her pursuits of not only getting into mine but my best friends’ pants, as well. She quickly rebounds, shooting me a glare as she flips her blonde hair over her left shoulder.

  “I’m tired of this going nowhere,” Austin says. “How long has this been going on? Years? I think you need help in teaching Ash his place.”

  A rumble starts in the back of my throat.

  “I’m perfectly capable without you,” Zac says with a bite. “Don’t undermine me.”

  My gaze snaps to him in shock. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him stand against them before.

  “Word’s getting out that you shouldn’t be alpha, Zac.” Rick wraps an arm around Eryn’s shoulders. “Maybe it’s time for Eryn and I to take over as alpha couple.”

  Growls erupt through Zac and I. Zac jolts, turning toward me with wide eyes.

  “What? We may not get along, but better you than them.”

  He frowns as he turns back to them, giving me a side-eye before directing his attention to them.

  “See what I mean?” Rick laughs.

  I take a step forward without thinking, but Zac’s arm juts out, stopping me. “Don’t encourage them,” he says in a hushed tone, which confuses me. Is he trying to protect me? Isn’t fighting what he wants? He’s been wanting me to challenge him for years, to prove that he’s the rightful alpha, but I won’t, no matter how many punches he throws my way.

  “Growing soft, Zac?” Austin grins, wetting his lips.

  “No,” Zac says through clenched teeth, dropping his arm.

  “Then you won’t mind if I take a turn.” Rick pushes past Zac to throw a punch, but
I easily block it and retaliate with a breaking punch to his nose.

  Rick curses, holding his bleeding extremity, his eyes tearing up. “I thought he wouldn’t fight back.” He throws an accusatory glare at Zac.

  “I never said I wouldn’t fight you.” I shake out my fist. It’s been awhile since I last threw a punch. It felt great.

  Rick’s eyes narrow, then jerks his head to Austin.

  I step back as Austin stalks toward me.

  The only warning I get is a scent of magic in the air before two other lycans grab me from behind. I should’ve smelled them before they even got close, but it seems like they had help from a witch to block my senses.

  “How?” I grind out, straining against the lycans hold.

  “Potions.” Austin smirks as he advances with Rick.

  Even as a pureblood, my odds look grim at four against one.

  I grunt as Austin and Rick take turns pummeling me in the ribs, stomach, and face. I kick out, catching Rick in the balls.

  He goes down like a rock. I partial-shift my hands and dig my claws into the lycans that hold me.

  They curse and let go. I pivot around, whipping them both in the neck with the edge of my hands, knocking them out.

  I sweep my legs under Austin as he comes up from behind. He stumbles but regains balance quickly. I grab one of his legs and twist it into an odd angle. He screams in pain and crumbles to the ground.

  Rick recovers from the groin shot and catches me in the calf with his pointy shoes. I swear he wore them with the sole purpose of inflicting more pain because they’re ugly as hell. I block a punch to the face and knee him in the stomach.

  I see Eryn advancing in my peripheral vision as I’m focused on Rick, but I fail to dodge as her claws slash across my face.

  A roar tears from my throat as I reach for her, but she slips away.

  “I wish you didn’t heal so fast. I was hoping for a nice scar.” She lunges again, this time aiming for my stomach. I take a step back to avoid the attack, but Rick is there, holding me in place just as her nails slice across my abdomen.

  Rick throws me onto the ground as I grip my stomach. I need to heal it, but it’s deep, too deep to expend the energy right now. I look down at the blood on my hands and curse myself for being out of shape. I need to start training with Russell again.

  I stumble to my feet and shift into my wolf form. I push through the pain as I kick my hind legs out into Rick, then headbutt Eryn’s side, sending her flying into a tree.

  I turn and lunge at Rick, who’s halfway through his shift. I lock my jaw around his arm, piercing his flesh with my canines.

  He shouts and digs a partial-shifted hand into my wounded stomach. I release him and stagger back as a wave of dizziness hits me. He finishes shifting and bites into my neck before I can refocus.

  “Enough,” Zac roars, freezing us both. “I never said I wanted him dead. If this continues, that’s what will happen.”

  Rick growls around my neck, reluctant to free his prey.

  “Let go.” Zac’s voice rumbles with the power of an alpha, forcing Rick to remove his teeth. Austin gives me a death glare as Eryn helps him up. He slings an arm over her to use her as a crutch while he limps away.

  “Grab your friends.” Zac fixates on Rick.

  Rick growls with irritation but nudges his bleary-eyed accomplices on the ground until they stand up.

  Zac is last to leave. He glances back with a frown, then turns away completely.

  My shoulders slump once I’m alone, but I’m unable to relax. I need to make it to my safehouse before I faint from the blood loss. But my body is too weak to shift back into its human form. I’m fighting the urge to give in, to collapse onto the ground. My progress is painfully slow as I stumble through the pines. I force my eyes to focus as the sun sets and snow begins to fall.

  I might not make it in time.

  I gaze up at the shadowy inn, shivering as the chilled breeze seeps through the gaps of my coat. I should’ve made sure the zipper worked before I bought it, but that’s what I get for purchasing it from a second-hand clothing store. Gripping the ends tighter together with one hand, I walk up the steps until I reach the front door. Like I feared, the handle is locked when I try twisting it. I figured this might be the case when I saw the neglected yard and boarded windows of the decrepit building.

  This place has been abandoned.

  Gripping the straps of my backpack, I lean over to peer between the wooden slats, but can’t make anything out. I walk around the wrap-around porch. All the windows are the same, and the back door is locked.

  I sigh, using my numb fingers to pull out my new burner phone and map. Shining the screen light on the paper, I find where the bus driver circled. After I arrived by plane, I had to wait an additional two hours before I could board a bus that would take me near this small town. If you can even call it that. It’s literally a two-street town, one leading to the residential homes, the other to this inn.

  Had I accidentally picked a ghost town?

  Technically, it would be Jane’s fault since she suggested this spot, but I should’ve done more research.

  I bite my lip as I look around. There’s no other building besides a small barn off on the side, surrounded by pine trees, but it appears to be in better shape than the inn.

  I glance down at my phone to find no signal and the clock blinking 6:30 p.m. When I examined the buses schedules earlier, I saw that only one bus takes this route once a week. Meaning I need to find different transportation and a different place to sleep.

  How long would it take to walk to the residential area? What would I do when I got there? Start knocking on doors to see who’s willing to take in a stray?

  I glance down the paved road, dread sinking into my stomach as snow drifts down, small patches of white already forming on the ground.

  Whatever I decide, I need to do it soon.

  Clutching my coat, my chest tightens. My stomach churns at the thought of trusting strangers with my safety.

  Stuffing my phone and map back in my pocket, I try the handle again. Surprise, surprise, it’s still locked. Now would be a good time to pick a lock—if I knew how.

  I tug on wooden slats while walking around the inn, trying each window, but none give an inch. I bite back a growl of frustration. Why the heck is this locked up like a fortress? This isn’t my first time squatting, but it’s the first time I haven’t been able to get inside a place.

  My eyes travel back to the barn. It’s the last place I can try before I head to the residential area. I’m not sure I’d even make it with how the weather is turning. The snow’s coming down hard as I run to the barn doors, but they don’t even rattle from my efforts.

  “What the heck?”

  There are only a few windows, but each one is locked. At least they aren’t barred—that gives me hope. If I can’t find a way in, maybe I could break one of the windows. Before trying to find a rock, I walk around to the back and find a door.

  Do barns usually have back doors?

  When I try the handle, my mouth parts in surprise as it turns.

  I can’t help glancing around, guilt eating at me about breaking in. Technically I’m not breaking in since the door’s unlocked, and it’s just a barn. Who would be upset with someone squatting with some hay and dirt?

  Will I even be able to stay warm in a barn during a blizzard? Horses do, right?

  My rambling thoughts are cut off when I finish opening the door.

  Instead of finding stalls and hay, I find a studio apartment. My hand fumbles along the wall until I find a light switch, illuminating the kitchen and dining area I just walked into. There’s a rectangular table with four chairs to the side of a small but fancy kitchen. Diagonally left is a cozy living room with two couches facing each other, a rug and coffee table separating them. An upholstered queen bed with two nightstands sits on a plush rug to my right.

  This is definitely not a barn. How can I stay in here knowing this is someon
e’s home? I turn to leave but hesitate before I step back into the snow. Where will I go instead? And why was this place even unlocked?

  I peer back at the bed that looks so soft. I swear it’s calling my name. I survey the place, then glance back outside.

  The night is overtaking the sky now, and the snow hasn’t died down.

  I sigh and close the door. Just for tonight. Tomorrow I’ll find reception and rent a taxi if I have to, even if it costs a good chunk of Jane’s money.

  I set my backpack on the table, then rummage through it. Frowning at the food I have left, I grab my water bottle and a granola bar. I was betting on ordering a meal at the inn, so I didn’t replenish my supplies as much as I usually do. I could rummage around the kitchen, but stealing food is something I can’t bring myself to do.

  After unraveling the granola bar and taking a bite, I grab a pair of pajamas from my backpack. As I change into the old, large t-shirt and shorts, a sigh of relief escapes me. It’s good to be in comfortable clothes again. Once I chug the water down, I stuff my worn clothes in my bag, along with my trash.

  As I search for the bathroom, I find the thermostat on the wall behind the kitchen next to two closed doors. It’s set to sixty degrees Fahrenheit. It must cost a small fortune to heat this place during the winter. I open the first door and peek inside, finding the bathroom. Stepping inside, I flip the light on and brush my teeth. Afterward, I hold my bottle under the tap and gaze up into my reflection.