The Darkness

Chapter 31

My head was pounding me and I groaned rolling over in the bed. Bed? My eyes flew open as I took in my surroundings. Everything was familiar, I slowly sat up but even that slight movement caused me to clutch my head as it pounded against my skull. This was different from a hangover headache, this was much worst. What the hell happened?

I skimmed my memories trying to figure out what the hell happened when the image of Ridley's face surfaced. Everything flooded me at once, finding out that Colin, Sean and everyone I knew was werewolves, the boys turning into werewolves to protect me from Ridley and his men; Steven being choked by Ridley while the young lifeless wolves were dragged to the clearing. Were they dead? How did I get here?

I glance down to see that I was still clothed in my same outfit, thank god! My eyes scanned the room and then it dawned on me that I was in my apartment. Ridley brought me back to my apartment? Why? He wasn't going to torture me or lock me up in his apartment? I heard movement in my apartment that someone was in my kitchen making something. I strained to listen but everything was silent. KNOCK, KNOCK! The sound of knocking on my door scared the mess out of me causing me to jolt invoking more head pounding. I groaned clutching my head as the door opened revealing Todd Liefton?

"Hey you ok." He rushed by my side placing a tray on my nightstand. He sat on the side of the bed, and reached out to touch my forehead but I leaned away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you, Celeste. I just wanna make sure you are ok."

I looked at him skeptically. "Chief Leifton? What am I doing here? Why are you here?"

"This is your apartment. I'm here to make sure you are ok. And please call me Todd. This is what happens when I send brawn and not brains." He reached over picking up pillows and place them behind my back. I leaned back grateful for the small gesture.

"What are you talking about?"

"Derrick Ridley went to bring you back here safely. Not knock you out in the process. He used chloroform on you and a lot of it. Which explains the headache. I'm sorry." Todd's sorrowful eyes roamed my face.

"You sent him to kidnap me?"

"No I sent him to save you from those people." Anger flashed but he quickly covered it up. He stood up and began pacing beside the bed.

"Save me? I wasn't in danger?" There is no way Colin or the others weren't going to hurt me.

"You are so naive to our world. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. In fact you shouldn't have gotten there in the first place. When Derrick alerted me that you had left and where you were heading, I told him to stop you at all costs."

"He tried to freaking kill me!" I couldn't believe he was trying to justify that maniac shooting at me.

"No he tried to slow you down."

"How would know you weren't there. He shot at me! Rammed my car and tried to run me off the road." My blood pressure boiled ensuing another round of skull crushing pounding. "Owww!"

Todd grabbed a bottle of pills off the tray. "Now I brought you some pain killers. See the medicine is still in its original container seal unbroken." " I popped opened the headache medicine swallowing two pills with the bottle water he handed me.

"Like I said, I should've sent brains over brawn."

"Are you serious right now! What do you want from me?"

"To keep you safe. Here I brought you something to eat. I am not a cook so the soup was the only thing in your kitchen I could make." I eyed the food warily. "Please trust me."

"Trust is earned not given." Todd picked up one of the spoons and scooped out some soup. He took a couple of spoon fulls gesturing that he was fine. I took up the other spoon and began eating the soup. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started.

"I agree so in the name of trust, ask me any question and I will answer to the best of my ability." Well I had a ton of questions and they all tumbled to the forefront of my mind clambering to be asked.

"Are you a werewolf?"

"Yes."

"Are you their leader?"

"Yes I am their leader. I'm the alpha of the Moon Crescent Pack. This town is my territory and the people who live here are under my protection. Not everyone who lives here are wolves some are human."

"Do they know about werewolves?"

"Some do but most don't. They know that there is a high population of wolves that live here and are protected from hunting. They know to respect the wolf and they will respect you."

"So you don't- don't kill humans?"

"Strictly forbidden."

"Why was Colin here, being tortured?"

"I know that this may sound harsh but there are certain rules that werewolves must adhere to. If they are broken they're punishable by death. One of those being respecting other packs. Colin broke that rule and a couple of others."

"How?"

"Trespassing on my land without permission and taking something that doesn't belong to him."

"What did he take?"

"You, Celeste. You are my mate. The Luna of the Moon Crescent Pack!"

"What no that can't be right. I'm Colin's mate! I can't be your mate!"

"He lied Celeste."

"How do I know that? You may be the one lying!"

"I have answered all your questions. What did Colin tell you? Plus why didn't he mark you?"

"Mark me?"

"See, he didn't tell you anything. When a male werewolf finds his mate, he marks his mate. It let's other wolves know that she has been claimed and can't be claimed by another. The mark also permanently binds the couple together."

"He didn't tell me." Colin didn't tell me anything, but here Todd is answering my question and also giving me additional insight about werewolves. But Todd is my mate?

"You have to ask yourself, why didn't he want to commit to you if he was truly your mate? Because I have to tell I don't want to wait. If you allow me I will do it now."

"No! I- I can't. I need time to process everything you have told me."

"You are right. I will give you some time to take in everything I've told you. Get some rest. We can talk later." Todd made a move towards the door to leave.

"Todd am I a prisoner?"

"Of course not, Celeste. After you rest come to the police station if you want more answers." Todd quietly shut my bedroom. Once I heard my front door of the apartment closed I relaxed against the pillows.

I closed my eyes welcoming the peace I was going to find in the darkness.