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Picture of the roomie (Alexandra Daddario) to the side.
This chapter is unedited so please excuse the grammatical errors.
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Suzzanah's POV
I was in the woods, surrounded by trees on all sides. The sky was dark and cloudy save for the occasional peeping of the moon from behind them casting a fleeting silver glow on the earth. The cold wind blew across the skies, through the gaps between the trees, over the unkempt grass and onto me.
My long night gown fluttered and chills ran down my body making me shiver and wrap my arms around myself. I looked around wondering where I was and how I had gotten here. Something about this place was familiar, but I couldn't tell what.
From the corner of my eye, in the distance, I caught a glimpse of white and my eyes trailed towards the source to find a woman in white, disappearing behind a large tree.
My feet moved on their own accord and went after her. I reached the tree next to which I had seen her. I went around it, but she wasn't there. I searched the distance but I couldn't find her.
Slowly I turned to face the tree behind me. It was a tall tree with a wide trunk and many branches. I slowly brought my eyes down to its thick roots which spread across the undergrowth.
As my eyes trailed over the roots they stopped over a thick liquid spilled near the roots. It looked dark and murky and I wondered what it was. I stepped closer and looked harder when suddenly the clouds cleared and the moonlight fell heavily onto the ground.
In the light the thick liquid shone a dark ominous red and I gasped.
Blood!
I immediately recognized the tree. It was the one I had fallen from...but when? I couldn't remember. I blinked and the blood was gone and I stared at the silver grey grass in confusion.
Suddenly a deep low growl filled my ears immediately making me turn around, only to come face to face with a huge dark wolf. Its eyes were black but had flecks of gold in them which glowed even in the dark.
Somehow, I was not afraid of it. On the contrary I felt drawn to the beast as it stood tall and proud, alone in the vastness of the woods.
I took a step towards it but it didn't move. Its eyes stayed glued to my frame as I took another step forward, then another and another.
I was by its side, so close that I could feel it's warm breath against my neck. It bent its head and pressed it's muzzle into my stomach and tingles shot through my body.
I involuntarily reached out and ran my hands through its silky thick dark fur. As my fingers combed through the dark pelt, they came across a golden streak that gleamed brilliantly in the moonlight.
The large wolf raised its head and its eyes met mine. They were now a rich warm brown, a familiar brown.
I knew those eyes.
Almost immediately I found myself looking up into the eyes of the CEO. We were standing in the office where I had first spoken to him, it was night time and the large room was flooded with moonlight.
He stared into my eyes with his chocolaty orbs that held the same immense longing I had seen in them multiple times. He reached out and touched my cheek and tingles exploded wherever his fingers moved.
He opened his mouth and his rich deep voice filled my ears and my eyes widened at the word he uttered.
Luna...
***
I woke up with a start, slightly out of breath and my heart beating fast.
A dream?
It was so strange. I was in the woods and the wolf was there and suddenly, it disappeared and the CEO appeared in its place. And who was that woman in white I had seen? I didn't get to see her face.
Puzzled, I sat up, wincing at the pain in my leg. I looked at the clock; it read 7:30 am. I turned my head towards the empty bed on the other side of the small room, then I sighed and ran my hands through my messy tangled hair, still in deep thought about the woman in white and suddenly I stopped combing my fingers through my hair.
Speaking of white...
I slowly got off the bed and limped to the mirror. It was painful but I could bear it.
I almost recoiled in shock at the state I was in. I looked like the reincarnation of medusa! My eyes were puffy, almost the size of onions, from having slept too much. My skin was pale and my hair made me look like I had been electrocuted.
Sighing deeply I took my hairbrush and began my war against the tangles. Halfway through, I found what I had been dreading. I put the hairbrush down and moved my brown locks away to expose the tuft of white hair on the right side of my partition. Well it wasn't exactly white, it was silver.
I groaned deeply and rested my head against the mirror. I would have to color it again. I had premature greying of hair. First it was just a few strands but soon a whole tuft of hair turned silvery grey almost looking like I had colored it.
People used to tease me about it all the time. Worried that it would soon all turn grey, I had started coloring those few grey strands so they were the same color as the rest of my hair.
Strangely enough not all of my hair turned grey, just a tuft of hair about an inch thick did. So now I had to color that tuft periodically every time it became too noticeable. And it looked like today was the day to do it.
I groaned again pushing myself away from the mirror and limped to the bathroom.
***
Slumped against the wall sitting on the hard orthopedic bed in my room in the staff quarters, my hair now completely brown and dripping wet, I glared daggers and knifes and scalpels and blades and every other sharp object created, at the wall opposite me. The door had already gone through this torture and the mirror was next in line.
After my eyes started burning from not having blinked in the last 30 something seconds, I squeezed them shut for a while before inhaling deeply and reentering my train of troublesome thoughts.
In the bathroom when I had been wondering about my strange dream, I had also started recalling all the things that had happened yesterday and everything I had done, and by the time I finished, my skin had turned a bright red, not from the hot water, but from the embarrassment and irritation. And the same was happening now.
Let's see...
I had almost strangled the CEO, thrown water at myself, been told to GET OUT, got lost in a forest, fallen from a tree, sprained my ankle, got cornered by a wild animal, slapped it, run from it, been sat on and licked by it, passed out, torn my skirt, been chased by half a dozen hospital staff, flashed the CEO, been hugged by him multiple times, experienced extreme pain and abruptly fallen asleep.
A shrill irritated embarrassed shriek emitted by me broke the thick silence in the room, as I simultaneously squeezed my eyes shut and pulled at my hair.
I was so EMBARRASSED!!!
At least the rooms were sound proof so I didn't need to worry about half the country barging into my room with guns and swords looking for a serial killer, terrorist or rapist.
I sighed deeply and held my head in my hands. I had just started working here yesterday and had already needed to take a week off. I didn't know how Mr. Penson was putting up with this. And poor Mr. Talon must have been flooded with extra work. I felt terrible.
I had woken up in my bed late in the evening yesterday. Mr. Talon had been there with me looking worried as always. He had told me I had fallen asleep feeling exhausted from the pain.
He also said that Mr. Penson had told me to take the rest of the week off. I had been against the idea, but I knew that presently I was fairly handicapped. I would only be a hindrance at work, slowing everyone down.
So much had transpired yesterday, and I could make out neither head nor tail of it. The tingles, the incomplete rejection line, that talk about a mystery girl and the CEO being called as the Alpha Supreme which, regardless of being a rather impressive title, only added to my lack of understanding.
Then there was that large, dark, brown eyed wolf and its bizarre soft corner towards me.
And when I had started falling to the ground for the hundredth time yesterday, why had Mr. Talon screamed Luna? What did Luna mean? Had he been addressing me when he said it? Maybe he was calling someone else. Maybe it was just someone's name, but I hadn't seen anyone else around though.
Then there was Mr. Penson. He had been extremely understanding about all my atrocious mishaps. As grateful as I was to him for that, I couldn't help but wonder where this unexplainable kindness was coming from.
Any other boss would have fired me at least half a dozen times by now. But not Mr. Penson, oh no. Throughout the day his calm demeanor had not once been shaken, and the mysterious knowing glint in his eye had only grown with time.
Question was, knowing what?
A lot more than me, that's for sure, I thought with a sigh.
Moving on...to the CEO. The CEO was a huge enigma to me. I couldn't understand him at all. He did all these bizarre things, not just to me, but even to himself, like when his eyes had suddenly turned dark and then sprouted bright golden streaks only to disappear into thin air again. That wasn't normal! So had I just imagined it?
And speaking of golden streaks, there was also the matter of that thin golden streak that ran through his thick dark hair...just like with the wolf...and I was quite sure that that wolf had been the same one which was depicted on our company's logo. But...what did all this mean?
My dream suddenly replayed in my mind and I suddenly came to a haphazard conclusion.
The CEO was a Wolf!
As quickly as the thought had entered my mind, it also disappeared, as my hand came up to my face and I slapped myself hard across the cheek. Hissing at the pain, I glared at my hand as my inner voice of reason spoke up.
Stop having these insane thoughts or you'll be back in that hospital before the end of the day!
But the wolf was definitely the one on our logo, so did the people here know about the wolf? Maybe it was a domestic wolf, a pet! Better yet, maybe it was not a wolf at all, and just a big dog! A really really really big dog. The kind that grow to be the size of lions or bears.
There are no such dogs!
A dog addicted to steroids then, but what would a dog need steroids for?
My eyebrow twitched in irritation. To think I was actually giving so much thought to a dog being on hormonal medication! I was going crazy!
Maybe that was it! Maybe that's why Mr. Talon had screamed Luna when I had started falling. Luna must be short for lunatic!
I groaned and rubbed my temples.
A soft chime caught my attention and my eyes zeroed in on my laptop. A chat message!
It was from Mr. Talon who was checking up on me. I told him I was alright and was tempted to call him to reassure him because he continued to ask me again and again if I was really okay, and also because he was extremely slow at typing. I asked him to send me some work and after much pestering he reluctantly agreed.
Mr. Talon had said that the guys who had found me in the woods had also found my bag and had left it in the office in the lost and found department. So I asked him about it.
I waited impatiently as I saw the words 'person is typing' flashing on the screen. After what seemed like half a century Mr. Talon's reply appeared on my screen.
Yes. Will brong it to you thos evening.
I stared at the screen for a few seconds wondering how on earth he had managed to take so long to type such few words, and still spelt them wrong! He didn't seem like the kind of person who would be bad with spellings.
But I felt incredibly relieved. Smiling, I quickly thanked him for the big help and he replied with a thumbs up emoji.
Mr. Talon was really growing on me. I felt strangely at ease around him. Yes, he was extremely uptight and strict about rules but his intentions were all good and big-hearted, just like him. He was such a darling! As were the guys who had taken me to the hospital. I'd have to thank them later for everything.
Bless you good Samaritans! I thought whole heartedly.
While I waited, my thoughts kept drifting to the mysterious Mr. Penson, the bipolar CEO, and the steroidal dog. Thankfully I soon received a mail from Mr. Penson. He had also asked how I was doing and sent some documents attached to the mail that I needed to work on.
I quickly typed a reply telling him that I was alright. Then I eagerly opened the documents and scanned through the details of what I needed to do. I quickly got to work, putting all my concentration into the documents.
I was finished much sooner than I had anticipated and after sending my work to Mr. Penson and not having anything else to do I soon felt irritation creeping into my system again as all of yesterday's events bombarded my mind.
Soon I was back to square one where I wanted to pull at my hair and gnaw my eyes out. I shrieked pulling at my hair, shaking my head and banging the bed all the same time.
"Eeeeeeee-", the door swung open and I stopped mid screech as my eyes immediately found the girl standing by the door.
She...was gorgeous! Smooth milky skin which seemed to lack any blemish, pink full lips, dark tousled hair which framed her face and fell down her shoulders and piercing icy blue eyes, which now stared at me in shock and revulsion.
When I came out of the shock of having laid eyes on such a stunning women, I realized that my hands were still fisting my hair and my mouth was still hanging open inviting any flies buzzing around to come and explore. I immediately straightened myself and cleared my throat. And then it struck me.
She must be Carla! My roommate!
My eyes widened in realization and I grinned widely at the dazzling beauty at the door. Her lovely features instantly contorted to one of disgust as she scowled and closed the door, walking to the other side of the room.
My eye twitched as I continued to grin at the door for a few seconds before my expression shrunk to one of embarrassment and I stared at my feet.
Obviously I had not made a very good first impression
I peeked at her again and found her rummaging around in her closet. She was dressed in all black, a tight black figure hugging tee and black jeans which complemented her perfect physique. She wore silver colored mismatched earrings, one a small ring and the other a stud. A chain patterned belt hung loosely around her hips making her look totally badass.
Why had she walked in at that precise moment? She must also think I'm a Luna-tic now.
No! I had been looking forward to establishing good friendly relations with my roomie and I was not about to let that go yet. I looked up to find her still rummaging in her closet and in decided to say something.
"Uh...hi!" I said trying to sound cheerful but wincing at how dry and scratchy it sounded from all the screaming. She didn't reply and ignored me, continuing her work.
Maybe she didn't hear me...
I cleared my throat and tried again.
"Hello!" I said louder but she still didn't reply making me bite my lip in worry.
I really must have freaked her out. She doesn't want to even talk to me.
"H-hey there", I said as cordially and normally as I could, "It's nice to meet you. I'm-"
"I didn't ask", her voice was strong and confident, her words loud and clear immediately making me stop talking. She locked her closet and simply moved to the bed and started to go through her phone.
'I-I know but I just thought-"
"Don't"
I cringed at her rude behavior. Someone was obviously anti-social. Then again, I was also to blame for her bluntness.
"Hey, I'm sorry you had to witness my little freak out just then but I assure you I'm usually quite normal. I really-"
She started to put on her earphones and my eyes immediately widened.
"Carla, please listen to-"
I didn't get to finish my sentence when her eyes bulged and nostrils flared as anger dominated her features. In a flash she threw her phone beside her and jumped to her feet, her movements lithe and graceful.
"What did you call me?!"
Her voice was loud and scary making me jump, while my features scrunched up in confusion.
"C-Carla?"
"Who the hell are you calling Carla?!"
I cringed and backed up against the wall behind me.
"Listen you! If this is some kind of sick joke then you should know I hate jokes! I hate them almost as much as I hate most filthy humans and Carla happens to be the name of one of those filthy humans!"
Filthy...humans?
"Uh...okay, I'm sorry", I said still feeling utterly confused. "I was told that my roommate's name was Carla so I just-"
"Which idiot told you that?" she yelled and I cringed. If this was how most women here spoke, then I could see why the walls were sound proof.
Then again, I was screaming like a banshee just a few minutes ago so I guess in way...I fit right in
"The warden did"
"Which one?"
Which one? Were there multiple wardens? If so, I hadn't been told about it. Before I could reply she just shook her head, looking away angrily and muttered to herself.
"Obviously must have been that foolish human. Stupid short term memory loss...why did I have to get stuck...human roommate..."
Okay...so Carla was obviously not her name. On the contrary Carla was apparently the name of a filthy human she despised.
Way to try and smooth things out Suzzanah, you just made it worse!
"So...what's your name?" I asked when she continued to mutter to herself.
"None of your business", she snapped.
Temper, temper, temper.
"Look, I'm sorry I called you Carla. But if you really want me to not call you that or something else like 'hey you girl, yeah you girl', you're going to have to tell me your name sooner or later", I reasoned with a smile but that only seemed to make her angrier.
"I'm not telling you shit! You don't have to call me anything because we won't have anything to talk about, not now or ever! Just mind your own bloody business and leave me the hell alone!"
She glared at me before angrily snatching her phone from her bed and storming out of the room, effectively slamming the door behind her.
And I still didn't even get her name...
I let myself absorb all that had happened and then I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Things hadn't gone as I had planned yet that was nothing new, the past 24 hours were proof enough. But just because they didn't go as planned doesn't mean they went badly-
Okay, what just happened now was definitely on the bad side
-but that didn't mean I wouldn't have other opportunities to correct my mistakes! I would just have to keep trying, and maybe one day she'd want to talk to me. And if not, well it'll just have to be one of those many things in life that don't work out.
Now that there was nothing else left for me to do, I suddenly had the urge to call my sister. She must have been worried sick about me. I hadn't spoken to her since I got here two days ago. And for the both of us, that was a very long time.
But I didn't have my phone with me. I would have to go downstairs and use the landline. Groaning I got off the bed and made my way down the corridor, dreading using the elevator.
***
Once downstairs I searched for the landline but instead found my very angry looking roomie lecturing a scared looking warden a short distance away from me.
As if she had sensed me she stopped yelling and her eyes snapped towards me. I was a little taken aback at first but then I smiled widely at her. She only glared at me before turning and walking away towards the stairs. I shook my head and sighed.
"Bit of a temper she's got there, hasn't she?"
I turned around to see another very lovely, slightly older woman. Her skin was a beautiful flawless brown, her hair was black and shiny and her eyes were a warm brown. She smiled at me and I smiled back.
"I'm Roma, the other warden", she said.
"Nice to meet you", I replied.
"Likewise, would you like to sit down?" she asked warmly and I shook my head so she continued, "I'm guessing by your expression and your roommate's reaction that she hasn't been very hospitable"
I smiled and shrugged, "I can't really blame her. She caught me when I was in a peculiar state", I replied with a cringe, "And I was told her name was Carla, but turns out it isn't so I just gave her another reason to get mad at me when I called her that"
Roma winced as if she had recalled something and then asked, "So did she tell you her real name?"
I shook my head and Roma sighed in frustration, "I'm sorry about her behavior. Her name i-"
"Oh no, please don't tell me!" I quickly cut her off, "I would like for her to tell me herself, if that is at all possible."
Roma raised her eyebrows and I continued, "Something tells me she won't appreciate it if I found out from anyone else and I don't want to risk it, lest I fall into her 'filthy humans' category"
I laughed but Roma looked taken aback before she shook her head looking frustrated, then she looked back at me, "Anyhow, why are you down here? You should be resting in bed"
I told her and she led me to the landline by the lounge and helped me into my seat before taking her leave. She was really nice. But I couldn't help but feel like she, like many others here, was hiding something- secrets, but not to everyone, just to me.
I quickly snatched the phone and dialed my sister's number. Opposite to me, the front door was open and I could see that it was cloudy again. My eyes scanned the expanse of trees and greenery outside and I wondered why such a huge multi-billion dollar company had been constructed in such a remote, undetectable area, right in the middle of a forest.
I heard the ringing sound through the phone and I waited anxiously to hear my sister's voice.
The minute the line got connected I got excited, "Hey Ka-"
"Hello?"
I stopped abruptly on hearing an alarmingly deep, husky male voice.
Who the heck...
"H-hello?" I replied and he asked, "Who is this?"
My eyes widened in confusion. It was weird but I felt some really massive authority in his voice, even through the phone.
Who was this guy? My sister's boyfriend? But she didn't tell me she had one. Did I dial the wrong number??
I checked the number but it was correct.
"If you don't have anything to say then don't call again", his deep commanding voice with a hint of British accent drawled out lazily, and I immediately felt annoyed again.
"Excuse me, but who are you? I called to talk to my sister!" I said quickly before he could cut the phone.
"Sister?" there was a pause and I heard some urgent squeals and yelps before he asked inquisitively, "You're Karina's sister?"
So he did know my sister!
"Yes I am, my name is Suzzanah, now can I please talk to her?"
There was a pause again and some more animated chatter that I couldn't make out. I was anxious to talk to Karina and this dude was getting on my nerves.
"Please call using your cell phone, then she'll talk to you", the same male voice answered slowly and nonchalantly making me grit my teeth in irritation.
"I don't have my phone with me right now. My friend is bringing it to me this evening-"
"Then call in the evening"
With that he cut the line just after I heard an angry scream and I was left gawking at the phone is shock.
How dare he?!
I immediately called back but the number was unreachable. I tried again, but I got the same reply making me growl angrily before the anger was replaced by worry.
Who was that guy? Why did he have Karina's phone? Where was Karina? Was she okay?
I suddenly felt extremely anxious. I needed to know she was okay.
But how? And why did he ask me to call using my cell phone? Who in the world was he?!
I sat there holding my head in my hands trying to calm myself.
Relax Suzzanah; you'll speak to her this evening. Just wait until Mr. Talon brings you your handbag. Everything is going to be okay.
Breathing deeply I stood up, wincing at the pain, and limped to the front door. A cool breeze was blowing tinged with the earthy scent of wet soil.
The CEO's scent
The scent calmed my anxiety almost immediately and I felt myself relax. I slowly walked outside. There was a bench by the side of the trees that led into the forest and I sat down on it wanting to be outdoors for some time. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply trying to breathe in more of the intoxicating scent. The breeze felt good against my skin and I felt the pain lessen. Soon I felt completely at peace. I could hear the soft whooshes of the wind and the fluttering of the leaves.
I felt something stir within me, the same feeling of awakening I had experienced when I had first heard the words Mate and Luna, and even if the words had apparently been Matree and Lunatic, they had impacted something deep inside of me, now making my body tingle with a strange sense of belonging. A state of complete calmness descended into me and I felt entirely in tune with the world around me as though I was a part of the nature itself.
"Lunaaa..."
My eyes suddenly snapped open when I heard a very soft creepy voice whispering that word but I didn't see anyone around me. I looked behind me but there was no one there.
Frowning I closed my eyes again and I heard the wind picking up speed. The air was moist and the smell of wet soil was thicker. It would rain soon. The tingling feeling reappeared as yet again I felt my inner being melt into my surroundings.
"Lunaaa..."
My eyes immediately went wide and I jumped, "Who's there?" I asked feeling paranoid. That whisper came from much closer to me this time. It had sounded like a male voice- raspy, basal and eerie. It was unnerving me.
"Is anybody there?" I called out but I heard nothing but the wind.
A chill ran down my spine and immediately after I felt a presence behind me. I jumped and turned around with a gasp but there was nothing there. I quickly stood up and staggered away from the bench, cautiously walking backwards toward the front door.
Small droplets of rain had started to fall again, hitting my forehead and forearms, making me shiver. A thick shadow was being cast on the earth beneath me by the dark clouds now covering the sky.
Yet again I felt a presence, and this time it was right next to me. Before I could do anything, a hand clamped down on my shoulder.
A shrill scream escaped my lips and I immediately stumbled away only to come face to face with a worried looking Roma.
"Are you alright dear?" she asked grabbing my shoulders to steady me.
I gasped heavily, eyes still wide in shock, heart beating fast.
"Suzzanah?"
"I-I-", my voice came out panicked and high pitched so I swallowed and composed myself, "I'm fine. Sorry, you just surprised me"
Her lips pressed into a straight line telling me she didn't fully believe me but thankfully she didn't question me.
"Come inside, you don't want to get your bandages wet. Let's go", she said supporting me with her arm as I limped alongside her.
What had just happened?
I had heard someone calling out saying Luna, or so I thought. The CEO's had also said it in my dream, but this voice was different- softer, scarier and much less human.
Had it really happened or was it just the wind, my imagination maybe?
Once inside Roma told me to go have a seat in the lounge while she closed the door but I continued to stare outside towards the wooden bench, hearing the wind roaring wildly and the trees swaying due to its force.
And just before she closed the door completely, a very vivid auditory memory that eerie whisper drifted to my ears yet again.
"Lunaaa..."
________
A/N
Hello my sweethearts! How are you doing?
This story has crossed 150 votes! And thank you so very much for the 3k reads. You guys are the best!
Hope you liked the update even though it was slightly low key. If so, please do vote and comment to let me know what you think. I'll update again soon.
Until next time,
All my love
Angel