Meredith
I remember when I was a child, my mother would tell me these bedtime stories. She would tell me about a young woman who fell in love with her soul mate the moment she met him. She described a man who protected his love with a fierce loyalty and treasured her like nothing else. I always fell in love with the stories as she told them, watching as her eyes twinkled with a sense of knowing. To me, they were just stories. They were like any other fairy-tale.
I liked fairy-tales. I read all the classics like Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs... But they were just tales. Magic wasn't real and happy endings weren't always guaranteed. As I got older, I watched shows like the Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf. As good as they were, I knew things like that didn't exist in this world. It's just make believe.
But as I stand defensively on the sofa with legs like jelly and a cushion clutched in my grasp, I realise that maybe, just maybe all those things really do exist.
"Werewolves?! Are you crazy?!" I scream at the three people standing below me with worried expressions.
I would be a little worried too if a pregnant woman was screaming at the top of her lungs about werewolves while throwing cushions at people. Once I regained consciousness, I scrambled up from the sofa and took on my defensive position against all these crazy people.
"Mer, please get down from the sofa." Emily pleads softly with her hands raised in caution.
"No." I point at her. "You are a human. You have beautiful hair and soft pale skin. How exactly are you a wolf?" I stress.
"Meredith, I know it's a lot to take in but it's the truth. We're all werewolves. Remember the terms that Jack kept using, Alpha and Beta?" Eliot interrupts and takes a step closer to me.
I throw the cushion I have clutched to my chest at him.
"Don't move!" He sighs but takes the step back.
"Alpha means leader of the pack. I'm the Alpha. And the Beta is the second in command. That's Chase." I stare at him silently as I let it sink in.
Werewolves. Alpha. Beta. Pack.
Am I dreaming? Will I wake up and still be in the car on the way back from the cemetery? Oh god how I wish that to be the case.
"Remember the day you met me?" Chase asks as he sits casually on the coffee table like none of this is happening.
"Yeah." I mumble.
"When I introduced myself, I said I was Eliot's right-hand man. You were really confused when we laughed about it."
"Only because it wasn't funny."
"But you didn't understand. It was an inside joke. I'm literally his right-hand man as his Beta of the pack."
I frown at the sense it actually makes. I knew there was something behind that comment.
"The growling sounds we make is our wolves. Most of the time it's because we're angry, it's a natural reaction for us." Eliot continues.
I slowly sink to my knees as I go through everything in my head. Every little detail of my life since meeting these people. I think back to moments when it was just Eliot that I knew first. I lean into the cushions as images flash in my mind of the changes I noticed in Jack once Eliot appeared.
I look up to Eliot as it clicks in my mind.
"Is Jack...?"
"Yes. He's a werewolf."
"That day we were arguing and he moved really fast... I thought I had imagined it. His speed was impossible."
"Werewolves can move at a quicker speed than humans." I ignore him as I continue rambling. All the pieces seem to fall together.
"He came home from a jog in just a pair of shorts but it was freezing outside."
"He probably shifted. We only wear shorts if we have to shift, it makes things easier."
"His job?"
"A lie." Chase states bluntly.
I rub my pounding forehead that seems to have gotten worse since Jack turned up earlier. It's too much to process. How can these people be anything but human? Watching actors turn into wolves on TV isn't the same as trying to imagine it in real life. I can't picture it, it seems just too impossible.
"How is this real?" I direct the question at Emily. She's barely said anything for a while now.
Emily reaches her hand over towards me and my automatic response is to move away. I stand up rather quickly and back up, forgetting that I'm standing on a sofa near the end. As the back of my legs make contact with the arm of the sofa, a short cry leaves my lips as I feel myself falling backwards over the sofa. With lightening reflexes, Eliot wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me safely down onto the sofa. I gasp in shock as my back hits the cushioned sofa with Eliot leaning over me. Tingles erupt over my body at his touch and I push him away as I stumble to my feet.
"That was ridiculously fast! And why do I keep feeling those tingles? Stop doing that to me!"
"I told you to get down Mer." Emily scolds like a parent.
"I'm not doing anything to you. Those sparks you feel is our connection. I can't control it."
"Connection of what?"
"Mates." He admits. I scramble up from the sofa and clumsily walk out of the living room.
"This is too much. I can't deal with all of this. Werewolves and mates and stupid frightening reflexes." I stumble into the kitchen and get myself some water. I need to breathe. Surely all of this stressful information can't be good for the baby. I have to stay calm and sane.
Downing a full glass of water, I slam the glass down onto the counter and lean against it heavily.
"Mer?" A soft voice calls after a few minutes of nothing but my ragged breathing.
"Please don't tell me anymore. I can't handle anymore."
I bury my face into my hands as I lean on my elbows. So much is running through my mind and I can't decipher it all. I mumble nonsense into my hands as the tears build behind my closed eyelids. This is so crazy.
"I don't want to hear any more." I plead as I feel arms wrap themselves around my shaking body and tug me away from the counter.
"OK. No more for today." Eliot murmurs into my ear. I know it's him, not only do I recognise his voice but the warmth that spreads over my body can only be due to one person. Him.
I cry into his chest, sobbing as I clutch his shirt tightly in my hands. He hushes me gently as he rocks me from side to side. As much as I want to push him away and scream at him for all of this, I can't. His presence alone brings me comfort and his soothing voice in my ear calms that hysteria that's building up in my chest.
I vaguely hear some murmured words around me and then Eliot is gently pulling me away from his body. I whimper at the loss of contact but he simply presses his lips to my temple as Chase hands him something.
"Here. Take these for your head." Eliot coaxes lightly while putting two pills into my hand.
I take them gratefully, popping them into my mouth while hiccuping as Chase hands me a glass of water. I swallow the pills with the water, passing the glass back to him and resting my head back onto Eliot's chest. Eliot runs his fingers through my hair creating a sense of calm around me. My crying slows until I'm quietly sniffing but no more tears are falling down my cheeks.
Eliot tilts my head up to face him and tenderly wipes away my tears with his thumbs. His eyes show worry and pain. The crease and constant frown that sits between his brows show the stress he's feeling. I don't know much about mates but if we have a connection then I'm sure the stress and pain he's feeling is a result of my reaction. He's in pain because I'm in pain. That thought makes my heart sting.
"Let's get you to bed. We'll talk more tomorrow. You need to rest." Even his voice sounds tired.
I let him lead me upstairs and help me get ready for bed. Eliot tucks me in once I've changed into my pyjamas and leaves with a final kiss on my forehead.
"Goodnight Meri. Sweet dreams."
Eliot's whisper is the last thing I hear as I melt into the darkness.