Werewolves are noisy eaters, I realized two hours later. They were all gathered around a large table in the cabin house, pieces of chicken in their hands as they talked loudly.
Chomping noises and frequent bursts of laughter occurred over and over again. Xerxes sat at the head of the table beside Flynn. He didn't seem bothered by the noise. He was probably accustomed to it. That and he looked too indulged with the food to even care.
I looked back down at my plate and stared at the macaroni and chicken on it. I swallowed the bile that threatened to erupt from my mouth after I saw that the chicken was almost raw and had some blood on it.
I moved it to the side of the plate with my fork, like how children would do when they didn't want to eat the vegetables.
The Marconi was good though and I managed to eat that. Afterwards I relaxed back in my chair and watched the werewolves continue to talk and eat.
Music suddenly erupted and the werewolves all got up to dance. I stiffened when one of the werewolves suggested to Xerxes that he ask me to dance. Xerxes frowned briefly and met my wide eyes. I don't dance. Ever.
I stood from my seat, causing it to knock over just as Xerxes stood as well. Narrowing my eyes at him I shook my head. I was not going to dance with him. Especially not amongst these werewolves.
He was smirking now. It seemed that he liked seeing me pissed and because of that he advanced even closer to me.
I turned on my heel and jogged through the crowd of dancing werewolves. After glancing over my shoulders and not seeing him I slowed down.
I went out to the hallway and began walking aimlessly down it, looking at the strange pictures of wolves and words in some foreign language hung up on the walls.
"Rebecca!" Charlotte waved at me from an entrance of a room. Smiling I walked over to her and she clasped my hand in hers.
"I'll show you where the phones are. But we have to hurry." Charlotte whispered to me, quickening her pace. Our footsteps echoed loudly as we walked and I winced, hoping none of the werewolves would be able to hear them.
I was beginning to think that Charlotte didn't even know where the phone was located fifteen minutes later. It seemed as if we had been walking around in circles.
But finally, she came to a stop outside a door and pushed it open. We stepped what looked like a library room. Rows and rows of books were on the large bookshelves, but they were not what I was really after.
Charlotte scurried across the room and shoved away some papers that were on a desk, revealing a black phone. I held the phone tightly in my hand. Chewing anxiously on my lip I dialed the number which the sheriff had told me to call if something ever came up or I wanted to talk.
I waited impatiently for the gruff voice of the sheriff to sound through the phone. No one answered and my heart sunk. With shaky fingers I dialed the number again.
"Hello?"
I sucked in a breath, relieved. "Goodnight Sheriff." I waited expectantly for his immediate response, but none came for the first twenty seconds.
"You need to come back, Rebecca." His voice was low and hoarse, which was unusual of him. He paused briefly and I heard him clear his throat. "Your mother, she's very sick. The doctors are saying she won't make it-"
The phone slipped from my hands at his words and I shook my head in disbelief. My world tilted and I found myself on my knees.
"No," I clutched at my hair, feeling hot tears forming in my eyes. Charlotte stepped forward in worry. I bent over, shaking my head furiously. "She can't." My voice cracked and I didn't stop the tears from falling.
Charlotte dived down and scooped the phone up from off of the ground. I could hear her talking to the sheriff, but I couldn't make out the words she was saying. My tears blurred my vision and dripped down my cheeks as I struggled to climb to my feet.
Ignoring Charlotte's yell I ran out the room and down the hallway. My shaky feet carried me back to the dinning room. I didn't care that the werewolves were watching me and I rushed through the room, looking for the one person who I didn't like at all but needed his consent in order to go to my mother. It shouldn't have to be that way, I shouldn't have to ask permission to see my own mother, but I had to. If he says no then I would find another way, even though difficult because of how many guards surrounded this territory, to try and leave.
I finally found him talking to Flynn. He could sense something was wrong, his eyes sweeping across the room. I ran up to him and grabbed unto his shirt, tugging desperately. His eyes widened at my state and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"You have to let me see my mother." I blurted, my hands tightening on the shirt I clutched. "S-she's dying."
Xerxes scowled at me, placing his hands on my upper arms. "You're lying." He growled, attempting to push me off of him.
"I'm not!" The sharp force and loudness of my scream shocked him even more and he stepped backwards. I was shaking with anger and grief now. Gasps from the werewolves watching me yell at Xerxes sounded. "My mother is fucking dying!"
The hand which was on my shoulder loosened slightly. "How would I know if you're telling the truth and that you're not just saying this so that you can leave?"
"You can come with me if you have to. All of your guards can. But I need to see my mom." I hated the desperation that was in my voice, but it was what I was feeling. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he stared at me. I could practically feel his mind working as he thought silently.
My shaking form increased with every passing second and I began to see red.
"Fine." Xerxes finally spoke. He stepped closer to me, narrowing his eyes, shooting fear right through my soul at how they had darkened. "If you are lying to me, Rebecca, you will be placed in the cell where we keep criminals."
I ignored his last statement and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. "When do we leave?"
************
My stomach churned nervously as the SUV drove into town. Xerxes shifted in his seat beside me, leaning forward to see which direction the driver was taking us.
Thanks to Charlotte I knew where to go. If she hadn't taken up the phone when it had dropped and talked to the Sheriff, I would be walking around town panicking.
There were two hospitals in this town and I gave the driver the directions for one of them. As soon as the driver stopped outside the hospital, I didn't hesitate to jump out of it and run through the door of the hospital. I saw the Sheriff waiting by the desk for me.
As soon as he saw me he pulled me into a warm embrace. I slowly wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly, feeling my tears rising again.
I knew when Xerxes had entered the room. The sheriff's arm which had been around me slackened and then I was pulled back by Xerxes. He kept an iron grip on my wrist, ignoring my scowl.
"Your mother is in here." The sheriff pointed to a door all the way in the back and we followed him to it. The first thing I saw was my two young siblings, curled up and sleeping on a chair peacefully. Then I saw my mother lying on the bed, tubes in her arms while she slept.
I somehow managed to get my wrist free from Xerxes's hold and went to her bedside, slipping and clutching her hand to mine. I watched as her chest rose and fell as she slept and the slight way her fingers would twitch every few minutes. I had never seen my mother look so...tired. She had always tried to keep a brave face but I knew on in the inside she was scared and jumpy.
A nurse came inside a few minutes later, her eyes widening at the sight of Xerxes standing in the corner of the room. She cleared her throat and shifted closer to the sheriff and I.
"You must be her daughter, Rebecca." The nurse told me. "I'm Tabitha and I have been monitoring your mom for the past two days."
The nurse glanced down at the paper attached to her clipboard. "Your mother suffered from a stroke and is currently semi unconscious. We thought she wasn't going to make it, but after the Sheriff came and basically told her that you were coming to visit, the monitor shows that her health has increased." Tabitha switched the clipboard to another arm and fixed a tube. "She still needs to be under a lot of supervision."
I swallowed down the lump in my throat, smiling briefly at the nurse. "Thanks for your help." I told her. She smiled brightly at me, her compassion shinning in her eyes.
After sneaking a cautious glance at Xerxes she walked out the room. Looking behind me, I saw a chair. Leaning backwards I kicked the chair forward with my leg and sat on it, still holding my mother's hand.
"You better get comfortable." I muttered to Xerxes. "I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."
"If I leave, you are leaving too." Xerxes growled at me, but sat in a chair in the corner of the room. My mother's deep breathing were the only thing that I could hear for the next thirty minutes.
***********
The twins both sat on either side of me on a couch in the waiting room. When they had woken up they were shocked and happy to see me. Their little faces lighted up like light bulbs and their squeals of happiness woke up Xerxes from his seat causing him to glower down at them.
It was then that I suggested that the twins and I go out to the waiting room. Xerxes had sent a guard along with us but I hardly noticed him. Instead I was in deep conversation with George and Alyssa about school. They were enjoying it so far and had made some friends.
They were curious about what life was like for me at Xerxes's house.
"Tense." I told them. George scratched the back of his head, unsure on what to say. He didn't have to.
"I'm hungry." Alyssa whined. "There's a snack machine nearby I think."
I looked over at the grumpy looking guard. He raised an eyebrow at me. It was my decision. I nodded and took George and Alyssa's hands. We walked to the snack machine and bought some snacks. I wasn't hungry, but I still bought some skittles anyway.
I left Alyssa and George sitting on the couch and began walking down the hallway, the guard trailing behind me. The sugar from the skittles gave me a burst of energy and I felt a little bit more awake.
I decided that I would step outside and catch a breath of fresh air. I walked down the exit and sat on the cold steps, looking at people passing by in their cars.
The voice of a man yelling drew my gaze away from them and I stood, turning in the direction of the voice. The guard heard the noise too, but didn't move to investigate. I however, decided to.
I followed the noise of yelling and paused at the side of the building. A man with graying hair and glasses was yelling at a pissed Xerxes, who looked about ready to land a punch on the stranger's face.
I caught the words such as, deal, system and not over before they realized they were being watched. The man with glasses turned sharply and stared at me.
My jaw dropped open as I recognized his face. He was the mayor of my town who had seemed to disappear right off the earth as soon as the werewolves began taking over. He was the coward who left my town and our people to fend for ourselves with no support from him.
I narrowed my eyes, looking at him and then Xerxes. Judging by the way they both interacted with each other I knew they had to have talked before.
A hand was placed on my shoulder. "We have to return inside, Luna." The guard nodded towards Xerxes and tapped the side of his head. "Alpha's orders."
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