*Language Warning*
Rylan jumped forward, covering her mouth. She tried to move away but his free hand moved to her hand, holding her gently. “Don’t scream, Norah, I’m here to help you.” She tried to fight his hold, and he made a shushing noise. “Listen to me; Tristan was sent here to kill you. I’m not the bad guy here. Now I need you to calm down.”
He removed his hand and she stared at him, her breathing erratic. “Breathe,” he whispered. His hand was still at the back of her head, his thumb moving in a circular motion. “Match my breaths, come on.”
She stared into his eyes, trying to do as he said, her brain unable to think of anything else to do. Her breathing slowly changed as she mimicked his inhale and exhale, settling into a normal rhythm and she glanced past him, at the dead man. Her voice came out in a squeak. “Y-you were wolves, but h-how…?”
“Shh,” he brushed her hair from her face. “I’ll explain, I promise, but right now I need to get him out of here, okay?”
She nodded, and he let her go, moving to the phone she’d dropped on the floor. Once he moved, she had a clear view of dead Thor. Her eyes drifted over the pool of blood, reaching his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling, and her legs buckled. She sunk to the floor unable to tear her eyes away.
“Aaron?” Rylan spoke on the phone. “Yeah, it’s me. Got a problem at Jack’s beach house.”
There was silence and Rylan murmured. “Yeah, it was Tristan. She’s pretty shaken up.”
Silence again.
“No, she can come in the morning, just bring Logan for now. Later.”
He hung up and there was a pause before he crouched down beside her. “Norah? Are you all right?” She didn’t answer, and he sighed. “I’m sorry.”
His words washed over her, she wanted to ask why he was sorry, but she couldn’t speak, she could only stare at the dead man. Rylan moved in front of her, blocking her view. Her focus was now on his chest, and he tilted her chin, making her meet his eyes. “Are you in there?”
Her eyes moved lower and heat flooded her cheeks. “Naked.”
“What?” He leaned closer to hear.
“You’re naked.”
“Oh, just realising?” She managed a weak glare, and he laughed lightly. “Not the time to joke, sorry. I don’t have any clothes with me, so I suggest looking only at my pretty face.”
Moving her legs, she curled them up to her chest and buried her head in her arms. She heard him laugh quietly and his hand touched her head. “Or that will work too.”
They sat in silence, Norah because she was still in shock, and Rylan because he didn’t know what to say. She kept replaying their transformations in her mind, trying to process if it was real or some cruel trick. A word kept flashing through her mind, but she refused to contemplate it, believing it to be too ridiculous. There’s no way it can be that.
A truck sounded outside, the engine cutting off and she heard Rylan stand up. Footsteps sounded on the veranda and she heard the door open. “Hey - Jesus, Rylan, no wonder the girl’s shaken up, seeing you naked would be enough to freak anyone out.”
“Shut up, Aaron.”
“Shit.” Another voice sounded and she realised two people had come. They were silent for a moment and she heard a slap. “Sorry, Rylan.”
Silence, then Rylan spoke. “Let’s just get him out of here.”
Norah kept her head down, listening to them move the man Rylan had called, Tristan from her house. They stayed outside afterwards, and she heard their muted voices speaking quietly. Cautiously, she looked up and saw her empty living room. The only reminder of the horror was a pool of blood. She stared at the puddle, her eyes drowning in red and it felt like it was taunting her, reminding her that her life was filled with bloodshed and trouble.
Unable to look at it anymore, she stood up and silently filled a bucket with hot water and bleach. Grabbing a scrub brush from under the sink, she took it all over to the puddle and sitting down, she began to scrub. The water quickly turned red, and soon the blood was gone, but she continued to scrub, her body becoming a robot as it went through the motions. She heard the sound of a truck driving off and feet appeared in her line of vision. When they didn’t move, she scrubbed around them.
Rylan bent down, thankfully with a pair of jeans on, and grabbed her hand. “Stop, Norah.”
She tried to move her hand, but his grip was strong. His refusal to let her clean, snapped something inside her, waking her from the stupor of the night’s events, and her head shot up, eyes flaming. Wrestling her hand free, she threw the brush, satisfied when it hit him in the face. “What the hell?”
He looked at her calmly, as if he’d been expecting this reaction, which made her angrier for some reason. “What the hell, what?”
“What is going on, Rylan?” she hissed.
“What do you think is going on?”
Annoyed, she reached for the brush to throw at him again and he grabbed her hand. She looked at him hopelessly. “I don’t know what’s going on! I need you to tell me so I can stop thinking things that make me feel like an idiot.”
He nodded. “Okay then. I’m a werewolf.”
She laughed, the sound mingling with a sob. “Oh crap, I hate when my idiotic thoughts are real.”
He smiled, squeezing her hand. “Me transforming in your living room wasn’t a big enough clue?”
“It could have been magic,” she muttered.
“You believe magic, but not werewolves? Strange girl –“
“Shut it!” She glared at him. “Please, just tell me what’s going on. Why were you fighting in my house?”
His smile faded. “That’s a very complicated question, Norah.”
“No, it’s not. Just be honest and tell me the truth.”
“Maybe we should sit somewhere more comfortable?”
“Here is fine,” she persisted. “Talk.”
“That man was named Tristan,” Rylan finally answered quietly. “Liam had him watching you since you helped Olivia the night you arrived.”
“What? Olivia is…?”
He nodded. “She is a werewolf too. The Montoya’s are all werewolves.”
“Holy shit,” she whispered. “But why tell me to keep away from them? I didn’t even know what you guys were, I wasn’t harming anyone!”
“They obviously didn’t know that,” Rylan explained. “The night you saved me, it added to their suspicion and they’ve been watching you closely ever since.”
“But I’m no threat! I’m not a –“ she shut her mouth, still unable to say the word. It still felt surreal to her.
Rylan lowered himself, sitting on the floor. He still hadn’t released her hand. “You may be human, but there are many humans in the town who know of our existence. They keep our secret and many are friends with the Montoya’s. Humans can still be a threat.”
“So…” she tried to process what Rylan had told her. “Because I helped you and Olivia, I’ve somehow ended up in the middle of some shit storm between you and…Tristan’s friends?” She tried to remember the name Rylan had mentioned.
“Shit storm is a, nice way to put it.” He grinned. “Has Olivia told you about her brothers?”
Norah nodded. “She mentioned Luke, and I’ve heard of Liam.”
“In our clan, the first born continues the line, taking charge of the clan and dealing with the bullshit politics of the pack. Luke and Liam however, are twins.”
“Twins?” she repeated.
“Yeah. Their mother had a C-section when they were born, so it was impossible to determine who was meant to be born first. As the years went by, his father chose Luke to be his predecessor and, let’s just say Liam wasn’t happy with his choice.”
“So what, they’re having some sort of sibling spat and dragging innocent people into it?”
He sighed. “In a manner of speaking. The clan has been split because of Liam, we’re fighting each other and losing friends because of his greed for power.”
The memories of the night flashed through her mind and she remember something. “Was Tristan your friend? One of those guys, they apologised to you; was it because you had to kill him?”
Rylan’s face closed off and he looked down at the stain on the floor. “We used to be friends, not anymore.”
Not thinking, she reached up, cupping his cheek. He looked back up at her, surprised at the contact. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
She didn’t have to explain why; they may not have been friends anymore, but it would still be a difficult thing to do. She felt him lean into her hand briefly, his eyes closing before he stood up, pulling her with him. “You should sleep. I’ll explain more tomorrow. It’s too late at night to explain everything and I’m not in the right head space for this talk.”
She waited for him to walk out the front door, and was confused when he moved towards the couch. “What are you doing?”
“Going to sleep.”
Her eyes widened. “On my couch?”
“Well, it would be too presumptuous of me to sleep in your bed tonight. But if you want me –“
“That’s not what I meant!” she snapped. “You should be going home!”
He raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Someone just tried to attack you in your own home, if I hadn’t been here, you wouldn’t be alive right now. I will be staying until we sort this out. Now go to bed.”
When she didn’t move, he stepped towards her. “Do you want me to sleep with you?”
He hadn’t even finished the sentence before she turned and ran to her room. Staring at the wall, she breathed heavily. She kept thinking of the mess on the floor, she wanted to go out and clean it, but she knew Rylan would still be awake. Thinking of the couch, she walked back out, stopping at her linen cupboard.
Rylan was lying on the couch, legs draped over the bottom. His arm was over his eyes but he heard her come in. “What are you doing?”
She threw the blanket in her arms over him and headed back to her room.
“Good night.” She could hear the smile in his voice and muttered a quick goodnight before shutting her bedroom door.
* * * * *
Norah stared at her bedroom ceiling, her eyes strained from lack of sleep. The night had passed slowly, her sleep had been fitful, filled with gnashing teeth and rivers of blood. Not to mention the fact that a werewolf was sleeping on her couch.
Several times she had thought of climbing out of bed and shaking him awake, demanding he explain everything properly. The questions had started to pile up in her head, and she needed someone to answer them. The only thing stopping her was the thought that he said he wasn’t in the right head space to explain it all. He’d just killed an old friend. She wanted to demand, to nag for an explanation, but she couldn’t do that to him.
The sun shone through her curtains and her body started to twitch with the need to get up. Unable to wait any longer, she dragged herself out of bed, her head heavy with questions and exhaustion. Her problems had just increased in a way she couldn’t comprehend. She moved slowly into the kitchen, suddenly nervous and came to a stop; Rylan wasn’t on the couch.
The blanket was folded neatly, like last time, and the mess she had left had been cleaned, and a towel placed over the stained wood. There was an extra addition to the room, and she looked at the table in surprise. “Olivia?”
Olivia stood up from the table, her hands folded nervously in front of her. “Morning, Norah. Did you sleep?”
“Not really.” She looked at her warily. “Where’s Rylan?”
“He had to go to work. He called me this morning and asked me to come and stay with you.”
“I don’t need a baby sitter.”
“I’m not here like that,” she protested. “Just as a concerned, and guilty friend. Rylan asked me to help explain everything.”
Norah looked around, feeling awkward. “Are you one too?”
“A werewolf?”
She nodded. Rylan had said she was the night before, but she needed to hear it from Olivia.
Olivia bit her lip. “Yeah, I am. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Her voice picked up speed. “It’s just, we have to keep these things a secret, but when Rylan told me what happened to you last night and all the other times, I felt so awful. I mean it’s all my fault –“
“Slow down!” Norah held up her hand, unable to understand Olivia’s rushed words. “I need coffee before we talk.”
“I’ll make it!” Olivia started moving to the kitchen but Norah stopped her.
“I’ll make it. You’re my guest.”
“But –“
“Sit!”
Olivia sat obediently and Norah moved about the kitchen, preparing two cups of coffee. “Do you take milk and sugar?”
“Yes to milk, and no to sugar.”
The water boiled and Norah poured the drinks, carrying them over to the table. Olivia remained silent during this procedure and only spoke when Norah finally took a seat. “Are you mad at me?”
Norah took a sip of coffee, wishing she felt more alive. “I think I’m meant to be mad at you, but I’m not. I can understand you not telling me – you can’t go around telling people you can change into a wolf, willy nilly.” Olivia struggled not to laugh at the way Norah said it and she smiled. “I’ve told you I say weird things when crazy stuff happens to me.”
“I remember. I really am sorry, Norah.” Her voice broke and Norah patted her hand.
“Let’s not talk about last night. I think you need to explain some other things to me before we get to last night.”
Olivia nodded, leaning forward. “Anything you want, just ask away.” Norah opened her mouth and froze. She didn’t know where to begin. Olivia sensed her problem. “Should I tell you about my family?”
Norah nodded. “Okay.”
“So my family, the Montoya’s, we’ve been werewolves since the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?”
“Since werewolves came into being.” Olivia saw the worry on Norah’s face. “I’ll save that story for another time. Anyway, there are seven main packs in the world, and those are all broken into different branches. Our clan belong to the Blue Stone pack –“
“So, what you all descend from one main wolf?”
“In a way, wow this is hard, I’ve never had to explain this to someone before,” Olivia laughed lightly. “So, the original leaders of the seven packs turned those humans loyal to them, and they were each given their own clans. It was basically a way to spread each packs power and worth across the country, and eventually the planet. Are you following me so far?”
Norah nodded. “I think so. Your family is part of the Blue Stone Pack?”
Olivia nodded. “The Montoya clan is one of the smallest at the moment. We only have twenty five or so, but as Rylan may have told you, we’ve been experiencing problems and the pack has split.”
“Because of your brother, Liam?”
Olivia nodded, her eyes sad. “Dad always wanted Luke to be the next Varsk –“
“What’s a Varsk?”
Olivia frowned. “I think the easiest way to explain it, would be that it’s like a major. Just think of military rankings. The head of each pack is known as a Varsk, and the head of the entire clan, known as a Vuri, is like the General. Does that make sense?”
“I need more coffee,” Norah muttered, taking another sip.
Olivia looked crestfallen and Norah waved her hand. “It makes sense, sorry. What were you saying about Liam?”
Olivia looked at her hands. “So, Liam wanted to be the Varsk, and my dad was against it. I overheard him telling Luke, that Liam wasn’t fit to be a leader. I always thought dad was just favouring Luke, I think Liam thought that way too. When dad died last year though, I started to see what he meant,” Olivia’s voice grew quiet. “Liam grew cold, he started distancing himself from the clan and arguing with every decision Luke made. A few others agreed with him and –“
Her voice broke into a sob. “I don’t even remember how it happened. I just know that one day, Liam walked in and declared he wanted to claim the right of Varsk. If he had been the oldest, it would be his by right, but because no one knew who was oldest and both Luke and Liam are matched in strength, the clan split, each choosing their respected leader and for the last nine months, they’ve been at each other’s throats, trying to find ways to kill each other and take the Varsk position. Although in Luke’s defence, it’s mainly been Liam trying to kill people.”
Norah reached over, holding Olivia’s hand. She looked up, eyes filled with unshed tears. “I can still remember the way Liam looked at me, when I told him I was staying with Luke. I knew it was the right choice, but it still hurt. I love them both.” Unable to keep talking, she broke down and Norah stood up and hugged her. “I’m so afraid one of them is going to die, and I don’t want that to happen. I’m so scared I’m going to hate the one who kills the other. I don’t want to lose both of my brothers.”
Norah made soft shushing noises, rubbing her back as Olivia sobbed into her shoulder. She stayed like that until Olivia quietened and she moved away. Olivia sniffed, wiping her face. “I’m sorry. I’m meant to be comforting you!”
Norah laughed and Olivia smiled brokenly through her tears. “I don’t need comforting, Olivia. I just need someone to help me make sense of all this madness. From what you’ve told me, your brothers are jerks for making you feel torn in the first place.”
Olivia laughed, sniffing loudly. “Right? How dare they do this to their little sister?” They both smiled at each other, and Olivia reached out and grabbed her arm. “Thanks, Norah.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And I’m sorry you got involved in all this. I know my brother, and Liam will definitely consider you to be an enemy from now on. I know it’s stupid, but after last night, I know he’ll think you’re helping us.”
“But that doesn’t mean he’s going to come after me. Rylan said last night there were other people in the town who knew what you guys are. Why hasn’t he hurt them?”
“Murdering a local would raise too many questions. You’ve only been in town a few weeks. No one would bat an eye if you were to suddenly disappear.”
A cold shiver ran down Norah’s spine. “Right, so I’m an easy target.”
“Not anymore,” Olivia said, determined. “We’ll keep you safe. I hope you don’t mind our company, we’ll probably be hanging around for a while.”
Norah sighed. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
“We’ll keep you safe, Norah, I promise.”
Norah nodded, wishing that promise extended to other more human threats she was hiding from.
__________________________________________________________________
So, what did you all think? And before you start complaining about using terms like Alpha and whatnot - I suggest you go back and read the INTRODUCTION to this story :-)
Also, a warning - this may be the last chapter I get to post until the new year. Christmas is just around the corner and I will be working, plus trying to spend it with my family. I also go away for New Years for every year. So please don't be demanding updates - this time of year is a time for giving, not demanding.
I hope you all have a lovely christmas and new year. Thank you all for reading my stories, I love you all <3