Chapter 12
Katie's Pov:
RECAP:
Suddenly, the forest and the blue-eyed creature were gone and I felt like I had been body-slammed. There was an annoyingly bright light. I squinted and noticed there were two unknown men hovering over me. One of them smiled.
"Ah, Katie McAllister is finally awake. We have been waiting for you."
~END OF RECAP~
Still Katie's Pov:
The two nameless males each grabbed one of my arms, hoisting me off the ground. I staggered a little, but eventually I regained my balance.
"What the heck are you doing?" I tried to frantically ask, but it came out as more of a scratchy whisper considering I hadn't used my voice in God knows how long.
"Ah, she speaks! And what a pretty voice, too!" proclaimed the one who had spoke before. He seemed to be the friendlier one of the two. The second one just wore a scowl on his unshaven face. I glared at both them.
"I demand to know where the heck I am!" I cried, aggravated by Mr. Friendly's comment. He chuckled darkly.
"Oh, I forgot you're new to this world. Say, little girl, what do you remember about your situation?" he said, his voice a touch mysterious. I thought and decided it was better to tell the truth because I am a horrible liar. Seriously, I couldn't lie to a blind person about what time of day it was, I'm that bad.
"Well, I was at the school in the south parking lot with my, um, friend, and then I was grabbed from behind by someone, one of your goon friends I expect. He put me in a truck and I mouthed off to the driver who had the other dude knock me out using a pressure point. That's when I had the..." I trailed off. I stopped myself just in time. They didn't need to know about the dream. Dreams about familiar looking little boys and large blue-eyed animals are better kept to yourself.
"That's when you had the what? You know what? Never mind. We'll save it for your meeting with the council" Mr. Friendly sneered pretentiously.
"Council? What the frick?" I inquired. The whole freaking situation is getting exceedingly bizarre. First, I'm arranged to be married to a major jerkface. Then, I get to school and everybody seems to know my last name and treats me different because of it. And when I finally make a friend, I get kidnapped by a bunch of buff dudes who apparently are gonna take me to a council or something.
"Yes, the Elder council has requested an audience with you as soon as you have awoken. Which reminds me, its time to go, little girl" Mr. Friendly replied as he and Mr. Scowls both start to drag me towards a door that I hadn't noticed until now. I struggled and thrashed all around desperately, but the goons held fast, keeping me from escaping. Mr. Scowls opened the door, and they pulled me through. We were now in an ornate antechamber. It kind of looked like the Sistine chapel only darker and slightly less fancy. The only light came from torches on the granite and gold covered walls. It smelled of exceedingly old paper and sweat. A large wooden desk that I was sure was taller than me, stood at the far end of the chamber. It was antique, that was for sure, but the wood gleamed in the dim torchlight. On either side of the room rows of pew-like benches rose like steps. It reminded me uncannily of a courtroom. It got me thinking. Was this my judgment day?
"You'll wait right here, little girl. Don't try to escape; the council is your friend. Plus the doors are locked" said Mr. Friendly, gesturing towards a rickety old chair situated directly in front of the obtuse desk.
"Of course" I muttered planted myself down in the chair making a plume of dust rise. I breathed in at the wrong moment, and the dust particles clogged my airways. I heaved violently, sputtering the dust out of my lungs. Mr. Friendly and even Mr. Scowls sent me a concerned glance. I shrugged them off, working on getting my breathing under control. Asthma really did suck.
"Maybe we should have dusted off the chair for the little lady" Mr. Friendly mocked. Mr. Scowls just grimaced, deeper this time and walked back through the door they had come through.
"Where did he go?" I asked.
"To summon the council. They should be here any second. I can't wait" said the remaining goon with a wicked, almost evil, smile.
"Why do they want me?"
"You'll find out soon enough, young one" he replied as the door the chamber burst open behind him. In swept twenty or thirty men clad in midnight blue robes that were similar to those worn in the Harry Potter series. They filed in silently in two intimate rows. I watched as they split apart each heading for a different row of benches. It was all very rehearsed. Once all the council members were seated, they looked at the head desk expectantly. I turned back to look also and gasped at what I saw. There, illuminated by obscure torchlight, was the largest wolf I had ever seen. It rose a good three feet over the already elevated desk. Its silver fur glistened giving it a heavenly glow around it. Its eyes looked stone cold and wise, wiser than any animal should be. When it began stalking towards me, I let a strangled gasp, but it didn't stop. It came right up to me and gazed at me with scrutinizing, calculating eyes as if it was an x-ray machine and I was the one being x-rayed. Suddenly it let out a low bay, like a bloodhound that had just located something it had been tracking for a very long time. It spun around, walking away from me. Once it was a measurable distance away, it morphed turning it something a little less wolf and a little more human, until finally what stood before me was a middle-aged man in blood-red robes that stood out like a sore thumb in the midst of his midnight blue counterparts. He climbed up onto the large desk looking emotionless. Did he just turn from a freaking wolf into a man? This is, by far, the craziest thing that has happened since I got here, and that is saying something!
"So you have come, Katie McAllister" the man in red stated simply.
"Y-y-yes, sir" I replied.
"Do you know why you are here, mortal girl?" he asked.
"No, sir, but please let me go! I have nothing you would want!" I pleaded trying my best to sound convincing and not scared out of my mind like I actually was.
"On the contrary, I think you shall be very useful to us" he said and several others nodded, showing they agreed. It was then that I noticed the guards, big beefy dudes dressed all in black, blocking the only exit. Great, now I really can't escape.
"H-how?"
"Oh, this and that. But the point is you're here now and I believe you have some questions? Funny, I would have thought your little mate fellow would have answered them" he mused thoughtfully.
"Who are you talking about?" I questioned, perplexed. What the heck was a mate and who is he talking about?
"Did you hear this, chaps? Young Hudson St.Marcus hasn't even told her, yet! I'd wager he hasn't even talked to her once!" the leader chortled. The chamber filled up with the laughter of the council. I sat stunned in my chair. They were talking about that extremely handsome boy in my homeroom class. Why were they talking about him? Did he say that Hudson is my mate? What is a mate anyway? Did it have something to do with how that old man had turned into a wolf? Too many questions buzzed through my head.
"So what if he hasn't talked to me? Its not like we're friends! I just moved here, and it wasn't even willingly! My stupid stepmother sent me away with this jerk named Trent. I don't want to be in this crazy town!" I let out all at once, my chest rising and falling so fast I thought I would pass out. Again, stupid asthma. The room went silent then erupted into hoards of nervous whispering.
"Silence! You said Trent, correct?" asked the leader in a commanding voice. I nodded quickly.
"Trent Peterson, perhaps?" he questioned again. I nodded for a second time. The leader sighed heavily.
"You say Margaret sent you away with Trent? Why?" he inquired. I had a whiplash.
"How did you know that was her name?" I asked warily.
"My, my, Ms. McAllister, you really don't know anything do you? I know her name because I knew your father" he replied.
"You did? Did you work with him?" I questioned. Was this the ever secret work he was always slipping off to?
"Yes, he was one of us" he answered with a grim smile.
"And what, exactly, are you?"
"Dear child, do you not know anything?" his face suddenly hardened. No I didn't, I thought to myself, but stayed silent waiting for them to answer my earlier question. The leader sighed and his eyes seemed to grow wearier as I gazed into them.
"Young one, prepare yourself, for once you hear this, you will never be the same again" he warned. I cocked my head to the side in confusion, but nodded for him to continue.
"My brethren and I, including your father, the St. Marcus pack, which includes your, excuse me, precious mate, and the Peterson pack, which Trent is a part of, are..." he hesitated. I think I already knew from all the supernatural things I've read and seen on television. I just hoped I was wrong, because that would be too weird. I prompted him to continue.
"We all are werewolves"