Let Me Live

Chapter 14: Creature's POV

Creature’s POV. 

Sleeping so much. Body not hurt as much. Still heavy. Hear voices. Hear stange man’s voice most. Wolf calls out to him. Want to know strange man but too scared. Will hurt me but wolf says no. Heavy feeling going away. Try to open eyes. Big thing above blocks light. See strange man beside me. He has sad eyes. Want to back up but can’t, laying on soft thing. 

“Hey little beauty. It’s ok. I’m not going to hurt you.” He says soft words and touches hand. Strange feeling in hand. Too tired to fight it. Wolf say to listen. 

“You’ve been asleep for a few days sweetie. We’re trying to make you feel better.” He says words. Not understand but voice makes wolf calm. Make me calm. Try to move, arm too heavy, wrapped in heavy white. Big spikes sticking out. 

“That’s a cast and some pins to help your arm get better.” Strange man says. Look in his eyes. Black eyes, black hair. Man has big head. Big body. Smiles at me. Teeth white. Pretty face. Want to touch his face. Scared. Wolf says no be scared. Raise hand wrapped in not heavy white stuff. Strange man brings face closer. Slow. Bring hand back, scared. 

“It’s ok. No hurt here.” He says words. Looks sad and strange. Touch man’s cheek. Strange feeling in hand. Feel like shock from shock stick but not hurt. Man closes eyes. Water comes from eyes onto cheek. Touch water. Man called Roman would have water eyes sometimes. Called crying. Means sad. Make strange man sad. Wolf says strange word again. Tells me to say strange word. 

“M- m- mate.” Say word. Man open eyes and has more water. 

“Yes. That’s right, little beauty. I’m your mate. Oh sweetheart!” Says words, slowly puts hand over me hand. Big hand hides me hand! Strange feeling goes up arm. Make arm feel fuzzy. 

“W- Wo- Wolf say m- mate.” Say words to him. Man smiles.

“Yes. I have a wolf too. My wolf and your wolf are mates.” Strange man has wolf too? 

“Wh- what m- mate?” Strange man looks in eyes. 

“It means I want to make you happy. You make me happy.” Says words, no understand.

“Wh- what h- h- happy?” Strange man eyes cry more. 

“It means to feel good and light. No pain.” Strange mans says happy but cries mean sad. 

“Cry m- mean s- sad.” Touch cry water on face. 

“You can happy cry too.” Man says. Not know happy cries. 

“My name is Titan. Titan.” Man points to self. He is called Titan.

“T- T- Titan.” Say name to him. Big smile. 

“Me c- creature. N- no name.” Says words to Titan. Titan face turn sad. 

“No, little beauty, you do have a name and I know your name. Do you want to know your name?” Titan says words. Say me have name.

“Your name is Ariah.”  Titan says me name. 

“A- A riah.” Me say me name. Like me name. 

“Yes. Ariah Sanders. That is your name.” Titan says. Strange feeling. Me have name. 

“Me n- not c- creature no m- more?” Titan shakes head.

“No, you were never a creature. Old alpha took you away from home and let new alpha hurt you bad but it will not happen anymore. I want to take you to a new home and make you all better and happy. Do you want to come with me, Ariah?” Not understand all his words but know he want to take me, Ariah away. 

“S- scared.” Say word to Titan. Titan close eyes. 

“I know but I promise no bad will happen. No pain here.” Titan says words I no understand. Feel sleepy again. Like Titan but scared of Titan.

“Ariah go with Titan.” Eyes heavy. Sleep coming. 

“Yes, Ariah go with Titan.” Titan smiles. Smile mean happy? 

“S- sleepy.” Eyes close. Titan say ok to sleep. I scared but no creature no more. I Ariah. 

****

Titan’s POV

I have cried more in the last 6 days than I have in my entire life and I don’t know if I should be concerned or not. Her little eyes close and I finally know what color they are; silver grey. I can’t get over the irony that a werewolf would have silver-colored eyes! Sure, silver and wolfsbane have slight effects on us lycans, but nowhere near the extent they have on weres. Those eyes had sealed my fate; big grey, beautiful and so innocent! I still didn’t know how we were going to have a relationship when she obviously has the mental capacity of a child but all I do know is that I will protect her with every last cell in my body. I place a gentle kiss on her hand and walk out to the hallway where Ryker and Dr. Marshall are waiting. 

“How did it go?” He asked. 

“Pretty good but her vocabulary is very stunted and I’m not sure how much she understood but I think she likes her name and is ok with coming with us.” I said, my voice cracking. I forced myself to get control of my emotions. Ryker squeezed my shoulder. 

“Did the visor over her bed seem to help with the light?” Dr. Marshall asked. I nodded.

“Yeah she was actually able to open her eyes.” I answered. 

“Is everything ready?” I asked, looking at Ryker. He nodded. 

“We’re loading up the last of everything now. I spoke with Alpha Jarret this morning and he is up to speed. Roman has agreed to act as temporary beta and run things until Luna Anna is ready.” He replied and gave me a pointed look, letting me know I still owed her an apology for my behavior 3 days ago, but it had been worth it. The box she had mentioned was still there and had mostly a bunch of junk receipts in it, but also had a set of keys and a deed for property in her name that was off of pack territory. It was on non-claimed human land. I had sent 5 of my men out there and they had found a small shack in the middle of the woods. Inside of it was a hidden door to an underground bunker that had everything we needed. He had kept an actual inventory list of every person he had sold but no record of who he had sold them to. Just how much he had been paid for them and then laundered the money back through transactions from the furniture store. Along with a laptop that once, Forester hacked into, it had ongoing online auctions and also live feeds from cameras in the cells under the packhouse. Unfortunately, because of this, anyone who was logged on during our discovery and after could clearly see that the alpha had been caught, so the auctions were dead and it seemed they had used some kind of online hack to delete all the history of them being logged to the site, at least that was what Forester was assuming. In short, we had enough to convict the alpha and beta but not enough to go after anyone else. Unless the alpha was made to talk. I was just happy to have what I needed to get that son of a b***h. The councilmen and half my soldiers had traveled back with the transport to take the alpha and beta back to the compound to stand trial. I had contacted Alpha Jarret from the Steel Mountain pack and he agreed to oversee the Iron Tooth pack until Luna Anna was ready to lead or another alpha could be found. I had known Jarret for years and trusted him. Roman would be his contact here. 

“Dr. Marshall, are you and your family all set to go?” I asked him. 

“All packed and ready. I don’t think the girls slept a wink last night. They are chomping at the bit to get going!” He laughed softly. I had insisted the doctor and his family come with us. At least to help with her transition and get the doctors in my kingdom up to speed on her condition. He had originally declined because he was the only doctor here, but I sent word to surrounding packs to find temporary replacements and 2 doctors had volunteered to come help out until Dr. Marshall returned. They had arrived yesterday morning along with 3 wolf psychiatrists who I had personally selected to come help the people of this pack. We had taped testimonies from the people who had been victimized by the alpha and beta so that no one else would have to leave. 

“Excellent. I’m going to the pack house to speak to Luna Anna. While I’m gone, get Ariah ready to go and let's meet at the front of the pack house in half an hour.” He nodded and went to work. Ryker followed me outside and we jumped into the waiting car. As we drove the short distance to the pack house I couldn’t help but notice that people were actually out and about. Walking around town with smiles on their faces. It seemed like a black cloud had been lifted from them. When we got to the pack house, Roman was out front with some construction workers going over plans. He greeted us and showed us inside, which was already in the process of having the black walls painted. He informed me that Luna Anna was in the study down the hall. When I walked in, she was sitting reading a book by a window. Her face fell and she bowed her head when she saw me. I walked over to her and gently placed my hand under her chin and pulled her eyes up to mine. 

“I can’t tell you how deeply sorry I am for my actions the other night. That was unbecoming of a gentleman and especially a king, and you have my sincerest apologies.” I looked directly into her green eyes so she knew I meant every word. Her eyes went wide and then began to tear up and her pale cheeks blushed. She is quite beautiful. 

“You have no reason to apologize, your Highness. I needed something to pull me from my pity party. I’m just glad it helped.” She said, sniffling. 

“I do need to apologize. I had no right to put my hands on you. No one has that right ever.” I said. She stood and wrapped her arms around herself, staring out the window. 

“I’ve had worse.” She replied, quietly. 

“That makes no difference, it was still wrong of me.”  I said sternly. She looked back at me with a sad smile. 

“Thank you for your apology and it is forgiven.” She said as a few tears slipped from her eyes that she quickly brushed away. I’m guessing from her reaction, her husband had never apologized for anything he had ever done and it was unlikely he would. I reached out and touched her shoulder reassuringly.

“Is the girl your mate, is she ok?” She asked with genuine concern. 

“Her name is Ariah and she’s doing ok.” I said with a smile.

“I’m glad. The councilmen said that I wouldn’t need to attend the trial if I didn’t want to since they had my recorded testimony.” She looked up at me and I could see the conflict in her eyes. 

“That is correct. You do not have to attend but you are more than welcome if you feel you need to. It is entirely at your discretion.” I informed her. 

“I don’t know what to think or how to feel about anything right now.” She said, sadly. 

“Right now, your main focus is healing. You have been through quite a lot and your mental and physical health are of the utmost importance. We have Roman and Alpha Jarret sorting through the day to day so that you and Beta Amilia can take all the time you need.” I took her small hands into mine and looked directly into her eyes.

“You are a strong woman and I believe that once your head is clear, you will be an amazing Luna and lead your pack to a brighter future.” I told her. Her eyes teared again and she stifled a sob. Then, before I realized it, she had wrapped her slender arms around my torso and silently cried. I stroked her hair and rested my hand on her slender shoulder. It always amazed me how small everyone was compared to me. 

“Thank you, your Majesty, for everything.” She whispered. I gently pushed her back and again raised her eyes to mine.

“You are most welcome and are also welcome to the kingdom anytime you like, for any reason. Farewell Luna Anna.” I placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand and walked away. I had an intuition that she would be just fine.