The Real Us (A world of werewolves series)

Chapter 5: Curiosity killed the wolf

Jason had left by the time I was ready. I decided to go have a look at that creepy torture room again. I admit I have a morbid curiosity, but who doesn’t?

I was halfway up the staircase when I heard someone, a man screaming from that room, my heart froze with terror. I could tell by his strangled cry, he was in a tremendous amount of pain.

Even though I was terrified, I decided I had to look. I felt like a naughty child spying on her parents past bedtime. This was way more terrifying as I crept over to the door and stood on my tip toes to look into the small window that was in the middle of the door.

Peering in, I noticed there were no windows in the rest of the room. There was a metal chair that the man was tied to, and he was covered head to toe in blood. He looked about forty with mousy brown hair and very big muscles, he was obviously another werewolf. I couldn’t tell what colour his eyes were because they were closed and swollen.

Suddenly I saw Jason appear in front of him in a white t-shirt that was completely drenched in blood, holding something I couldn’t see. The man wasn’t moving and wasn’t wearing anything.

When I looked at him fully, I gasped and had to hold in my scream. Every one of his fingers were missing from both hands, where blood was both thickly flowing and spurting like some chocolate fountain.

His whole body was covered in black and purple bruises, cuts, massive gash wounds where blood continued to flow freely down his body and then gush like a desperate river wanting escape with every slight movement he made, and I just knew there was worse to come because the man suddenly started screaming insults.

Effing and blinding at Jason like there was no tomorrow, which in his case was probably true. Jason had more wolf than human inside him, Jane had told me. What he did next certainly proved her words true, he was cold and calculated about the whole thing, he didn’t enjoy it but he also wasn’t the least bit bothered.

I ran back down the stairs after two minutes of Jason doing things that would haunt me for a very long time, and went to find Jane. I really needed to share what I had witnessed with someone.

After breathlessly repeating everything I had seen to Jane, she recoiled in horror, "My God Josie what on earth did you go and look for?"

"I don’t know. I just couldn’t walk away without seeing what the screaming was about," I replied stupidly.

"Blaze and Jason caught one of the wolves who were trying to break in this morning, and Jason’s gone to see what information he could get out of him. Josie, I can’t believe you witnessed that, none of us has ever seen what he actually does unless it’s us his doing it to. Thank God we haven’t after what you’ve told me. I think I’m going to have nightmares tonight just from hearing it. Don’t you dare do that again, ok?"

Later that night, I was lying on my side on the living room floor talking to Jane about anything and everything to get my mind off earlier. I was still shaking slightly. Jason was indeed a very dangerous wolf.

"I say we should watch a comedy tonight like rush hour or something. What do you think?" I asked Jane, but she was looking behind me smiling dreamily and didn’t reply.

I felt someone lay down behind me and rest their hand lightly on my hip. I spun my head around in surprise and was even more surprised when I saw it was Jason, the cold-hearted scary, but very sexy werewolf.

"Hey ladies, what are you up to laying down here?" He asked with that gorgeous deep voice.

He rested his chin on my shoulder, which resulted in his cheek pressed up against mine. Well, needless to say, my fear evaporated and turned into desire.

I breathed in his warm, musky scent enjoying it as I joyfully and lustfully basked in his warmth and the strength of his masculinity. Imagining how it would feel to always have him near me like this and having him as my mate.

I instantly blushed when I realised he’d be able to smell my hot desire for him, and tried with all my might to bring myself out of it and back to reality.

"Well, I’m off to see Michael, so he can treat me to a gorgeous dinner and maybe more if his good," Jane beamed and jumped up before I could give her the death stare. She knew how I felt about Jason and had purposely left us alone.

"Why are you talking to me anyway?" I asked, not meaning to sound snappy. "I thought you didn’t like anyone except Blaze?"

"I wanted to check you were ok after seeing me earlier. Is that what they say? I do care about my pack. I just don’t like the females throwing themselves at me if I so much as say hello to them, but I figured you’re not like that. Am I right?" he answered with a grin, the first I’d seen from him. It instantly made him look boyish and full of youthful charm. I almost drooled onto the carpet...almost.

I wasn’t going to enlighten him on how wrong he was any time soon.

"How did you know I saw you?" I asked, ignoring his question and suddenly panicking at the thought he might punish me for spying. I had images of myself with missing fingers and toes.

"Calm down," he laughed, patting my head.

"I could smell your scent when I came out of the room. You could only have been there ten minutes before I finished. You really shouldn’t have been watching, but you’re new, so I’ll let you off this time." He laughed seeing me go pale if that was even possible for my dark skin, but I saw the real warning in his wolf eyes before looking away.

We didn’t watch a film in the end, but headed to bed and started chatting of all things.

"So, what are we going to do about the other pack?" I asked him as he lay back on the bed, arms behind his head and looking up at the ceiling.

"Don’t worry, little wolf, you’re safe with me," he grinned.

I blushed terribly, realising he knew I had a crush on him and was surprised he hadn’t kept up the hostility towards me for it like he did with the other females. Perhaps he just felt bad about me seeing the earlier events.

"Anyway, Blaze has sent some of our wolves out to get more information. Until then, we will just have to wait and see," he replied.

I sat on the edge of the bed opposite him and couldn’t help but keep asking the questions that were burning in my mind, especially while he was in a seemingly good mood. "So what’s it like having more wolf inside you?"

He lifted his head to look at me with raised eyebrows before laying back down and answering, “I love it, it feels natural, but sometimes I get confused with how the rest of you think. Like the fact that some of the wolves prefer to spend nearly all their time in human form, or how you can think the human form is more beautiful than the wolf’s. It also makes me extremely protective of everyone and definitely gives me a bad temper over the human things I just can’t understand or if I have to interact with them. I have been trying this last year with Blaze’s help. I know you felt bad seeing me hurt that werewolf, because it’s natural for a human to feel that way, but for me I felt nothing, just a strong urge to protect my pack. That man meant nothing to me and I didn’t care whether he hurt or not. All I knew was that I was protecting my wolves," he replied.

Turning to look at me, Jason asked, "So how come you accepted being a werewolf so easily? Usually, the new wolves don’t want to believe it and end up a danger to themselves and others when they don’t stay with a pack, but you seem to accept it so easily. Why is that?" he asked curiously.

He sat up on the bed with his legs crossed facing me, his face suddenly intense and interested.

With his gaze intently watching me, I tried to steady the crazy beating of my heart that threatened to make me faint any moment with nerves, and tried to ignore my suddenly hot face and flushes as I managed to answer without stuttering, "Well I guess it’s because I love wolves. I’ve always preferred animals to humans, oddly enough, and I used to daydream all the time that I was a werewolf or something equally cool. Sounds silly, but I suppose it let me escape from reality for a while and now that it’s real I couldn’t be happier, although sometimes I still wake up wondering if it’s all just a dream," I replied, smiling shyly.

I had never told anyone that before in case they thought I was a nut job, but I had a feeling he would understand.

"It’s not odd of you to prefer animals. I think a lot of people do. After all, you can tell your pet all your darkest fears, and they still love you, they never judge you no matter what. I suppose it’s why I feel like I can talk to you more than the rest of the pack. You remind me of Blaze in a way. He loves his wolves too, and I just naturally feel closer to people who embrace their wolf I guess."

He took off his grey t-shirt and his jeans, leaving on his white boxers and socks and got underneath the covers without the slightest bit of embarrassment. I looked at the clock on the bedside table and realised it was half ten.

I made my way into the shower room, picking up my night clothes and got changed. I wasn’t as confident as him.

Climbing in next to him, I pulled the covers over me and turned off the lamp, putting us in darkness.

Jason nudged over to me so that our sides were touching, and I suddenly got butterflies in my tummy. "What you doing?" I whispered.

"Nothing," he laughed. "I just want to be closer to you. I can move back over if you want?" he asked.

I realised this was my best shot at being closer to him than anyone had ever managed before, and I certainly didn’t want to ruin my chance, even if it was just his wolf wanting to snuggle with a pack member because that's most certainly all it was for him, and he'd probably have done the same thing if it had been blaze lying here instead of me. I rolled over so that I was facing away from him and pulled his arm around my waist to snuggle in against him, breathing in his lovely scent and drifting off to sleep a very happy wolf, albeit slightly frustrated.