Whispers

Chapter eighteen

"Where did you go last night?" Bane asked, sitting down in front of me. I did my best to swallow the food that was in my mouth before answering him. 

"Couldn't sleep last night. Decided to get up and go for a run before class." I shoveled more food into my mouth, starving. I didn't realize how hungry I was before I went to bed. It dawned on me when Jason came to wake me up that I hadn't eaten lunch after running and working out. 

"You went for a run at 3 AM in the morning, after just being attacked by a red eyed werewolf, alone?" I rolled my eyes at Bane, "Are you crazy?! You could have been hurt, or worse!" I swallowed and took a swig of water from my water bottle. 

"Bane, it's fine. I can defend myself," I look over to see Jason plopping down beside me to eat his food. I went to smile at him, but he avoided my eyes. I looked back to Bane, confused and slightly hurt.

"We know you can defend yourself, Gill, but you should really tell someone before you just take off on your own. Kitty isn't sure how that thing got through the barrier; God only knows what else can get through if that thing did," Bane shoveled some food into his mouth, clearing half his plate in a matter of seconds. 

"Yeah, next time I'll make sure to wake someone up at 3 AM to tell them I'm going to run." I drank some more of my water, and tried to ignore the fact that my hair was standing on end with Jason next to me. I rubbed my hand down my arm, trying to get the sensation to go away, when Jason looked over at me. 

"I would rather you wake one of us up at 3 AM than find you dead somewhere." Jason's eyes on mine stopped me in my tracks. His gaze was intense. I swallowed, feeling a blush come to my cheeks. I broke eye contact, hoping he wouldn't see the redness in my face. I drank more water and tried not to think about it. "Training is important, but your safety is most important," Jason turned his attention back to his food. 

"Speaking of training," Angel plopped down in front of me with his plate and a newspaper, "Guess who's getting a training instructor next week." The guys look at Angel, who smiled at me. I stabbed some more of my food and put it in my mouth, waiting for Angel to answer. I swallowed and sighed when no one answered.

"I assume I'm getting the training instructor since I'm the only one without one right now," I shrugged and pushed my empty plate away from me. Jason looked at me, sending a wave of heat through my body. 

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Yep. Just heard Dom on the phone, and then overheard Kitty and him talking about it more. They both seem excited." Angel shrugged and opened up his paper, looking away from me. I leaned my head down on the table, not sure how I felt about having a different training instructor. I really only trust Jason with my training, and training without him would feeling weird. I looked over at Jason as he took another bite of his food. He looked at me and smiled, reading my worry on my face. He swallowed and cleared his throat.

"I'm sure whoever they got is great. After all the Council is assigning them to you, so they aren't going to hire just some random person they found. They're going to hire someone who's already a known Bender with complete control over their abilities," I swallowed the lump in my throat, still feeling nervous, "Besides, just because you're going to have a different instructor doesn't mean we won't see each other," Jason took another bite of his food and chewed slowly.

"You're right. And it doesn't mean that we can't train together at all. We could still do extra training if we wanted outside of normal training," I said, picking at my fingernail. Jason swallowed and nodded.

"That's true. I guess we will see." He said, looking away from me and down at his plate. Something was still off about him, but I couldn't pinpoint it. I tried to shrug it off as I watched Dom come up to our table. Angel looked at me and raised his eyebrows, sensing my anxiety. I shook my head at him and smiled. I was going to be okay, no matter what Dom had to say.

"Hey, Gill, can I talk to you for a second?" I nod and get up to leave. I wave at Bane and Angel, who wave back, and look at Jason, who was still refusing to make eye contact with me. I sighed, feeling defeated. What the hell was wrong with him?  

I follow Dom into a room, which I assumed was his office. His desk was covered in papers, all in neat separate piles. I sat down in front of him as he went to the other side of the desk and sat down. He was sorting through some papers when he finally looked up at me and smiled.

"Sorry that I had to pull you aside, but I wanted to talk to you about a few things." Dom went behind his desk and fumbled with some papers. A couple of them had the Council's crest on them, which makes sense because this entire pack wouldn't be possible without the Council. 

"What's up?" I asked with a sigh. I lean back in the seat and look around the room as Dom talked.  

"The Council has asked one of our old members to come back and train you. He's accepted the position, and is on his way back from California. His name is William Turb, but he goes by Will. He will be here sometime next week," Dom folded his hands on the desk and smiled at me, satisfied. 

"Okay, cool. Out of curiosity, why did he leave?" I asked, fidgeting in my seat.  

"The Council offered his a job looking for other mutants across the country. He was working in California setting up another pack like ours. The Council was able to get a hold of him not long after our meeting. He's a brilliant person, and a powerful Bender. I'm sure you two will get along well," 

Sure I will. I smiled at Dom and nodded, waiting for Dom to dismiss me.

"Second thing," Dom got up and came around the desk. He sat against the edge and looked at me from where I sat. I froze, flashing back to the last time I was in someone's office. The image of the yellow eyed thing that attacked me back at my old pack felt like it happened years ago, but the panic felt fresh and new. I took a deep breath, stood up, and backed away slightly to give Dom and I some space. "Is there anything you're not telling me?" 

I shook my head, "What do you mean?" I was sure that I had told him everything that he needed to know. Dom sighed, realizing he hadn't given me enough information. 

"What about the guy that we have locked up down stairs? Anything ringing a bell?" I swallowed.

"That night I had the panic attack from the nightmare, I dreamed that a black wolf was chasing me, and then it bit me. The wolf from my dream was the one that we have in the infirmary." I pushed some of my hair back, realizing that I should have told him about what I had dreamed when it happened.

Dom sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, "Gill, it's okay. I wouldn't ask if I hadn't already made a connection. I mean, it happened the night before the wolf attacked. Is there anything else?" I swallowed again. 

"Yeah, there is actually. At my last pack, I was attacked by a thing with Yellow eyes. It had disguised itself as my school principal. He said I was the best thing he ever created, and that I didn't know him now, but I would. Then I was attacked by the shapeshifter when I ran away. It said it would have killed me, but its Master wanted me. Then the wolf comes and attacks and says that it's Master wants me," I said, holding my breath. I looked at Dom, who's eyes was blanketed in concern. Dom took a deep breath and rubbed his face. 

"Okay. Does the Council know about this?" I shook my head at him, realizing I should have told them at the last meeting. Dom looked at me for a second, as if trying to figure out what to do. "Okay, I'll let them know. I don't know what we can do, but maybe they will have an idea. Until then, be careful. Don't go off on your own. If you do, make sure someone knows where to find you, and how long you'll be gone. That way, we will know where to look for you Goddess forbid something happens." I swallowed my panic and nodded. 

"Is that everything?" I asked, my voice small, fearing the worst. I didn't know who this Master was, why he created me, or why he wants me. Again, I was left with my questions than answers. I sighed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. 

"That's everything Gill. Don't stress about this until we figure out what's going on, alright?" I nodded, and made my way to the door of Dom's office. When I was back out on the hallway, I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. I leaned against the wall, and decided that going to my room and getting in bed sounded great. I made my way to my room and locked the door so I wouldn't be disturbed. Bane wouldn't come back for a little while. I flopped down on my bed and hugged my pillow close to me, closing my eyes.

I didn't realize I passed out until I heard someone jiggling the door handle. I popped up quickly and went for the door, still half asleep, and unlocked it. Bane came crashing through the door with Angel close behind him.

"Were you sleeping?" Bane asked, walking to his closet. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and nodded. "Why did you lock the door?" I shrugged and sat back down on my bed, feeling drained. Angel came and sat next to me watching Bane walk around the room, looking for something. 

"What are you looking for?" I asked, my voice still thick with exhaustion. Bane continued to bustle around the room.

"Kitty asked Jason, Angel and I to go to Walmart for supplies. Mostly food and hygiene products. I'm trying to find my wallet so I can drive, but I've lost it." Bane couched down and dug under his bed. "Found it, you ready? You wanna come Gill?" I shrugged at Bane, and slid on my shoes. I could sleep or I could get out of the house and try to get rid of the rest of the nervousness I was experiencing. Bane smiled at me, and we left together to find Jason

The pack has two large SUV type vehicles that are used for pack business and for store runs. Jason and I took one car, with Jason behind the wheel, while Bane and Angel took the other. We made it to Walmart, grabbed two carts and started shopping. We were there for a couple hours, making sure we had everything. We then paid and made our way back to the cars. Overall, it was a boring experience, and I wished I didn't go shortly after I got into the car.

"Do we need anything else," I said, slightly laughing. Both the cars were filled with everything from meat to soap. 

"I'm kind of hoping this is going to be enough." Angel said, putting in the last bag in the back of the second car. I went to close the trunk to find Jason already closing it. Our hands touched for half a second, sending a shock through me. I pulled my hand away quickly, and turned from him, hoping he didn't feel what I just felt.

"It'll be enough for a little while. If not, Kitty will just send us out again," Jason said with a sigh. Angel looked from me, to his brother, then back to me with a weird look. I shrugged and went to get into the car. Bane, Angel and Jason stayed outside for a moment to talk before Jason got into the drivers seat. He looked at me, but quickly looked away, and started the car. We left the parking lot, Bane and Angel behind us, when Jason got a call. 

"Hello? Hey, Kit. Yeah, we'll be home soon. How did it go?" He paused, his face lighting up, "That's great, Kitty. I'm happy for you. Yeah, I'll see you when we get back. Yep, okay. Bye." Jason hung up a smile still on his face.

"What's great?" I asked, trying to get rid of the awkward silence that had developed between us. Jason looked at me, becoming tense, before answering.

"Their appointment went good." Jason sighed, and turned on the radio. I stared at him for a second and then turned my attention back to the road, allowing the white noise of the radio consume the empty space. We rode like that for a little while until Jason cleared his throat.

"How did your meeting with Dom go?" He asked, trying to sound relaxed. I laughed to myself and shook my head.

"Good. Told me the Council hired someone named Will to come back and train me," I felt Jason's eyes on me, making my body heat up. I looked over to him as he quickly averted his gaze back to the road. I swallowed, feeling weird.

"Yeah. Famous Will. Coming back to teach all he knows to someone who's probably more powerful than him," I heard Jason whisper, sounding hostile. I looked at him with a questioning look.

"Angry much?" I asked, sounding more defensive than I meant to. Jason scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Nope. Not angry at all. I can't wait for Will to be back," I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Jason's jaw clenched and unclenched as we got closer and closer to home. "I'm sure he will be a good instructor for you, Gill." I rolled my eyes, finally having enough. 

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you?" I asked, turning my body to face him. Jason looked at him, surprise covering his face. I looked at him, waiting. 

"What do you mean?" He asked, giving me a nervous laugh. I sighed and shook my head. 

"You've been off since I saw you in the hallway before I took a nap. You were off at dinner. You've been off the entire day. You've barely talked to me since I got up for dinner, and you won't even look at me without giving me without being weird. So, I'll ask again, what the hell is wrong with you?" I shoved his shoulder lightly, feeling a slight shock go through me again. Jason flinched away from my touch and sighed. I turned my body forward again as the silence consumed us. The radio played quietly, not able to take away the awkwardness between us.

Jason sighed and leaned back in the seat, both hands on the wheel and stared out the windshield. Rain had started to softly hit against the glass as we drove. 

"What's up?" I asked, still waiting for him to say anything. "If I did something, please, let me know, Jason. I know we aren't that close, but you're the closest thing I have to a best friend here. I don't want you to hid stuff from me because you're afraid of hurting my feelings." I turned my head and started out the window as the rain fell down harder. Jason sighed again next to me, and turned on his wipers.

"You didn't do anything, Gill. I'm just having a rough week. Someone close to me died around this time last year, and I'm having trouble dealing with it still." I looked at him, suddenly worried about Jason. I felt my wolf whine, feeling the same amount of worry as I was. 

"Jason, you can talk to me. You know that right?" I whispered, hoping he could sense just how concerned I was. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched Jason smile slightly, then go back to tense and emotionless.

"I don't want to talk about it if I don't have to. Thanks though." Jason leaned up and continued to stare out of the windshield. I turned back to the window, the rest of the ride silent. After about five minutes of sitting in silence we arrived at the drop off site where Kitty, Dom and some other people were waiting for us. We walked back through the barrier and to the house, allowing the others to take all the groceries into the house so they could be put away. 

When we got into the house, Bane and Angel said that they were going to bed. Both said they were worn out from the day and said good night. Jason and I stood next to each other and stared after them, not saying a word to each other. I shifted, uncomfortable standing this close to Jason. I went to move away and go to my room behind Bane, when Jason talked.

"You going to bed too?" I turned and shrugged. I was drained from training and I could feel a headache coming on.  

"I was thinking about it. Why?" I rubbed my eyes and my face, trying to make my headache go away. 

"I was just curious. I was going to go back to my room and lay down. I was wondering if you were going to do anything." He mumbled and looked down at his feet. I watched as he shuffled for a minute before I responded.

"Oh, like run off and go run ten miles and then work out alone because I couldn't sleep?" I said trying to ease some of the tension between us.

"You ran ten miles this morning?" I nodded at Jason, who just nodded at me like he was impressed. I felt myself blush and looked away. "That's pretty impressive seeing as you can't run five miles with me without complaining." I pushed Jason playfully, being the person I had come to know.

"That's because you go to fast. I keep a steady pace and get to the end alive." I laughed slightly, happy to see Jason kidding around. 

"Yeah well, I'm just a better runner." He walked passed me, smiling. I followed him down the hall, assuming he was walking me to my room.

"No, there's a difference. I'm the better runner because I pace myself. You just run fast to get it done," I poked his arm, ignoring the shock that went down my finger. Jason tried to hide his flinch with a smile and a laugh. I put some space between us. I just got him back to normal, I didn't want him to be weird again. 

"No, I'm the better runner because I run fast but also pace myself. It's not my fault that your pace is slower than mine." I rolled my eyes in response. There was no doubt that Jason was the better runner. He was faster and held a pretty steady pace the entire time. Still, it was nice to joke, even though I was sure he was going to be weird again in a matter of minutes. 

"It's also not my fault that I haven't really had any training and didn't even start running until I came here," I pointed out, staring at the floor as we walked. Suddenly we came to a stop, and by come to a stop I mean I wasn't looking where I was going and Jason somehow stepped in front of me and turned to face me. I ran right into Jason's chest, stumbling backward, almost falling. Jason grabbed my wrist, sending a shockwave up my arm, and pulled me up. The second I was on my feet he let me go. I swallowed and rubbed my wrist.

What the hell was that? 

"You good?" Jason asked, his voice thick with an emotion I couldn't place. I met his eyes and nodded, knowing for sure that he felt what I just felt. There was no way he could have missed it. Jason backed up away from me, still looking into my eyes. I sighed and broke eye contact. Something told me that we weren't going to talk about what just happened.

"I'm good. Thanks." I continued to rub my wrist and yawned. Jason nodded, the air between us getting more awkward. We were back to the way we were in the car; Not talking and super weird. 

"Good. And by the way, you're right, it isn't your fault that you haven't had any training. I've been training for the majority of my life. You've been training for, what, three days? Four days?" Jason said, clearing his throat. I smiled slightly. He was trying to make it less awkward, but it wasn't working. I felt my face heat up under Jason's gaze.

"Yeah. But it's whatever. I'll deal." I smiled, my cheeks slightly flushed. "I think I'm going to go to sleep. I'm tired, and I have class in the morning," I said, breathless. It was like I forgot how to breathe for a second. I walked passed Jason, leaving him in the middle of the hallway. 

"Can I ask you a question?" I stopped and turned towards him, feeling sad. I swallowed, not liking the look his face.

"Sure. What's up?" I asked, still breathless. Jason turned all the way around, and looked at me, his face showing the sadness I felt. He didn't make any attempt to walk towards me, to close the space, he just stayed where he was and stuff his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 

"Have you ever had a dream with me in it?" I thought about it, and shook my head. Only time I had a dream with him in it, that I could remember, was when he attempted to fix my mind link. 

"No? I remember the time you found out my link was blocked, but that's the only time I can really remember." Jason stared at me, an array of emotions cycling through on his face. Finally, he settled for a set emotionless face, and started to walk passed me. "Why?" I asked, staring after him as he walked away. Jason turned and walked backwards, his face still emotionless, but also looking hurt.

"Just curious," I heard him barely say. He then turned on his heel and continued down the hall, to his room. I stood there in the hallway, feeling alone and dejected. Why did I feel like Jason just shut me out? I walked a little further down the hallway and went into my room, still not shaking the feeling of rejection. When I got inside, Bane was passed out, on top of the blankets, with his shoes still on. I took off his shoes for him and nudged him under the blankets so he wouldn't get cold. When he was finally under the covers, I slipped into a pair of shorts and got into my own bed. 

In my half asleep, half awake state, I decided I was going to try something. Jason said he had a dream with me in it, so it's possible he accessed my dreams and I just don't remember it. I tried reaching out to Jason, but it was no use. Nothing went through, so I gave up, and started to dream my own dream.

I was running, from what I wasn't really sure. I was outside, in the woods, and I was in wolf form. I kept running, mostly because I couldn't find a good reason to stop. Sometimes I had dreams like this; It was a way for my wolf to run without actually making me shift. It also told me that my wolf wanted to get out and run more. I made a mental note to let her take over more just as we came barreling into a clearing. I stopped in my tracks.

In the middle of the clearing was a body. I walked up to it, sniffing the person, a girl, to see if I could identify who this person was. Their scent wasn't familiar, and neither was their face, but this person was dead. How did she get here? Who was she? How did she die? 

I dedicated the image to memory. The girl had hair that was the same shade as mine, her skin had gone cold and pale. Her body was facing right, and her purple eyes stared off into space. 

I looked to the right, trying to see what she was lifelessly staring at. There wasn't anything there, but I knew there had to be something out there. Something had to kill this girl, and that something was in the woods with me. 

I walked slowly to the tree line, being cautious the entire way, scared that either the body was going to get up and attack me, or something was going to jump out at me and try to kill me. My heart was racing, the sound ringing in my ears, and I felt like if it pounded just a little harder it would break through my chest and fall out. Finally, I made it all the way to the tree line and sniffed around, trying to see if I can find something that is important to what has happened here. 

Then I smelled it. Blood. Fresh blood. I looked at the body, which was a good ways behind me, and not remembering the smell of blood. I huffed out a heavy sigh and sniffed again. Maybe I was smelling things?

Nope, it was still there. I turned to the tree line and followed the blood trail, almost certain that I was going to come across another dead body.

I followed the blood trail to a smaller clearing. In the middle of the clearing there was an alter, to what or whom the altar was for, I wasn't sure. On the alter was another body, this time of a guy, and he looked like he had bled out. I looked down, feeling something warm and sticky on my paws. I jumped slightly when I saw a fresh streak of blood leading right to the dead body on the alter. My heart ran to my throat as I stood there, frozen, unable to breathe.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart, which was beating so loud that it could have woke the dead, and tried to figure out what to do. 

My ears pricked with the sound of movement. I crouched down, hoping that the person wouldn't see me. That's when I saw him. Tall, muscular, and looked just like the red eyed wolf that tried to kill  me the other day, except his eyes weren't red yet. They were blue. 

He went to the alter, and opened a book that he carried in his arms. He began to recite something that I couldn't make out. The air around him began to swirl as something started to materialize. I stared, completely mesmerized by what I was watching. He was summoning some sort of entity. 

The entity appeared through the mist, kneeling down. The guy backed away. "Welcome Master," He whispered, falling to his knees. He bowed before this thing as I watched, terrified. "I hope this sacrifice is up to your standards," The guy said, still on the ground. From where I was I could tell that he was shaking--whether it was with excitement or fear, I wasn't sure. I swallowed the sudden terror that ripped through me when the entity looked up and stared in my direction.

It's eyes were bright yellow.

I sat up straight up in my bed, panting and sweaty. I grabbed at my chest, feeling my heart hammering against my ribcage. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, freaked out. 

What did I just see? I rubbed my face, trying to get rid of some of the panic that I was feeling, and looked over at the alarm clock on Bane's side of the room.

It was 4:35 AM. I sighed, knowing that I needed to tell someone about this. That entity was the same thing that attacked me back at my old pack. The red eye wolf summoned it here, I was sure of it. Also, it had to be a time before I came here, because he didn't have red eyes yet. His eyes were bluer than the sky; They were hard to miss. I took in a deep breath, still not able to calm my pounding heart. I had to tell someone. 

I got out of bed and left the room. I wasn't sure where I was going until I got there. I stopped in front of the door and knocked, not sure if they would answer. When they didn't answer the first time, I knocked again, feeling helpless.

I waited in the silence of the hallway, my heart still fluttering in my chest. I knocked again, harder this time. "Please answer, Jason." I whispered to myself, hoping that he just woke up for two seconds to hear me knock on the door. I knocked again, even harder, the feeling of panic surging. Just as I finished knocking, the door flung open to reveal Jason, shirtless, on the other side. I breathed in a sigh of relief, thankful for just half a second before the smell hit me.

"Hey, Gill. You okay?" Jason's voice was thick with sleep. He rubbed his eyes and yawned and I just stared. I stood there, shaking. Jason's room had the remaining scent of someone else; and I just saw that someone else, dead. I swallowed, not sure how to respond. My stomach was in my chest, making me sick. I tried to swallow it down as I watched Jason stare at me. "Earth to Gill? You good?" He waved his hand in front of my face, "You look like a deer caught in headlights. What's up?" He crossed his arms, starting to look concerned. 

I had to say something. Anything right now would do. I cleared my throat, took a shaky breath and shook my head. "I'm good, I think I was sleep walking," I whispered, backing away from Jason. The more I stood there, the more upset I got. Why was the dead girls scent in his room? It was strong, like she spent a lot of time there. I closed my eyes and tried not to listen to my wolf's howls.

"Are you sure? You look kind of distressed." I looked up at him, trying to hold back a sob, when I saw the mark on his shoulder. It looked like a bite mark. The harder I stared, the more I realized that it was a bite mark; One that a mate would give in the last stage of the mating process. 

That girl was his mate. My stomach jumped at the sound of the whisper that rose in the back of my skull. 

"I'm fine," I turned and went back to my room, trying not to run. I could feel Jason staring after me, trying to figure out what just happened himself. 

I got back to my room and pulled out a piece of paper I found on Bane's nightstand. It didn't have anything written on it so I wrote down my dream, feeling the inevitable sobs take over me. I didn't know that Jason already had a mate. It's not like he made me aware of it. I didn't know why I was hurt by this; Jason was never mine to begin with. I have a mate, and I rejected him because I don't want a mate. So why was I so upset about this? 

I finished writing down what I had to write, and sat back down on my bed reading it. Everything I experienced in the dream was on this piece of paper. I swallowed and set it down on the desk, determined to give it to Dom in the morning before class. I laid back down on my bed, and closed me eyes, thankful I was able to fall back asleep for a little while.

When I got up, I dressed quickly, grabbed the paper and ran to Dom's office, hoping that he would be there. I needed to see him before I went to class; This couldn't wait. I ran passed people as they made their way to the computer room to get started on work. I bolted passed Angel, who stared at me as I went by. All I could think about was telling Dom about this dream. My wolf still whined, hurt by the new information about Jason. I tried to comfort her, telling her that I wasn't sure what was going on, that having another mate was close to impossible, and trying to not have a mental break down in the process. 

I reached Dom's office and stood outside the door, the paper crumpled in my hand. I swallowed my fear and sadness and looked down at the paper, my hands shaking. I had to do this. 

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart, and knocked on the door.