Blood Type R

Chapter 7

The sun was now sitting at midday. Warm weather greeted them, her thin dress comfortable and covering her cotton undergarments.

The cotton band of her bra brushed the still healing would, but she couldn't go without the support. Her new aid could smell the laceration before Cora even revealed it. That meant that Ludovic probably could too. Cora wondered what he thought of that, and why he said nothing from before. Although that felt so far away at this point.

An entire week had passed since Ludovic visited.

He at least held up the end of his bargain.

Cora was walking behind her new aid, Wilhemina Trita. She went by Mina. She was given to Cora in place of Gally to help ease the transition, as the Trita clan was known to be more accommodating for humans.

She learned that the Ashmore's mostly worked with the elite.

Cora had just met Mina this morning, after spending an uncompromising week with the Ashmores while her back barely healed. She wasn't told much other than that Mina was to take Cora on trips to Kalfa, to teach her Swedish, and to allow her to roam the territory when deemed necessary.

Mina was now leading Cora to a hot spring that existed on the outskirts of the compound. The entire Reiger pack territory was immensely large, homes of betas strewn throughout the borders to ensure that someone of authority was always close by. The Ashmores lived close to the Reigers, along with the Frays. There were twenty-three beta families for Reiger.

Cora was eager for the hot spring, catching herself smiling as they walked along the cobblestone.

She already felt like her family was a lifetime away. But when she took the time to picture them in her mind, they would come to life in her heart, living in memories of a world that only she knew. Like a language that no one else could speak.

Except for Ben. He could still speak it.

Reminders of him weighed on her conscience, and at times it proved difficult for her to truly focus on her new duty here. My duty. Two weeks ago, her duty was to help take care of their small farm and assist in running the home. Now, it was to relinquish her humanity for the curse of the moon and to forge a relationship with an alpha.

And to save her baby brother.

She came to the conclusion that she desperately needed to focus on her happiness and strength, if she wanted to help her sibling.

Although she wondered if she'd ever truly find happiness here, even after she found a way to set Ben free.

A hot spring was just the right kind of surprise fun to inspire happiness. She loved hot baths, a luxury back in Kamas. She had never been to a hot spring and didn't even know what it was until Mina explained it.

"Also, I didn't mention it, but I guess I can go ahead and do it now. We are going to take you today to the priestess to start your transition process," Mina said. She shook her head gently to move the black dreadlocks with golden decorations out of her face.

"I don't become a lycan today do I?" Cora asked with bated breath.

"No, but it takes a few weeks, sometimes months, to prepare you. They want to start it now."

Cora was silent for a moment, picturing the witches. They were the closest that she ever got to anything 'holy'. She wondered what a priestess looked like here. "Will it hurt?"

Mina laughed with a crooked smile and it was comforting. She seemed genuine, which came as a necessary relief. "No. I saw it once when I was a pup, and you just drink some liquid they give you."

"You've seen it once?"

"We don't usually turn humans to lycans anymore."

"That's right, something about it not being as effective," Cora said under her breath with an offhand wave of her wrist, remembering the driver in the truck.

God, that seems like forever ago. Everything does.

"Not when our wombs can make better ones."

They continued to walk and Cora enjoyed the nature. She could finally move without her skin feeling like it would rip open, although it had far to go, the flesh still fiery and pink. The sound of leaves blowing in the background soothed her, the warm air wrapped around her skin like an embrace from the Earth.

She could see why anyone would think that mother nature was alive while living out here.

"So how are you settling in?" Mina asked.

"It's still pretty awful there, but better than before. I am now allowed to cook for myself and can make food lists that a gamma goes to get for me."

"You cook a lot?" Mina asked.

"Oh yes. I have...well, had, four siblings to take care of in Kamas," she said with a vicious emptiness in her chest, looking down and away to the manicured gray stone path beneath them. She wanted to sneak some food to Ben, but didn't know where Oren was keeping him. One of her top priorities was to uncover that mystery.

Mina was quiet before saying with a soft tone, "I am sorry you have to go through such a quick transition. That must be awful."

"Do you mean that or is just a courtesy that you owe me?" Cora asked bitterly, looking around before moving her suspicious eyes to Mina.

"No, I mean it. I like humans," Mina said, her dark brown eyes earnest.

"You do?" Cora asked with skepticism.

"They love to eat but get fat easily. They're fun to watch, especially when they are drunk. They are very sensitive though. I can only imagine how upset you are to be away from your family."

"You're oddly understanding."

"And the Ashmores are known for their insensible demeanor."

"Huh. Well, that's good to know. Can I come live in your attic then?" Cora asked with a chuckle.

Mina laughed, and Cora returned the mood, an honest laughter stealing her heart as it felt good to laugh. Mina's voice quieted again as her own duty returned to her. "No. No, the Ashmores have officially represented you, which means you stay there until Ludovic says otherwise."

Cora remained silent, but a ghost of a smile endured on her face as she enjoyed the walk. Cora eventually squinted to see what was ahead, as it looked like the trail lead to another location.

"That's the Reiger Commons, up ahead. We're not going there, though. There's a little path right over here. You'll see it in a few feet."

Mina was correct, and they took a less traveled dirt path, the tall trees like watchful statues. After twenty minutes or so, without any real evolution, it turned to rocks and a hot spring was revealed. It was in the side of the mountain, overlooking the beautiful valley below. Puffy clouds hung behind the peaks in the distance that were so far away they were almost blue in color.

"This is stunning," Cora said gently to no one. "Why is it empty? There's no one here." She looked to Mina after examining the pools of steaming water that could comfortable fit thirty people, a few smaller ones that could expand that number even further.

"Ludovic doesn't usually let any of us in here."

"I got permission?" She felt special for a moment, although Mina's response quelled that.

"No, he's out of the compound today. He won't be back until tomorrow. I usually don't risk using it without his permission, but I think your back could use it. He knows we all sneak the hot spring when he is gone, just as long as we aren't here when he gets here."

"It will help?"

"It's blessed water, from the priestesses. Pain reliever and wound healer."

"Why does he keep this to himself, then?" she asked, thinking that very selfish.

"He likes his privacy, and he likes to visit this. He has gotten into a lot of fights, and still does, being alpha and all. Kings of humanity like to sit on their throne, whereas alphas do more than that. It's easy for us to get into fights, as we are often hot-blooded. He is no exception," Mina began, her tone switching to a professional one of instruction. "So, he often visits, liking the way the water eases his body. The next hot spring is fifteen miles north. Sava, a lycan here, once told me that this is his thinking place; he likes the view of the mountain side."

"Well, count me in. This looks amazing."

Mina told her to take off her clothes, to which Cora did with little thought. She was slowly getting used to nudity in front of females, this being the fourth time in a week that she's had to strip. She gently walked over the warm stone, slowly sitting down and wincing when the skin on her back stretched. Her agonized faced turned to bliss as she slowly exhaled when her legs got in the water. The rocks were smooth on the inside. She slowly slid the rest of the way in, briefly understanding why Ludovic would greedily reserve this, moving about it like a duck on a pond.

"Well, I can honestly see why he keeps this to himself."

"You get those perks as an alpha."

"Thanks for bringing me here," Cora said, her eyes beaming to Mina. She did feel an immediate sense of ease with her pain, and the warm water was pure relaxation.

"I'd like to develop a good relationship. I like making friends."

"How many lycans like to do that with humans?" Cora waded her hands in the water with her toes on the ground. She dipped down to her chin as her long dark brown hair floated around her as the perfectly warmed water held her afloat.

"Not many. My clan is mostly the one that will. We are not very big."

"Well, thank god for your friendly family," she said and made her way back to the edge where she got in, putting her back against the wall.

"Thank goddess. You won't want to get caught with that."

"Mhmm," Cora said and melted into the water, her back numb for the first time in days.

"I will be right back. I am going to get some vina vine."

"What?" Cora asked, cracking one eye open to take in the light of day.

"It's good for pain. It grows right around here, and is hard to find if you don't know a spot for it. Lycans can chew on it, but it's bad for humans to do so. I can get some for tea later though. You can have it's roots steeped."

Cora was silent at first, furrowing her brows at the genuine gesture. "That's...that's really thoughtful of you."

"Just don't forget me when you're Luna," Mina said, and Cora could hear her voice getting further away.

Cora's mind was lost to the time as she hovered in the water with her eyes closed, enjoying the sounds of nature in the background while her body floated as if she had no joints. Well, if being a Luna gets me this perk...I mean, that's not so bad. She halted her mind. She didn't like being warm to such an idea. Not yet.

She then heard the shuffling of feet on dirt behind her and asked, "So, when are they going to officially turn me into a lycan? Not just the ceremony thing done today?"

"You have disappointingly dull senses," said a croaky male voice. She jumped so fast that she fell into the water, head going under, sprawling up to furthered disorientation with her hair now in her eyes. She worked quickly to remove the dark strands and faced the men that were behind her.

There were two men standing there. One was at least in his forties with pale skin, a chest tattoo, and brown hair pulled back into a pony.

The other one was Ludovic.