The Elemental Huntress

Chapter 8 - Orphans & Nightmares

WILLA POV

It was three hours later; the sun was shining through the curtains.

As my eyes begin to flutter, the first thing I see is the little rays of sunlight dancing on the ceiling. Then I notice a chandelier, and quickly realise I am not at home or the hospital. My mind backtracks to the last thing I remember; seeing a devil with the face of an angel and then I passed out.

Have I been kidnapped? It sure feels like it, although this room is too gorgeous to be held captive in. I look over to the nightstand and notice my phone is there, along with a glass of water. I drink the water, feeling grateful for the hydration.

I look to my left and notice a stunning dressing table. The bed I was in was so much bigger than any bed I had ever slept in before. A look of confusion starts to appear on my face. Where the hell am I? This really isn't the stuff of nightmares. I could see two doors across from me. Please let one of them be a toilet, I thought. I get up from bed and slowly walk over to both the doors, curious to see what was behind them. As I get to the first door on the left, I open it slowly with my free fist clenched. Ready to protect myself against any kind of threat. I didn't have any weapons on me when I passed out, so only my hands to protect myself with.

I peek out of the door and notice an empty hallway. I decided that once I had used the bathroom, I would use the hallway to escape the area of which I was being held.

The next door to my right was indeed a bathroom. As I relieve myself, I began to notice the size of the bathroom. It was huge and stunning, just as beautiful as the room I had woken up in.

I wash up and take a look at myself in the mirror, something seemed different, felt different almost. I hoped it was just a trick of the lighting. I pulled my phone out and noticed it had been about 3 hours since I must have passed out at the hospital. I decided to text Rhydian, surely he knew something was up by now? I asked him how the research was going and waited for a reply.

As I leave the bathroom, I step back into the bedroom. Suddenly someone else is coming through the door to my right! Without thinking, I try to flip him and hold him in a tight body lock but I am overpowered. This was no human, and certainly stronger than any werewolf I had ever fought before.

I began to feel excited at the challenge. I was smiling to myself, thinking about how this was the biggest adventure I'd had in a little while. Suddenly, we were both standing across from one another, panting, face to face. His eyes are on mine, and I am suddenly hit with the most amazing smell in the world.

It was as if the smell of bliss had consumed me. It was so specific and even though it didn’t feel normal, I somehow knew the exact smell; Howood, Geranium and Bergamot with a hint of rose and orange. It was like nothing else I had ever smelt before, and it hit me like a tidal wave.

My throat tightened and I felt a heat wave all over my body. I was somewhat lightheaded. I shook it off and stood my ground. "Not again", I mumbled.

"You don't make things easy now, do you little red?" The handsome beast before me finally spoke, his voice was deep, almost like a growl and yet it was music to my ears. "That wouldn't be much fun now, would it?" I responded back, an eyebrow c****d, my voice sounding like a purr. I didn't change my stance, ready for whatever was about to happen next.

"Ohh this will definitely be fun." His voice was captivating, but the smile he gave as he teased me with his words, was just the thing that sent me over the edge. I could feel my legs begin to scream with pain as I tried my best not to buckle at the knees, just by being in front of this beast of a man. Feeling scared of the reality I was currently in, giving it my all to mask my internal struggle from him.

His eyes then flashed a different colour, a golden colour with even deeper flecks of gold, confirming my earlier thoughts. He was a werewolf, like none I had ever seen before. This turned me on even more, making me feel sweaty as I tried to understand my body’s reaction. I should be repulsed by a werewolf, but this beast in front of me was like every single wet dream I'd ever had, rolled into one walking, talking s*x doll. Except he lived and breathed and probably killed for a living, and I was about to burst just thinking about it!

"Whatever you are thinking right now, STOP!" He growled his words at me with bright golden eyes and it made my heart skip a beat. I was struggling to stay in control. I felt like an animal in heat with one thing on her mind. My reputation of being a vixen is coming back to bite me on the ass. I hear a quiet ping that distracts me from the situation. I realised it must be a response from Rhydian. I quickly look down at my phone and see his response on my screen. "Slow and steady, but I think I found something. I'll pop by the hospital in an hour."

In the seconds it took for me to quickly read Rhydian’s message, the beast had stepped closer. His chest bulging before my eyes as I begin to pay attention once more. I felt drunk, his scent, his voice and eyes, his body so close. He didn't speak as he stood right in front of me, just breathing heavily as if he had just got back from a run. I wanted to touch him, wanted to know what he felt like. Without any hesitation, I put my hand on his chest and then moved my head to listen to his heart. The sound of his beating heart calmed me down, allowed me to regain some concentration and focus. I realised that his breathing also slowed down, that he also seemed calmer, his breaths were now like a soft purr.

We stayed like that for half a minute, and it felt like forever. He grabbed my hand, spun me around and lightly pushed me onto the bed. I was face down and completely vulnerable. I was surprised by the sudden movement and didn't have time to react until I hit the mattress. Seconds later I was rolling off the bed, ready to defend myself. The beast just sat there, on the edge of the bed, laughing at me.

"What is so funny? I'm not sure what you were expecting from me, I would never leave myself so vulnerable, especially not around the likes of you!" I was defending my honour more than anything else as I question him.

"Where am I, and why am I here?" I raised an eyebrow at him, making a point that I was serious. He looked at me, watched my lips moving, my face changing as I spoke, and it infuriated me. Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Is this some kind of sick joke? Some f****d up fantasy you have about werewolf hunters. I'm no damsel in distress waiting for her beast in armour. Now tell me, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

I couldn't help it, all these hormones and chemicals running through my body were riling me up. I needed a release one way or another. More importantly I needed answers, and I needed them fast.

He c****d his eyebrow when I yelled, tilting his head as if I were some kind of alien species speaking an unknown language. I was pissed and this calm and silent behaviour was pissing me off even more.

"I know what you are, and I know the effects you're having on me, so I have another question for you; If I'm not human, what am I?" His eyes flashed gold again and I melted. Every muscle that was tensed in my body from being in fight mode had softened. We looked into each other's eyes and his next words were exactly what I had been dreading.

"Well little red, you are certainly not human. You're a werewolf, a Beta to be exact, and we're mates. You'll be howling at the moon goddess for more once I'm done with you!" Before I could react, his lips were on mine and desperate for a response. His tongue seeking mine, ready to be entwined. As we kissed, I felt something shift in my entire body. I felt hot, and suddenly I was kissing him back, I had never kissed anyone with such passion and conviction. I felt an electric current going through us, binding us deeper. How could such a strong connection come from a simple kiss? Seconds later, I felt a rumble in my throat as I growled "My Mate!", his lips began to smile as we continued kissing. My fingers found themselves entwined in his hair.

He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his solid body. I was wet and didn't care if he knew, I wanted him to touch me everywhere. He broke away from our kiss and looked me in the eye, his gold colour coming forward, which I now understood was his wolf. I saw his eyes go wide "You. Smell. Like. Paradise!" I placed my hands on either side of his face and whispered into his ear "Show me what happens in Paradise." I wanted him, all of him and I wanted him to rip off my clothes, lay me on the bed, spending hours showing me exactly how much he desired me.

He gently laid me down on the bed when my phone started to ring. At first, I didn't recognise what the noise was, feeling irritated at its interruption.

The beast in front of me growled as he stood up and ran his hand through his hair. I snapped back to reality and realised it was Rhydian calling. As I went to answer the phone, it stopped.

"Ok, that's my best friend Rhydian and he's likely wondering where I am. I really need you to start answering some questions now, before we get caught up in our own world again." I was calm but firm, needing him to understand the seriousness of the situation.

He seemed to relax as he sat beside me, on the edge of the bed. "My name is Sloane, and I am the Beta to Alpha Killian of the Blue Midnight pack. You are currently in, what I'd like to call, your own room, in the Blue Midnight packhouse. This is where I am hoping you will stay, moving forward."

The sincerity in his voice took me by surprise. The Blue Midnight pack? f**k!!!

This changed everything. What the hell do I tell Rhydian?

"I suggest you start by telling him the truth!" Shock crossed my face as Sloane answered exactly what I'd been thinking.

"Can you hear my thoughts? I thought that was just some myth amongst werewolf packs.”

"No, I can't, but I can feel your feelings at the moment, with you being in such close proximity to me. It felt like the right thing to say, and honesty is my number one policy all round. As for it being a myth, it depends on the pack. Those who have been around for a long time with no break in the blood that rules tend to be able to have that connection with their pack members."

My mind was blown, I sat there, mouth open, staring at Sloane, feeling like everything I knew was beginning to be a total lie!

"I need to call him back; he will be worried about me. I will probably need to meet him back at the hospital, is it far from here?" I held my breath, hoping I could get out of here. "Tell him to meet you here, there's other stuff going on that you don't know about and it's safer if you stay here for now. He is welcome to come on our packlands, I will clear it with the Alpha." It wasn't exactly the response I was hoping for but also not the one I had truly expected him to give.

He must have noticed my small ounce of confusion at his reaction. "I guess you're wondering why I'm not acting all protective over you, wanting to meet up with another male? I don't need to Willa. I know full well that no one can measure up to me, I am your mate, your wolf and your body already know that I am the only one who can give you what you truly need. I don't need to prove anything." He looked into my eyes as he spoke, and I couldn't look away. I was completely mesmerised by him. And it was only the beginning!

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I rang Rhydian back and organised for him to meet me in the local cafe within the pack lands. It wasn't far from the hospital and as I walked there, I realised the hospital was also technically on pack lands. That explained a lot.

The Cafe was small, with a little engraved wooden sign out front that said, "The Night Wolf". It had windows all around with plants covering as many corners as possible. It made you feel like you were inside of a tropical forest almost, the roof and walls literally made of glass windows. You could see the sun peeking through in the day and the moon shining through at night.

I walked into the Cafe with a smile, curious to see what it would be like to sit down and order, wondering if it was really that different from the human cafes I would usually frequent with Elira at my side.

I eagerly take a seat closer to the back corner. Moments later the waitress is there, ready to take my order, "coffee, black please." She nods and heads to the front to pass on my order.

I am halfway through my coffee when Rhydian finally arrives. I can tell by the look on his face that he is anxious and uncomfortable. I wasn't looking forward to the conversation ahead of me.

"Did you find it ok? Sorry I couldn't get to the hospital." He gave me a small smile before responding. "It was pretty straight forward, sorry for the delay. The doctors at the hospital were updating me, which took a little longer than expected. Never mind though, I'm here now."

"Ok great, what did the doctors say about Elira's condition? Is everything ok with her. Did he mention anything about her glowing?" I was leaning forward a little in my seat, anticipation all over my face, hoping for some good news.

"She will make a full recovery, but the doctor thinks she won't wake up for a few more days. He also said that the reason she was glowing is because her wolf is extremely powerful and is in the process of recovering from the dark magic that was used against her. Once her wolf is healed, she will wake up and need to transform within the first four hours. This is to strengthen her wolf and the bond between herself and her wolf." Rhydian was almost desperate as he said those last words.

"Wow, is this really happening? I mean first her eyes start to glow, her body changes, her behaviour. Why so suddenly, after all this time?

Rhydian just shook his head, frustrated he didn't already have the answers.

We had exhausted the conversation about Elira, discussing the doctors’ theories, what life will start to look like once she wakes up, strategies for notifying her parents and Moonlight tech. Rhydian had told me that his research found evidence of a possible dark Witch that may be able to help us track down who did this to her. It was a tough find; one we were grateful for. I was about to move onto the hard part of our conversation when Sloane walked in, I had to grip the table just to stop myself from jumping him then and there.

Rhydian caught the look on my face and turned to see Sloane walking towards us. He then turned back to face me with a questioning look in his eye. "There's more going on than just Elira. I'm also more than human Rhydian, I think I'm a wolf!" Rhydian's eyes went wide, he sucked in his next breath and didn't speak at first.

Sloane sat down beside me, hearing every word of what I'd said, I was certain. He smiled at me and then frowned as he turned to Rhydian. His nostrils flared as his persona began to change. Rhydian looked at us both, and he looked broken. His eyes were telling me of a deep sadness that I had never seen on him before.

Before I could say anything, Rhydian stood up. "Where do you think you're going?" Came Sloane’s deep growl. Rhydian couldn't look him in the eye as he responded, hushed and soft in his voice, "I have to get back to the villa, more research must be done on Elira and what now also looks like yourself." He looked at me, with sadness still in his eyes. Not actually commenting on what he thought of my current situation. And for the first time since I'd met him, I could not read him at all, and that scared me.

"Tell her, or I will!" Sloane was standing now, looking at Rhydian menacingly, trying not to make a scene. "I don't know what you're talking about." Rhydian’s response made Sloane chuckle. "You aren't fooling me wolf, now tell her the truth!" Sloane didn't back down. I am confused about their exchange and try to decipher what it could possibly mean. Rhydian and I had been best friends my whole life. What secret could he possibly hold? Rhydian was still silent, afraid to speak his truth.

"I know a wolf when I see one!" My eyes widened as my brain caught up to what Sloane had just said. How was this possible? Rhydian is also a werewolf? All three of us? How is this true? Did he know? I had so many questions racing through my head, most would go unanswered for now. I burst out laughing, unsure of how else to react. I couldn't handle this new reality, laughing was all I could do in this moment.