The Runaway Luna's Daughter

Burn It Out

Jenine's POV

I didn't know how to feel. I was under the protection of the Alpha. In his house. The way his eyes bore down on me sent chills down my spine. He had tried to ask questions about what happened and how Laura got so badly injured but I'd been too shaken to speak. The only thing that brought me succor was that Laura was having the best medical attention anyone could get. At least that's what I thought.

“You shouldn't be here,” the woman I'm thinking was the chief healer grumbled as I barged into the room. She was short and round and the hair on her head had patches of white in them. Her palms were hidden in surgical gloves, a pair of glasses settled on her wide nose.

“I know. I…”

“Elisha, get her away from here,” she cut me off. “Now!” She turned to one of her assistants. “Scalpel.”

The young girl handed her the knife from a tray.

“Come on, Jenine,” Elisha held my arm. “Let's go.”

“I'm not leaving until I'm sure she's fine,” I brushed his hand off. “Have you tried…”

“I don't want to hear it,” Martha's face creased unfriendlily. “Whatever it is you have to say, I don't need it. Get out and let me do my job. Do I need to call the pack guards on you?”

“That won't be necessary, ma'am,” Elisha replied. He drew me close to himself. “What are you doing?” he whispered. “You could get in trouble with the Alpha behaving like this in his house.”

“I… I don't mean to…” I shuddered at the thought of having a fallout with the Alpha. “Can she at least hear me out?”

“Elisha!” She growled again.

“On it. Hold on.”

“You know what?” I pushed Elisha away, the anger flashing in my eyes. “I AM NOT LEAVING! Not until you hear what I have to say!”

It was my friend here. I wasn't going to let her die because of one old lady's paranoia. I wasn't here to take her job. I only wanted one thing. For my friend to live. For Laura to survive. Was that too much to ask?

I saw Martha's eyes darken. Her brows furrowed. “Guards!” she bellowed.

Three wolves barged in.

“Get her out of here,” she pointed at me.

They held me immediately without questions.

“No, no… wait…” I sputtered.

I screamed as one of them dug his claws into my skin, dragging me roughly towards the door.

I saw Elisha move through the corners of my eyes, fast as lightning. He snatched away the guard who had dug his claws into my arm, twisting his arm behind him and slamming him against the wall. He held his head against the wall, his face scraping against its coarse, rough texture.

“Don't ever lay your hands on her again,” he growled. “Ever!”

“Let him go,” one of the other guards snarled, releasing me. His eyes glowed gold, his hair on edge.

“Or what?” I heard Elisha growl again. He glared at the two other wolves through the corners of his eyes, his hands holding his victim in place. “What are you gonna do about it?” he pushed the wolf's face into the wall.

“Elisha, stop. You're hurting him.”

The wolf crashed to the ground as Elisha released him, his face twisted in pain.

“What did you do to him?” my eyes widened in fear.

“He'll be fine,” he said flatly. “Let's get out of here.” He took my hand in his.

“No, you don't,” the two wolves blocked the door. “We're taking you in. You manhandled a pack guard. The Alpha's pack guard.”

“And I'll do the same to you if you don't get the hell out of my way.”

“Take this outside,” Martha croaked. “I have patients to attend to.”

Playing the good cop like she didn't cause all this ruckus.

I saw the pack guards lunge at Elisha. He readied himself. A shadow wheezed in through the door past me. So fast I didn't even see him. He wedged himself in-between Elisha and the guards.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” his voice boomed, bouncing off against the walls.

It was him. It was the Alpha. I felt my knees tremble. The aura around him was enormous. More than I could bear.

“Could someone explain to me what in the Goddess's name is going on here?” he roared.

“My Lord I… I…” Martha stuttered. Her eyes glazed as the Alpha's eyes burned at her, red with rage.

“What happened here, warrior?” He drew the wolf on the ground to his feet. His eyes flicked to Elisha. “Did you do this?”

“I can explain… I…” Elisha's lips trembled.

“Did you do THIS?!” he growled, his voice rumbling in the room.

“They put their hands on your visitor.”

I saw the glow in the Alpha's eyes dim a bit. Did Elisha just manipulate the Alpha?

He turned to me.

“Are you alright?”

I nodded.

“What happened?”

“I… the healer said Laura's wounds weren't healing. I came to tell her how she'd do it but she wouldn't listen to me.”

“With all due respect, Alpha,” Martha began, “it is my job to keep this young lady alive. She barged in here in the middle of a very delicate medical procedure. I had to tell her to leave.”

“I'll hear what she has to say.” The words rolled out of the Alpha's mouth.

“Burn the wound out. There's wolfsbane in her wound.”

“Wolfsbane?” The Alpha's brows twitched.

“Yes.” I nodded. “It was Braden. One of the Triad. She…” I stopped talking when I saw his head snap sharply towards me when I mentioned the Triad. Had I said too much?

“How do you know about the Triad?”

“Laura told me,” I lied. I willed my heart to steady. I couldn't tell him they had attacked me. He'd ask questions. I couldn't tell him I came into Lupestone through a portal. I didn't know if it would get me into trouble and trouble with the Alpha was the last thing I wanted.

I saw his brows knit together.

“Do as she says,” he spoke to the healer, his voice calm now. “Elisha, warriors, outside with me. Now.” He started walking out of the room.

The wolf whose hand Elisha had twisted made to follow.

“Not you,” he stopped him. “Fix his hand, Martha.” He turned to me. “And you, return to your room. I'll have a word with you and your friend when she wakes up. If she wakes up.”

“She will,” I muttered under my breath. “She has to.”

The healer reached for a gas lighter as I left. I could hear Laura's flesh hiss under its intense heat as the door shut. I flinched. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't told her about the wolfsbane. It was understandable that they wouldn't suspect Braden to lace her claws with wolfsbane. It wasn't normal. It wasn't supposed to be.

“You will join the omegas to clean the dungeons, Elisha,” I heard the Alpha's voice down the hall. “The warriors are under my command and you do not fight them. Do this again and I'll have you declawed.”

I shuddered. He sounded like he meant it. I couldn't wait to leave this place. The Alpha scared me. His presence hovered around me like a ghost.

“Laura, please wake up. Please be fine,” I muttered as I turned the doorknob. The door creaked as I pushed it open. My eyes glanced at my arm.

“The injury…” I gasped. It had closed up. It healed. My heart thumped in my chest, my excitement building up. I had become a werewolf. What more could I do? I couldn't wait for Laura to wake up and show me everything.