Wolf Blood

Chapter Thirteen: Decisions, Decisions

The cool floor brought a chill over me. I pulled the soft blanket closer and my stomach ached. Though I felt cold, my skin burned, and my head pounded. When I opened my eyes, I saw the cell door. Kinsley and Clove sat at his table talking. I was grateful for the poor lighting.

“Even with the increase in dosage, the wolf won’t die,” Clove said, his voice was hard and flat. “I don’t get it. Everywhere I’ve read says wolfsbane is effective for destroying lycanthropy without destroying the person.” He stood and grabbed a few books. “I must have missed something.”

“Clove,” Kinsley’s voice was soft. “Those ancient texts hardly hold any answers. You know as well as I do how reliable those people were.”

Clove spoke in a foreign language. One unlike I’d ever heard before. “I got it. Some were cured before their first turn. All the others were on a full moon.” He looked over at her. “That must be it. The full moon.” He smacked his forehead before saying, “How did I miss that?”

“You want to try again on the full moon?”

“Yes. I think it could be the one factor we’re missing.” He sat beside her. “She should be awake soon. Werewolves recover extremely quickly, even with wolfsbane to slow it down.” He glanced over at me and smiled. “She’s conscious.”

Kinsley whipped her head around before zooming over to the door. I’d never seen her move so quickly. I almost forgot she was a vampire.

“Selene, how do you feel?” Kinsley asked.

The pounding of my head was mild, and I was beginning to warm up. My skin still burned, and my stomach still ached.

“Horrible,” I croaked, still sounding like a man.

“Good news and bad news,” Clove said from beside Kinsley. “Good news is that you’re recovering quickly, but that’s also the bad news because it means you’re still a wolf.”

I groaned before sliding my arms around myself. I was naked. Again.

“Clove thinks he figured out why it didn’t work,” Kinsley said as she opened the cell door. “You have plenty of time to recover before we try it again-if you still want to try it.” She walked over to me before kneeling.

“You don’t have to make a decision right now,” Clove added. He hung back, still standing outside the cell.

“I have until the full moon,” I said, my voice returning to normal. “I overheard you guys.”

Kinsley eyes widened. “How long have you been awake?”

“About two seconds before you saw me.” I smiled. “Can I get dressed?”

“I’ll be outside. Holler when you’re ready,” Clove said before stepping out of the room.

Kinsley stood and placed the clothes beside me. “Take your time. I’m going to talk to Clove.” She placed her hand over mine. “We will figure this out.” I smiled at her before she left.

I dressed in Kinsley’s clothes which were a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. After I put my shoes on, I called to them. At first, I felt achy, but now everything felt almost normal. My stomach wasn’t sore, and my head didn’t hurt. Kinsley and Clove came back in the room.

“How are you feeling now?” Clove asked.

“Better. Still a little sore, but it gets better every minute,” I said. “How long was I down?” It felt like I was down forever. I was glad that I blacked out. I mean, just the first few minutes were excruciating. I didn’t want to go through it again on the full moon.

“Almost twenty-four hours. It’s about three in the afternoon,” Clove said.

“You spent the night at my house,” Kinsley said. “Your mother was surprised but was fine with it.” Kinsley was persuasive. I didn’t consider how long it would take. I was glad she remembered to contact my paranoid mother.

I couldn't believe I had been out almost an entire day. I arrived at Kinsley yesterday evening and it was already afternoon of the following day. I always understood why it was called wolfsbane, but now I really got it. I knew it was poisonous but having no experience with being poisoned I didn’t know what to expect.

Kinsley extended her hand to me with my phone in it. “You don’t have to respond to your mother. She freaked out when you didn’t respond to her fifth text, but I handled it.” She laughed. “Nothing from Everette though.”

I nodded and took my phone. Everette. I felt like I should apologize, but I didn’t know why. I turned his request down and I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t even know how to become a wolf let alone control it the way I need to. What if I hurt him? What if I couldn’t control it? I didn’t want to hurt him again.

My phone rang, it was Everette. “Hello,” I said. My heart sped up.

“Selene, its Rose. Everette was attacked. They’re okay, but I wanted to let you know,” Rose said. Her voice was soft as she spoke. My heard thudded and my stomach clenched. I froze. He could have been killed. As a human, he was in danger. “I’m assuming I will see you soon.” I cleared my throat, told her yes, and quickly got off the phone.

“I have to go,” I said.

“Selene be reasonable,” Kinsley said. “He’s fine. You’re still recovering from the monkshood. It could have other affects you don’t know about.”

I growled. “I’m going to see him.” My eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry. I’m frustrated. I hurt him and now he was attacked. Kinsley, he could have been killed.” And the last time I saw him he was yelling at me. I didn’t want that. I needed to see him.

“You need to be careful. Kinsley is right. The monkshood could still be in your system,” Clove said.

I nodded before walking up the stairs. Kinsley trailed behind me. We got into her car and she looked over at me.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said.

“I need to see him.” I clasped my hands together before meeting her hazel eyed gaze. “I hurt him and now he’s hurt again.” My chest ached. “I need to be there for him.” He was always there for me.

She started the car and pulled out of the driveway. “Okay.” She nodded. “I understand, but I’m thinking of your safety first. The wolves can take care of themselves.”

“Everette is human.”

“Yes. But he’s a part of the pack. He’s under their protection.” What she said made sense, but everything Everette said made me feel otherwise. Being with wolves didn’t guarantee his safety. It put him in more danger because he was human. Maybe I was hasty when I said I wouldn’t turn him.

We drove to my house in silence. We weren’t overtly fighting, but I could feel the tension lingering. She pulled in my driveway before tightening her grip on the steering wheel.

“Thank you, Kinsley. I’m sorry,” I said looking at her.

“It’s okay. I’ve always felt protective of you.” She smiled at me. “You are my first human friend and you were there for me when I was transitioning.” She let out a soft laugh and looked away from me. “When I was coming off human blood.” We have been friends since my first day of high school. That meant she has only been off humans for a few years.

“I’m going to be okay. I’m a wolf, as much as I don’t like it, I guess it is kinda like a superpower,” I said with a laugh. I opened the door and stepped out of the car.

“Just be careful.” She looked over at me.

“I love you too,” I said before closing the door and getting into my car.

I started the engine before heading toward Everette’s house. The trees zoomed by me on either side. I knew I was speeding, but the coast was clear from cops. It wasn’t long before I pulled into his driveway. I have to make amends. I miss our regular banter. I miss spending time with him.

I stepped out of the car and walked to the front door. I didn’t knock this time, instead, I headed straight in and up the stairs. I got a few raised brows from the wolves in the house, but no one said anything. I took the turn that led me to his room. When I knocked, I heard a quiet “come in.”

Everette being injured on his bed was not a sight I thought I would have to see again. This time, he had bruises on his left cheek and his left arm was wrapped. I could smell blood. Anger burned in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to hurt whoever hurt him. His green eyes met mine and he smiled. That smile made my heart pound.

I walked over to his bed and he patted the side, inviting me to sit. I complied and took his hand.

“Don’t apologize,” Everette said. “I was being unreasonable. I hate feeling powerless.” He squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry. I took my anger out on you. I should not have asked you to do that.”

“I don’t care about that, I care about you,” I said motioning toward his arm.

“It was the rogue. Ezekiel and I went for a walk, to talk, and we chose a bad place to go.” He gave me a small half smile.

I leaned forward and gently touched the bruise on his face. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” His hand came up to rest on my cheek.

“I’m glad you came. I was afraid you wouldn’t.” He paused. “After yesterday I mean.”

“Of course, I would come. I care about you.”

“More than a friend?” He asked, wiggling his brow. His playful crooked smile return and my heart swelled.

I leaned back and placed my hand in my lap. “Yes,” I spoke quietly. “More than a friend.”

He grinned. “I never thought I’d hear that. It took me forever to get your attention. Had I known that getting attacked would do it, I’d have done it long ago.”

“No. Don’t say that.” I chuckled. “I realized it before but denied it. I didn’t want to lose our friendship.”

“No complaints here, but why the change of heart?”

“I guess it just didn’t matter.” He raised his brow. “I mean, being afraid of having something more is a dumb reason. Fear of losing your friendship shouldn’t stop us being more, if we want.” My voice was quiet while I spoke. “There are so many TV shows and movies that make me angry because girls do that, and I was doing the same. It’s just dumb, okay?”

He chuckled. “Okay.” He took both my hands in his. “I have something to tell you.” He looked down and took a deep breath. “I’m being sent to Europe, until this rogue is dealt with.” My chest tightened. That could be months. I squeezed his hands. “My dad’s afraid I could get killed. I’m no match for a wolf.” He chuckled dryly. “I’ll be staying with relatives.”

Would this be his life? Stuck as a human in a pack of wolves, unable to stay because he can’t defend himself? His green eyes shone, and I knew this must be one of the hardest things he’s had to face. His powerlessness resonated with my own. I couldn’t imagine beings sent away from my own family instead of being there to protect them, but he can’t protect them.

He can’t protect himself. This rogue was probably one of many to come. My heart began to pound. I knew what he needed. I knew what I needed to do. Everette needed to be able to protect himself. The thought of him being killed gnawed at me. I had to bite him, but I didn’t know how.