Sapphire

WOLVES

Aiyanna POV:My entire body were sore. I felt like a pack of elephants had just trampled all over me. What had they done to me this time? I noticed the blood on my hands were gone, and it looked like my bruises had been mended, why would they do that, so they could torture me all over again? 

 ‘’Hey there, how are you feeling’’.

 I turned my head, to see who the voice belonged too. It was an elderly woman, she was small, with long grey hair, and the most heartwarming smile you could ever imagine. She instantly made me feel safe.

 ‘’I’m just a little sore’’ I said and rubbed my palm against my forehead. ‘’Where am I?’’

 I looked at her rather confused, and she gave me a comforting smile.

 ‘’Hailey, rescued you three days ago. Your body was so weak that it needed time to recover. But you have no severe physical damages’’.

 Had I really been out for three days, the last thing I remember were talking to Hailey in the prison cell. How did she even rescue me? They weren’t exactly your average culprits, they were brutal and careless. I didn’t even know who they were, perhaps Hailey did? I felt like I was about to explode with all these unanswered questions, but before I could ask any of them, the door went up and a man entered the room. He sent the elderly woman a heartfelt smile and kissed her cheeks, before his attention fell upon me. I didn’t get same warm smile, instead he had a suspicious look upon his face as he walked towards me. Only two feet away from me, he stopped and looked directly into my eyes. It sent fireworks throughout my entire body, and for a brief moment I was sure I saw desire in his eyes as well.

 ‘’Who are you, and what does Raphael want with you?’’ The suspicious look came back, which made me feel unwelcome and unwanted.

 Raphael, that must be the white-haired man, with the dark eyes. I got chills just thinking about him. 

‘’My name is Aiyanna, and I don’t know what he wanted’’ 

The man lifted his head up a bit and looked at me for several minutes, which started to make me nervous. 

‘’I don’t believe you, and until you tell me what you know, you won’t leave this cottage’’. 

Is he serious, I felt this anger building up inside me, and I went up from the bed, and yelled ‘’So I’m a prisoner here too!’’

 He eliminated the space between us, and he were so close, that I could smell him. He smelled like newly cut grass and moss, and I could feel the warmth in my cheeks. Why did he affect me like this, it was embarrassing, especially when he obviously resented me. With his 5ft’10 he was like a tower above my 5ft’4, he looked down at me and said

‘’yes’’. 

I didn’t even know what to say, I felt like a schooled little girl, and he just kept looking into my eyes completely emotionless. The elderly woman, walked up to him and punched him in the chest. 

‘’Don’t be rude Rhett, as long as Aiyanna are my patient, she is welcome inside as well as outside this cottage’’ 

Rhett looked defiantly at her for a few seconds and walked towards the door.

 ‘’When her wounds are healed, I want her gone Ivy’’ and then he left. 

He really didn’t like me. It shouldn’t bother me at all, I didn't even know the guy. I wasn’t the kind of girl that let stuff like that bother me, but it did. it really bothered me.

 The next couple of days I tried to avoid Rhett, I stayed as close to the cottage as possible and helped Ivy out as much as possible throughout the day. She taught me about the different kind of herbs she used, and in exchange I went out and found the herbs she needed. Today I was actually looking for a perennial plant called Yarrow, which supposedly were used on open wounds to stop the blood flow. I was so focused on finding the Yarrow that I didn’t see him, I bumped directly into Rhett. I fell on my butt, and he turned around completely caught off guard and…naked. I felt the heat in my cheeks instantly, and I knew I couldn’t hide it. As an instinct I bit my lip, and just looked at him, I couldn’t help it. I’ve never felt this aroused before. His body was tense, and I could see the desire in his eyes, he was struggling not to act on it. 

 ‘’I hope you enjoyed the show, you won’t see it again.’’ 

He turned around and walked away and left me drooling like a dog who just lost its bone. Why did I keep embarrassing myself in his presence? And why where he out here naked and alone. Just the thought of him naked made me all warm and fuzzy. I really needed to get a hold on myself. I forgot all about the Yarrow, and went straight out to look for Hailey, I really needed a girl talk. I found her in a meadow nearby, braiding a flower crown.

’’ What are you doing?’’ I sat down beside her, admiring her work.

 ‘’I’m finishing up your flower crown for the earth Ritual tonight’’ she laughed and placed the crown on my head.

 ‘’The, what now?’’ I took the flower crown off my head and admired it. 

‘’The earth Ritual, it’s an ancient ritual our ancestors did, to give thanks to the earth for making it possible for us to survive. Today it’s more of a celebration rather than a ritual’’

 I picked a flower from the meadow and looked at Hailey with a grin on my face .

‘’I’m not going to that’’. 

She smiled ‘’ that’s not even up for debate. What was on your mind when you came looking for me?’’ 

and just like that she changed the subject, and I was apparently going to the Earth Ritual. 

‘’Rhett, I saw him naked earlier and…’’ 

she cut me off ‘’before you continue, you should know, that Rhett are my brother''

My jaw literally dropped, they were siblings, how did I not know that.

‘’WHAT, Rhett is your brother, but he is so…and you’re so sweet’’ I was so confused and shocked. 

‘’I know, but he isn’t that bad, when you get to know him, at least not all the time’’ she laughed.

‘’He literally hates me Hailey, he hates me’’.

‘’He doesn’t hate you; he just doesn’t trust outsiders. He will love you when he gets to know you’’. We laughed and talked for an hour or two, before we went our separate ways, to get ready for the Earth Ritual.

I looked in the mirror for the 5th time this evening, I wanted to look perfect. I had borrowed a long light blue dress from Hailey, it fitted me perfectly. My long dark hair framed my face, and made my blue eyes pop even more, and the flower crown were just the cherry on the top. I walked from Ivys cottage, and towards the fireplace, where everyone was gathering up. They were drinking, dancing, singing and enjoying themselves. After a minor search I found Hailey with a beer in her hand, smiling and laughing as much as everyone else. She took my hand, and we started to dance around the fire. I felt Rhett look at me multiple times, but tonight I decided I didn't care. After a couple of songs, Hailey went for another beer, and left me by the fire. I was still high on the fantastic atmosphere when Rhett showed up. He came extremely close to me, I just had to lift my head, and my lips would touch his. Just the thought made me dizzy. He placed his arm around my back, and his lips touched my ear, when he whispered 

''No matter how hard you try, and no matter how many flower crowns you braid, you will never be one of us. You don't belong here'' He loosened his grip on my back and walked away. 

I was shocked and paralyzed for a moment, and then I decided to leave. I had, had it. If he didn't want me here, I didn’t want to be here. I walked towards the forest and didn't even care that it was pitch dark. I just wanted to get the hell out of here. Hailey stopped me halfway. 

'' Where are you going, what happened?'' I didn't even stop to look at her. 

'' your brother made it clear that I’m not welcome here, so I’m leaving''.

I kept walking towards the forest. I didn’t even think about how cold and dark it would be by now and when I realized it, it was to late. I couldn’t turn around now.

Somehow Rhett caught up to me

‘’Aiyanna, wait’’

I turned around and looked him straight into the eyes.

‘’Why on earth would I do that?’’

He looked genuine concerned, and worried.

‘’It’s dangerous out here. You could get hurt.’’

I started to walk in the opposite direction, while I made a sarcastic laugh.

‘’ Like you even care. You wanted me gone, and I’m going’’

Rhett ran towards me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me in towards him, we were only standing a few feet from one another. He agitated me.

‘’I want you gone because I can’t think when you are around. I keep imagining how your lips would feel against mine, I think about how beautiful you look in that blue dress, and how amazing you would look underneath it.’’

He touched my chin with his hand, and my heart skipped a beat. The chemistry between us, were like dynamite waiting to explode. I lifted my head and looked into his eyes, they were filled with lust and desire, a complete reflection of my own. He pushed me up against a tree and leaned down towards me, I bit my lip and tiptoed to meet his.

But the sound of a branch breaking, tore us back to reality, and Rhett loosened his grip and looked out into the darkness.

‘’We have to go back. There is someone out here, and it’s not a friend’’

Rhett looked worried, and his entire body indicated that he was on high alert, ready for anything that might come at us. The adrenalin was still pumping in my veins, from our almost kiss, and I had a hard time focusing.

‘’Well, what do we have here’’

A man suddenly appeared in front of us, I knew him. It was one of the men, who had held me captive. I felt sick, I didn’t want to go back, I wouldn’t make it this time. Rhett looked at me, and formed the words I’m sorry with his lips, before he jumped towards the man. A big black wolf took his place, it howled and attacked. The man lifted the wolf by its neck and tail and tossed it into a tree, a whine escaped its mouth, before it got back up on its feet, and launched a new attack.

I walked backwards in complete shock, and I couldn’t stop the tears from running down my cheeks. Did I just see Rhett turn into a wolf? 

I started running back towards Ivys cottage, I had to get out of the forest. I stumbled over a tree root, and I yelled at my self for being so clumsy, especially in this situation. My hands were shaking, and my heart were racing, and suddenly a grey wolf stood in front of me, and growled, I could see its canines. A howl came from within the forest, and the wolf jumped over me, and ran off. I didn’t know how I were even able to move, but I did, and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me.

I finally reached the cottage, it was empty, so I locked the door and crawled into a corner, where I placed my hands around my legs and rested my head upon my knees. I was shaking and my mind where on overdrive, trying to piece everything together. Where everyone wolves, or was it just Rhett, and if it were just Rhett, did everyone know.

Deep down I knew the answer, it wasn’t just Rhett. It had been possible for Hailey to rescue me, because she was a wolf. She said ‘’THEY’’ are coming for us, when we were in captivity together, before I passed out…They were all wolves.

A loud bang broke the silence, and forced me out of my thoughts, someone was knocking at the door.

‘’Aiyanna, are you there, please open the door and let me explain.’’

Rhett sounded tired and scared at the same time.  

‘’Just leave me alone, I don’t want anything to do with you. I just want to go home’’ I cried while I yelled the last words. I missed my home and my parents; I wonder if they were looking for me.

‘’I know it’s a lot to take in, I get it, but please just open the door’’

I didn’t answer him this time, I didn’t know what to say. I wasn't sure I was ready to believe in werewolves. A couple of minutes went by in silence before there was a soft knock on the door.

‘’Aiyanna, it’s me, can I come in?’’

It was Hailey, I knew had to come out eventually or let someone in. I trusted Hailey, even though she apparently was a wolf. I trusted her more that anyone. So, I got off the floor and opened the door slightly ajar.

‘’You can come in, but only you’’

Hailey looked at me, and nodded

‘’okay’’

She was clearly devasted, but she told me everything I needed to know, and answered all the questions that I had.

Apparently, I was kidn*pped by vampires. I can’t even wrap my head around them existing either. Their king Raphael, who rules the Scandinavian vampires, weren’t known to take human prisoners, in fact, he was quite brutal towards them. The wolves aren’t sure why he kept me for so long, but he is a very cunning vampire, and he is hell bend on getting me back. The wildfangs, Rhetts pack, have been fighting along their territory boarders, against Raphaels vampires ever since they saved me from him. The more desperate Raphael gets, the more obvious it is to the wolves, that they have to protect me, no matter the cost. Because one thing is sure, whatever Raphael needs from me, it’s not a good thing.