Abandoned Hope Unforgettable Faith

Chapter 2 The Meeting

Andie's POV

I woke up to the sound of my alarm buzzing loudly on the small TV table next to my rickety bed. I groan, trying to sit up, only to find that my hands are bound to the headboard. Straining to look up at them, I realized that they were bound with a belt. My body screams as I struggle to undo the buckle. Finally, I managed to free myself. My bruised wrists throbbed.

Carefully edging my way off the bed, I stand wobbling a little. I look down at my frail naked frame and see my thighs and waist blotched with purple and blue bruises. I gingerly ran my hands along my ribs, tracing over them. They are badly swollen and the bottom two are definitely cracked. I carefully crept to the bedroom door and peaked through the small c***k looking into the living room. The apartment is a disaster. It looks as if it was struck by a hurricane and a tornado. Angelo is nowhere to be seen though, and I sigh gratefully in relief, but quickly regret the pain that pulses through me, making me groan. Wrapping a blanket around me, I carefully made my way to the bathroom. Looking in the cracked mirror, the left side of my face is completely swollen and bruised. Without any makeup, I would have to hope my baseball hat is enough to hide it.

I turn the water on in the shower and get in. My battered body is so tender that, even at the lowest pressure, it feels as if someone is beating me mercilessly with a hammer. I looked down at the water running past my feet. An orange tinge stains the water and dried blood washes away. Quickly rinsing out my hair, I shut the water off and hopped out. Drying off, I rush to get ready for work. I tugged on my damp clothes from the day before because I didn't own anything else work friendly. Digging under the sink, I search for anything I could use to bandage my sides. To no avail, I resigned to toughing it out. I make my way to work, slipping my hat on my head and pulling my ponytail through the gap.

. . .

The same brass cowbell clangs as I step into the shop. Keeping my head down, I grab my punch card and clock in. Grabbing a couple of laundry bags from the bin, I set to work sorting, tagging, and checking customers' dry cleaning.

"Hey kiddo. How you feeling?"

I jump and my ribs shift painfully, causing me to gasp.

"Hey Bobbi, I'm doing alright."

"You sure hun? You're shaking something awful," she says.

I glanced down at my hands and realized she was right, "Oh uh yeah. I just drank too much coffee." That was a lie. I haven't had coffee in over a month. I just couldn't afford it.

"If it makes you that jumpy, maybe we should switch you to decaf," she chuckles.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. How do you expect me to get everything done though, hmm? Caffiene equals speed, Bobbi," I responded slyly, but still not looking over my shoulder at her.

"Sugar, you know you aren't the only counter girl. You don't gotta try to be a one-man circus. Jess and Robin need something to do other than twiddle their thumbs when they finally drag their asses in here," she says plainly.

"You and I and pretty much everyone knows that if it were left up to those two we would be backed up for a month."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know, but, girl you really need to not stress so much. It ain't healthy. You'll get wrinkles and we can't have that happening to a pretty little thing like you," she finishes, and I glance over my shoulder at her.

"Bobbi, wrinkles are the least of my problems," I muttered, looking her dead in the eyes.

She shut up but I saw the other girls looking at me and I quickly turned back to my work. Barely over the noise I hear them whispering amongst themselves. It isn't a secret that Angelo abuses me. They've all seen the bruises and other souvenirs he's left behind. Shutting them out, I focused on the task in front of me. My thoughts whirlwind, making it hard to focus on my tasks. Out of no where, Amaya stirs in the back of my mind and I pause.

"Amaya?" I call out to her softly.

Ravenous snarls are all I get in response, making me shudder. Four years have gone by since I last felt her presence and she may as well be feral. I never even saw what she looked like. There wasn't really time for vanity while we were running for our lives. All these years I thought she had left me. The other half of me, the friend that I was always supposed to have and for four years she just hid. She locked herself away and I was left alone.

Suddenly, a surge of electricity pulses me, making me inhale sharply. Another growl rips through my mind. I shake my head and try to focus on the clothes in front of me. I missed her more than anything in this world, but I don't have the time to fix us right now.

"Amaya... please forgive me. I will fix this, I promise. I just need you to be a little more patient with me," I pleaded.

The electrical current in me calms and Amaya settles a little. I sigh in relief, hoping that with time I can mend our bond and bring us back together.

I push through bags as fast as I can, but my body is sluggish and my breaths are coming in shallow gasps. Even though I am a werewolf, I heal at about the same rate as a human. One of the first times Angelo beat me, he left me with a fractured cheek and a broken arm. It took me almost five weeks to heal completely. Those injuries were minor compared to the shape I am in now and I can only imagine how long it will be until I heal from this. Burning pain courses through every inch of my body, and I struggle to hold myself up. I need to get through today. I need this paycheck to be enough to cover rent. If it isn't, I would end up homeless.

"Child," Pat, the manager, says behind me, making me jump.

"Yes, Nana?" Nana insisted from the day she hired me that I was to call her that and I loved her as such.

"Angelo hurt you again, did he not," she says this more as a statement than a question.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I muttered quietly, still not turning to look at her.

"Do not play coy with me, child. People talk and despite my age, my hearing works just fine. Despite that, I know very well that you have every capability of clearing a week's worth of drop offs by yourself in three hours and it has been two hours and you have yet to finish today's items."

"Damn, she's observant," I thought to myself as I turned around to face her, still keeping my head down.

"Nana, it really isn't that bad. I'll get everything done, I promise. Please don't get mad at me," I pleaded, hoping she would accept it and walk away.

"I am only angry at the fact that I know very well that you are a very intelligent young woman and yet you still choose to stay with that scum of the earth you claim to love," she snapped, pinching my chin between her thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look into her eyes. For a moment, I thought they were black.

"I don't have a choice! If I leave he'll kill me! Almost everyone in the apartment complex is wrapped around his finger and would do anything to get out of owing him money," I cried, wrenching myself from her grasp. The force it took caused me to stumble backwards into the counter. My busted ribs jostle painfully

"He is a stupid hellion. He would do no such thing. The moment you leave he will simply find another bunny. One that is more suited to his life choices. A young woman like yourself has no business getting tangled up with the likes of garbage such as himself."

"Nana, please just leave it alone," I whispered.

"If you do not leave him willingly, then I will have no choice but to alert the authorities. For three years I have watched you come through those doors covered in bruises you try to hide. You have broken and re-broken bones more times than I dare try to keep track of anymore. You have run out of excuses to explain them. I cannot in good conscious sit back and wait for the day he will beat you to death, Andie. Either you leave him today or, so help me, I will not hesitate to save you from yourself. I see now that he has dug his claws too deep into you."

"No!" I screamed, turning around to look at her once again. Blood rushes to my head, making the world spin.Electricity begins to boil to the surface and Amaya fights me for control. Nausea sweeps through me as I desperately try to keep my balance.

"It is for your own good," Nana states firmly, unwilling to give any ground.

Just then, the cowbell bangs against the front door. The girls in the back scrabble like roaches desperately trying to look occupied with whatever is nearest to them.

"Am I interrupting something?" A sultering voice asks.

Before I can turn around, the edges of my vision blur and grow dark. I feel my legs sway and buckle beneath my weight. The familiar smell of rain soaked pine envelops me. Amaya howls, making my head spin more and my ears ring. My body falls forward and I can't get my arms to work so that I can brace myself. Just before I hit the floor, two strong arms wrapped around my small frame, saving me from impact. The last things I remember before everything goes black are Nana shouting for the girls to take lunch and two beautiful blue-gray eyes.

JACKSON'S POV

A young girl's screams pierce through the darkness surrounding me. I don't know where I am or how I got here, but every fiber of my body pushes me forward in the direction of the screams. Logan is fighting for control and there is a part of me that wants to surrender to him, but I don't. The screams aren't getting any closer and I feel as if all I have accomplished is running endlessly in place. Fear courses through me from nose to tail. I push harder than I have ever pushed before. Suddenly, the ground beneath me opens up and I freefall through a raging thunderstorm.

Jolting awake, my whole body screams in protest. It was a deep-seated pain that made my bones feel as if they would break if the wind blew. I have fought in many battles, whether it was to defend my pack or an allied pack, I never felt this much pain after. Logan has fallen silent, which makes me start to panic. He hasn't been quiet since we entered the dry cleaners two nights ago. After last night, I feared the worst and just as I reached for my phone it rings. Picking it up, I saw Dr. Pritchard's name on the screen.

I swipe over to answer, "Hello Dr. Pritchard. Thank you for calling me back."

"Of course, Alpha. I apologize that I was unable to call you sooner. Melani gave birah to her two beautiful pups and I was unable to answer my phone," Dr. Pritchard's voice came through the speaker.

"That is wonderful news. I am glad she and the pups are doing well and we are happy to welcome two new members."

"Yes. Yes. Now, Alpha, your message sounded extremely concerned and I need to know exactly what happened in order to try to make an assessment," his tone shifted from joy to stern, but I could hear the fear in his voice.

"Where do you need me to begin?" I asked.

"From the beginning. When did you start to feel unwell? When did Logan begin to act strangely? Anything around you that seemed off or unusual?" He fired off questions faster than I could process them.

After pausing a moment to gather myself, I inhaled deeply and explain to him everything that had happened. The smell of wild plum blossoms and cherries, Logan's determination to return to the cleaners, the waves of pain, and finally the agonizing episode that lasted for what felt like decades.

There was silence on the other end of the phone when I finished. I pulled my phone away to see if the call had somehow disconnected, but it hadn't. "Dr. Pritchard, is everything alright?" I say, fearing that something is horribly wrong.

"Jackson, my boy, the only thing that is wrong is that you are wasting valuable time sitting here talking to me. Now, are you absolutely positive that this all started with the scent you picked up at the dry cleaners?"

"Yes, I am positive. Logan went nuts the moment we caught wind of it."

"Then the answer to all of your concerns is at the cleaners. Now, assuming the lack of sleep you got last night, might I strongly recommend a Mocha Brevé with two shots of espresso and a cool shower?" He says matter-of-factly.

"Wait, so there is nothing wrong with me or my wolf?" I ask, confused.

"Well, Alpha, there is plenty wrong with you, but no, there is nothing to be concerned about in this instance," he says, irritation building in his tone. I may be the Alpha of my pack, but even I know better than to get on our doctor's bad side.

"Alright doc. Thanks for calling me back," I sighed, feeling as if I had accomplished nothing except feeling like an i***t.

"Call me if you need anything, or if anything changes," Dr Pritchard bids me farewell and disconnects the call.

I groan, stretching out my battered limbs before getting out of bed. Dr. Pritchard had left me with more questions than answers and my head was going in a million different directions. What could he have possibly have meant by all the answers are at the cleaners? What the hell is going on with me? I ponder over all of these questions as I step into the large waterfall shower. Logan stirs in the back of my mind and I pause.

"Logan, are you okay?"

"Hurts," is all he says in response.

He is hurting and so am I and I have no idea how to fix it.

"Go to cleaners," Logan grumbled frustratedly.

"Why is it all coming down to going back to the cleaners? I know my father always used this cleaners when he made his business trips but what is so important about it?" I wondered

"Hey, Jackson, you up yet bro?" Rowan, my beta's, voice inturupts my thoughts over the mindlink.

"Yeah man I'll be down in ten just getting out of the shower," I linked back.

"Yo, do you think we could grab coffee from that one place Jannie was telling us about?" Sometimes I swear this man only lives for coffee.

"Yeah sure, Rowan, but it has to be to go because I have to grab my suits before the meeting this afternoon."

Rowan has been my best friend since childhood. He was the obvious choice as my beta despite the fact that he and his remaining family joined our pack many years ago after the fall of his birth pack, the Oaks River pack. His father had been the beta for Oaks River for many many years. Tragically, his father and their alpha were killed when a volatile pack of rogues attacked out of no where on a bitter winter night. The pack was left in ruins and those who weren't slaughtered in the onslaught took refuge in neighboring packs. Rowan's family joined my pack when my father was still alpha and have been with us for almost twenty years. My father's beta lost his mate and child during child birth. Since Beta Michael never remated, he didn't have any heirs to take his place once he and my father stepped down. Since Rowan was my age and we grew up together, he was the best choice. It also helped smooth over any remaining strain and indifference between the two packs that were merely coexisting together for nineteen years. Finally, when I took over last year, the packs bonded together and we became one cohesive pack. We chose to change the name from Black Creek to Black Oaks, signifying the complete integration of the pack.

Rowan and I have now been leading the pack for a year and right now we are upholding our civic duty by attending the bi-anual meeting of the North Eastern pack leaders. I can't say that I am enthusiastic about leaving my pack to sit in an office for anywhere from four to six hours talking about often nonessentail topics. However, there is one thing that we all need to address that is extremely important to the safety of all of the packs in this region. The same pack of rogues, at least that's what we believe, that brought down Oaks River has been going unchecked for several years and have began to escilate again. There have been numerous attacks on the boarders of different packs but nothing too the extent of what happened to Oaks River but it is only a matter of time.

. . .

Rowan pulls out of the café's parking lot and types in the address to Forester's Dry Cleaning. Our black Sedan suv cruises down the street. We pass towering sky scrapers and the bustling New Jersey sidewalks. After about twenty minutes the builds begin to grow smaller and the traffic thins out.

"At the next traffic light turn right," the GPS voice says over the phone.

Rowan swings right and we turn down an urban shopping strip.

"In three-hundred feet turn left. Your destination is on the left. You have reached your destination," the voice says as we pull into the cleaner's parking lot. Logan prances gleefully in the back of my mind as Rowan puts the suv in park. I open my door and step out. The air around me hums with electricity like an on coming storm. Glancing up at the clear sky there doesn't seem to be any sign of a storm moving in. Inhailing deeply there isn't even the slightest hint of rain on the breeze. It is an odd sensation. I try to ignore it but as I walk towards the cleaner's entrance the electricity just continues to get stronger. As I grabbed the handle Logan began to howel and I heard two women shouting at eachother above the loud droaning sound of the machines. My heart beat frantically as I pulled the door open and I walked into two women in the middle of a furious quarrel. The emotion that enveloved the space was suffocating. The elderly woman stood facing the door glaring at the younger girl in front of her. The scent, that beautiful intoxicating scent, of cherries and wild plum crashed over me as I looked at the back of the young woman. She was small, maybe five foot two and had hair the color of milk chocolate. I stopped studying her when I Logan's howels of joy turned into angry roars. He pushed to get to the surface but I composed myself.

Clearing my throat I hold back the rage, "Am I inturruting something?"

The store fell ominously quiet, finally I could sense the reason why Logan was enraged. She was in pain. My mate was hurting and badly. All of this happened in merely seconds and it was too much for her. My presense was too much of a shock to her body and as she tried to turn around I watched her begin to collapse. Rushing to her swiftly I catch her as gently as I can. Her beautiful face was obscured by hidious bruises and a growel made its way from my lips quiet enough that the women couldn't hear it but the elderly woman looked at me. She heard me. She knew and she was one of us.

"Ladies,the store is closed for the rest of the day, Get your stuff and go home. I will pay you for a whole days work to compesate," the elderly woman yells before kneeling next to me. "We need to get her help and the sooner the better, young alpha."

I nod curtly not wanting to waste any more time. I can feel my mates strength fading quickly as I rush her back to the suv. The elderly woman does not hesitate to climb into the passenger seat as I carefully get in the back cradling my beloved gingerly in my arms. Rowan frantically looks between me and the woman, who I can only assume owns the shop, and start to open his mouth to question the situation.

"Just drive I will explain momentarily I need to call Dr. Pritchard now," I cut him off. He obeys swiftly throwing the vehichle in reverse and tearing out of the parking lot.

"Where too?" Rowan asked, still glancing into the review concerned.

"The hotel. The owners are Elves they know who we are and they won't question anything," I replied not taking my eyes off my broken mate in my arms. Before I know it Rowan is pulling under the canopy in front of the hotel and rushes to the door opening it so I can get out. Carefully climbing out I hold my unconcious mate to my chest and rush inside. Many guests turn and look on quizically but the staff merely glance in my direction before turning back to their work. I make my way to the elevator and the Dry Cleaner owner hit the button. I hadn't relized she was still there. We both step into the elevator and it closes behind us.

"What floor?" the owner asks.

"Fourteenth, why are you still here?" I say more curtly than I intended.

"That young girl you have in your gruby hands is why I am still here, young alpha," she shot back glaring daggers at me.

"You know what I am and yet you dare choose to address me in such a manner," I growl menacingly.

"I serve no alpha and you most certainly are not one who has gained my respect. Your father on the other hand has."

"You know my father?"

"Yes."

"What is your name?"

"Patricia Rosenwater, your father and I went to school together."

"You attended an alpha elete school?"

Before she could respond the door to the elevators open again and we exist. My key card had been left in the car and I hoped Rowan would be up swiftly. I link him and he says he would be here shortly. I look down again at the girl in my arms and my heart learches. She is so beautiful and yet someone hurt her so horribly. Whoever is was will pay for hurting her. They will wish they had never laid eyes on her.

Rowan is by my side in a moment opening the door, I rushed into the suite and to the bedroom, carefully laying her on the bed. I pull my phone out and look at her afraid to let her out of my sight. Then Patricia steps into the room and sits on the edge of the bed giving me a look and I nod. Stepping out of the room I call Dr. Pritchard. When he answered, I spewed everything that had happened too him in detail even down to the type of coffee I ordered. Panic was truly setting in as I paced erratically in front of the hotel room door.

"Jackson, there is no way I can reach you in time to treat her right now. I need you to calm down. She needs you. If I remember correctly my fellow practitioner, Dr. Hendricks is there for the conference as well. Send Rowan to fetch her immediately. Get off the phone with me and go to your mate now," Dr. Pritchard's shouted before hanging up the phone.

The alpha in me wanted to punish Pritchard for using such a demeaning tone with me but the fear that is ripping my chest apart tells me that he is right. Stepping back into the hotel suite I rush to my room linking Rowan to find Dr. Hendricks immediately. Whem I enter my room Tricia is next to my mate on the bed, pressing a damp cloth to my mate's forehead. Walking towards the bed, Tricia snaps her head up looking at me with venom in her eyes. I have done nothing to her to deserve such hatetred, but she moves herself more between me and my mate. A growl nearly escapes my lips.

"What do you want boy? Can't you see she has been through enough? She does not need an arrogant selfish alpha torturing her as well," she snapped at me.

"I will not harm her, you iggnorant old crone. She is my mate and she will not be left in the hands of anyone but me. She is mine," I growled, not holding back this time.

"You stupid child!" She shrieks, "She is not property! She belongs to no one but herself! You will not force her to love you or want you! That is earned fated by the Goddess or not!"

Her words struck me like a wrecking ball. Logan growls threatening to step forward but I can feel that he knows she is right. Our bond may make me want her and if she feels it then it will make her want me but that means nothing unless she trusts me and loves me. We may be werewolves but we are not animals. At least most of us aren't.

"I found her, we are on our way as fast as we can," Rowans voice inturrepted my thoughts.

"Thank goddess, please hurry," I responded before turning my attention back to the old she-wolf next to my mate. "Look I don't want to hurt her. I want her safe. I want to protect her and love her and cherish her. I have a doctor coming here right now to look at her. She needs medical attention, please let me do this for her," I sigh kneeling beside the bed gently reaching my hand out and taking my mate's frail hand in mine. I hear the hotel door unlocking and I look towards the bedroom door just in time to see Rowan and a she wolf rush in the room. Tricia turns looking them both up and down before carefully moving to make room for the doctor but she refuses to leave my mate's side.

"Alpha Jackson, my name is Dr. Hendricks. Rowan has informed me that the patient is your mate. I didn't realize you found your mate Alpha Jackson. I am happy for you," the she wolf says stepping forward to shake my hand.

"Thank you, however I am sorry to tell you that I do not know much about her as I only found her just thirty minutes ago and she has been unconcious the whole time."

"That's fine. I have known this young woman for almost five years I will answer any questions you have," Patricia steps in.

"How do you know her?" Dr. Hendricks asks turning to Patricia.

"She has worked for my company since I found her on the side of the road five and a half years ago. She is like a granddaughter to me."

"Then you are the closest thing she has to next of kin I take it," the doctor says while scribbling notes on her clipboard.

"That is correct."

"Very well, I need to exsamine her throughly to address the issues and treat them. It will probably be best if you step out of the room to respect her privacy especially if she wakes up."

"That is not going to happen. I will not leave her," I errupt out of no where.

"As you...," Hendricks started to say.

"You will do no such thing boy. This girl, my girl, has gone through too much hell to be disrespected and exposed to a man who does not know the first thing about her let alone her name!" Patricia shouts standing between me and my love.

"You have no room to tell me what I will and will not do when it comes to my mate!"

"I will as I am her family. I will tell you this here and now, the things the doctor will find while looking at her are not things she wants anyone to know. Knowing the doctor looked at her will hurt her enough!"

When Patricia refused to back down I could see the hatred and concern in her eyes. Logan himself whimpers retreating from her tone. I have never seen Logan back down from anything but he backed down from her. I turn on my heel and storm out the door dragging Rowan with me.

"Fine have it your way," I growled slamming the door.