~Laylaâs POV~
The dark walls brought little relief to my aching eyes as they woke up from their slumber. In the corner was a lamp that stood tall and shed a warming light over the room.
My head was pounding as if it had been pressed under a boulder and just trying to see clearer was causing the pain to get worse.
âYou have to keep her away from there,â
âHow am I supposed to do that? She doesnât listen,â
âIf this happens again we donât know what will happen,â hushed voices were speaking in the corner of the room but I couldnât turn to see who it was. I noticed something pressing on my temple and when I tried to shift my head it stopped. There was something keeping my head still. âKeep her away, Justin.â
âRight, because itâs so damn easy,â
âNothing worthwhile ever is.â It was Justin and a woman. He sighed and I made out some of the words they said but they were whispering them so quietly.
I pressed harder to try and turn around but to no avail. A sudden rage helped me on the way though. Clara growled and stepped to the surface and whatever tool they had around my head shattered.
My head snapped to the side and I saw their shocked faces. The woman turned from shock to a grin as she patted Justin on his arm.
âGood luck,â he ran a hand through his visibly sweaty hair and walked over to me.
âNicely done, Hulk.â He joked but I saw the worry on his face.
âWhatâs a little plastic to a werewolf,â I laughed.
âOh nothing at all but metal clampers however, thatâs something.â I looked at the pieces that had fallen on the side of the bed and he was right, they were made of metal.
my jaw dropped and I looked up at him.
âWhops,â
âYouâre strong,â he sat down on a chair that pulled right next to the bed.
âiâm guessing that most of the people here are,â Justin nodded his head and looked away with his lip tucked between his teeth.
âThey are, but I think youâre a bit special,â the question was there on the tip of my tongue, and I knew I had to ask. Simultaneously, I sensed his apprehension in answering it.
âWhat happened to me out there?â The air shifted around us, and both Justin and I turned and looked at Nathaniel, who stood by the stairs. His imposing figure looked like a shadow until he stepped out in the light.
âNo need to worry. Harnessing the powers of our memories and thoughts is not an easy task. Thatâs why we start training the young ones early. It will be a little harder for you given you age and experience out in the world. For them, itâs all fun and games, but for you,who has truly lived, it will take some time to adapt.
âBut you think Iâll be able to do it?â I asked, the warm light accentuating Nathanielâs features. While waiting for his response, I stole a quick glance at Justin, who seemed restless and fidgety, tapping his foot against the floor.
âOf course, I will work on it with you personally,â Nathaniel assured me, his captivating eyes drawing anyone in. His hair looked slightly ruffled, with strands hanging in front of his eyes The shirt clung to his body and his tattoos began on the back of his hand and slithered all the way up under his sleeve.
âGreat,â I replied with a smile. He stood there quietly, observing me, before casting his gaze down on Justin, who understood his unspoken request. Justin looked at me and with a strained smile he got up from the chair and placed it back in the corner. The dark wooden chair had a wicker seating that blended into the wall.
The entire place had a dark, wooden ambiance, reminiscent of a ski resort.
I glanced up and noticed the lights that hung across the walls.
âWait,â Justin turned around.
âIs this my room?â A genuine smile spread across his face. âIt is. Rest up, and weâll continue practice later.â
That night, I slept like a log and the sun didnât reach my house as it did back home.Speaking of homeâ¦i missed it.
My feet touched the cool surface and I rubbed my eyes. I made myself a cup of coffee, and stepped outside. My neighbors greeted me with friendly smiles and waved as they passed by. The atmosphere was so welcoming, it felt like being in Disneyland.
It was strange that I hadnât heard a single bad word about anyone. In every town, there would usually be someone grumpy or unpleasant. However, here, everyone seemed to get along.
A couple walked past me with a basket in their hands and laughed as they crossed down the streets. âDid you sleep well?â Justin came up on my side, and it was good to see him, even though he looked a little worn out.
âLike a log, but I can see that you didnât,â he raised his to-go cup up to his lips and downed the last sip of coffee.
âThereâs more inside,â I said, laughing, as he followed me back in.
I filled his cup and handed it to him. Justinâs fingers lingered on mine as he grabbed the cup from me and took a sip. His face contorted in a grimace, and he winced.
âYou do not make coffee very often, do you,â he remarked somewhat rudely, prompting the back of my hand to slightly slam against his arm.
âHow are you?â We sat down on the couch, facing each other. âIâm good, sleeping really helped with the pain.â
âIâm glad,â there was a moment of silence, where neither of us uttered a word, and the sound of our breathing was barely audible
âHow about you?â His eyes snapped to mine attentively, and he cleared his throat.
âItâs been busy.â looking down in my cup I felt my lips twitching up in a smile and I lifted my eyes. âThatâs not what I asked,â I said.
Justinâs lips parted, his eyes flickering between mine, and he let out a nervous chuckle. He looked up at me through hooded eyes and tossed his head.
âWe should get going. You have a lot to practice.â
We walked to the water, just like last time, but instead of stopping where the kids were, we walked past their condensing gazes and continued up the river.
I scoffed and glared at them.
âShe passed out,â I overheard one of the kids whisper.
âItâs hard!â Justin grabbed my arm and pulled me along while laughing.
âWhoâs he to judge? He doesnât even have his wolf.â I whined as I pulled my arm free from his grip. âSure but heâs not wrongââ Justin gave me a side eye.
ââyou did pass out.â Jackass.
After walking for another fifteen minutes, we finally made it to where I was going to practice. However, it wasnât going to be just me and Justin, as I had initially thought. Nathaniel stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing out over the land.
âItâs good to see you up on your feet again.â He said, his back still turned to us. I glanced at Justin, feeling a sense of worry creeping up my spine, and I clasped my hands together. Justinâs sudden tenseness and posture wasnât making it easier either.
Nathaniel turned around and looked at Justin. He raised his head and gave a slight nod. âThank you for bringing her here. You can go.â Justin looked at me and without thinking, I reached out and held his arm.
âWhy canât he stay?â I asked, seeking an answer from Nathaniel. However, he remained silent. I felt Justinâs hand gently remove mine from his arm and he bowed his head to his king.
A quick glance was all I got from him before he turned around and left.