Chapter 15: Chapter 15

ANNA

~I need to put some distance between Roland and me, fast.~

I have no idea where we are going, but at least Amethyst is with me. She is good company.

We reach a clearing. Everything about this world is enchanted; the view is breathtaking. There are beautiful flowers on the ground in every color you can think of, and butterflies everywhere.

In the center of the clearing stands a huge tree covered with pink flowers. It looks like a cherry tree.

“We are entering werewolf territory,” Amethyst says, handing me the bottle of water.

I take a huge sip and give it back to her.

“Where are we going?” I ask, wiping off a drop that escaped my lips.

“To get you home, we need to go to the shadow realm and ask the elders to open a portal,” she says.

~Well, I wonder if the elders will just open up a portal or if you are supposed to give them something. Nobody does anything for free.~

Amethyst stops as we come to the edge of a cliff and sits down, taking in the view.

It’s magnificent, this place. There are blossoming cherry trees everywhere and a river flows down the mountain.

“It’s beautiful, but where is the house?” I ask as I sit down next to her.

“We don’t have cities and skyscrapers like you have, Anna. We are very common folk, and we get by with what nature provides.”

She smiles a sweet smile and continues. “The werewolves live in small wooden cabins, some even in caves if they are not mated yet. When a male finds his mate, they build a bigger place for them at the foot of the mountain.

“Werewolves are not the friendliest creatures and have bad tempers, so please, Anna, don’t tempt them. They will lose it and I’m really not in the mood to fight off a pack of werewolves,” she says, narrowing her eyes at me.

“I will do my best.” I smile sweetly at her.

She shakes her head and stands up, offering me her hand to help me to my feet.

We follow the path down the cliff and make it to the river. Amethyst quickly scouts the area before she bends down and fills our water bottle.

I take off my shoes and place my feet in the river, inhaling a breath of fresh air. The air is so clean and this place is mesmerizing. I feel more connected to Mother Nature here and much more relaxed.

Nothing is rushing me like in the city, where you’re always chasing against time to get everything done and before you know it time has passed you by. Here you can enjoy life, appreciate nature, and just relax.

“Ready?” Amethyst asks.

I jump up, pull on my shoes, and follow her.

Amethyst stops in her tracks and turns toward me, smiling brightly. I feel a frown forming on my forehead.

“What?” I ask.

“We are being followed,” she says sweetly in a whisper.

~What the hell? And she’s happy about it?~

“Okay, am I missing something?” I ask, confused.

“It’s Roland and Lev. I told you he would not be able to stay away no matter how hard he tries. It’s impossible,” she says in a whisper. Turning around, she starts to walk again.

~I wish she would be clearer. I mean, she starts something and just lets it hang there, not saying a word. It is so frustrating.~

“How do you know it’s them? Why can’t they stay away?” I ask.

She bursts out in laughter, tears even forming in her eyes.

~I really don’t get it. Why is it so funny?~

She catches her breath and places her hand on my shoulder.

“Oh, Anna. Trust me, it’s them. I spotted Lev when we stopped at the edge of the cliff and I knew Roland was close by,” she says breathlessly.

“I know you are angry at Roland, but you need to talk to him. We are going to need their help on our journey to get you home.”

~Well, ‘angry’ is not the word I would use to describe my feelings toward him at the moment. More like frustrated, annoyed, murderous…oh, the list goes on and on.~

“I’m not talking to that arrogant, self-absorbed asshole ever again,” I say.

Amethyst rolls her eyes at me.

“You know, he’s not that bad. And he can hear every word you say—especially when you’re talking,” she retorts, and we start to walk again.

~If I never have to lay eyes on that man again, it’s fine by me.~

~Wait. What does she mean, especially when I’m talking?~

“We are close,” Amethyst says. There is a very unstable-looking hanging bridge in front of us, swinging over a very high gorge and, at the bottom, a rough river.

“We need to cross here.” She looks at me and I shake my head.

“Nah, no way I’m walking over that thing.”

Amethyst starts to chuckle, then grabs the ropes on both sides of the bridge and starts to walk.

~Oh, heavens, please help me.~ ~You can do this, Anna. Just don’t look down, don’t look down.~

I repeat it like a mantra over and over in my head. The bridge is swinging and I can hear the angry river at the bottom. Amethyst makes it over like it’s a breeze, but I’m struggling to put one foot in front of the other.

When I hear a crack under my foot, I look down. The depth swallows me in and I feel light-headed. My foot slips through the crack.

I can feel the oxygen leaving my body and the blood draining from my face.

~I’m going to fall to my death.~

I try to hold onto the rope but it slips through my fingers. I hear Amethyst shouting helplessly at me to hold on.

A huge golden-brown wolf comes racing my way, grabs me by my shirt, and pulls me up. I curl up on the bridge, pull my legs into my chest, place my head on my knees, and let out a soft sob.

I can’t move. I’m frozen to the spot and my whole body is shaking.

I feel soft fur rubbing gently against my hand and I look up into my savior’s eyes.

I don’t know why, but I trust this wolf with my life. I place my hand on its side and rise to my feet. We slowly cross the bridge to Amethyst, who stares at us in disbelief.

My savior gently rubs his head against my forehead and leaps off into the shadows. I feel both relieved and sad to see it go. It just saved my life.

“Anna!” Amethyst pulls me into her embrace and squeezes me so tightly I can’t breathe.

“I thought I lost you,” she whispers. She holds me at arm’s length, scanning my body up and down. “Are you okay?”

I can feel the blood returning to my face and my breathing steady. I nod and look in the direction the wolf went.

“That, my sweet Anna, is the alpha of the werewolves. He must have heard our screams,” she says.

I lie down on the ground, looking up at the sky, waiting for my heart to slow down and my body to stop shaking.

Amethyst plants down next to me and hands me the bottle of water. I push myself up onto my elbows and take a sip.

“Will we see him again? I want to thank him.”

She nods and takes the bottle from me.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but when he saved me, it felt like I knew him and we had a bond like old friends, or more like family,” I say as I lie back down.

Amethyst looks at me, puzzled.

“I can’t explain it, Anna, but I feel a strong aura around you, and that is why I need to get you to the elders,” Amethyst says. She stands up from the ground and starts to walk.

I rise as well, dusting off the grass from my clothes, straighten them, and follow Amethyst.

We finally reach the small wolf town. There are a few wooden cabins placed randomly around a huge mansion of a house, three stories high, also built out of wood.

The whole place has an unwelcoming feeling. The werewolves clearly don’t like visitors. Everybody is glaring at us—some are even growling—but it looks like it doesn’t bother Amethyst.

She just keeps on walking with her head held high, not even sparing a look for anyone.

We make it to the front of the big house and a huge, handsome man opens it up.

He has red hair and golden-brown eyes. A huge scar mars the left side of his face, running down his jawbone. It makes him look mean and more manly.

He has broad shoulders and a tattoo on his neck. Something about him screams “Alpha.”

Without any introductions, I push past him and go inside. He just stares at me and follows. I turn around and smile a sweet smile at him.

“Nice place you’ve got here. Cozy.”

Amethyst smacks her forehead with her hand and shakes her head.

Alpha guy smirks at me.

“Thank you,” he says, and points us to the living room.

The whole house is decorated in an old classical style. Not much color; almost everything is brown.

In the living room is a nice fireplace with wood piled up on one side. There are five dark brown leather armchairs in the middle of the room, centered around a coffee table.

Lots of portraits hang on the walls, probably of past alphas. There is a bar in the left corner of the room, stocked with what looks like barrels of beer.

I walk over to an armchair and sit down. The alpha sits in the one opposite mine and Amethyst sits next to me.

“What brings you here?” the big man asks, not taking his eyes off mine.

Amethyst clears her throat, and he moves his gaze over to her.

“We ask for food and shelter, for a day or two. My name is Amethyst and my friend is Annabeth,” she says in a sweet voice.

The alpha man frowns at me. He stands from his chair and walks over to the bar, pours three glasses of beer, and brings them to us.

“My name is Collen, and you are more than welcome to stay here. Just don’t cause any trouble—my people don’t take kindly to outsiders,” he says, and sits down again.

“So you are the alpha?” I ask, sipping on the beer.

“Yes, that would be me,” he answers cautiously, tilting his head to one side.

“Was it you who saved me earlier?” I ask, placing my beer on the coffee table.

“It was.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

Amethyst starts to make small talk with Collen. Uncomfortable, I pick up my drink again, then get up and stroll around the room, looking at every portrait. All of the men are sexy.

~Is there something in the beer, or do they just have sexy DNA?~

“Anna, are you coming?” Amethyst’s voice breaks me from my thoughts.

“Um…yes.”

Collen leads us upstairs, pointing out the bathrooms as we go, and then stops and opens a door.

Beyond it is a simply-furnished room: two single beds with white sheets flanking a wooden night table with a lamp on it. Two brown towels are neatly folded on the beds.

“This is your room,” Collen says. “Dinner is in an hour. There is soap in the bathroom you can use. Please don’t go snooping around—this is the packhouse, so a lot of werewolves live here.”

We thank him and he pulls the door shut as he exits our room.

I fall face-first on one of the beds. It is much better than the ground I’ve slept on the past several days.

~Thank God. A long shower and a nice cozy bed are exactly what I need.~

“I’m going for a shower,” Amethyst says, and grabs a towel.

“I really want to shower, too, but this bed is holding me down.”

She flicks me on my ass and starts to giggle.

“Come let’s go clean up and eat. Then you can sleep.”

I rise from the bed like the walking dead, grab the other towel, and follow Amethyst out to the bathroom.

All the showers are open, like at a gym, and there is no privacy. Amethyst strips down, turns on a shower, and soaks up the warmth.

I walk down to the end, turn on the shower, undress, and enjoy the water cascading down on my skin. It feels so good. Washing off all of the past few days’ dirt, I feel relieved and happy again.

As I dry myself, I see someone has placed new clean clothes on the bench beside me. I pick it up: a pair of black underwear, brand new, and a black lace bra; a pair of black leggings; and a blue tank top. A pair of sandals sits on the floor.

I pull on the clean clothes, finger-comb my hair, and check in the mirror. Everything fits perfectly.

~Okay, so they know my size. That’s a little creepy.~

Back at our room, Amethyst is waiting. We stroll down to the dining room.

“Holy shit,” I mutter under my breath as we walk in, “it’s raining men. Sexy men.”

Amethyst giggles. “Annabeth, close your mouth. You’re drooling, honey,” she whispers.

I gulp, lick my bottom lip, and think of the fest, the food fest. We work our way over to the buffet.

All the men are checking us out like ~we~ are on the menu.

I grab a plate and start dishing up when Collen appears next to me.

“Sorry about this. These are our unmated males and they are not used to beautiful women eating here.”

He takes my plate, holds out his hand, and leads me to his table. I sit down next to him and start to dig in.

When the front door swings open, everybody goes dead silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

Roland comes strolling in, and everybody stands up—even the alpha.

~Ugh.~

I stay seated and keep on eating. Collen looks at me in shock. I just shrug my shoulders at him.

Roland’s eyes fall on me, and he strides over to our table.

“Annabeth, we need to talk,” he says as everyone takes their seat.

I look up, narrow my eyes at him and shake my head. I see his jaw clench.

He takes in a deep breath and shuts his eyes. Lev comes to stand at his side, grins at me, and places his hand on Roland’s shoulder.

I take a big bite out of my bread, ignoring the arrogant man in front of me.

“Please?” he asks.

I roll my eyes.

~I really wish he would just fall over and die so I can enjoy my meal.~

“Anna! Please!” he says in a demanding voice. Everyone in the room is squirming under his command.

“Roland, please, just leave me alone,” I say softly, locking eyes with him.

He looks confused and heartbroken. He scans me and nods, then walks away. It feels like a part of me is going with him. He gives me one more look before disappearing out the door.

I see everyone’s eyes are on me, waiting to see what my next move will be. I shift in my chair, ignore the looks, and continue to enjoy my meal, although my food has a bitter taste now.