I woke up with the worst pain in my neck. I slowly opened my eyes expecting to see daylight, but instead it was actually pretty dark.
"Sleep well?" A feminine voice spoke up making me jump. I quickly turned my head to the left of me where the voice came from, which I instantly regretted. My neck tensed up making pain surge through my body. "Oh my god! I didn't mean to scare you!" She said jumping up and coming close to my side to make sure I was okay.
Her worried face was framed by long, dark brown hair that looked basically black. She had dark, chocolate brown eyes to match. Her brows were furrowed together as she asked me questions that I wasn't really bothering to listen to. I was just focused on her face and my neck pain.
"I'm okay. It's okay," I said as she helped me sit up. I wasn't really okay, though. It felt like someone just broke my neck.
"Oh, thank god," she sighed and then flashed me a gorgeous smile. "I'm Reagan. The, um, Gamma's mate. Eli-I mean Jale-sent me up here to make sure you didn't wake up alone," she rambled quickly leading me to believe she was either nervous or excited. Maybe even both. "I already know who you are. Well, everyone in the pack knows who you are-wait that sounds weird! I-" she said starting to get even more nervous.
"Hey, calm down. Breathe a little," I interrupted her. I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed which I'm surprised actually did call her down. Her brown eyes connected with my grey ones. "Deep breath," I encouraged. She nodded and sucked in a deep breath. Reagan continued taking deep breaths until she seemed to actually calm down. Then, she shot me a shy smile.
"Sorry, I'm new to this pack. I haven't made many new friends since Maverick doesn't really let me leave his side," she chuckled nervously. I could only assume Maverick was her mate.
"It's better than not being able to see him at all," I mumbled to myself, but she ended up hearing me.
"Yeah, that would suck. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see him," she said with a light giggle. My heart ached at her oblivious comment. She obviously had no clue that I was in that very position as we speak. I frowned and looked down at my hands in my lap. "Everything okay?"
I looked up at her as she looked at me with worried eyes once again. I nodded, but everything inside of me wanted to scream that I wasn't, and the love of my life was being abused by my own family, and my only friends are locked in cellars.
"Okay. Good, I was worried that-" I could tell Reagan was about to babble again, so I was thankful when the door opened. We both turned to look and see my brother walk in. Eli's eyes stopped on me with an expressionless look.
"Reagan, Maverick is looking for you," he said as he continued looking at me. With an 'okay', Reagan ran out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
"She's interesting," I said with a sigh and a small smile. Eli ran a hand through his brown hair and walked over to me as I sat in the bed.
"Trust me, when I found out she was Maverick's mate I could barely believe it. Someone like her helping to keep this pack in order," he said with a small chuckle. He shook his head as he did so. "She has anxiety, so she gets really nervous talking to new people."
"Oh." That made sense. I mean, I've never really been around anyone with anxiety, but her constant anxiousness whether or not I was upset with her was what I believed someone with anxiety would act like.
Eli took a seat in a chair on the far corner of my room. I watched him as I waited for him to say something until it hit me that I did not make it to my room last night.
"How'd I get in here?" I questioned Eli as I stared directly into his icy, blue eyes.
"Trevor brought you up here. Said you turned around to look at him, but you tripped and ended up twisting your neck as you went down," Eli explained. He shook his head and scratched him chin looking away from me. "I'm not sure how much of that I believe, though," he muttered. I scrunched my brows together recalling what I could remember from last night.
"Wait, I didn't fall. Someone knocked me out!" I defended as I pointed to myself. I might have been a bit clumsy growing up, but I can assure you I was the least bit clumsy now. I was probably more agile than most people.
"So you're telling me that Trevor snapped your neck for no reason?" Well I wouldn't say no reason. I did recall my wolf feeling the urge to tear the beta apart limb from limb.
I raised my hand slowly to my neck and rubbed it. I now noticed just hot stuff it was. Sure, it hurt, but I hadn't realized how stiff and hard to move it was.
"No. He was I front of me the whole time," I mumbled mainly to myself. I took in a sharp breath before reality hit me and I realized what had actually happened. "How am I still alive if someone snapped my neck?" I practically shouted at Eli. He didn't even bat an eye at my panic. Her just leaned a bit farther back into his chair and sighed.
"Grey," he said using the name they gave me: me parents, "you're a werewolf. Our bodies heal the most unimaginable injuries at record time." I nodded as if telling him I understood, but in my mind all I could think of was 'what the hell is wrong with these crazy, wolf people?'
We both sat in silence for about a minute. I fidgeting with my hands while Elijah watched me closely. It wasn't like he was watching me because he didn't trust me. It was more of checking to make sure I was okay, or at least that's what I thought he meant by it.
"Well if you're up for it, mom is impatiently waiting with our Uncle Andrew in her room," Eli offered. "She wants to see you, but was worried you didn't want to see her first thing when you woke up. I've never seen her so self conscious," he explained chuckling lightly.
I froze thinking of her. My mom-as in Alex. Honestly, I wasn't fond of her at the moment. I wanted to love her, and under different circumstances I probably would have been over joyed to have met her, but not now. Not when she has my mate and only two friends locked in cellars.
I didn't know how to reply to Eli. Say yes and try to have a civilized conversation with the woman who I had been dreaming of meeting since I was a child or stay in my room with a sore neck thinking of what life would be like if my parent's pack had never found us. Would Kieran and I be training right now? Would Marilyn be painting her nails? Would Bolton be saying something stupid in an attempt to get on Kieran's nerves? A chuckle slipped passed my lips as I thought about how Bolton was probably doing that now even though they're all starving and beaten half to death.
I looked up quickly after chuckling to myself to see Eli staring at me with a very confused expression. I mentally cursed myself for making myself seem even more psychotic than he probably thinks I am.
"I-um," I started to say but didn't know how to end it. Did I really want to go and talk to her? Maybe it was best to just stay here with Eli.
"Listen, you don't have to. I get it. We are holding you and your, uh," Eli said taking a pause. I could tell he was trying to tip toe around his words, "friends hostage, but I will say that she only has good intentions." His words made the voice-I mean my wolf-growl loudly inside my head. It sent a painful ringing to my ears which I was sadly used to by now. My wolf didn't agree with Elijah. She didn't think Alex had good intentions. The only think she knew was that he mate was dying in a cellar and my mother wasn't doing much about it.
"I'll go talk to her," I finally agreed, but as soon as the words came out, I wish I had never said them. A smile graced Eli's handsome face. I knew then that there was no way I could take back what I had said. It obviously meant the world and a half to Eli that I was willing to speak with Alex.
"Will, um, Greyson be there?" I asked taking a second pause to recall his name. Eli shook his head, no, making me feel a lot better. I had nothing against Greyson, my father, besides the fact that he's one of the main contributors to my mate be held in a cell. He just scares me. I always imagined my father being so dadish. Greyson looks more like he should be running a gang or chilling with the Mafia. To be short, Greyson did not seem approachable or friendly, what-so-ever. Jale must have spent a lot of time with him growing up; like father, like son.
Eli helped me out of bed and to where Alex was with our uncle. I had never heard of Andrew before. I honestly thought Eli was talking about Riley at first until I remembered that literally no one knows where the mysterious 'Riley-I-Like-To-Steal-My-Brother's-Baby-For-Fun-And-Revenge-Or-Whatever-Hayes' has gone. Thinking of Riley sent a shiver down my spine and thinking of his last name gave me another. That was my last name.
No. I'm Arden Aldridge not Grey Hayes. Grey Hayes left seventeen years ago.
I shook the thoughts away as Eli knocked on a large, wooden door. Before he even had time to take his hand away from the door, it flung open to expose Alex and a man behind her who I guessed was Andrew.
Andrew had light green eyes and light, chestnut brown hair. A pair of glasses sat on his nose which intrigued me. If werewolves heal all of these 'unimaginable things' then why can't it make Andrew see better?
My thoughts were cut short when Alex began talking. Thankfully, it was to Eli and not me. I don't think I was mentally prepared to talk to her again just yet.
"Dad wants you. He and Jale are waiting for you in the office," Alex said seriously not looking at me once.
"For?" Eli questioned.
"You know," Alex stated not breaking eye contact. I looked at Eli and watched as his eyes worriedly flickered down to me for a split second before returning to his mother-our mother. He nodded and turned around but stopped. He then turned back to me and got close to my ear whispering to me in an extremely hushed tone that Alex would not be able to hear as she walked away from Eli and I over to Andrew.
"When you decide to leave, go back to your room. Don't look for me, and do not go down to those cellars with out me," he ordered. I was used to people giving me orders all my life, but something about the way he did it ticked my wolf off. I wasn't sure if it was because she knew as well as I did that they were probably going to go down there just to beat up on our mate and friends some more, or just the fact that he told us not to try and see our mate. As my wolf growled viciously in my head, I nodded. Eli took that as his cue to leave and I took that as my cue to run away from Alex like a bat out of hell.
Not really. I wanted to, but I actually was scared that she'd end up ripping the hair out of my head when she caught me. I didn't bother thinking about if because I know she would have caught me. I didn't doubt that I got my temper from Alex. I scratched my head thinking about the poor girl from the mall who I practically scalped.
I walked into the room where Alex watched me closely and Andrew watched me wide-eyed. They were both sitting on a large bed which I assumed by the overpowering scent of the room was Alex and Greyson's. I stood in front of them not really knowing what to do.
"Eli said you wanted to talk to me,"
I said looking down at the floor. My heart was beating out of my chest and I couldn't figure out why I was freaking out so much. I had just spoken to hear not long ago. Well, we didn't really talk much-more like argued.
"I'm gonna go," Andrew said still staring at me. I didn't have to look at him to know he was. I could feel his heavy stare on me. I raised my head up and watched as he left the room. When I turned back to look at Alex, she was already looking at me.
She patted the bed beside her where Andrew had been sitting. I gulped knowing she wanted me to sit there. I slowly made my way over and sat down.
"I always hoped you would look like me," Alex said as she reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I didn't flinch. I did the complete opposite. I literally just froze in place as I watched and listened to her. "I always hoped you would have my light blue eyes and light brown hair. I can see that didn't happen," she joked with a slight chuckle. I laughed nervously not knowing what to say to her. Thankfully, she continued talking.
"I talked to your father about them." I could feel her hatred come off in waves at the way she said them as if she wanted to call them something else. "If it were up to me, I would let you see them one last time. Sadly, that's not the case," she said making my heart stop. Alex was supposed to help me see them. She made the deal with me saying she would talk Greyson into letting me see them if I made friends! Which I did! I now know Eli and Reagan! I could possibly even include Trevor, but I doubt he likes me enough to even call me an acquaintance.
I turned my head away from her squeezing my eyes shut as I felt my wolf come forward. She wanted control and she wanted to make Alex pay.
Kill her. My wolf's words burned into my brain. The words were filled with so much hatred and I knew that if she had her way, Alex would be dead in seconds. Well, that would be the best case scenario. Worse case would be that I was dead in seconds. Either way, someone is dead, so it was best that I just push her back.
After a moment of me fighting her for control, I stood up off of the bed and looked at Alex.
"Why won't you just let me see them? I won't hug him! I won't touch him! I won't even talk to him! He's my mate! I need him!" I shouted at her feeling anger bubble within me.
Alex stood up off of the bed. Even thought she was a good three or four inches shorter than me, she was still terrifying. She glared at me as if I was the one who just told her she was never going to see her mate again.
"We are doing this because we want to protect you! Shredders took you away from us, Grey! You're my daughter! You were supposed to be here with us!" She shouted back angrily. I clenched my teeth together trying extremely hard not to let my emotions get the best of me. I knew the moment I did that I would have to deal with my wolf coming out again.
"It's a real shame then that now pack wolves, my own family, are taking me away from the one person who I'm truly supposed to be with," I said as calmly as possible knowing that my shouting was just making Alex shout which in turn made my wolf feel the need to rise once again. "Too bad you're too close minded to realize how much that shredder means to me." I turned on my heal to begin walking back to my room when Alex stopped me.
"Do you even know what a shredder is Grey? Do you know what they do?" She shouted at me. I clenched my jaw and hands into fists as I stared angrily at the door. I didn't want to turn around and face my mother. "They kill people. They took you from me."
"Kieran didn't," I snapped at her feeling the need to defend him immediately. I didn't want to believe what she was telling me. Kieran doesn't just kill people for no reason. He's so much better than that. Marilyn, maybe. Not Kieran.
"Maybe not from me, but how did you end up with him? Did he try killing you or did one of them?" I visibly tensed at her question. I tried hard to push away the memory of Marilyn attempting to tear me apart in the poor little park we met in. "That's what they do, Grey. Shredders are called shredders because they rip and tear everything and anyone apart in their way. And it's all just some game to them! I'm sure they've killed people right in front of you, and you didn't even think anything of it! They have you brainwashed, Grey. That's not how pack wolves like us act."
I turned around to look at my mother who looked rigid. I could tell she was pissed. Oh boy, was she mad. Her jaw was clenched, and I knew by the look on her face that she had been glaring daggers into the back of my head.
"I spent my entire life being called a lunatic, but everything you just said was ten times crazier than anything I had ever said, ever," I stated. I turned away from her and began walking away from her. I got to the door and stopped, but didn't bother turning around. "Kieran is my mate-my other half. If you're gonna call him a shredder, then you might as well call me one, too." And with that off of my chest I stormed down the hall, through the pack house, and back to my room.
I had a new mind set and in no way was anyone going to stop me from seeing what is mine. My mother was a lunatic. Obviously. There was no way in hell that my friends were anything that Alex had described. Well, I intended to keep on telling myself that, hoping that maybe I would end up believing it.
My Kieran isn't a killer.
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Aw just Bc I feel really really bad about not updating for all those months and then I have u guys a small chapter. SO HERES A QUICK UPDATE.
I don't know how long I worked on writing this but I will tell you it was over like two days. I'm gonna try really hard to start an update day too. I think I wanna start updating either Friday's or Sunday's.
Anyway, school is starting back and now I feel like I'm ready to start writing like a mad man so get excited Bc I am.
Vote for this chapter Bc I like quick updates and I know you guys do plus it's 12:44am and I'm dying so yea.
Ps this is rly not edited
Pps photo is Reagan
Stay awesome Gotham. 8/6/16