Pureblood (Pureblood series) Read online

  “There now, that wasn’t so hard now was it?” The woman blinked and immediately Elizabeth relaxed against the bed. The pressure let loose and she felt fine again, if a little out of breath. Dr. Gerald breathed a small sigh of relief, whether for his patient’s well being or fear of her being sent into another panic attack, she couldn’t tell. “So, you remember pain. What else? As many details as you have, please. Details are very important right now.” Her voice was calmer, but she could tell this woman was only a hair’s breadth away from using that power against her should she not respond again. And she didn’t want to feel that again.

  Flashes of memory came flooding back to Elizabeth. She closed her eyes in an attempt to sort through the jumbled images floating to the surface. “White teeth, biting into my shoulder. Blood, so much blood. My chickens, I went outside to feed them when… when a dog jumped on me. I was attacked by a dog?”

  “Hmm, not quite. What color was the ‘dog’?”

  “I don’t-what does it matter?! I was attacked and unconscious for so long! Why am I strapped down? Who are you people? When can I leave?” Elizabeth was done being ordered around. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. She stared at the businesswoman at the end of her bed, rising off the bed as much as she could while still being strapped down. She was angry now, tired of being restrained. She didn’t leave one cage to be tied to another one!

  After a long moment, the two men in the room holding their collective breath, the other woman broke the staring contest with a humoring snicker. “Oh my, you are right, how rude of me. I just wanted to see if you were ready, but I see that you are, so of course I’ll answer your questions. My name is Beatrice Faust, and this is my Beta, my second in command, Nicholas Connor,” she answered, motioning toward the man on her right. Upon hearing his name, he nodded his head toward Elizabeth. She relaxed against the bed again, listening to Beatrice. Finally, some answers. “You’ve already met the good Dr. Gerald. He’s been monitoring your case very closely since you arrived seven days ago, after all it has been quite a while since we have welcomed a Turned into our pack.”

  “Woah, what? What’s a ‘Turned?’ And what pack, I’m not joining some cult or something just because you saved me!”

  “Oh dear, guess I need to explain a bit differently, details and all. My dear Elizabeth, you were not bitten by a ‘dog’ as you thought, but a wolf. More specifically a werewolf. This bite turned you into one too, thus you are what we call a ‘Turned’. Someone who was not born a werewolf. I am the Alpha of this pack and since you were bitten by one of my wolves, you are now under my care and, respectively, my responsibility. You were strapped down for the last week and put into a medically induced coma to minimize the damage you would do to yourself or others during your change. We expected you to wake up three or four days from now, but you surprised us. That’s why I wasn't here to greet you upon your awakening, and for that you have my apologies. As for when you will be untied and free to leave, once you are cleared by the medical staff to be fit and healthy you may go to your assigned den and that is where you will live for the remainder of your stay here. You are not permitted to leave at any point unless the one who turned you goes with you. Do you understand?”

  The more Beatrice spoke, the louder Elizabeth’s heartbeat thundered in her ears. Werewolf, that’s what she said. She was bitten by a werewolf. Things like that didn’t exist, they weren’t real… right?

  “No, I can’t say that I understand. But I promise you, I won’t breathe a word of this to the cops if you just let me go home.” She tried reasoning and rationale. She doubted they’d buy that, but it was worth a shot.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry my dear, but you won’t be leaving. As I’ve said, you are under my control now and I can’t have one of my own wandering around aimlessly and revealing us to the world. Whether you like it or not, you are a werewolf and a part of this pack. Nicholas, once Dr. Gerald clears her and removes her restraints, she is in your care. You know your role by now, I’m sure.” The last was spoken with a sternness not lost on her as she watched the interaction. Nicholas nodded to show he understood, but then he spoke and Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beep.

  “Understood, Alpha Beatrice.”

  Chapter Two

  The next two days of her being restrained gave her ample time to reflect on what she had learned. In that time, she tried to wrap her head around what was really going on. These people believed in werewolves, to the point they thought they were indeed werewolves! But that was just not possible, mythical creatures didn't exist after all. Next they would start saying fairies made fairy circles and vampires were their arch-enemies.

  Dr. Sykes did not return to her bedside again, supposedly he was “too busy,” but Elizabeth suspected that he was afraid of sending her into another panic attack. A few others visited her however, the most common being Dr. Gerald. He had stopped by no less than 5 times since she had awoken, once even in the middle of the night when she was woken up from a nightmare. He soothed her frayed nerves with his smooth accent, allowing her to talk in more detail about the attack her dreams had yielded to her.

  On the morning of her third day strapped in the medical ward, a nurse she had seen before but whose name she couldn’t remember, checked her vitals for any fluctuations. She watched the woman carefully so as not to interrupt and prolong her stay any further by making her lose count on the readouts. When she nodded her head and had started toward the door, it was then Elizabeth spoke up.

  “Excuse me but...um. I was told I would be able to leave soon.” her voice sounded tentative even to her own ears. The nurse had her hand on the doorknob but turned back to her patient to answer.

  “Yes, Miss Elizabeth, this was your last check before your release. Dr. Gerald and Beta Nicholas will arrive shortly,” the nurse responded pleasantly, so much so that Elizabeth found herself grinning at her.

  “Thank you,” she said as the nurse nodded and left the room again. Finally she would be getting out, be free of these restraints and free to walk around again! However, as these things usually go for her, time seemed to slow down even further. Seconds felt like minutes as the anticipation grew, and suddenly “shortly” seemed like hours away. Fifteen minutes after the nurse left, Dr. Gerald and Nicholas entered her room as she felt she could breathe again.

  “Ah, Miss Elizabeth, good to see that you’re awake. Beta Nicholas is ‘ere to escort you out o’ the ward since things seem to be all in order, medically wise. I’ll begin undoing your straps now, if that’s okay?” The good Dr. Gerald asked as he checked the machines once more. Elizabeth noticed Nicholas stayed near the door, never approaching her or the hospital bed.

  “Yes, please!” She urged a little too loudly. Both men glanced at her in shock, Nicholas huffed and looked away while Dr. Gerald giggled quietly. She blushed at her own exclamation as the doctor began at her hands, unhooking them from the bed before removing the wrist straps. This allowed Elizabeth to sit up on her own and get a better look at Nicholas. He was wearing something different from what he wore a few days ago. She took a moment to take him in while Dr. Gerald worked on her ankle restraints and intravenous fluid tube.

  Nicholas wore a pair of blue jeans with no holes, despite that seeming to be the style for twenty-somethings like herself. The other odd thing about the jeans was the style, not form fitting skinny jeans, but more like boot cut. They looked amazing on him, whatever they were, but with his well-muscled physique she imagined he would look good in anything. His shirt was even more interesting, being that it was short sleeved and showed off his biceps. It was pale blue in color, with a wide stripe of white around the seams, and what looked like a belt around the neck. Elizabeth nearly laughed out loud, seeing as these people believed themselves werewolves and here he was wearing what looked like a collar.

  The final strap released, the doctor stood up and held out his hand to Elizabeth, signaling that he would help her stand. “You may find it a bit odd to stand for a bit, seeing as you ‘aven�
�t used your muscles properly for a little while. I’ll ‘elp you up, deary and ‘old you steady.”

  With a nod of acknowledgement, she offered her hands out to him. She gently slid her legs sideways to hang off the bed. He let her sit there for a moment, to let her get accustomed to blood flowing properly he explained. She looked at her legs, having not seen them since she woke up. They looked normal, and yet not. In fact, a quick inspection of them while the doctor wrote something down with his back turned to her, showed that she seemed to have lost weight under the hospital gown. Well, Elizabeth did want to lose a few pounds, so maybe that was a good thing. A sudden movement had her head snapping to the left, quicker than should be normal, toward the doorway. Nicholas had moved towards the bed, it was only a step or two, but she noticed it. He moved so easily, watching her self examination with a wary expression. Why was he so concerned with her, was it just because she was his “responsibility” now?

  “Now, ready to try standing?” Dr. Gerald asked. At her nod of approval, he allowed her to slide off the bed at her own pace as he held her hands for support. Her feet touched the cool tile floor and she felt an overwhelming sense of freedom. Like she could run a marathon, or at least out of here fast enough before they could catch her. “Good, good. Standing is good. Now, wait just a tick to make sure you don’t get light ’eaded.” As the Doctor turned his head back to his paperwork, Elizabeth flexed her toes. She placed a hand on the bed beside her, lifting one foot at a time. In her excitement at being freed from the bed, she decided she was well enough to take a single step forward. That would prove to be her downfall, literally.

  Upon lifting her foot to step forward, she felt all the blood rush to her feet and away from her head. Her vision became edged with darkness and for half a second she thought she was going back into that darkness she was trapped in for the last week. The darkness spread to almost completely cloud her vision as she began to fall, but something firm stopped her descent into the black nothingness. She distantly heard the doctor gasp somewhere behind her, and as her vision began to clear again, she looked at what she’d fallen on. Her eyes trailed up into the cool visage of Nicholas, and as her brain began to wake up she realized he had moved forward to catch her. He felt warm as his hands held hers and her cheek was pressed to his chest, abnormally warm. A soothing warmth that could ignite her soul if she let it.

  All too quickly he pushed her away from him, helping her to her feet again. She almost whined at the loss of the warmth, but the doctor quickly checking her vitals again snapped her back to reality. What was she doing?!

  “You seem fine, just a little ‘ead rush. You should still be okay to leave, just take the day to rest and walk around your den before wandering the ‘alls.” Dr. Gerald said after checking her heart rate and blood pressure for the third time. “You ‘ave some clothes ‘ere, provided by Alpha Beatrice. We’ll leave you to change, unless you want me to call someone to ‘elp you in case you feel faint again?”

  “No, I should be fine,” she responded with a nervous smile.

  “Alright deary. Beta Nicholas will be right outside waiting for you, so come right out once you’re ready.” She thanked Dr. Gerald once more as he and Nicholas left the room. Elizabeth eyed the clothes chosen by “Alpha” Beatrice, finding them all in her size. How this woman knew her size she didn’t want to question, because she had the feeling that if she did she wouldn’t like the answer. Everything seemed to be from the same brand, one called “Cool Type”. She hadn’t heard of it, but assumed this was from some higher end casual collection as the quality of the fabric belied the tee shirts and shorts. After selecting a tank top with a pawprint on it that didn’t quite cover her midriff and some comfy feeling, rolled cuff shorts along with proper underwear, she tested her walking again. She didn’t feel faint this time, which she assumed was a positive as she made her way slowly to the door.

  As she opened the door, she saw Nicholas leaning against the opposite wall, his knee propped up to a point. Upon the door opening, his head jerked towards her at the same time as he pushed himself off the wall. He held her gaze a moment before clearing his throat like he was not used to talking.

  “If you’re ready, I’ll escort you,” he spoke plainly as he held out his hand for her to take it. She could see her assumption was right, he wasn’t used to speaking to others. Maybe he only spoke with Beatrice?

  “Yes, I’m fine, thanks,” she answered, looking at his hand before shrugging and walking toward the bright green “exit” sign. She heard him sigh quietly as he caught up to her.

  “I’ll also help answer any questions you have, that is my responsibility.” He seemed to be warming up to her, a little.

  “Oh, so you’re gonna try too huh? Try to recruit me into your wolf-loving cult? Not gonna happen pal, just show me to the door and I’m out of your hair... or fur, if you prefer. Mail me a bill and we’ll call it even,” she’d meant it to be a joke, even her tone indicated as such, until she got the exit and saw what was out there. She wasn’t sure what she expected, white walls similar to the medical ward maybe, but certainly not this. By the time she was finished speaking, she was standing smack dab in front of a cavern wall. People walked by the doorway she was standing in like it was completely normal, being in hallways made of smoothed rock. “What the-”

  “I was gonna warn you, but you didn’t really give me the chance. That is one of the pathways in the Packden. These pathways connect the different parts of the Packden, allowing us to travel easily where we need to go. For a newcomer, they can get a little confusing so stay close to me, okay? Oh, and there is no recruiting. You are a werewolf, whether you like it or not.” The sternness in his voice on the last part was evident. It seems she needed to respond, to say something to him, but she was too shocked to even make a coherent thought. Some of the passersby stopped to stare and whisper about her. Strangely, she found she could zero in on some of what they said.

  “Is she the one? The new Turned?”

  “I think so, and she’s with the Beta.”

  “Beta Nicholas shouldn’t be forced to be her tag-a-long, he has important things to do. Give her to the one who turned her.”

  “Do you know who turned her? I heard it was Jeremiah.”

  She heard each speaking as if they were whispering in her ear. She’d always had good hearing, but never this good. Maybe a side effect from her trauma, that had to be it. As she tried to process the new sounds and smells that assailed her senses, Nicholas stepped forward, in front of Elizabeth, to block her from view in a highly protective manner. He glared at the people who had stopped to gawk at her, and Elizabeth swore she heard him growl deep in his throat. Everyone paled at the man in front of them and quickly dispersed, fear in their eyes. She felt like she wanted to cringe away, but the feeling was quickly gone. Clearly this man was highly respected in this cult, either that or his looks intimidated everyone he met. She could believe both to be true.

  “Now that we have a clear path, shall we Elizabeth?” He stretched his arm out for her to walk into the cavern, placing a hand at the small of her back but not quite touching her. She could feel the heat radiating off of him whether he was touching her or not, and the heat of it shocked her to step forward.

  “F-fine, lead the way,” she stammered out as he began to walk past and a little in front of her, both clearing the path of others who they may encounter, and protecting her from them. She couldn’t quite make sense of him. Cold to his peers, but gentle to her. Maybe he was just taking his responsibility seriously or trying to lure her into a false sense of calm. She decided to distract herself from that train of thought and focus on another. “I could hear them, what they were saying I mean.”

  “You did? I’ll have a talk with them later, speaking such things about pack members. And to a newly Turned, it’s rude.” The last word ended in a snarl, causing Elizabeth to glance his way. He was smiling, but no joy was in his eyes. It was more like he was baring his teeth.

  “No, I’m not u
pset by what they said. Well, I mean I am, but it's more that… I heard them. They were speaking so low, but I heard them as if they were right in my ear. In… in my head.” She touched her head for emphasis.

  “Well, that makes sense. You are newly changed, so that will happen. You’ll get accustomed to it quickly. All your senses are enhanced to levels you’re not used to, so your brain is trying to play catch up. That’s also why we knocked you out for a while, so your subconscious had a chance to adapt to the changes.” He spoke matter of factly, but it was all mind blowing for her.

  “So you all have powers like this?” She questioned.

  “Heh, powers? Nah, heightened senses, faster healing, extended life. They all come with the territory, you’ll learn more about it soon. Some of us do have extra abilities, like Alpha Beatrice. Her’s are quite strong, we all look up to her. But that’s not what you should be worrying about right now. First things first, we have to climb these stairs. You gonna be okay with that?” He questioned as he began walking up, not even waiting for her answer. She followed, trying to figure things out with each step.