Northern Lights: The Druid of Black Lake

Chapter 15

I woke up before dawn the next morning. I pulled myself out of bed trying not to bother Clark. I pulled on sweats and slippers. As I pulled my hair back in a messy bun, I tiptoed out of our bedroom and made my way to the kitchen to make myself tea and a quick breakfast. It was a deserted space, I had never found the kitchen completely empty before. I made myself oatmeal with apple slices and tea, carrying it carefully to the library where I would wait for Marie's call. Anthony did not give me a time but I wanted to be prepared. I ate my oatmeal and waited for the call. Minutes went by like hours, it felt like the lobby of the hotel in Brandon all over again.

Thankfully, the phone ran at 7:30am, I answered it, "Black Lake pack house, this is Charlotte Duffey."

I heard a rough sigh on the line, "Hi Charlotte, it's me, Marie." I couldn't stop myself from crying out with joy at the sound of her voice. I knew she was alive, but a part of me thought I may never get this phone call.

"Marie, thank god! Are you alright?" I cried out, I didn't control the level of my voice. I pulled the blanket onto my lap as I made myself comfortable on the sofa.

She coughed slightly into my ear, "Not really." Neither of us said anything for a moment. I sighed, "Tell me what happened."

Marie cleared her throat and put the phone down. I could hear her talking to someone else, "Please give me some space. I want to talk freely to my sister... Yes, now... No... I said no Tony... Go, I'll link you when I'm done..." In the background I heard a door open and close softly at the other end of the line.

"Sorry Charlotte, I needed the room." She told me, "Tony is gone now." I lay down on the sofa, pulling the blanket up to my chin. I heard Marie shift as well, knowing she was getting as comfortable as I was for our conversation.

"So how much did Tony tell you?" she asked me. "He told me you got mad at him about an Omega girl. You threatened to leave him. He got mad and collared you for three days." I told her, my voice stumbling over the last remark.

Marie sighed into the phone and coughed again, "Yeah, that's the jest of it. The last time we talked things were getting better between us. He finally let me mark him, I thought he was finally ready to be mine. Then I felt it through the mate bond, he was messing around with someone in his office so I went to confront him about it. I kicked her out, yelled at him told him I was sick of his crap."

"Yeah, I knew you got mad at him." I said, she laughed but it wasn't a real laugh. She sighed and continued, "I went to our room and started packing a bag. I was going to take off for a few days to mother and father's not forever. Anthony followed me, he watched me pack and he lost it. He pushed me down, slapped my face, kicked me. He was so angry, he lost complete control. He choked me until I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was naked, bleeding from everywhere and in a collar on the training field. I didn't even get to shift, so everyone saw I was naked and beaten."

I gasped, I had assumed he had made her shift before the collaring. That is the usual way that punishment is handled. Without the fur of her wolf to protect her neck, Marie would definitely have open sores and welts on her neck. They might never heal properly now.

"Marie, I am so sorry." I whispered. She coughed again, I could tell she was weak. Marie cleared her throat again, "I was out there for three days, no food or water. Tony visited me each day, but he didn't come close enough to talk to me. I could sense his sadness and shame through the bond but I was in way too much of my own pain to care. He finally came yesterday to get me. He took the collar off with his bare hands and carried me to our bedroom. He tended to my wounds himself, apologizing over and over again, crying."