Trifecta: Stone [Completed]

Chapter 16: Acclimatize

We lapsed into silence, with Pauline moving around the room periodically. "I should get you some stuff so you can shower and get cleaned up."

Since she was more forthcoming than my original abductors, I asked, "How long will I be here?"

"I don't know, but a few of us will be taking care of you while you are. We know that you won't be able to manage much on your own. At the very least you have to make yourself eat or you'll end up in bed and hooked up to an IV. I don't know what His Majesty wants with you but I'm pretty sure they did not drag you down here simply to let you starve to death."

Well, that confirmed some of my suppositions.

"Will I meet him?" I ventured to ask.

She chuckled. "I doubt that."

Further questions were forestalled by the ringing of the doorbell. She jumped up and came back in with several boxes in her hands. She set them down on the coffee table between us and then went to the kitchen and brought back a pair of plates. She put a few slices of pizza and some chicken wings on one and passed it to me, before sitting back down.

She cracked a can of pop open and took a drink. "I would offer you one, but it'll probably just aggravate the curse."

I did not argue. I managed caffeine before, but that was when Serge had been there to keep the magic from overwhelming me. Maybe this girl had some good intentions at least.

I took a bite of pizza and even though it was like chewing on foam, at least it was covered with a generous amount of cheese and meat. Then I picked up one of the chicken wings and stripped the flesh from the bone. The hard structure felt good beneath my teeth and I resisted the urge to gnaw on it as if I were in my wolf form.

We ate in relative silence, for which I was glad because talking might accidentally reveal my intentions to rebel against the situation I found myself in.

Finally we finished eating and she said she was going to get me some things. I stayed on the couch and cowered under the comforter, wishing that I at least had Denizen there.

It was a funny thought. I wondered how the city people would react to seeing a full grown wolf. Probably with amusing terror. Denizen was safer back in the territories where he belonged. Where I belonged.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

True to her word, Pauline returned with a couple of bags of things in short order. She thrust clothing at me and herded me into the washroom with orders to clean up or she would have to help me before shutting the door.

It was difficult for me to go through the motions. Back home I could fall back on focusing what my pack wanted me to force me through the more difficult moments of my day, but this time I had only myself.

Well, I was sure Karen would want me to take care of myself, as much as I could even in the hold of the eastern wolves. And Serge would hardly be happy to see me fall into dejected ruin. I could still force myself to function for them.

Once I had managed to shower and dress in what turned out to be a very baggy t-shirt and soft shorts, I pushed myself out of the room to find Pauline had cleaned up the food.

"Although I doubt you'll be hungry in your condition, I put the leftovers in the fridge for you for later."

I nodded.

"Now head to bed. You can have either room," she said.

I moved to grab the comforter from the couch.

"That's filthy, grab the one off the other bed if that's what you were thinking about doing," she ordered.

While her orders were ineffectual against me, I decided it made sense nonetheless. I shuffled in and grabbed the heavy blanket and carried it into the smaller room. The tiny size made me feel comforted, rather like the bedroom at Serge's or the tiny office.