The Calling

Chapter 27 ~ Ethan Woods

As I cradle Shannon and pray for her to return to me, I start to feel guilty for lying to Lucas. Lucas is my Alpha because I choose to, not because he has dominion over me. I have lost myself to chaos before and slaughtered rival Packs, but I've also killed many of my own. As chaos, I am not myself, and I can't tell the difference between friend or foe. Lucas knows this dark side of me, and despite that, he was willing to let me be part of his Pack. Lucas knows that I can easily best him, but through trust and loyalty, Lucas made me his Beta. I am both his greatest weapon, and if not kept in check, his most feared nightmare. But now Shannon has changed all of that. I only hope that I haven't ruined his trust in me after he finds out the truth of my deception.

I have no idea how long the transition to Vampire usually takes, or because Shannon is different, if she will take longer or less time than normal, to become a Vampire. As I watch her, I become more anxious that she isn't going to return to me.

Hours later, I begin to see signs that Shannon's body is accepting the change, I can see her wounds starting to heal, especially her mangled leg. I can see bone and connective tissue reconnecting, and I can slowly see the color returning to her cheeks. I only hope that when she fully recovers that she knows who I am, otherwise, I'm afraid of what will happen. I can see small facial movements, and then finally a chest rise. And as I watch her breathe in, I let out a breath that I didn't realize that I was holding. Strangely enough I can hear a funny heartbeat coming from her. What's going on? Vampires don't have a heartbeat...

Suddenly, Shannon opens her eyes. They're still a green color, but now she has traces of black in them. She appears to be frightened and doesn't recognize me. She jumps out of my arms and lands on the ceiling! While she is suspended on the ceiling, she looks down at me and hisses. Before I even have time to react, she breaks through my glass ceiling and is gone. What have I done?

I run out of my bedroom, into my den, and over to the door leading to my patio. I open the door and step outside, surely, she is out here somewhere. It's not like she has anywhere to go, I'm on top floor for crying out loud. Thank goodness for my heightened ability to see in the dark, or I would have missed her crouching in the darkest corner of my patio. Her eyes are fixed on me, she looks wild and frightened. She still doesn't recognize me. I slowly approach her like she is a wounded stray animal.

"It's OK Shannon. It's me, Ethan, remember? We met earlier this week. I saved you from being poisoned by wolfsbane, then again by water fairies who tried to drown you. I am not going to hurt you."

I could see her processing what I told her, trying to remember, and then shaking her head.

"Don't come any closer! I remember you. You tried to kill me!"

"OK. I won't come any closer." I decided to kneel down to her level so that she feels less threatened by me.

"You're right. But I was not myself. I was in my Wolf form, and in what I call, a state of pure chaos. I have no control over it. Not even my Alpha, Lucas, can control me when I'm in that state. Apparently, I too have something unique. As far as I know, I am, or rather was, the only Wolf that when transformed, completely loses consciousness, of their subconscious. I thought I was the only Wolf that could not be subdued by an Alpha; at least that's what I thought until you overpowered me. Thanks to you, I am myself now. Please don't fear me, I will never hurt you, not now, not ever."

"I am so confused right now. I have thousands of memories flashing through my mind; I know they're not all mine, but they feel like mine."

"Maybe if you focus on our bond, feel for our connection, maybe that will help ground your thoughts. You're experiencing these memories because of a Vampire. I'm not exactly sure what he did, but he said that by saving you, you will have his memories. Try to focus on your own memories; tell me what you last remember."

"I'm starting to remember... but it's unclear. The last thing I remember is that I was waiting for you to pick me up, to bring me to the pack house, where you promised me that I'd be safe. But I fell asleep waiting for you, and then I was woken by strangers fighting and killing each other in my house. After that, everything went dark... The next time I woke, I was in an old musty cobble stone basement, and some crazy old guy told me that he was going to force the bond with me, and killed his mate in front of me... Then there was a fire and a lot of smoke... I don't remember how it was started, but I remember being dragged up some ragged stairs, and that's when my leg was sliced open. After that, everything gets hazy..."

"You have no idea how sorry I am that this happened to you, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

"Wait! I'm remembering... I remember transforming! I thought I was dying but then I became a Wolf, I have a Wolf! Then I remember you..."

Before I even realized that she moved, she is hugging me. As I'm hugging her back, she says,

"I remember you carrying me into a mansion and then only fragments... something about being an Alpha Queen... What is that?"