Among The Wolves

Villa

I sat in the back of the truck. We had made it to our location a long while ago, but Hem'Lar and the others were not present. The Eta was stationed outside the vehicle, I could barely see his shoulder.

I wrinkled my nose. This place had never stopped smelling like a wet dog. Ultimately, Hem'Lar popped his face in. "Eta, release her."

I could not have been happier! I had lost all feeling in my arms long ago. I got out, and only Hem'Lar was there. Alpha G'por'r and Epsilon were nowhere in sight. Hem'Lar gestured for me to follow. I noticed that he was standing near the steps of a tall, relatively random building. I had not even seen it since I was chained to the truck. I was taken aback.

It was built of white brick and had cemented window sills.

When I approached him, he reached down and grabbed my hand. I was not expecting it, so by the time I pulled my hand back, there was something around my wrist. At first glance, it appeared to be a mechanical watch with the numbers and the hands to tell time. But the seamless wristband and the small, green, light flashing on the side told me that it was more than that.

"I hope you understand the necessary precautions for that."

I nodded while observing the new device. It was smooth, black, and simple. Begrudgingly, I sighed. It was going to be another obstacle I was going to have to get rid of before I could escape.

"Okay, so, en route I was informed that I will be your travel guide. Your master, er Mes'Mu, was called away tonight, but she informed me of everything you need to know. So, let me show you your living quarters. They are keeping you separate from packmates for a variety of reasons."

I glanced nervously around me. The thought of other werewolves around made my hair crawl. Hem'Lar began walking past the steps and walked around the corner of the building. I followed him. We had to squeeze between the building and some thistle bushes to a side door. The door was white, but it was spotted with rust. The knob... I just blinked. The orange infested thing had the possibility of crumbling too soon.

Hem'Lar grabbed the handle, and I held my breath.

CHUNCK! He yanked the door open, and the knob stayed on. WHOA!

I peered past Hem'Lar to see what was behind this old rickety door. Dust met my nose. "AACHOO!"

"This place is a bit unused, so you may have to clean up a bit. You won't start your work today. So, you can focus on getting settled and rested for tomorrow." He handed me a key. "This goes to both this door and your bedroom door. Each door is specially made with distinct locks that prevent other wolfbloods from breaking. This was installed for protection, and I trust that you will not use it imprudently."

"What if I lose the key?"

"There is one other key, and Mes'Mu has it. If something should happen, your supervisor, whom you will meet tomorrow, can help with anything and everything."

"Okay." I walked past him, hugging my box. There was a light switch, so I was able to turn it on and see more. Before me was a small landing, then steps going down. Everything was concrete, cement stairs, walls, and floors. The ceiling was a matte of sorts.

I went down the stairs and turned on more lights. To my left was a large open room. There were a couple of empty metal shelves, but that was it. To the right were two doors. I investigated the first one. A bathroom, convenient. There was a tube of toothpaste on the counter and a toothbrush. It looked much sturdier than the disposable ones I was using at the hospital.

The next room was a bedroom. I could tell that the cot, nightstand, and dresser were all new additions to this room. Right above the bed was a small 2x2 foot window with steel bars criss crossing in front of the glass. Wanting to explore, I stepped inside. I could see that just outside the window was an arched metal lining, so I had to look up to see a little grass and the sky. I don't have a good view. That's so sad!