Bark Or Bite

Chapter 22

My throat is dry when I rise from the bed. Maximus and Grandpa John left me alone to rest late in the night after I told them everything I remembered. Maximus informed me that he took care of Dean. He spared me the details, but I knew they weren't pretty. Kieran was held in a storage building off in the woods somewhere. Someone was watching him at all times and he was strapped down for questioning. He spoke, but nowhere near as much as we needed.

He works for Nik, Ian's brother. He never planned on Dean turning me, but things went a little awry. He was very high in rank in their army of vampires. He wasn't right hand man, more left. He didn't know everything that was going on, just enough to follow orders properly.

Dean was just a newbie with promising potential. I was his first actual order, and he screwed it up. Kieran informed us that what Maximus did to him was nothing compared to what Nik would have done when he got back to their 'nest'.

Kieran didn't know who Nik's right hand man was. He had heard of him, but no one was quite sure who he actually was. It was like if he died, the army died with him. He was to be kept in secret at all times. The only person he didn't come before was Nik.

"Hey, are you awake? Do you need anything?" Cameron pokes his head through the bedroom door.

"Actually, do you mind getting some water? I feel so dehydrated."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. Anything you need." Cameron backs away from the room to head towards the kitchen.

Seconds later he returns.

"It's bottled. I didn't bring you tap. Pinky swear." Cam holds out his abnormally large hand to wrap his pinky finger around mine.

"Tap would have been fine, but thank you for the effort." I smile at him.

"Well I'll just get out of your hair." He scratches that spot on the back of his neck.

" Um, Cam?" I call to him right before he reaches the door.

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind staying? I honestly just want to talk to someone right now." The atmosphere is awkward, but never tense.

"Of course." He sits on the end of the bed. "What's up?"

I sit the empty cup of what use to be water on the bedside table.

"I'm sorry." It feels like I've said that a million times since I was rescued. I'm not even sure why I keep saying it.

"For what?" His bushy eyebrows ruffle in the center.

"For being different. It must be hard to have to follow someone like me. I'm not even a wolf anymore. I shouldn't be allowed to be alpha." I twirl my thumbs around each other. Vulnerability creeps through my body and forms a lump in my throat.

"Once a wolf always a wolf, Hannah. You are different, but you are just as amazing as the day I met you." Cameron places his hand on mine.

"You're a hybrid now. I'm not gonna tell you that I understand what you're going through because obviously I've never been in your situation before. But what I can tell you is that you are in control. Being an alpha isn't about how much wolf runs through your blood. It's about caring for your pack like they're family. It's about taking control of your body and mind so much that others do the same. You are an amazing alpha. I'd rather have you, hybrid or not." Cam looks so sincere. I wipe the stray tear running down my cheek and he wraps me in a hug. I feel. safe, secure. I know he spoke from the heart and I could never ask for more.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He asks, confused.

"For telling me the truth. I know it's what I needed to hear, but you were honest. So thank you." I smile at him.

"Any time."

The door opens softly and Grandpa John enters.

"Hello, Cameron. I see Hannah's awake."

"Yes sir. I was just leaving. Bye, Hannah." Cam scratches the back of his neck and quickly slides past Grandpa John to exit the room.

"We need to talk." Grandpa John stands at the end of the bed tensely before sitting next to me.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"I know that it's going to be really hard for you to deal with the new changes that your body is going through. So I thought that we should go through some of the things you should prepare for." He explains.

"Okay, go ahead."

"First, I want you to understand that you can live without drinking human blood." A weight lifts from my chest as the words roll from his mouth. Relief washes through my veins.

"Good."

"Drinking will of course make you stronger, but the wolf in your body is strong enough to keep your body going without it. That's the most important thing I wanted you to know." Grandpa John smiles at me, easily distinguishing my fears.

"Also, there's a lot of things that you'll be able to do now that you couldn't do before. Your body is going through a tremendous change, but I don't think of you any differently."

I never really wrapped my head around being a hybrid. Just recently I found out about vampires and wolves. Now I'm being forced to understand that I could be both. Obviously I can't think that vampires are bad;I was in love with one for years. But for some reason, I can't bring myself to understand that I am worthy of being alpha.

"I was thinking, and I came to a conclusion." Grandpa John averts his eyes away from mine.

"Okay?"

"I want you to talk to Ian." Again.

"What do you mean? He's on our side. What more needs to be said?"

"Not about the war or Nik. This is about you. I can't help you transition or understand being a vampire because I've never had to. This is out of my league." A chill runs through my abnormally warm body with the word vampire.

"Have you talked to Maximus about it?"

"I think with the right convincing he will be on board. Even if he isn't, it is only your decision to make." Grandpa John sits awaiting my answer. Honestly I can't see what would be so bad about it. It just seems that trouble always follows when Maximus or I had to be involved with Ian.

"This is for you. Not anyone else. Think about it." He kisses my forehead.

"I will. I certainly will." I give him my best attempt of a smile. I can't help how confused I feel. One minute everyone is saying that I should stay away from vampires. The next minute I'm being forced to work with them. Maybe that was before I became one.

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