My Best Friend's Werewolf

31 Caring

Eliza zips up the back of the red cocktail dress she told me to put on. Xavier's invited his top wolves and their families over for dinner tonight. Somewhere around thirty werewolves. When him and his wolves emerged from the basement earlier, Rory hadn't bothered to wipe the blood off his hands.

"Addy." Eliza snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Are you mentally here right now?"

"Huh?"

She turns around and points her finger at her zipper. "Can you?" I do so. "Thanks." Spinning back around, she frowns. "Can you cheer up some? I thought you liked werewolves. You're getting to go to one of their parties. You should be thrilled."

"That was before I was held captive by them."

We head downstairs. The living room is filled with nicely dressed pack members of all different ages. Xavier turns away from conversing with a middle aged man, his eyes landing on Eliza. He pulls her from my side, wrapping his arm around her waist as he begins to introduce her to people.

I sigh and head to the kitchen to get water, feeling sick at Xavier's hands on my best friend after he used them to hurt Jasper.

I grab one of the wine glasses off of the island and press it under the water filter on the refrigerator. I take a sip, betting that no one cleaned the blood off Jasper. From my spot beside the refrigerator, I can see through the dining room to the living room. These glitzed up werewolves act so human like. So elegant. Classy even. Until they don't get what they want.

Xavier and Eliza are talking to a couple who can't be much older than them. Xavier's hand inches down to rest on Eliza's butt. Forget I said classy.

I finish off the water and turn away. I've only been here a few days, but with every moment Eliza and I are together here, we're driving a wedge in the friendship we've had for over half my life. I pray my letter gets delivered even if it shatters our friendship. Friendship is the unspoken vow that you will be there for each other no matter what. I'll protect her even if it means losing her.

There's a door in the kitchen that opens up to outside. Maybe I should step out, get some air. I reach for the door handle just as it opens, revealing Rory.

He gives me a wary look. "Hi, Addy."

"Hey." I'm not going to try pronouncing his name.

"Where were you going?"

"Air."

He's the Beta. He should have a key to the basement.

"I know this is a long shot, but Jasper is my mate. I still don't know what exactly that means for your kind, but is there anyway I could go and clean up some of the blood on him?" I mentally cross my fingers.

"Xavier could skin me alive."

"But would he?"

Rory walks across the kitchen and opens up a cabinet. "Here," he says, pulling out antiseptic and rags. He drops them in my hands.

We walk through the living room, and I spot Xavier watching us, but he doesn't stop Rory as he unlocks the basement door and ushers me down the steps. A man wearing only basketball pants approaches us from the bottom of the steps.

"She has my permission to tend to the luprau," Rory tells him.

The man nods and Rory closes the door, locking me in here with the shirtless man and the naked Jasper. I look down at the nice dress Eliza put me in. It's probably going to get blood on it. Then again it's red so maybe it will blend in.

I walk toward the corner of the room, my high heels clicking on the cement. Rounding the corner, I find Jasper asleep or passed out, his skin red and blue and green and purple. Underneath those, his skin his pale—white. His skin is a canvas to those wolves. I set the rags and antiseptic next to him and slip of my heels. Taking a deep breath, trying not to gag on the smell of urine and blood, I sit the closest I've ever been to him.

I unscrew the lid off the bottle and pour some of the brown liquid on the rag. My hand shakes as I lightly press it to his shoulder.

With a growl, his eyes snap open, and he pins me beneath him. He pants, staring at me. Unfortunately, I don't think he recognizes me.

The other man in here runs around the corner and stops when Jasper turns his head toward him and lets out a growl. What happens if he shifts? The chains around his neck and torso should hold him. The chains should be designed to hold him.

"Jasper," I try.

He growls louder and looks back at me.

"Jasper, it's me. Addison."

His growls grow softer until his eyes widen and he swears. He scrambles off me. "I'm so sorry. Forgive me."

"I'm here to help." I eye the collection of rags and the shirtless pack member. He nods and walks out of sight. I hold up the rag. "May I?"

He scoots closer and lays down. I begin cleansing his back. He doesn't speak. I know he's feeling ashamed. I reach out a hand and burry it in his black hair. His hair's oily but I don't care. I rub his hand and play with different strands and soon Jasper is asleep.

Leaning my head against the cement wall, I close my eyes. I wonder what my parents are doing right now. Are they eating dinner? Are they at home? At the police station? What will my baby brother look like? The better question is will I ever get to meet him? The stress of me missing, I know can't be good for my mom's pregnancy. My mind drifts to how Jasper lost his mom years ago. What about his dad? Does he have siblings?

I open my eyes and look at his head in my lap and play with his hair some more.