Fastest of the Woods

XIII

Holly's POV

When I woke up the next morning my head was aching. I tried to sit up but my head was dizzy and I fell right back on the mattress. Judging from the wrappings on my arm and the dried bits of blood on the floor I assume this is all because I lost too much blood from whatever that Wyatt guy was doing to me.

My head was in no condition to leave the bed but I saw that there was a plate of something on the table. Sitting up hurt like hell but I managed it. I used the wall to keep myself from falling onto the floor as I made my way to the table, thumping myself in the hard wooden chair.

There was a silver plate with a biscuit, single piece of meat, beets and a glass of water. I'm not entirely sure what kind of meat it was but something told me it was ham, mostly fat. Feeding me the bare minimum but still making sure I'll keep up my blood pressure and circulation.

My wolf simply nodded in agreement and urged me to eat. She was weak from the blood loss. I decided to just eat the food and take a nap, sleep should help. Right?

Yes. Yes, sleep.. Sleep sounds good...

I smiled sadly at her and forced the foods down.

_____

I repeated this routine for 2 weeks. Nothing changed at all, at the same each day Wyatt and Hadley came into my room, at the same time each morning I woke up, sore all over, and eat my food. They deliver it to me twice each day and only when I'm asleep. It didn't change until one day when I woke up from my nap early.

At first I thought it was Wyatt again, but then I heard it again and looked out the window.

It's just a storm.

It wasn't just snow but sleet as well, it was so bad that it covered the window. I couldn't even see the trees or hills from yesterday. It was so cold in the room, my teeth clattered and my hands rubbed against my arms.

So cold. Why is it so cold? 

The weather, wolf. It's making the room cold. I'll go get the sheet.

Right, the sheet.

Her weak voice made me worried. Would she be okay? Why is she so weak? I'll have to stay awake tonight and see what exactly Wyatt does to me.

She and I both fell asleep again leaning against a wall and sitting on the cold, wooden floor.

_____

"Wake up, Miss. Sterling," I heard someone say to me while I was at the edge of sleep.

My eyes fluttered open to see a beautiful young woman with red hair and black eyes. Her hair wasn't just red though, its was red. She smiled at me as my eyes focused on her.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Faye. How do you feel?"

"Like I went through the washing machine, why? Aren't you supposed to either ignore me or torture me like everyone else here?"

"I'm the one who brings your food."

she helped me stand up and I got a wiff of her scent. It wasn't witch or vampire.

"What are you?"

"I'm a," she glanced at me before finishing," I'm a hybrid. Wolf-witch."

"Why are you in a vampire compound then?"

"This isn't a-," she stopped sharply and covered her mouth.

This isn't a vampire compound?

"Why am I here? What do they want with me?"

"I- I can't say. I have to go."

She stood up abruptly and walked out the room, running her hands over her ripped up jeans as she left. My eyes followed her but my body wasn't strong enough to get up and stop her. In fact, it took almost all of my strength to move to the bed and lay down again, if I was going to stay up and see what Wyatt does to me I'll need to be awake. 

My eyelids drooped and fluttered shut before falling into a deep sleep. So deep a sleep that I didn't wake up until I heard Wyatt setting up his things at the bedside. I sat straight up, a little light headed from not eating anything at all today. 

"Sleep well, Miss. Sterling?"

"Yes," I tapped his shoulder when he pulled out a needle," So much so that I'd rather stay awake tonight."

"Are you sure? It will be more painful that way."

"I'm sure."

"Very well," he turned towards the door and shouted for someone to come in. A tall man with muscles to rival Poseidon came in, Wyatt requested he get restraints. He looked perplexed when I asked him why.

"If you are to be awake then we'll need to make sure you don't move around," he replied while setting up his things, he pulled out a knife and began to sanitize it," I'm actually glad that you've decided to do this, I'm curious to see how your reactions will differ."

Fear began to build up inside me but I fought it back. I called out to my wolf to get some moral support but she was too weak to reply.

I will see what he's doing to you, wolf. I'll protect you.

She hummed in reply. My heart sank at the sound of it. The man came back in and told me to lay down. I did and he began to strap my arms to my sides by looping them under the bed and around me then the same to my legs and 2 more in the middle for good measure. He even put a special restraint on my head to keep me from moving it.

"Are you ready, Miss. Sterling?"

No, I'd rather you'd left me unstrapped so I could rip your throat out and take the key from you to leave and go back to my family.

"Yes."

He gave me an empty smile and I turned my head the little I could to stare at the ceiling instead, preparing myself for whatever pain he would dish out. The first bit was somewhat unexpected; the feel of a damp cloth on my arm as it cleaned a space of skin.

"What are you doing?"

"Just preparing you for the injection, can't have you getting an infection of all things."

"What injection?"

"The injection of wolfsbane, what else?"

My heart rate picked up. Wolfsbane? The kind that kills wolves? Is that why I can't hear her? No, it would kill me, too. Why is she fading away but I'm still alive?

"That will kill me."

"This is a modified version, it won't kill you yourself but it will suppress your 'inner wolf'. The first night I tried to do my tests on you and she got in the way. I had to create this version to make her go to sleep while I study you."

"You're killing my wolf?"

"Those aren't the words I used, but yes. In a way, I am."

I'm back. Tension was really there so I don't think we'll be taking anymore trips like that for a few months at least. Anyway, I hope you liked chapter 13. Next Thursday will be 14 as usual and we'll be back on schedule.