Siren -Editing-

Chapter six

Tears spilled from my bandaged eyes. I didn't know what Father expected me to do without eyes...with his latest upgrade. My whole world was empty, save for the spots that floated around as the only thing I could see.

I had stumbled my way up the stairs as Father cleaned up the mess I had made on his table and found the nearest door to go into. A closet, I think, from everything I could feel around me.

Reality slowed; the few hours I hid there felt like weeks of isolation, relying only on my hearing to understand anything that was happening outside the door. There were footsteps I didn't recognize, maybe the visiting neighbors from Bluemoon? The thought chilled me, I was sure they'd try something. Father always said they were horrible monsters with no regard for anyone but themselves.

The door slowly creaked open, and the light switch clicked. I heard the rustle of fabric before more soft footsteps creeping up on my hiding place. It almost reminded me of Jes, the way they walked, but they were too big to be her. The thought that it could be her still made me shudder. I couldn't bear for her to see me like this. So weak and vulnerable, everything Father was trying to make me not.

"Oh, my. Who did this to you, Sweetheart?" I felt a gentle hand grace my cheek, I leaned into her touch, "Who are you, darling, do you have a name?"

I didn't respond to her, but the woman didn't seem to mind. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me and picked me up, cradling me close to her like I was her own child. She waited patiently for me to stop shaking before she carried me out of the closet I assumed I was in and into more unknown.

I didn't mind it as much when it was with her.

________________

The medics kept me in the wing for a long time. Long enough, I lost track of time and stopped bothering to ask Blake, who was keeping track of everything going on and exactly what my schedule was supposed to look like.

My father's visit was rescheduled the moment Blake told his dad what he had learned, but it could not be avoided without sparking a potential war no one wanted to fight just yet. If their strained alliance as neighbors was going to be broken, it would have to be done formally.

"How's today?" Jes and her mate visited me at least once every single day, which gave me a nice break from Blake's worried pampering.

"I'm starting to think she likes the pillow more than me." Blake motioned to the pillow I clutched to my chest and rested my chin on. "The nurses had to bring in a larger one so she didn't ruin her progress with her posture."

"Not my fault it's more comfortable," I grumbled. Talking was still weird for me, and I opted not to most of the time because of how much it still hurt to swallow, but the nurses gave me a word quota for my vocal cords. They told me the reason behind it, but I didn't understand most of it, something about my vocal cords and damage they were hoping to undo with surgery.

I didn't like the thought of surgery.

"Point proven." Jes laughed as she sat next to me on the bed. "What'd the doc say about a walk outside?"

I gave her a thumbs up and a smile.

"She's cleared to go back to the main house after today, as long as she goes to all of her appointments."

"Really? Even with the meeting coming up?"

He gave a grim nod as I looked between them, "When?"

"Tomorrow night." Alex chimed in when neither of the other two wanted to answer me. I nodded slowly, taking my time to process how little time there was left before I would have to face my torturer for the first time in seven years.

I waited a minute before setting my pillow aside and looked to Blake to let him know I was ready to go. Understanding me faster than usual, he stood to get a nurse to let me out of the wires, still monitoring me. We sat in silence as we waited, with only the beeping machine talking.

The moment I was free, I was out of the stiff bed and starting down the hall as the nurse called after me to take it easy. Jes was never far behind me as I led the way outside, using nothing but sheer will and audacity to find the door that led outside in a pack house I still had yet to explore for myself, like the others had.

Fresh air welcomed me like an old friend as the sun hit my face. I suddenly didn't mind not being allowed to shift, it had hurt too much with my arms anyway. Walking around on two feet was plenty for me, with the weather as beautiful as it was.

Jes updated me on the pack tea, which was a surprising amount for such a small pack, and told me about all the people she was convinced I would love but hadn't gotten the chance to meet yet. Our mates walked a pace behind us like we had dragged them along with us.

"Do you think there could be another one of you?" Jes asked suddenly after a moment of silence. "I mean, someone else with bad upgrades like you,"

"There is no such thing as a good upgrade."

"That doesn't change my question, Lily."

I sighed and sifted through my memory, everything I knew from Father's lab. "Maybe." He had blueprints that had someone else's handwriting on them. It was possible I wasn't the first to go through the torment that father put me through. I might not have been the last either.

But I didn't know anything. Maybe they also got out, escaped from their tortures before whatever the end goal was supposed to be. Maybe there was an "end goal" walking around by now, more metal than wolf. I knew I wasn't anywhere near that, and I couldn't be more grateful that Jes took me away when she did, even if she didn't know what was happening.

"Maybe..." Jes echoed like she was going through her memory, just like I was. "Do you think he was planning on doing it to me, too?"

I shook my head fast, I knew he wasn't. Father was very loud about how she wasn't close to the ideal specimen for his perfect wolf, but how well I could be molded into perfection.

"I wonder sometimes what he thought he was going to do when we grew up. How long would it have taken for me to notice what he was doing to you? How far gone you could have been if he hadn't hit me that once." Jes's voice shook as she spoke. I took her hand gently in mine, squeezing it gently, just like I had when I was little.

Jes didn't let me walk for long, mostly making me sit on benches near a garden before forcing me back inside for lunch.

I still couldn't have any solid food, but the smoothies that were made for me tasted fine enough despite being kale green and packed with everything the doc insisted on. The only part I hated was the fact that I had to have the same thing for every meal.

Even still, the day flew by in a blur of catching up with everything happening and Jes introducing me to as many people as she could force me into a conversation with, despite how little I said. I was exhausted by nightfall when Blake walked me to his room and carried me into his bed with him.

"Good night, my love." He mumbled against my head in a gentle kiss as he pulled me close into his large chest. I didn't have the energy to fight sleep to savor the feeling of being safe in his embrace.

"Good night," I whispered as his breathing slowed and each muscle relaxed.

~ 

Edited