An Eye For An Eye

Vingt-Huit

Deucalion waited on the balcony while the Betas arrived. He was planning to introduce me to them. Looking at the glass we had decided to use as a vase for the flowers, I smiled. They had been meant for me and he’d called me ‘my love’.

The last of the Betas arrived, she was short with dark brown skin and cornrows with beads at the end. She looked really nice. Tasha half sat, half leant against the arm of the sofa. A blond man stood with his arms crossed next to a very tall man who wore a waistcoat over his button up shirt.

“We have a new member of the pack,” said Deuc as he stood in the doorway to the balcony. “Liza Blakesley.”
“You turned her?” asked Tasha as she stood and turned to look at him. He nodded and they stared at me. My fingers tapped the chair I was leaning against.

“When?” asked the one with the waistcoat. His eyes flicked back to Deucalion.
“In the early hours of the morning, Charles,” he answered as he walked inside, the door shut behind him by itself.
“Did she ask you to?” asked Tasha as she walked over to me.
“I asked him to not let me die,” I said shakily. I didn’t want to look weak in front of them, not in front of a pack of werewolves. “I would have bled to death otherwise.”

“How touching,” muttered the man with his arms crossed. “Are you just trying to replace the five we’ve lost?”
“No, Jake, I was trying to save her life,” said Deucalion with a sigh. His head tilted to the side. “Though it is good that we have gained someone after losing five.”

“If she’s only been turned today, she’s not in control,” said the one with the cornrows. “There’s a full moon in a few days.”
“She’s not going to be in control,” said Jake.
“But she’ll learn, right?” said Tasha, looking at Deucalion.

“I’m still here,” I said. It was awkward listening to them talk about me while I was in the room with them. “And yes, I can learn.”
“But not in three days,” said Charles.
“She doesn’t need to.”
“See? Tamika understands,” said Deucalion. He smiled. “It’ll take as long as it takes, she doesn’t need an anchor in three days.”

“We don’t have anywhere to lock her away,” Tasha pointed out. “What are we going to do if she escapes? The Argents and the others will be hunting us.”
“We’re not back at home, it’s not like we can just keep them in the basement.”
“The basement?” I asked, furrowing my brow.
“It’s the best place with a lock, it stops people from escaping. We haven’t used it in years though,” Tamika explained and I smiled as a thanks. “Didn’t we put a bunch of storage things in there, though?”
“Yes, we’d have to move it,” said Deucalion.

“You mean, we’d have to move it,” said Jake bitterly as he looked to Charles. Charles just nervously looked away.
“Yes, Jake, you’d have to move it. It’s probably difficult to empty and move draws when you can’t see them.” There was anger in his voice as he walked forward. Jake looked like he was going to talk and try to argue but opted to remain silent. “We don’t have to worry about time, she’ll stay here.”

“She’ll destroy the place if she stays here and there’s an elevator or a balcony,” said Tamika. She was worried I’d be destructive, I was also terrified of that too.
“You have a plan for that, right?” I asked Deucalion.
He nodded. “Of course I do, I’m not letting you hurt anyone or destroy anything.” I smiled at him.

“You like her, don’t you?” said Jake as he looked between Deucalion and me.
“Of course he does,” said Tasha as she rolled her eyes. “But what if this is just a way to get back at the hunters?” Deucalion wouldn’t have done all of this just to get back at Gerard, would he?
“It’s not.” Deucalion almost growled. “I asked you to come here to meet the new pack member. I don’t expect for you to suddenly become friends but I’d appreciate it if you were civil.” It felt as though it was more aimed at Tasha’s sort of insult at Deucalion rather than her attitude towards me. I supposed it could be both.
“I know you’re still angry,” she said as she turned and headed to the elevator. “Even if you mask it, it’s obvious.”

There was still the gnawing thought that all of this was just because he was angry at my father.

Tasha left with Jake, leaving Charles and Tamika still in the penthouse with us. I didn’t want to start arguments amongst them.
“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Blakesley,” said Charles as he walked over to me. He pulled at the cuff of his shirt before holding his hand out. I shook it with a smile on my face.
“Elizabeth is fine, that’s my actual name,” I said. I was used to being called Liza by Deucalion and ‘Miss Blakesley’ felt as though I was a teacher.
“Oh, okay then,” he said, nodding.

“You don’t seem that bad,” said Tamika with a shrug. “Tasha just misses Jack, she hasn’t seen him in a month.”
“Jack’s her boyfriend, right?” I said. Deuc had mentioned their relationship.
“Engaged, as of two months ago,” said Charles with an awkward smile. I nodded in acknowledgement.
“She thinks that we should attack the hunters too, but Deuc says differently.”
“Because there’s no point, we are weaker,” he said coldly. It probably hurt to admit that but they had lost a lot of people. “We’ve lost four people and I can’t see,” said Deuc.

“Do you like her, though?” Charles asked quietly.
“Does it matter?”
“If it makes you happy,” he said and I smiled. Charles seemed kind.
“Do you think I’d buy flowers for myself?”

Charles furrowed his brow and Tamika laughed, shaking her head.
“No, I don’t,” she said. Charles spotted the flowers and smiled. “Lovely to meet you, Elizabeth, welcome to the pack. I think we’ll leave you two alone, shall we?” My cheeks heated up and Deucalion sighed.
“Yes, thank you, Tamika. Very necessary,” he muttered. Tamika just grinned as she pressed the button for the elevator. Charles gave an awkward wave before heading over to join her. I waved back.
“It was nice meeting you guys,” I said. I liked those two, I liked Tasha and Jack less. They seemed to not like me either.

Just before the elevator doors shut, Tamika yelled: “Have fun!”
“Stay safe!” Charles added.

I stared at Deuc, mouth open. And then the elevator doors shut.
“I can’t believe I just heard that,” I whispered, trying not to laugh from pure embarrassment.
“Unfortunately, I’m not.”