Untamed

Chapter 55

Chapter 55

My hands were held to my mouth, to hide the gasp. Mia stared at me for a long time. I stared back in complete shock. My heart pounding fast.

How could it be I hadn't figured this out before? How come I never found what Emily had told me to be strange? It wasn't normal for animals to just kill humans, especially inside of a cabin. It was obvious her family had been rouges.

How could a five year old hold onto such a secret for so long, and not divulge it to anyone?

Mia reached out with her tiny hands, and pulled mine away from my face. The action seemed to bring me out of my shock.

"You're a..." I whispered, not wanting to be the one to say it, just in case I was wrong.

"A werewolf," She whispered back, throwing caution to the wind.

Her eyes were wide with fear, obviously terrified she had just told someone who didn't know about werewolves. I always knew she was a freakishly clever girl for her age, but I hadn't realized just how smart she really was.

"Come here."

I held our my arms to hold Mia. She crawled into them, sitting comfortably on my lap. I rested my cheek on top of her head.

"Your family were rogues, weren't they?" I asked.

She let out a sigh of relief, that I showed some sign of knowing about werewolves before hand. Mia nodded her head.

"They were killed by werewolves?"

"Yes," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"That scar on my shoulder is from a werewolf," I said, finally answering her first question.

"The story...?" She asked.

"Is a nicer and easier version of my life."

Mia nodded her head, understanding.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence that could only belong when you had found refuge in another person. Mia found refuge in me, since this was a home where not a single soul knew what she was. I'm sure she was terrified to know exactly what she was, trapped in a home full of humans. If she were discovered, then who knew what would happen to her. Would they tell the authorities, or just try to kill her. Bearing all that stress on such small shoulders was obviously exhausting. Yet I was now here to lessen her burden. She help her carry on with her secret.

I had so many questions to ask, but figured I shouldn't bombard her. She was obviously very exhausted.

That silence was broken not long after, by some of the volunteers coming up with the girls they had finally managed to round up and finish preparing for bed. I lay down under Mia's blanket, as the other girls made their way to their own bed. Mia rested her head on my chest, just like she had done earlier. She was asleep.

I slipped Mia's arm from around my stomach, then slowly slid out of the bed into a crouch. I tucked the sheets carefully around her.

As soon as I stood up the room started to spin with dark edges, and my brain pounded sharply against my skull. I reached out to steady myself against the wall. I closed my eyes, and felt the pounding lessen.

I just needed dinner. That's all, I assured myself.

I left Mia's room, closing the door with the quietest of clicks so I wouldn't awaken the sleeping 5-8 year olds.

There was so much to take in. Mia was a werewolf. Add that on top of my already overwhelming news that I have to see Jace again, because otherwise I might die. Soon. That meant I had to call him. Would he think I forgive him because I'm calling? I could always just make certain he understands I don't forgive him.

Then there was the matter of Mia. Should I tell him about Mia, so he can let his dad know? An orphanage full of humans was no place for a werewolf. Especially one this young. What if she accidentally slipped up and told someone? But her family wanted to stay in hiding. Was that just because they were rogues, or was there another reason? Would telling Jace make things worse and more dangerous for her?

I headed towards the stairs, but as soon as I reached them a feeling of nausea overwhelmed me, making me sit down on the top step with my head between my knees. The bile rose with each deep breath through my mouth. I could hear the clamor of the volunteers leaving for the night. I focused on what they were doing, to distract myself from the bile rising in my throat.

After a few painful minutes I managed to get the nausea to lessen a little, as the last of the volunteers left. I stood up with shaking legs, clutching onto the rail to steady myself. Ok, I could do this. I tested out my legs on the next step, and was satisfied to find they could support me.

I gingerly walked down another ten steps, before the nausea returned. This time it was accompanied by painful stabs to my skull. It felt like a pick axe had been taken to the inside of my skill. Each blow caused me to wince, and the edge of my vision to darken as it pounded in my temples. I clung onto the railing for dear life. I blinked tears out of my eyes, and saw that there weren't that many steps left. I could make it to the bottom.

I released my death hold on the railing, and managed to make it a few more steps before dark spots started to cloud my vision, growing from the edges to the center. My head began to spin, and suddenly my body felt like it was made of lead. I couldn't hold it up anymore. I fought the growing darkness in my eyes, but was miserably failing. With each painful stab to my skull, slowly becoming darker and darker. With an intensified piercing to my skull, I threw up from the pain, and gave into the darkness.