The next few days went by in a blur. Annalise felt like she was going through motions. She kept to herself, spending most of the time alone in the guest cabin. It was a one room shack, with a bathroom attached to it. It had electricity, running water, and a bed, which is all she found herself needing at the moment.
Lila had gone to the funeral with her, Annalise assumed it was an order from Candice to keep a close eye on her. But even her parents' funeral went by like she was in a dream-like state. She recalled seeing distant relatives and family friends but couldn't remember the conversations or what was said beside the endless apologizes for her loss. She didn't stay long, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She had made up some excuse to Lila, who didn't bother to question her and instead had escorted her out of there.
The nightmares were another burden entirely Annalise now found herself dealing with, aside from her sadness and anger. She'd awake in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and her body hot. She could feel her wolf under the surface of her skin, knowing her eyes would flash gold as she attempted to contain the beast. One of the many things Candice had informed her was the danger of letting her emotions escalate; the possibility of shifting suddenly and losing control.
Annalise found herself becoming restless inside the cabin eventually and decided to go on a walk. She stayed on the gravel paths within the territory but kept to the trails far enough away from the rest of the pack. From the few stares she had gotten, she knew she wasn't welcome by everyone there, but others looked more curious about her than anything.
Finally reaching her intended destination, Annalise closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Allowing the scents of fresh water, damp moss and wet tree trunks to sink into her as she looked out at the lake. It was midafternoon, and the water was still, calm, bringing her a feeling of serenity. She spotted a weathered bench next to the wooden dock and made her way over to it, sitting down on the discolored boards.
Closing her eyes again, she sat there in silence, listening to the enhanced sounds of the forest and feeling the sun on her face. She tried to calm her mind, pretending that she was merely human, perhaps with her parents at the beach for the summer. Annalise was lost in thought as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stand up in alarm. She wasn't alone.
Her eyes flew open, and she turned to her right, expecting to see Candice or Lila, but it was neither. The girl standing beside her was young, maybe nineteen, she had pale skin with soft freckles and long red hair. Her eyes were a piercing blue that widened slightly when she saw Annalise notice her.
"Oh! Um, I'm sorry," the girl said sounding worried, "I didn't mean to scare you."
Annalise had never seen the girl before, yet she recognized her voice instantly. Wolf Three, the wolf that had defended her against the others.
"No, it's okay," Annalise told her, still feeling a bit taken off guard.
The girl gave her a bright smile, one that lit up her whole face as she quickly stepped closer and sat down beside Annalise on the bench.
"I'm Emily," the girl said, "but most people call me Em, you can call me either."
Annalise couldn't help but return the warm smile, "I'm Annalise."
"I know," Emily said turning her gaze to the lake, "Everyone knows who you are. You're kind of a big deal. Alpha Candice doesn't normally take in strangers. It, like, never happens."
Annalise nodded, not sure what to say next, but Emily was already talking again, her voice cheerful and bubbly.
"But she obviously likes you and wanted to help, which is a good thing because Mason and Josh were ready to rip you apart the other night." Emily frowned as she said the boys' names.
YOU ARE READING
Rising Embers
Werewolf"Death was something she hadn't thought of much before. Which she heard was normal for her age. In your twenties, even as a teenager, you never envision yourself dying. You think you're invincible. But with the heaviness of her body, the acute pain...
