My Wolf

Chapter 6

"Seriously, where in the name of the almighty deity you wish to pick are you?!" I yell into the receiver once I get back to the apartment and have to turn around to get back in the elevator - in my frustration I must've driven here by instinct and forgot to call Derreck ahead of time.

Maybe I need therapy...

"I'm at the old house. Where are you, little miss grumpy?" He grumbles back to me through the receiver.

"By old house you mean the house, don't you?" I ask, closing my eyes in hope that he means somewhere else as the elevator descends.

"Of course." He says, as if it's the most obvious thing on the planet.

"Okay, I'm on my way." I say with a sigh before hanging up.

The whole reason for talking him out of living in the old house was so I didn't have to see what had become of the place. Sure, the place may still be standing at least but I don't want to see what's really become of it. It's one thing to suspect what it may look like, but if I get to actually walk through the place it will make all this even more real. I'll know exactly how it looks...and that just makes it all worse.

The pack didn't deserve to die and now, going over there, I'll actually have to see the destruction of a pointless attack.

As I get into the car my grip on keeping the past where it should be just slips further and further from my reach.

Our pack member were a peaceful people. We only took our true form on the confines of our own land, always making sure the town was safe from the dangers of our world: skin walkers, vampires, wendigos, witches, other packs with more vindictive motives than ours. We literally devoted our lives to protecting these people and look what happened.

Honestly, I'd had no clue we were even on the hunters' radar. Didn't even know they were in town until they were burning down our front door.

You know, if Derreck and I hadn't been in the cellar we wouldn't have made it either. I'm not really sure how Paul had managed to escape in any condition. And, by the time the authorities made it, we watched how they pulled out one burned body after another.

No one even questioned that we could have been attacked. They all just assumed it was some crazy kitchen accident...or that Derreck did it - that had been the favorite rumor, of course.

At first, all we could agree on was that everyone we loved was lost to us...we'd hit the town boarder when we heard on the radio that one person had gotten out but had to be rushed to the hospital. I remember my heart leaping into my throat at the thought of someone actually fighting long enough to survive all the flame and smoke. The worst part, I didn't even know he was home when the attack had started...which means he must have come once the hunters were gone and attempted to look for any survivors.

Or he came during the attack and had to fight people off, leaving him too weak to get away.

When we got to the hospital we told the receptionist that we'd managed to get out in time before the fire got too big and were so scared that we just ran. That we didn't know he was still alive. She'd given us a pitying look and explained that he was surrounded by glass, meaning he must have jumped out a window...but the only one they saw with a broken window in that area was on the fourth floor. He'd also been covered in burns and scars.

Honestly, I'd choose to be in a coma too after that.

Hey, just 'cause he practically tortured my existence once upon a time doesn't make me wish for him to live in excruciating pain...even if he did deserve to get a good whack upside the head every now and then.

When a hand slaps the hood I blink a few times and find myself parked right in front of the horrible house of terror I've been dreading to see again. I shake my head to clear it and slowly take in my surroundings. Truthfully, it's not as bad a I'd imagined. For starters, there's actually a building left. Though the brick walls are certainly covered in some kind of black stuff - not really sure what - and the two lower levels look like the night tried to eat them while leaving the place standing. Also, several walls are missing in various places.

At least it's standing - even if that's just in pieces.

"Come on!" Derreck says, jiggling the door handle to get the door to open - joke on him, it's locked.

"Fine." I yell back and flip the lock.

The door flies open, sending Derreck soaring backwards because I might have used a little too much extra force. I laugh at the dubious look on his face when he finds himself sprawled out on the ground and then try not to smirk as he grumbles, rising heavily to his feet.

"You gonna show me why I'm out here now?" I ask, trying desperately not laugh again.

"Follow me." He sighs nodding his head towards the house before walking the same direction.

I stick my tongue out at his retreating back.

"Put that thing back in your mouth and come on." He yells back without turning around, making me jump.

"Of course you'd hear that." I grumble as I follow him around to the back of the house.

"Stop complaining so much! Remember, as soon as we figure this thing out we can take off." He says and I immediately pick up my pace.

"So what exactly are we..." I start to ask as we turn the last corner and freeze in place at the sight before me. "Nuh-uh, nope. I'm not going anywhere near that thing."

Derreck barely glances back at me with an annoyed look before walking closer to...it. "Don't be a baby, Bekah."

"If you can call the fact that I refuse to get any closer to a naked body half of what might be some poor girl being a baby I gladly accept that title!" I answer loudly.

"Bekah, I need you to help me with this." He says, eyes pleading with me to listen. "Just look at her face and tell me if you recognize her."

"Fine." I quip, watching him suspiciously as I slowly take the twenty or something steps closer to the dead girl.

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes to prepare for what I'm about to do. I mean, it's obvious that this wasn't here to begin with and Derreck must have brought her back to this place - if the black tarp beneath her wasn't clue enough, then the lack of any sign it had been dragged out here may be a good sign about my suspicions. Also, there are two shovels laying on the ground close by...meaning the authorities won't find this thing.

I glare over at Derreck before kneeling down next to the body. I have to move the dark brown strands of mud caked hair from her face to really get a good enough look at her face. For some reason, she smells a bit familiar. I squint my eyes when I notice something black snaking its way from her collar bone, up her neck, and ending at her jaw line on her right side. Suddenly I can make out what the marking is.

My heart skips a beat at the realization.

"What is it?" Derreck asks curiously, coming over and kneeling beside me.

"It's a symbol of my old pack. Only a mates Luna would have this. Derreck, we're in a lot more trouble than you thought." I say, pure terror coursing through me as I look up into his eyes.