There’s no time to cry. Only time to prepare. And there is much to prepare for.
Chapter 6 — Ethan
This place is . . . well, something.
Seeing Thea in the courtyard as I struggled not to get my face ripped off by the biggest fucking wolf I’ve ever seen was the last thing I ever expected to happen. She appeared out of the corner of my eye like a flash of white light. When I looked over and saw her, her white-blonde hair up in a bun, loose wisps flowing in the breeze, and wearing an equally flowy dress over averypregnant body, my first thought was that the beast had killed me and we were both in the afterlife.
I don’t know why they stopped attacking me as soon as Thea showed up, but I’m thankful for it. I’m even more thankful that they brought me to this guest room, instead of back to my cell. It is probably the most extravagant place I will ever stay in.
The ceiling soars at least twelve feet high with wooden beams that look older than my hometown. The four-poster bed could fit three of me and is draped in sheets softer than anything I’ve ever touched. A bookshelf holds stacks of books written in a language I might learn to read, given a couple of months. There’s evena fireplace with actual burning logs, crackling away like I’m in some period drama.
In Creek Falls, luxury meant the motel had cable TV. This place is what I always imagined those fancy hotels in New York or Vegas would be like, except with old-money-historical-society vibes.
A servant named Marko brought me a stack of neatly folded clean clothes. Even saying ‘servant’ in my head is so weird. He encouraged me to freshen up and make myself comfortable, but specifically said, “Please remain here until someone retrieves you.”
I took a shower in the adjoining bathroom, which is basically a small marble palace. The shower alone is bigger than my entire bathroom back home, with multiple jets shooting water from all directions. The towels are as soft as clouds against my skin, and the herbal soap smells like a forest after rain. Even the toilet looks like it belongs in some rich guy’s mansion.
There’s a knock at the door. When it opens, Thea pokes her head in with a big smile on her face.
Man, is she a sight for sore eyes in every way that matters. Her pale skin looks flushed and healthy, and her platinum hair is bouncy and shiny. Her eyes sparkle like diamonds as she walks into the room. I could jump for joy.
“Hey,” she says, giving me a little wave.
I don’t have words. I rush to her and hug her tightly. This past year, I lost the closest thing I ever had to a sister, and now I’ve got her back.
“Thank God.” I pull her closer. “I was so worried that you were. . .I’m so happy to see you.”
She hugs me back just as tightly. I take a step back to look down at her, and she’s wiping away tears. “I missed you too, Ethan. God, you got me turning on the waterworks over here. You know, us pregnant women are very sensitive.”
I wipe a tear from her cheek and cradle her head in my hands, taking her in for a moment. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” I lean back a little, acknowledging her belly. “Better than okay, apparently.”
“Yeah.” She laughs, her face flushing a little. “Dr. Olcan says I’m due in six to eight weeks, if you can believe that.”
My head is spinning. I don’t even know how to respond to that information. “Wow, so soon?”
Marko slips into the room and sets a stack of books on the desk before dipping his head.
“Thank you, Marko.” Thea flashes a grateful smile and he exits without a word. She turns back to me, patting the stack. “You need to read up on Lycan and Shaman history before the summit.”
“Okay,” I say. “But I want to know everything that happened to you.”
She nods. “It’s— it’s quite a tale. I hardly know where to start.”
“Try the beginning.”
She nods. “Sure. Itisa lot though, and I’m starving. Have you eaten?”
I think for a moment. “I guess I haven’t.”
She laughs. “Didn’t think so. Have a seat. I’ll take care of it.”
As I settle onto the couch, she cracks the door and leans out. I catch pieces of her order to Marko, which consists of a long list of things I’ve never heard of, with “sandwiches” being the only familiar word. But the easy back-and-forth between them and the way she rattles it off like she owns the place, it already feels like old times.
I don’t know how long we’ve been talking. We’re eating these sandwiches that taste close enough to corned beef on rye that I can almost fool myself into believing that that’s exactly what they are. Thea did start explaining the meat to me, but I had to stop her. I’m a foreign man in a foreign land. Sometimes, it’s better that I don’t knoweverything.
Over these sandwiches (and about five different types of fruit and vegetables), Thea tells me about the events that have occurred over the last year that she’s been gone, and it’s a doozy. If I wasn’t sitting in some strange castle with werewolf claw marks on my neck, there’s no way I would have believed a word of it.
So, the story in a nutshell: On the night she disappeared, some crazy cult kidnapped her from Creek Falls and were about to use her as a living sacrifice. But, fortunately, she was rescued by Alpha Xander and the Crescent Pack, who brought her to Kortan. They call it a fortress, but from the little I’ve seen, it reminds me of a medieval castle.
