noun ~ a large area covered with trees or undergrowth

NOVA

The next morning, I felt groggy. My nerves kept me awake most of the night and the aching in my bones returned over the little sleep I had. I could not sleep since the ride here. A nagging in my mind kept me from drifting. I could not get comfy and the bags under my eyes were showing it.

I was on the field waiting for Sean. The crisp morning air and the dew on the grass made me smile. I always enjoyed my early morning starts. The peace and the singing of the birds always made me feel content.

I wore leggings, trainers that actually fit, and a sports bra underneath a baggy tee. I was ready for this. Sean came out in shorts and a tank a moment later, giving me a small smile. The intimidation was still strong, but he seemed calmer.

He approached me, and I had to crane my neck to greet him. Greeting me, he punched his own palm with a sly grin.

"You ready?"

I shook my head, which caused him to chuckle. "Come on, let's stretch and go for a run first. One mile."

I sighed and stretched with him before we headed off into the tree line. We kept a leisurely pace, jogging through the beauty of the trees. We passed by a clearing with a lake, a deer drinking from its water. I was awestruck by the beauty. Seeing all of this made me stagger to a stop because I was never allowed out much at my old pack.

Sean noticed I stopped straight away and jogged over to me. "What is it?"

"It's amazing." I breathed.

Purple and white flowers lined the ground, trees in full bloom as the morning sun cascaded through their branches. Rabbits, squirrels, birds, and deer all scurried along, hiding in the long grass.

"You're acting as if you've never seen a forest before." He chuckled.

I turned to look at him as he studied the meadow as much as I did. "I've not. N-n-Not like this."

His eyebrow quirked as he gazed down at me. "Why not?"

I chewed my lip, not feeling comfortable with the large man just yet.

He took my silence as an answer and brushed it off. "Come on, we still got half a mile left."

I grumbled in defeat and gave the meadow one last longing look as we ran away.

***

I had trained with Sean for another five days now. Five brutal days, three hours a day of exhaustion.

After we ran, we did some circuits. Planking, star jumps, squatting, lunges... It felt like extreme yoga if I'm being honest. Each set lasted forever, and he made me do three of them. Then after circuits, he was teaching me self defence. I was exhausted. I couldn't wait until breakfast so I could have a drink and a nap.

"Nova!" He snapped.

My eyes darted over to him, sweat dripping from my face in my eye, so I attempted to wipe it away, but my hands were just as sweaty through the bandage.

"Focus!" He growled.

I wanted to growl back, but I knew my place and right now he was in charge. I dodged his punches, but I was tiring. I have never worked out so much before. If I did, I used to get scrutinised. I had no stamina and no strength, so when his fist connected softly with my jaw, I let myself flop to the ground.

I was on my butt, folded over my thighs as I tried to steady my breathing.

"Come on, Nova." He sighed. "You gotta concentrate."

I growled lowly. "I-I..."

"What?" He interrupted. "Get up, let's go again! We are not done."

I was growing frustrated. Could he not see I was done? I could barely lift my head. My anger was bubbling up inside of me, exhausted and frustrated beyond my usual means. I could taste it on my tongue, feel the burning in my chest as my wolf growled.

"I am done!" I snapped, my eyes darting up to him. "I've had enough!"

Sean's eyes widened as he watched me stand up to glare at him. "I'm in charge here Nov-

"No!" I snapped, my breath coming out in pants. "I have been busy all damn week! I always comply! I am tired and I can't do anymore today!"

He stood silent as he studied me, his alarmed expression mellowing out until he held no emotion. My breathing was ragged as I felt my anger dissipate, staring at his stoic face with a scowl. Once I was calmer, I sighed and ran my hands through my hair.

"You know you didn't stutter." He muttered.

"What?" I grumbled, putting my hair up.

"You just had a whole rant and not once did you stutter." He smirked. "Here I was thinking you had no gut, but damn, you practically commanded me."

I frowned. My tongue couldn't form words properly, and nerves usually made it worse. So it surprised me when the realisation of this situation kicked in. My frown dissipated, and I stared at Sean with wide eyes.

"W-what-

"Nice one." He chuckled.

I huffed and crossed my arms. Checking the watch on my wrist, it was coming on at half nine.

"Breakfast, then?" He smiled.

I nodded, and we walked side by side into the dining room. Every morning, the chefs prepared a buffet of various foods. I went to sit at a table by myself and was shocked when Sean came to sit with me. He smirked at my reaction, his beefy hands grabbing a piece of toast and smothering it in strawberry jam.

I watched him a moment longer as he chewed the toast before cautiously eating my food. I chose something light this morning; a cup of juice and a butter croissant. It was flaky and amazing, and I could see why people liked to eat breakfast. Especially after all that working out.

"You know..." Sean mumbled as he continued onto some bacon and pancakes. "You need more protein. You gotta build muscle and you can't train what's not there."

I had a mini flashback of my old pack's scowls but shivered it away. "I know."

"We can get a proper diet plan going, just you and me? No doctors." He smiled softly.

He knew I hated doctors after I twisted my ankle last week. I had gone into panic mode and refused to be seen. Doctors in my old pack didn't care, and I had unpleasant experiences. I still remember the pain from when I was younger when they used to tend to my health. It had scarred my mind and my body to the point most of my quarterly appointments were forgotten.

I nodded with a smile. I had come round to Sean and learned he wasn't as scary as he seemed. Now I knew little about him, but I hoped I could befriend him more. I needed a friend. And someone to hide behind since my so-called mate disappeared.

I didn't even know where he was; nobody ever saw him.

"What now?" He asked, finally finishing his food. "Wanna try again?"

Determination courses through me. I felt better; I felt like I could go again. Whether it was me, my wolf or the croissant digesting in my stomach, I just did. So I nodded.

"Meet me there in an hour." He grinned before standing from the table and leaving, taking my plate with him.

I smiled to myself, probably looking like a loon. But I felt proud for even trying.

***

Before I knew it, I was back out running with Sean. It was coming close to midday now, and after having a few more boxing lessons and attempted sparring, we went on the last run. The sun was getting to its hottest and I so desperately wanted to take off my shirt, but I was way too self-conscious. So I rode the envy wave as Sean worked out in nothing but shorts.

Near the quarter-mile mark, I felt uneasy. I carried on running, but I just couldn't shrug off the feeling. Deciding it wasn't my anxiety after an internal battle with myself, I slowed down. My wolf was on edge too, and that only made my heart beat faster.

"What's up?" Sean commented from afar.

I scanned the trees, goosebumps rising on my arms as the feeling of uncertainty washed over me. I strained my ears and my vision as I looked around. My instinct had me looking east of here, back where we came from.

"Nova..." a whisper.

My breath hitched, unrecognising the odd sound.

The whispering voice came from a shadow in the trees. It was so faint I wasn't sure if Sean heard it. It was enticing me, calling me. But my instinct told me better. My wolf had her hackles raised in defence.

Oh, I wish I had a mind link...

"Sh-Sh-Sean..." I whispered.

"What is it?" He asked worriedly.

His large hands took my shoulders in his grip and tried to turn me around. My fear had me rooted, staring, none blinking at a gap between the trees. A small whimper left my throat as a shadow moved.

Shadows don't move like that.

"Wh-w-who is that?"

He frowned in confusion and followed my gaze. Before I could react, it all moved so suddenly. The shadow had darted forward, and I was hurtling backwards into a tree within a second. I cried out in pain when my back bent against the old bark; leaves and splinters of wood falling onto me.

My head swam, and I groaned when I felt a sharp pain running down my spine and across my shoulders. My head pounded after it whacked onto the ground and the metallic taste of my blood pooled from my mouth. I glanced up through the foggy darkness in my mind to see pale blue legs approaching me. Fear gripped my throat, and a sickness settled in my stomach as I stared at the creature grinning down at me.

Its face was twisted and morphed, skin stretched like they had taped it to its face. Bony limbs held a barely there naked torso, and I swallowed harshly as I saw the fresh blood that coated the bare chest. Its long claws reached out to me and I backed away as much as I could after being winded. I was pretty sure I had broken something, but I didn't dare to look away from this monster.

A movement momentarily caught my eye from the left and in the split second, the creature has me in its claws. I shrieked in surprise as it lifted me from the ground. With my right arm numb and unable to move, I clutched onto its peeling hand with my other in fear.

I let out a small whimper of pain as it lifted me to its height. It dangled me a good foot from the ground with nails embedded into my throat. I could feel my pulse beating loudly, the swinging of colours blurring around me as I fought with consciousness. Up close, the creature smelt of metallic death. Its white eyes pierced my very soul as it tasted the air, its blue tongue retreating between sharpened teeth.

It let out a small purr of excitement as it studied me. I was gasping for breath, but it didn't seem to notice. It was like I was a toy or a bug to a toddler.

I could feel blood dripping from my nose and into my mouth, saliva pooling under my tongue as I choked. The creature, although it was terrifying, had a sort of innocence in its gestures. It was smiling at me in wonder, unaware of the damage it was causing.

Just as the creature went to put me back down, it screamed, releasing me too quickly. Crumpling on the ground, I stared up at the chaos that ensued. A large grey wolf had the creature in his jaws, tearing into it as the sound of screams filled the quiet forest.

I rolled onto my side, knowing it was the better chance I had of recovering, but found my consciousness a battle to keep. The warmth of liquid trickled into the forest floor, the grass dampening beneath me from both sweat and blood. Breathing was difficult and my head rang with pain. It hurt every time I attempted a breath.

I watched the one-sided battle until the creature gave up its fight and succumbed to death with a whimper.

Dead. The grey wolf made sure of it.

Through teary, blurred eyes, I watched as the wolf transformed into Sean. Finally feeling safe, I let myself fall into the darkness of sleep as he rushes toward me.

***

I felt like crap.

My head was foggy as I woke, and I groaned at the feeling. The room I was in was dark, and I struggled to adjust my eyes.

I tried to sit up and was pleased to find I was not in a hospital room. But the fear didn't stray for long when I noticed the IV drip inside my skin and the sling over my shoulder. Doctors had been here, and someone had changed me as I slept.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and surveyed where I was. It was my room, so at least it wasn't foreign. There was a glass of water on my nightstand and nothing else to suggest that anything had happened. The scent in the sheets told me it was Lucie who was last here. There was a faint smell of bleach coming from the bathroom and my sheets were not the ones I slept in yesterday.

I tried to pull myself up into a sitting position, but cried out in pain when my right side couldn't support me. I breathed deeply, fighting against it until I sat myself up. My head swam, and I closed my eyes to fight the nausea.

Once clear, I grabbed the glass of lukewarm water and sipped it. Eyeing the bedside clock, I could see it was early morning. So the whole day had passed, I did not know what had happened, and I was alone. No family or friends. Not even my mate to comfort me.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and slowly slid onto the balls of my feet. I grabbed the cool silver pole of my IV drip and slowly made my way towards my en-suite. Turning on the light, I blinked at my state of me. My hair was wild and untamed, spiralling out of the bun I tried to keep it in when working out. I even spotted a few leaves peeking through the mass of it. I was glad it was getting healthy though, finally getting some stronger colour.

My face looked fine other than the bags from lack of sleep, but the large bandage wrapped around my neck had me wrinkling my nose in disgust. I couldn't feel any pain, just aching and I don't doubt it was because of the drips in my hand.

Someone wrapped my arm up in a sling, hanging to just below my breast. I tried to move it but found only my forearm could slightly rotate without pain. So it had to be my shoulder. I don't know what pain killers these were, but they were amazing.

With my free hand, I attempted to seek the bobble hiding in my hair. Unravelling it was tricky since it was so messy, but eventually, I got there and shook it out. I wanted a shower so badly, but being hooked on an IV and in a sling was going to make it difficult.

"Nova?"

I jumped and knocked a sink pot onto the floor just as I went to brush my teeth.

"Y-y-yeah?"

Footsteps approached the door and, with wide eyes, I watched as Sean came running into the bathroom. His chest deflated in what appeared to be relief before he checked me over. I insisted I was fine, but he made sure he glanced over every part of me.

I rolled my eyes as he circled me. "Honestly, I'm o-okay. Just... groggy."

He sat down on my toilet seat and observed as I brushed my teeth. It was awkward, and I actively avoided his gaze.

"You hit your head pretty hard."

"What else?" I asked.

"Broken shoulder bone, few broken ribs, too. They stitched five cuts in your neck, so be careful with that. And with your twisted ankle from the other day, I'd say you're pretty done for." He laughed.

I snorted a laugh. "Thanks."

We fell into a comfortable silence as I refreshed my appearance.

Drying my face, I contemplated my question. "Sean... w-wh-what was that thing?"

He frowned, and I watched as he thought about how to answer me. But he didn't have to, because somebody else intruded.

"A ghoul."

A voice like silk. Deep and merciless as the ocean has me closing my eyes. I suppressed a shiver and opened them to see Sean giving me a confused glance.

I turned to face him and held my breath as my eyes met his. His hair was tousled, eyes dark and tired, much like mine. His white shirt was ruffled and unbuttoned halfway down, but he still had his trousers neatly in place. Even his dress shoes were in disarray, covered in mud and left untied.

Why was he dressed up in the middle of the night?

Phoenix leaned in my doorway, his shoulder against the wooden frame and arms crossed at his chest. I let out my breath when his black eyes met mine. A firm frown was his only feature. It surprised me he didn't have wrinkles yet with the amount he grimaces.

"G-g-ghoul?" I whispered.

He took a long blink and sighed. "Yes. A ghoul. I will tell you, but I insist you get back into bed until the sun rises."

I chewed my tongue but nodded and began my snail's pace to the bed. Sean followed behind me, taking slow steps in tandem. Phoenix had hardly moved when I passed by him, a sigh leaving his lips as he explained what a ghoul was.

"It's a flesh-eating monster, with a soft spot for werewolf blood." He began.

My eyes widened as I got close to him and his scent, along with his words, had me stagger. Thankfully, both men steadied me; Phoenix grabbed my IV and elbow and Sean grabbed me by the waist.

Phoenix suddenly let out a low growl, and I glanced at him to see him glaring at Sean. Sean's hands stiffened on my waist behind me and we all froze.

Phoenix sneered. "Do not touch her."

"I was just helping-

Phoenix growled again, and Sean's warm hands soon vanished from my waist. Phoenix suddenly scooped me up and carried me the rest of the way to my bed. He was warm and tingly, his eyes dark as he focused on the task.

So now he's protective and growling at Sean, yet for the past ten days, he ignores me? Temperamental much?

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I just did it out of instinct." Sean spoke from where we left him.

Phoenix laid me in bed and placed the duvet over me. He clenched his jaw as his dark eyes met my confused ones. Straightening his back, he turned around to face Sean, who shifted awkwardly on his feet. My wolf purred at the sight of his back; she had a thing for his backside.

"I understand." Was all he said.

Sean glanced at me and I could see what he was going to ask before it left his lips. "May I ask what... is going on?"

Phoenix grumbled. "You already know, it seems."

"You found your mate?" He grinned, despite the tense standoff. "Thank-fucking-finally."

I heard Phoenix grumble and clench his fists until his knuckles cracked. "You must tell no one."

I frowned this time. "Why?"

He glanced at me over his shoulder. "They mustn't know. It's for your own good."

"B-b-but I'm your m-mate..."

Phoenix shook his head, frowning. "Enough of this, please. Just get some sleep."

"Phoenix..."

"Goodnight, Nova." He grimaced before gesturing for Sean to follow him.

My mouth parted in shock and I watched as they both walked out of the room, Sean following him with sorry eyes.

**********

wc: 3323

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