Meeting with the Calhan males already felt like a completely new experience for Elise, especially since the males had different characters and demeanors.
Hayden gives her a brief explanation that Abby will be taking her in, and she obliges once she knows it is the healer.
A part of her had a soft spot for healers because of Vienna, her friend, who was very kind to her in the black-moon park. Her throat immediately soured with sadness as she cleared it to stop herself from showing any vulnerable emotions or crying because of how much she missed Vienna.
“And where will you be staying?” She asked Hayden, whose lips curled up in a smile as he leaned against the adjacent wall. Calhan males were big, and shadow wolves were bigger, and he towered over her, almost the same height as an alpha. She didn’t want to remember anything about that place. Not now.
“Are you thinking of little old me, El? Are you worried you won't see me for the night? Don’t worry, I could fix that,” he jokes. It works since it had Elise's eyes rolling. Hayden was a flirt when he needed to be, but she could tell by his aura that he was no ordinary man.
"No, you prick; I’m glad you aren't staying with me." Hayden, in response, jokingly places a hand on his chest to look hurt. Abby interrupts their conversation as she clears her throat. They both look at her, and she signals that it's time to go.
“I have to be out for nightly watch; that is the job my shadow wolves and I do, so be lucky, Elise. No one has ever made it this far into our territory in 20 years. You're a special phenomenon,'' he says before backing away with his buddies.
She follows Abby to her home, a beautiful stone apartment that is surprisingly just a few feet close to the hospital. Even though Abby walks in first, she turns on the light in her warm, cozy home. Its rustic yet warm feel brings the place to life.
Everything felt so alarmingly new for Elise; she had never seen such a building for a home, not when she'd been in the Silver Night Pack since her father abhors human-made things. “Don’t worry, child. Hayden might joke around a lot, but for the Alpha Kings’ son, he has taken care of our pack even since he was a child. He will protect you,” she assures.
Elise pauses her words. “Hayden is the Alpha King's son?” she asked. Shocked by the revelation, why didn’t he tell her? She was more pissed than she thought she'd be.
“I don’t think I should have said that. Sorry, I thought he told you." Abby explains, a little taken aback by Elise's curiosity: "Follow me, child," he mutters to Elise. They follow down the short hallway, and the white door is opened, and Abby leads her in.
“It took a short while for me to clean it up; you can manage this in the meantime,” Abby suggested. Elise walked past Abby, her body still on guard. The room was simple; its windows opened the light into the space. Though it was already evening, it gave the beautifully designed space life.
“This is more than enough; thank you.”
“You can call me Abby,” the older female suggested. There was a quiet silence as Elise noticed her gaze moving to Elise's stomach. “If you want to talk about what happened, I’m here, and I will help you.” Elise's hands clutch her tummy, and her walls tighten up again as she answers coldly.
“There is nothing; the baby is gone, just like you said, remember?” She tells her, and Abby sees Elise does not want to talk about it; she is not ready yet. Especially since Hayden didn’t make it known to her who he truly is, she feels weird.
“All right, child, I will leave you to rest and make dinner,'' she suggested as she closed the door. Elise, finally left alone, wonders if she is being watched right at this moment; she is more irritated by her wolf being so comfortable in this foreign land.
She heads to the bathroom, taking off the clothes that Hayden handed to her. She steps into the tiled cubicle, confused for a second about how their bathroom works, but when she turns the water dial with the push of a button, warm water flows down from the shower.
Elise is fascinated by it. She steps into the shower, finally letting out a sigh of relief when, from the warm water, she washes herself off with mint bath oil. Before she dries herself, she then cleans the bathroom mirror, which is already covered with mist.
She looks at her reflection and sees how drained her eyes look, void of emotions or even strength to cry. She felt pathetic; her hands instinctively went to her stomach, and she caressed it. She was pregnant with a child, a child that must have belonged to Rygan, but now that it's gone, so is the affection she feels; it's only betrayal that fills her memories.
Elise's eyes feel devoid of reality as all the memories of her attack, betrayal, and assault fuel her senses, with the bites on her nape and wrist as a constant reminder that she is numb all over, recalling the hurtful words that Rygan had said to her. Only when she heard a knock on the door did her dark thoughts dissipate.
“El? Are you alright?” Abby's voice echoes into the bathroom.
“Yeah, I am.“
“Apologies, I just came to drop clothes off for you. I knocked, but you did not answer, so I came in. They are in the closet, and I'd love for you to come out for a meal with me,” she says to Elise.
“I'll be right there,” she mutters from the bathroom. Abby then leaves to set up the table, and Elise comes out with a robe. She opens the closet to see clothes arranged in it. Part of her wonders why these people were being so kind to her; could she trust them?
She sees an ivory night dress, an older styled gown she is more used to; she wears it as she quickly heads out to the dining room for dinner, a small circle table with just two chairs by it, but it's filled with small platters of different dishes for dinner.
Elise takes a seat, Abby gives her a friendly smile as they sit, and her stomach growls, making Elise blush while Abby smiles, “dig in,” she mutters to Elise.
Elise dips her spoon into the warm soup of beef stew. A shudder of warm relief goes through her system as she tastes the savory soup; it tastes like her mother's cooking. She didn't know when a tear slipped from her eyes, causing Abby to be shocked.
“What's wrong, dear? Are you okay?”
“I'm sorry, this just tastes so much like my mom's cooking; I’ve never had this anywhere else but her. I’m sorry; you must think I’m so crazy,” she says to Abby. A look of guilt shows on Abby's face as she drops her spoon to clean the tears that pooled on her cheeks.
“No, you're not,” Abby sniffles to Elise, who raises her head to face the healer.
“What do you mean?” she asked the healer. Her next words were nothing Elise could expect.
“That's because… I’ve been keeping a secret from you about malia ...she was more than just a passing stranger to me,” she said to Elise, her eyes softening as she placed a hand above Elise’s.
“I knew your mother; .”