Chapter 8

I shrank back against the ground, not having time to shift back into Mya, as Alistair leapt up high in the air, fangs exposed, aiming for me. As quick as a flash, Marii jumped up and sunk her teeth into Alistair’s body, which filled the air with an ear-deafening shriek. Alistair’s wolf was significantly larger than Marii’s, but he was slower due to the muscle he was packing, while Marii was quick and nimble, and she really could pack a punch. She made no effort to fling Alistair’s body far away from me and sent him crashing into the wooden picnic benches, shattering them instantly. Wood flung everywhere, making the once pristine garden look like a warzone. The warriors quickly moved out of the way and promptly lay low to the floor, pinning back their ears and submitting to their Luna while whining loudly. Alistair’s wolf lay on the floor, writhing and shaking around in pain and whimpering loudly, while his ears lay flattened on his head - a sign of submission. Slowly, he stood up and shook off bits of wood and debris from his fur as he limped towards Marii, still snarling angrily but not as forcibly as moments before.

“You will leave this pup alone!” Marii threatened loudly. “She has a place in this pack now and she works for me now! She gets our protection just like everyone else does around here. Do I make myself clear!? You hurt her and I swear to god I’ll make your life a living misery!”
“What makes her so special anyway?” growled Alistair angrily, slowly beginning to give in. “She could be a spy from the Eclipse Pack! She should die! We all know the Eclipse Pack wants to overthrow us! How can you be so careless! I'm just doing my job and trying to protect the pack and you're preventing me from doing so!”
“Because Blake asked me to save her!” thundered Marii loudly to the shocked gasps of the warriors. “My son will soon be your new Alpha and I suggest you start obeying his orders too! Show me your submission otherwise, you will have to deal with both Blake and his father when they return! And I highly doubt Jonas will be impressed with your subordinate attitude today!”
The wolves one by one, finally including Alistair, pressed their bodies low to the ground and murmured their approval towards their Luna. Marii immediately changed back into her human self once more as she glared furiously at Alistair’s wolfy body trembling before her. Without saying a word, she beckoned me with one hand as I followed her in silence back up towards the house in awe. We quickly crossed a large stone patio, filled with comfy-looking rattan garden furniture with brightly coloured cushions on them and glass tables. Large potted palms lined the edges, providing much-needed shade from the burning sun above us. I paused briefly and turned back around to see Alistair, now surrounded by the warriors who were making sure he was okay. Nervously, I turned back around and continued to walk through a large set of glass patio doors that led us into a cool, clean kitchen. The white cupboards stood out against the cold black marble worktops and a large wooden table with many chairs sat at one end of the room, while I noticed a maid busying herself with food preparation in the kitchen.
“Welcome to the Packhouse, Libby,” Marii finally said, smiling at me warmly. “Please, excuse Alistair. He can be a little, temperamental. He should leave you alone now, but if any problems arise then please do come and tell me!”
“Oh, I don’t want to step on anyone’s tail,” I began quickly shaking my head as I knotted my hands together. “I’m not here to get anyone into trouble or cause any trouble.”
“Don’t be silly now,” Marii soothed before walking around towards another door, as I dutifully followed. “You are in our pack now. We are all one here and we all look out for each other. When my husband goes away, Alistair can sometimes end up on a little power trip. Sometimes he needs re-teaching in his place. Come now. Let’s get you looked at by the healers.”
“Why does Alistair hate me so much?” I asked quietly. “What have I done that is so bad?”
“Hey, listen!” Marii responded while cupping my face gently. “You’ve done nothing wrong. And I’m sure Alistair doesn’t hate you. He is just a grumpy old man who doesn’t like change or new wolves for that matter. He gets very protective over the pack. Now, don’t you go worrying your pretty little head about him! Let’s go.”

I followed Marii out through the door and into a large lobby and straightaway, I noticed the massive marble staircase to the left of us with wrought copper bannisters and a thick red carpet running down through the middle of the stairs. As I continued through the lobby, I looked up to see a massive, silver chandelier that was dangling down from the ceiling. I noticed that the chandelier was adorned with crystals and diamonds, carefully engraved into the silver. There were enormous vases filled with elegant floral displays lining the walls, and the floors were polished to an inch of their lives which made me see my reflection as I walked over them. Somewhere, classical music was softly playing in the background. It was calming and set a relaxing mood, not that it was relaxing me, anyway. I felt on edge and anxious being in a strange place, surrounded by strange people who didn’t want me here. Silently, we ascended two flights of stairs before branching off down a small landing and coming to a stop before two large brown wooden doors that looked very heavy.

“This is the hospital wing,” Marii explained, before pushing the heavy doors open to reveal a large white room, with several small rooms branching off of it. “Come. Let’s get you checked out.”

We walked towards a desk where a smartly dressed woman in a white nurse’s outfit was sitting while typing at a computer. She looked up as we approached and jumped in surprise at the sight of her Luna. Quickly, she stood up and bowed her head in respect.
“I need a healer to examine Libby, please Estelle,” Marii ordered loudly. “I want to make sure she hasn’t got any injuries and if she has, to get them treated. I want her cleaned up too!”
“Of course, Ma’am,” Estelle nodded while glancing briefly at me before pointing to a side room. “Room two is free. Take a seat in there and I’ll get a healer to be right with you.”

Smiling nervously, I walked towards room two, with Marii following me and opened the door. It was a little hospital room filled with a hospital bed and table, a large squishy reclining chair in the corner and a sink and mirror. Making my way over to the bed, I gently sat down on the crisp white sheets while Marii sat in the chair and began observing me closely. Before she could say anything, the door to my room opened and a tall, older man with a grey beard and thin metal glasses walked in. He had a cheery look on his face as he smiled at me pleasantly before nodding his head towards Marii.
“Good afternoon ladies,” the man said happily, as he beamed wildly. “What can I do for you both? I’m healer Nicholson by the way. Pleased to meet you. You can just call me Nick!”
“Yeah, hi Nick, thank you for coming to see us,” Marii smiled sweetly. “I picked this young wolf pup up in the forests. She was being chased out of her pack by her stepmother and her boyfriend. I believe she has been abused both physically and sexually. I’d like her to be checked over in case any injuries may need treating.”
“Of course, my Luna,” Nick replied, before smiling at me carefully and going to fetch a clean gown off the shelf. “Here is a gown. Go and get changed then hop on the bed and I’ll take a look at you.”

Nodding, I took the gown and carefully pulled the curtain around the bed for privacy. Wincing gingerly, I slowly and carefully peeled off my now filthy leggings and pulled my tatty grey t-shirt above my head, leaving me in a pair of black panties and a matching bra. As I gazed over my body, I eyed up the bruises and the scratches from the beating I had endured from Julianne. It was only now that I finally felt how battered and bruised my body was and how exhausted, mentally, emotionally and physically I was. Carefully, I pulled the gown around me and clambered onto the bed and waited for the healer. A couple of minutes later, the curtain was pulled back and Nick stood beside me with his clipboard in his hands.

Gently, he lifted my arms and examined them one by one before doing the same to my legs. He checked my back and stomach with his cold fingers and looked into my eyes and ears with a bright light. He placed a cold stethoscope on my chest and listened intently to my heart before gently pushing me back down onto the bed. I closed my eyes in shame and embarrassment as the healer quickly examined me below before covering me with a blanket. Sighing, he shook his head at Marii who looked at him worriedly with concern over her face.
“Well?” Marii asked impatiently. “What’s the verdict on her? How badly injured is she?”
“Well, she has been through the mill a bit,” he said sadly. “She has a good strong heartbeat, and all her vitals seem fine. Luckily, there’s nothing broken or majorly damaged. Just cuts and bruises which will heal in time. She is slightly underweight, so I suggest she has a few good home-cooked meals inside of her. I can confirm, however, that the poor maid has been sexually assaulted and raped. There is clear evidence of trauma there which she will need time to heal from. I will prescribe her an emergency contraception to combat any unwanted pregnancy. I recommend plenty of rest and maybe a nice long hot soak in the bath. And a good meal or two! The poor thing looks exhausted!”
“Thank you, Nick. How can someone do this to a pup? They are sick!” Marii replied, her face full of anger. “But thank you for taking time out of your day to check her over for me. Blake said there was something special about this one, hence why I went and rescued her.”
“Hmm, yes,” replied Nick thoughtfully as he stroked his chin while looking at me intently. “I can definitely feel something about you Libby. I feel that good things are going to come to you. I wish I could tell you what those things are, but I can’t. Just ride the storm through and you will soon find out. But you will be safe here. Now, go and get some rest!”