Those were not choices, and if they were, they were terrible. Ryle thought stiffly, unclenching her fisted hands and setting them on her lap as she looked down and away from everyone. The blood rushing in her ears sounded like a waterfall to her.
Become some type of rouge that always has to ask permission if she ever wants to go somewhere. Stay in Silver Hall and have some sort of freedom. Kill the man who caused this, and leave it to some unknown pack. This was a trap, that much was obvious from the alternatives listed. There was no way she was genuinely offering her the choice to have Wilbert's head if she wanted it, and even if it was true, Ryle couldn't see any positive outcomes to accepting. Ryle was afraid of Wilbert, she knew that without a doubt as another flash of those golden amber eyes came to find her, but she didn't necessarily wish him death just because her life had been toppled. In fact, she was sure killing him would gain her enemies and make any chance of integration beyond difficult.
And going rouge? Running away from all of this sounded great. Hiding away in someplace where no one knew her and would leave her alone would offer her peace of mind, but for how long? Who would she ask for help when that inevitable day she turned wolf came? Who would show her the ropes and how to turn back? The thought alone of being forever stuck as an animal without any way to communicate frightened her to her core. Sure, they might explain what to do and where to go, but there was nothing secure about that.
They weren't really giving her choices, they were laying out her only option. She was new to this whole thing, and walking in blind was not Ryle's style. Ignorance was far from blissful when you get bit in the neck from it and wake up on the other side of ignorance. She couldn't make any serious choices without first knowing the basics. Right now, the only chance to learn those basics would be to remain in Silver Hall and accept all they were offering.
"So, what will it be?" Alizia had a wolfish smile, teeth flashing, but there was no humor within her eyes. There was nothing at all amusing to be felt within the room. The sun was bearing down through the window behind her, and yet to Ryle, the room felt cold.
"Ryle." Someone called behind her. She looked over her shoulder. "My name is Kane Omiss, I am in charge of the team that was there that day of the attack. I may be speaking out of turn, but I'd like to say something to you if you're willing to listen." Alizia's grin deepened as he spoke, she knew just what was going through his mind. If she was wrong, then he was a terrible pick for a team leader, but since her hunches had rarely ever been wrong, she allowed the interruption.
Kane stood in front of Hugo, whose expression was as far from the blank as it had been earlier. Both men looked sickened. Kane had short-cropped black hair with red tips and slanted metallic silver eyes, and eyebrow piercing on the right side. He was rather slim and even pretty for a team leader of a werewolf group, whatever that had meant. Ryle had thought all werewolves were closer to Hugo's larger structure, but this man could have passed as a male model. He said nothing as she just stared until she gave him a slow nod.
"Everyone here knows that you did not ask to end up here and that we play a large part in failing to prevent both the first attack and Wilbert from biting you. Wilbert, especially, knows his actions were unforgivable, regardless of how they came to be. This mission was his fourth outing within my team, and so the fault lies with me as well for not preparing for the scenario of his mouthpiece being removed, and for that, I am terribly sorry. You are within your right to demand blood as your own was shed and no one here would be able to deny that it is your right, but as a pack, I think I speak for all when I say that letting him make up for his mistake every day would favor you greatly and we would never forget it."
The message was clear. Let him live. Ryle had already known she wouldn't ask for Wilbert's life, but hearing Kane now worked to her advantage. She now knew it would have indeed worked against her to take the path to an act of meaningless revenge. His death would only harm her in the long run.
Kane waited with bated breath for her decision. When he had first seen Ryle, he hadn't gotten a good look at her from all of the chaos. Worse was how much she was covered in blood. He felt another stone of guilt come upon his shoulder as he realized he hadn't actually gotten a good look at her until he had received that phone call from the hospital and had rushed back. Her olive completion had been closer to an ash gray when he had seen her, her shortly cut hair matted in dried blood and her lips nearly blue as she scanned around. Now that she sat so calmly, he noted that her hair was longer from the front, nearly to her collar. She had deep violet indigo eyes as she stared at him. Her jaw was clenched, and she looked stiff in her seat.
Wilbert's face came to mind, his blank stare as he sat staring at nothing on the ground. No one could get him to eat or move ever since he managed to snap him out of his berserker trans. His throat felt tight as he waited for the fate of his team member.
"I don't want him dead." She said finally, her voice even. Kane's shoulders visibly lowered as relief flooded his body, muscles he didn't realize were tense, finally relaxing.
"Thank you." He said softly, his hands fisting at his sides.
"But I also don't want him near me." She continued. He stilled as hesitation overcame him. He could not give her a false promise. He was not in the position to do so anyway.
"I see." He looked over at the head of the pack. She had a content expression, eyes gleaming. "Hall?" When Ryle turned to look over at Alizia, he watched as she schooled her expression to lose interest.
"Since you don't want his head, that leaves two more options. Which of the two will it be? Stay or go?"
"If I stay, what's the catch?" beside her, Lotties eyes widened. Perhaps the oldest-looking man in the room with glasses and gray hair threw his head back and guffawed, hands rising to his chest as he shook.
"Hahaha! Spoken like a true human." A few of the strangers in the room chuckled, and some shook their heads. As if Ryle being suspicious was amusing. It made her distrust them even more.
"The success of one is the success of the whole pack. We are like a family." Alizia said over the fading laughter.
"Even families have their own black sheep and quarrels." Ryle pointed out, raising a brow in wait to see if she would deny her the argument. She did not.
"Of course," for a moment Ryle thought Alizia's face tightened, her expression seeming ingenue. "I would be a liar to say that we all get along perfectly. In the past, we have had a few incidents where differences simply could no longer be ignored, but it is that very reason why Silver Hall has the highest amount of members living in relatively peaceful harmony. We are wolves, we hunt and protect what we need and what we want, but the individual must thrive as well or run the risk of becoming a shell, and that would be terrible for those who will step on the shards that come from a broken shell. Here, we all have a saying." she raised a hand in a come motion.
"Kill greed, perfect desire, and honor all who fight," They all said in unison.
Her brows furrowed as she took it in, trying to figure out what exactly was the difference between greed and desire. Were they not the same?
Alizia tapped the end of her cane on the ground. "There is no catch, at least not one we might consider, but I can imagine in the future you might disagree with me on this. Is there something you want that might be in my powers to give to you to work as a compromise in case you find a catch in the future?" Her tongue clicked as she looked up for a moment. "Ah, Wilbert will be kept away from you for the time being until you are alright with him approaching, but I can not keep him away indefinitely. We all understand that you do not wish to see him, but it's the law. He must take part in aiding your transition, and having him around will prove to be useful to you one way or another."
"Something I want that you can give me?"
A string of curses flooded Ryle's mind as a flood of displeasure took over. Her foot began to bounce as nothing came to mind. Could she postpone her wish? The only thing Ryke wanted at the moment was an escape plan.
"Within reason." There was an edge to her answer. Ryle nodded. It wasn't like she could ask for her old life back. The longer she sat within the room, the more it sunk that this was actually happening. It was frightening.
"That will not count as what has already been promised here?" Ryle motioned to the files. There were still a few more she hadn't gotten to. She dreaded what else they wanted to inform her of. She felt as if she was barely grasping what they had told her.
"Living expenses, room and transportation, and the basics will be provided. Whatever you wish for will not be counted as part of that, unless it involves a change to what we provide."
"Do I have to sign into Silver Hall?" Lottie answered her question by opening another file and producing a pen out of nowhere, sliding it in front of Ryle and giving her an encouraging smile.
"Any good contract is binding on both sides." Alizia stood and walked over. "This will inform you what we do and what we will not accept from you and visa versa." She picked up the pen and began playing with it, spinning it around her fingers as she glanced over the documents.
"Can I sign and postpone my request?" Flipping through the papers, Ryle sighed at the nerves that ate at her. She was doomed either way.
"Of course."
"Then I guess I'm going to join Silver Hall."
"Good choice." Alizia pointed the pen at her, handing it over as a pleased smile came over her. "Why don't you sign so we can go over all this paperwork then?"
She looked from the pen to the papers, and then looked around the room. They were in the room for a few more hours as Ryle nit-picked at things she did not completely understand. Alizia and Lottie took turns explaining. No one else in the room ever introduced themselves or spoke out loud, but just like when she walked in, they remained focused on her. It took a while, but finally, at one point Ryle took the pen and signed her name on the dotted line, becoming a member of Silver Hall.
* * *
"All of your things are labeled and wrapped. If you want any of your old furniture, we can bring it here, but if not, it can be sold off or put into storage. Just tell me the moment you want them, I'll have everything switched out." Elson motioned to the open door on the right where the end of a bed frame could be seen.
Ryle turned and spun around slowly around the room. When they had promised her a room, she had taken their world literally, but the place she was in was more like an apartment. She had her own living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. The walls were painted white and there was basic furniture that anyone would need, but even she could tell it was all well made and maintained. There was nothing abnormal or odd about the space, it looked as normal as anyone else's home.
True to his word, there were a couple of boxes spread out. Some in the kitchen, a few in the bathroom, and the rest lingering between the bedroom and the living room. She did not want to ask how or even who had been in charge of packing her things. She would go over everything later when she was alone. Clutching the multiple files to her chest tighter, she looked over her shoulder where Kane and Hugo stood, heads close together as they whispered something back and forth.
It had taken an hour for Alizia to finally feel satisfied enough with the explanations they had given Ryle, before she bid her farewell with a promise to see her soon. Because Wilbert was responsible for her and Kane was responsible for him, she would have to be seeing a lot of him. Ryle's quarters were on the first floor of the building, right next to Elson, who was the floor manager and the go-to person for any questions or complaints when it came to the building or questions that involved finding someone. Apparently, he always knew where everyone was or was supposed to be. She wanted to ask if that was a personal skill or a werewolf power.
Elson looked around the same age she was, and on the clean-shaven side, he reminded her of a lawyer with his matching gray suit and tie, light brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. He wore rectangular glasses on the bridge of his long nose.
Both hands in his pockets, Elson looked at Ryle as she inspected everything with severe interest as if she were looking for something. He knew the inside of all of the unused rooms on the top floor, so he also knew that there should be nothing out of the ordinary. The word brought his gaze back to her. He wondered what it would be like to stand in her shoes. To go from the ordinary to the complete opposite. If anything, he would be ecstatic in her place. Werewolves were stronger than normal humans, and the perks that came from being in a pack made his own survival percentage go up. Humans were vulnerable to attacks. Such as the one she had suffered from.
"Are there any specific rules to using this place?"
"No, consider it your own. Everything is remodeled and redone when someone moves in."
"Alright." Ryle had no intention of getting too cozy here. She might be a part of Silver Hall, but that didn't mean she had to live with them all her life surely.
"Ever since I got here, I haven't seen anyone else besides you guys." She lifted a brow. "Am I being avoided?"
"Ahh, you noticed that? We asked the people on this floor to give you some room until you adjust. They're all very curious to get to see and know you. The first floor is often used to climate new pack members, but you being awakened had stirred everyone's interest, so we had to tell them to wait until you were ready."
For a moment she was thankful, but she was quick to correct herself. They were curious because she had become awakened. They probably did not think much of her being attacked or the others who had died. The thought darkened her already fragile mood.
"Oh."
"Do you think this place will be fine?" Elson watched her expression drop until she stared dully at the wall. He wondered if he had said something wrong. "If you want to paint, we can have the things you'll need set up-"
"It will do." Her lack of luster response made Elson's eager expression dim, he gave her an apologetic smile.
"It might take some time, but I hope you will learn to feel at ease with us here. Once we know where you rank in the pack, you'll be moved to a more permanent place, but that will probably take a while."
She gave him a tight smile that did not reach her eyes.
"I'd like to be alone now." That was all she said.
"Of course," he took a step back, an odd feeling in his chest. Was it pity? "My rooms are on the right if you ever need anything. Your refrigerator should be filled with the basics, but if you want food or something from the vending machines, you can take the elevator down to the cafeteria, your pass is on the counter along with the lobby number."
"Hmm, thanks."
"No problem." He nodded and turned to Hugo and Kane, who were still absorbed in their rapid conversation. "Guys." He motioned with his head to the door, their heads snapped up, their eyes looking over at Ryle, who paid them no mind before giving each other meaningful looks. Kane took a step past Elson and cleared his throat when Ryle didn't move.
"Ryle," he started awkwardly, his words hesitant. "I know this day has probably been overwhelming to you, and so I'll give you a few days to settle-" Her long sigh cut him off as she turned to face him with exhaustion he could nearly feel coming off of her in waves. Her indigo eyes, darker than he had recalled earlier, a black ring around the outside that made them appear larger.
"What is it now?"
"I think it would be best to introduce you to my team," he hurried his words when she straightened up and her look was beginning to turn frosty. "With the exception of Wilbert, of course. You can decide when you'll meet, for we have set up a schedule to catch you up on what to know before you are officially introduced to everyone."
There were so many things Ryle wanted to respond to, but his apologetic eyes did not match the uncompromising look he was giving her. There would be no arguing her way out of anything he had just said, and even if she could come up with a solid reason, she needed help. She just rather it not be from the very team that failed her and so many others. She would have a few days to adjust to her new life before she was thrust into it.
She nodded. Kane tilted his head as he took in her easy acceptance. It was nearly odd to him how despite being so obviously unnerved and overwhelmed, her responses were nearly zen. He rubbed the tips of his fingers as he wondered what kind of wolf Ryle would be.
"Fine, but I would really like to be alone now."
She went along very easily, just like now, but there were moments where it was as if she were baring her teeth to those who pushed too far. Ryle could be a beta. He didn't want to jump to conclusions too fast, she was still newly awakened, and Wilbert's influence on her was still hard to ignore. She carried his scent around. Not that anyone would dare tell her that. Kane would take his time feeling the new wolf out to find where in the pack she fell and if she turned out to be like her caller, then things would get sticky.
As soon as the three men left, Ryle sank into the sofa and shut her eyes, her mind drawing a blank as she took in the silence. When she finally opened her eyes again, it was much later, the living room was painted darkness. Lifting her hands above her face, she stared at them in silence. There were a lot of things bothering her, all the information she was told, but there was one that rather than bother was more of a concern.
"If it's called an awakening and you become whatever the caller is..." She trailed off, dropping her hands in her lap. Theories made their way to the forefront of her mind, but she shook them off. "There's no way that's possible."
There was no way that her little werewolf mishap, the awakening, meant that anything else was brought forth as well. She had been born human and raised human. There was nothing different except for the scars on her neck and body to prove her new healing abilities.
From human to werewolf. Anything else, and Ryle knew she would be in trouble. Growing fangs and fur, Ryle could handle. Anything else...and she would be in trouble.