"Yes, I am," Ulric replies, taking steps into the room before closing the door behind him. The clothes he wears, they're hidden mostly by a lab coat. A stethoscope is around his neck while a pen sticks out slightly from his chest pocket, another item leaning against it slightly.
I glance up, the tears falling down the sides of my cheek as I focus my stare back on the ceiling.
How could I have been so naive?
I've never met a werewolf before, my parents ensuring that I'm safe from everyone. They hardly told me anything about them, except for only the connections to how they are forbidden. Vampires and werewolves used to kill one another, fighting because of our differences in the way we view...
...everything.
We aren't compatible, though, after the signing of the treaty, we have coexisted and tolerated one another.
Everything makes sense now...down to the initial encounter I had with Ulric. It hurts my heart for how foolish I feel, for being so stupid!
"Wren," Ulric walks forward and I hear him bring the chair rolling out from under the desk. He nears the edge of the bed, sitting down before he says, "I'm sorry."
The way he reacted in our initial encounters...
"Did you know?" My voice still doesn't sound like my own, a fresh wave of tears blinding my vision as I ask, "All this time, did you know that I am a vampire?"
I catch him out of the corner of my eye, though it's blurry as he replies, "Yes."
My parents should have helped me understand more of what to discern about the very species they wanted to hide me away from. Though they never believed I'd ever go out on my own for anything, therefore, they didn't think it would serve a purpose in me knowing anything beneath the mere mention of the name, werewolf.
The one thing I'd been told?
Their eyes, just as ours shift...
...that glint I saw wasn't just a reflection of light.
"Why...?" I ask, unable to speak any further as the air catches in my lungs.
Ulric asks with uncertainty, "What do you mean?"
I finally tilt my head in his direction, glaring at him as I heavy a sharp sob, "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep me in the dark? Was it some fun game for you to play with my ignorance and naivety? Why—"
"I thought you were playing games with me, at first," Ulric cuts me short as I try and even my breathing out, the beeper having reflected just how poorly I can keep my heart rate under control.
I'm staring at him in confusion, though everything comes back so vividly.
He then further explains, "I thought you were tricking me, attempting to get me to do something to violate the treaty." Ulric pauses briefly and then sighs, "After realizing you weren't deceiving me...that you genuinely didn't know what I am...I became curious as to who you are. Not that you're a vampire, peering beyond that front of your species that has also been part of my life."
Furrowing my brows, my confusion turns to curiosity as I ask, "Who am I?"
Ulric chuckles and shakes his head, "You're a beautiful soul. You genuinely care deeply for those you consider precious enough to have in your life. Everything I've been through firsthand with vampires seemed to fade away, showing me something I've never seen before in you."
I...
...wait, I—
My eyes widen and I tell him, "You...you knew I am a vampire and...what you said—I...I—"
"Yes," Ulric helps me find my voice as I can't bring together my thoughts, "I'm developing feelings for you. I like you Wren, and I did everything in my power to save your life."
I...I...
It's overwhelming, unsure of how to process everything, though realizing very quickly that I should have died. There's no way I could have saved myself, not with what happened.
That also leaves another question. My voice is slightly calmer this time when I ask him, "What happened and where am I?"
"If I hadn't allowed all my senses to be consumed by your presence, I would have caught the scent of the hunters before they were ever a threat in the first place," he pauses and releases a heavy sigh, "for that, I'm truly sorry. As for where you are...I..." he clears his throat and then explains, "you are at my medical facility in the territory and on the lands of the Ancient Pride Pack."
Ancient Pride Pack?
Ulric finishes off with, "I'm the Ancient Pride Pack's Salutary, better known as a pack doctor."
I...I'm in werewolf territory...
Mortification hits me quickly, as I know very well—
"You're very lucky that my Alpha shares the same blood type as yourself," Ulric interrupts my thoughts as I blink a few times and furrow my brows. He explains, "You needed blood transfusions, O- isn't the easiest to come by when you can't receive any other blood type...and I couldn't take you to a hospital, considering..."
Oh...I really didn't realize because it doesn't matter when we drink blood, and I always heal so I've never run into this before.
He furrows his brows and says, "It will take roughly a day or so before the liquid silver is completely out of your bloodstream. You'll be able to heal well on your own after. Losing the amount of blood that you did, and with the transfusions, it helped speed the process up compared to if you'd only been shot once." Ulric's hand touches the top of my own, telling me, "You need to take it easy and stay in this room until I say otherwise. It's daylight outside and though I've closed most of the shutters, light still streams in."
I slowly nod my head, a warmth remaining where Ulric had touched me, though it flickers away quickly when he rises to his feet.
A soft smile is on his lips when he says, "I'll check on you in a few hours and bring you some..." his voice trails off as Ulric lowers his gaze and sighs, "...that's right, you can't have food." He snaps his fingers and says, "I'll bring you a blood bag?"
"Thank you," I reply quietly, the rush of everything settling and causing my head to hurt. All the information at once causes my head to spin, long after Ulric leaves.
It's a whirlwind, the pain is something I am not used to, feeling fortunate that this isn't normal. I can't imagine what mortals must go through with a simple injury, let alone being shot four times...
Ulric does return, though I did manage to get some more rest, it's hard to stay asleep for long with the constant pain. He crosses the room after closing the door behind him, but it doesn't close all the way.
Another steps in right behind Ulric, catching the door as his gaze sweeps the room and then rests on me. His voice is rather harsh when he questions Ulric, "How long will she need to be here?"
"At the very least, two days," Ulric confirms with the man whose features alter at his response.
He stays quiet for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly, and it makes me uncomfortable. It's seconds later that I see his irises shift briefly to that golden hue before reverting when he notes, "The moment she's capable, she needs to leave. For our own safety, and hers."
"Yes, Alpha," Ulric nods his head slightly, seeing the shift in their demeanors is much different than how my family acts toward one another.
"I won't jeopardize the Covenant-Pack Treaty should the vampires find out about her whereabouts here, as I am sure they know she's gone, they might view her being here as hostile. Left open to interpretation, it won't end well," the Alpha werewolf replies to Ulric, and I just see him nod quietly.
The Alpha nods his head and leaves, closing the door solidly behind him.
They're afraid of what might happen with my presence here alone. I feel the bridge of my nose sting, knowing full well my family has severed our connection while I'm under þögn. I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing, but it might help ease the Alpha that no one would be able to find me...
...again, not sure if that's a good or bad thing to be so openly about.
"Here," Ulric's tone is a little distant as he hands me the blood bag. While he opens it for me, I try and move, tears finally falling as I exhale, trying to suppress the groan that tears at the back of my throat. He furrows his brows and brings the chair over once more.
I take the bag and shakily bring it to my lips, telling him, "Thank you..."
Ulric asks me after a few moments of me drinking the blood, "Are you in pain?"
"Yes," I hate admitting it, but I've never felt this before.
He then goes on to question, "What is the level of your pain?"
"I didn't know this was a game?" I furrow my brows and I see a smile raise on his lips, holding back a chuckle.
Ulric grabs a chart and asks, "Are you the sad face or the happy face? Or somewhere in between?"
He takes the empty bag from me, and I tell him, "Everything hurts...I don't really know what to compare it to, I'm sorry—" when I try and move slightly, the tears fall once more as I feel the pain take my body. My voice is watery as I cry, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."
Ulric shakes his head and lifts from the chair, telling me gently this time, "There's no reason to be sorry, it's okay." His demeanor shifts again, feeling how calm his presence becomes as he gets things together from a cabinet, bringing back a needle and a small glass container.
He pierces the needle into the top, withdrawing a liquid before setting the container down and moving toward my arm. As he brings the needle closer, I panic and try and move, though all that does is cause me more harm than anything.
Ulric gently and firmly touches my forearm, catching my gaze while saying, "I'm not going to hurt you. This will take the pain away and allow you to recover without the strain and trauma your body is already under."
I turn my head away, not wanting to see as he releases my forearm. He's calm, sincere, gentle...Ulric puts me at ease when I feel that cool warmth floods my veins again, it's like before. It almost immediately causes my muscles to relax, the pain-numbing away while my eyelids grow heavy.
While he puts things away, discarding the needle I lift my head only slightly as I stare up at the glowing stars on the ceiling. They flicker in and out of focus with each second.
Ulric returns to my side, though I only see him briefly as he says, "I hoped you'd find some comfort with the stars. Get some rest, I'll check on you later."
I hazily nod my head, though my eyelids are already closed when I distantly hear the door open, softly shutting me into silence.