After Elaine slammed the door shut, Charlotte spent several moments staring open-mouthed at the wood in front of her nose.
To say she was confused would be an understatement.
Of course, it was unusual for people to drop by unannounced and these visitors seemed neither expected nor wanted. However, her foster parent's reaction was not one of annoyance but one of fear.
What reason could they have to be afraid? And why would they force her to hide in the basement? She wondered.
Something wasn't adding up here. There had to be something more going on.
Obviously, this wasn't a social call, which meant these people must have another reason for visiting unannounced.
Maybe she could find out what that was?
Elaine had said to keep quiet but she'd said nothing about eavesdropping.
After Charlotte had been booted out, it seemed as if the conversation was moved into the kitchen. She couldn't exactly make out what they were saying, but she could hear the low murmur of voices.
Pressing her ear against the door, Charlotte concentrated her magic on amplifying her hearing. The magic warmed her ear from the inside to the outer shell. She wasn't sure if it would work but almost immediately, the voices sounded louder.
"...What brings you here?" She heard Walter ask, strained.
"I should think it's obvious," someone responded.
"Don't act dumb—you know why we're here. The girl," another person growled. "Outsiders are not welcome; you know that as well as any of us."
Charlotte gulped, these men were here because of her?
"I-I don't understand the issue here Jacob... it was already agreed at the last council meeting that we could take in a foster." Elaine replied nervously.
"Yes. The Elders agreed that you could foster a young child." The man called Jacob responded. "And it was more than gracious for the Council to allow you that much. No one would give a second thought to an imaginative five-year-old spinning tales about wolves. A teenager is much different! Not to mention the safety concerns, you know what happens to hikers around here." Jacob continued, somehow sounding both calm and on edge.
Charlotte's forehead crinkled in confusion. Nothing the man was saying made sense. What did he mean by tales about wolves? And why would her age be a point of contention?
"I for one have thought this was outrageous from the beginning. You put our entire community at risk, over an idiotic money-making scheme? And now you try to slip a teenager past us as if we wouldn't notice?" Another person emphasized. Greg, she presumed. "Not exactly a great way to thank us for our leniency."
Money-making scheme? Were Walter and Elaine really only fostering for a couple of checks and a small tax break? Charlotte almost snorted at the ridiculousness of it. Although they wouldn't be the first to try, no one actually made money fostering. Whoever told them that was ill-informed.
"It's not like that!" Elaine protested. "We would have told you sooner, but we didn't know. Honestly! We had no idea the agency would send a teenager, they didn't give us much notice and we couldn't turn her away once she was here. It's not about the money, we want to help her. Surely there's a way we can work this out... I know she's not what any of us expected but I don't believe there's much danger since everyone here is in hu—"
The woman was cut off by an angry growl.
"No. Not everyone." Greg snapped. "That's why this is just plain stupid. If she comes across even one of them... well, things will get messy. And don't think for even a second that I believe you are taking in this girl out of the goodness of your heart. You don't have an iota of concern for her safety or wellbeing."
"Even if you are caring for the girl out of the goodness of your hearts. Don't forget—Alpha will return soon. What do you think he will say once he finds out you've taken in this girl?" Jacob added. From his tone, it was clear he also didn't believe the couple was fostering altruistically.
"Alpha is not coming back. How long has it been? 5 years? 6? If there was a way to fix this he would have found it by now." Walter dismissed.
"How dare you speak such treason?" Jacob demanded. "Need I remind you who's in charge here? I will not hesitate to throw you out if you continue to spew such deceitful words. My brother is out risking his life for our restitution. He will be back soon enough, but perhaps next time he calls to check in, I should let him know what your thoughts are about it?" The man threatened.
The intensity of Jacob's response surprised Charlotte. Even through the barrier of the door, she could feel the cold chill that blanketed the room. The man hadn't needed to yell to get his point across, making it all the more intimidating.
"Beta, we apologize for making such thoughtless statements and beg forgiveness," Elaine stated hastily. "Obviously, these are stressful times. There's no need to bother our Alpha with this, as you said he is focused on our restitution. The girl will not be here for long. Less than a year at most. It's only a small matter, one I'm sure the Council can handle. She will likely be gone before your brother returns to us. We remain loyal to Alpha as always." Elaine soothed, her voice soft as feathers covering a thorned nest.
"This is not right, Elaine. For her own safety, she must leave immediately." Greg replied grumpily.
"Please, Gregorio—at least agree to let her stay temporarily. Allow us to plead our case in front of the Elders again." Elaine begged. "If the majority wants the girl gone we will have her removed. Beta you agree, right? This should be for the Council to decide since they were the ones who agreed in the first place."
For a moment there was silence as her words were considered.
"Very well," Jacob sighed heavily. "We will bring the issue before the council and see what they want to do. In the meantime, we will tell everyone to continue as usual."
Greg grumbled something unintelligible.
"Thank you, Beta!" Elaine replied in relief.
The conversation quickly came to a close as the men prepared to leave.
Charlotte pulled her ear away from the door and tiptoed down the stairs.
Plopping her butt down on the mattress, she sat with her head pressed into her knees. She was confused by the conversation she heard—now left with more questions than answers.
Whoever this Alpha was, it seemed they all agreed he wouldn't want her here. However, they also said he'd been gone for years, so why did Elaine act afraid of him?
Then there was Greg, who seemed to believe she was in danger.
And Jacob or Beta—she wasn't sure which was his name since they'd called him both—he also mentioned safety concerns and something about hikers.
Maybe they were concerned that she would run off and get herself killed?
The part that seemed most odd was the concern over wolves. Obviously, there were wolves around N.N. Rochester. That wasn't a secret—there were wolves all over the state. Why would they care if she talked about wolves?
Unless maybe townspeople were poaching them? She'd noticed a game warden truck parked near the town border on the way in. It could mean they were being investigated.
Or, maybe wolf was code for something else. Some other illegal activity perhaps.
It would make sense—whether it was illegal poaching or something else, something was going on that the men clearly didn't want her to know about.
They shouldn't worry though.
Charlotte wasn't vying to be the next Nancy Drew. She was a survivor and surviving meant standing up for yourself when you had to and keeping your head down when you didn't.
And she could lie if need be.
Illegal activity? What illegal activity? She practiced, sarcastically.
This wasn't the best situation, but with only a few months left until her birthday, she just needed a place to stay temporarily. Once she turned 18 she would be out of there for good.
Until then, assuming this "Council" let her remain, she would lay low and stay away from whatever illegal activities the people in this town might be involved in.
If she had to, Charlotte could go back to the group home, but she'd rather not. It was rough there—overcrowded with lots of fighting. A group of girls had even threatened to jump her a few days before she left.
Charlotte wasn't much of a fighter, so she'd definitely get her ass handed to her if she ended up back in the city.
It seemed she had a lot to think about.
Sighing, the brunette slotted herself under the thin blanket before rolling into a burrito. She fell into an uneasy sleep.
The next day, the basement door was unlocked, but Charlotte was only allowed out of the frigid room for breakfast and dinner.
No one mentioned the visitors from the night before, not that she expected them to. Walter and Elaine were clearly in on whatever secret the men were hiding so it stood to reason they'd keep it to themselves.
With nothing else to do that weekend, Charlotte spent most of her Saturday pacing around the basement and overthinking.
She'd have liked to call one of her former foster siblings, a girl named Zania, to see if she had any ideas on how to handle the situation, but Charlotte didn't have a phone, and getting Zania's number would be difficult, assuming she even had one.
Zania was as close to a best friend as Charlotte had. At one point she'd been like a sister until the system tore them apart.
When they lived together, the girl always seemed to know what to do. She could handle any situation and she often suggested things Charlotte herself never would have thought of.
Unfortunately, Zania was likely out of reach. Charlotte might be able to track her down in a few months, but not now.
The brunette ran her hands over her face in annoyance.
On the few occasions Charlotte was allowed out of her cell, everyone did their best to ignore her presence. Well, Danny did make a few jabs here and there, mostly under his breath in passing.
If the comments bothered her, she didn't let it show.
On Sunday, Elaine knocked on the basement door, telling her it was time for breakfast.
To Charlotte's surprise, neither Danny nor Walter were sitting at the table when she came up. She wasn't sure where they'd gone off to, but she was grateful. Walter was still proving hard to read. She preferred not to speak in his presence.
With just Elaine there, she felt more comfortable asking questions and there was something Charlotte was dying to ask—
She was going stir-crazy from staring at the concrete walls in her room all day. Sure, it had only been a couple of days, but Charlotte needed to feel close to nature. Without that connection, she became kind of edgy.
In the past, she'd simply sneak away from her foster home for a short time, finding a quiet place where she could bask in the tranquility of nature. Typically it was easy. Most of the families didn't notice or care where their foster kids were.
Of course, it was harder in the city than in the suburbs, but even in the city, she'd find a way. There was always a bus or a train headed somewhere on the edge of town.
All of the effort was worth it when her toes could finally curl into the soft damp earth as she tilted her head up to the sun. It would feel as if her soul was thrumming with the life around her.
That's what she wanted—she wanted to feel the sun on her face and the breeze on her skin. Most of all she wanted to look at something that wasn't cold and grey.
The house was surrounded by a forest, surely it wouldn't be that hard to get outside.
She just needed to ask.
"Elaine, would it be ok if I took a walk after breakfast?" Charlotte asked slowly, trying not to seem too eager.
Just say yes, just say yes. Charlotte chanted in her mind.
Elaine rolled her eyes. "Do whatever you want girl, I could care less." The woman paused for a moment as if considering something.
Couldn't care less, Charlotte corrected silently, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"But make sure you aren't out anytime around dawn or dusk," Elaine added, frowning.
"What happens at dawn and dusk?" Charlotte asked before she thought better of it.
There was an odd gleam in the woman's eye as she responded.
"Nothing good," she said.
"Ok, I'll be back before dusk then," The brunette shrugged, before jumping up to clean her plate, eager to get outside. "Thank you!" She added hastily. It was easier to catch flies with honey.
Unmoved, Elaine ignored her.
Grinning wildly, Charlotte sprinted out of the house toward the edge of the forest.
Dense green trees lined the back of the property making for a welcoming sight. Many of the branches were dipped with snow, yet it still wasn't enough to overtake the vast greenness that stretched before her.
The forest was even more beautiful than Charlotte remembered and it beckoned her like an old friend. She gulped the fresh air greedily while urging her feet to move faster. After being stuck down in that horrid basement for days, the fresh mountain air was appreciated all the more.
She hadn't bothered with shoes which was perhaps a mistake.
Sticks and branches grabbed at her clothes as she ran, while bushes scratched at her bare ankles and sharp stones stabbed at her feet after every ill-placed step.
Charlotte ignored the discomfort, spearing herself through the thick forest until finally, she stumbled onto a small foot-worn path.
Her pace slowed as she strolled leisurely down the newfound path which led her down to a river.
The bank was narrow and somewhat rocky.
Climbing over boulders, Charlotte picked her way closer until she was about 3 feet from the river's edge.
The water was fast-moving and loud as it splashed against the rocks, creating a beautiful and dangerous visage. Too bad she didn't have a notebook to draw in, Charlotte lamented. Art was a great way to free one's self from the worries of the world.
In lieu, the brunette rested on a nearby rock and let her mind wander. Her first few days in N.N. Rochester had been very strange to say the least. Much stranger than any of her previous placements. She couldn't decide if that was good or bad.
Certainly, Charlotte did not feel welcome here. It was almost as if her foster parents were tucking her away in the dark basement in an attempt to forget her existence. But they hadn't been outright cruel. Not physically at least.
Still, it didn't seem they wanted to keep her and the strangers that had come over that first night definitely didn't want them to keep her.
It was possible Charlotte's days here were numbered.
The girl was lost in her head when she heard a deep growl behind her.
Gasping, she whipped her head around to see a massive black wolf staring down at her from the top of a nearby rock cliff; Its muscles tensed as if ready to pounce and its sharp canines bared ferociously.
Charlotte sucked in her breath.
Even from below, she could tell the wolf was much larger than others she had seen. The wolf looked alarmingly angry, as he glared down at her.
Suddenly, the wolf lept off the rock, swallowing the distance between them. His paws thudded the ground heavily as he landed in front of her.
The wolf's legs were planted firmly astride the land as if to claim it as his own. His massive form cast a dark shadow over the small brunette as his pitch-black, almost demonic-looking eyes rolled over her.
Wolf was not code for something, her brain supplied helpfully.
She had to get out of there.
Charlotte narrowly avoided tripping over her own feet in her haste to stand. Quivering with fear, she desperately urged her limbs to move while keeping her wide eyes glued to the wolf in front of her.
She knew it was probably hopeless. He was already within striking distance of her.
There was no way she'd be able to get away fast enough. Still, she had to try.
To her surprise, the wolf didn't lunge at her as she stood.
Instead, he went completely still as if Medusa herself had suddenly turned him into a statue. A magnificent, terrifying statue. One that could snap out of its peculiar trance and kill her at any moment, the girl thought fearfully.
She started to back away from the wolf who was staring at her bizarrely, almost as if startled by something.
As Charlotte backed her way up the bank her foot became stuck between two sharp stones. With her ankle caught, she tumbled rather ungracefully. Her body pitched to the side, but her hands struck out quick enough to stop her from faceplanting. The chalky stones dug into her palms painfully.
Small pebbles were sent bouncing and clattering down the incline.
Shit.
Her heart which had already been pounding was now beating so hard she feared it might bruise itself against her ribcage.
Charlotte could feel the wolf's unnaturally black eyes boring into her from several feet away.
Ignoring the scrapes on her knees and the scratches on her palms, she pushed herself up, struggling to her feet, and started running.
She ran and ran and ran.
She ran and she didn't stop.
Her lungs burned and her legs screamed with effort as she tore her way back up the path, punching through bushes and trees that attempted to guard the way.
Charlotte didn't dare look behind her nor could she hear anything over her own frantic movements.
How she managed to find her way back in that state, she wasn't sure, but she didn't stop running until she made it to the little ramshackle house.
Leaning against the outside bulkhead she pressed a hand to her chest as she tried to get control of her breathing and heart rate. Her cheek was bleeding from a small cut. Her feet were bruised and torn.
***GIO***
Gio was out hunting deer when a scent made his nostrils flare.
Human.
How dare a human trespass on his territory? He thought to himself, following the scent down to the riverbank.
His ears pinned back in irritation.
Gio hated trespassers. Admittedly, human trespassers weren't as bad as wolves, but he still didn't like them.
The trail seemed to originate from somewhere closer to the center of the pack. Two of his wolves, Brooks and Archer, were on patrol, however, patrols stuck to the border so they wouldn't have caught the scent.
Gio could have called the wolves over, but he didn't bother.
He only smelled one intruder. It wasn't necessary to involve them.
The human would soon realize their mistake.
As Gio approached the river, the scent grew stronger. He came up slowly over the ledge, purposely remaining downwind. It wasn't necessary as the human wouldn't be able to smell him, but it pleased the hunter to pretend as if this was a challenge.
In actuality, it was more of a game.
Mama never told him not to play with his food.
Standing up tall, he could see a small female figure crouched next to the river. Her back was turned to him so that all he saw was her long mahogany brown hair. Soft curls stretched all the way down to the small of her back.
Gorgeous.
The wolf shook his furry head furiously, trying to expel the errant thought from his mind. He wasn't sure where it had come from.
Gio narrowed his eyes, focusing on the target once again.
He had to kill this girl. This was his territory, not hers. It didn't matter how pretty she looked, she was nothing but a dirty trespasser.
No more playing around.
He growled, preparing to jump down and confront her.
The girl gasped, surprised by his thunderous growl, she jerked her head toward him in shock.
Pushing himself off the cliff, the wolf let his paws thud the ground angrily as he landed before her. He wanted her attention and he got it.
The girl's dark golden eyes met his, piercing straight into his soul, as she looked up at him fearfully.
Gio felt his own eyes darkening in response.
Holy. Shit.
Mate.
This little human girl was his mate.
All of the anger and fury fled Gio's body in one fell swoop. He fought to remain upright as his chest clenched painfully. Entirely different waves of emotion crashed over him—battering him with intensity. Love. Devotion. Desire. Lust.
Goddess, the feeling was overwhelming.
He wanted more.
It was too much.
It wasn't enough.
Was it possible to die of happiness??
Goddess, this was terrible.
He didn't want it to end.
Gio tried to focus on his breathing as he rode the rollercoaster of emotions out. He had heard the second awakening, the moment a soul found its mate, was intense, but nothing could have prepared him for it.
Was it supposed to hurt like this?
Was it supposed to feel this good?
Like a deer caught in the headlights, he was frozen. It was as if time had stopped and in the gaps between moments, his whole world had tilted, shifted, and snapped back together.
Everything now revolved around her.
Gio watched in dismay when his little mate fell over in her haste to escape.
Her brown hair flew behind her wildly as she hurriedly disappeared into the forest while he stood paralyzed in shock, still trying to grasp what just happened.
His paws may as well have been nailed to the ground.
Hell, he wasn't even sure his soul remained within him. For all he knew, it had lept out of his chest to be with her and now there was nothing left to pilot his body!
Gio shook his head and growled in frustration.