The Wolf Wars Saga

Ellie

Before I could even blink, the mansion’s doors swung open, revealing another man. He was even more massive than the one carrying me, with hair as dark as mine.

His voice was a deep, resonating baritone that commanded attention. It was clear he was the one in charge.

“Well, Jason, what do we have here? A tiny human pup!” he boomed.

Jason dipped his head in respect.

“Yes, Alpha Gabriel, I found her with a bag of spoiled food, probably from the pig feed store. She’s been shot...by her own kind,” Jason reported.

A low growl rumbled from Alpha Gabriel.

The sound sent a shiver of fear down my spine, and I clung tighter to Jason. He hadn’t tried to hurt me, and he didn’t growl.

Jason didn’t resist.

“She’s scared, and she’s lost a lot of blood.”

Alpha Gabriel hummed in response. He must have stepped closer because I felt his fingers gently lift my chin. He tilted my head up, examining my face.

I whimpered, tears welling up in my eyes. This time, I let them fall. There was no point in pretending to be strong. These werewolves were stronger, and I was weak.

We all knew it.

“Easy there, pup,” Gabriel soothed, “no one’s going to hurt you here.”

His hand moved from my chin to my hair, stroking it gently.

“I didn’t realize their pups were so tiny,” he murmured to Jason.

Jason simply nodded. Then he did something unexpected.

Jason handed me over to Alpha Gabriel.

“Her name is Ellie,” Jason explained, “I don’t know her age.”

Gabriel nodded, cradling me just as Jason had.

“Let's get you to the doctor,” he comforted, rubbing my back gently. The front door slammed shut with a loud bang, causing me to flinch.

He ignored it, carrying me through the enormous house.

The first thing I noticed was a grand staircase, made of some sort of dark wood. Then he carried me down a hallway. The walls were lined with wood, and doors were scattered along it.

We passed them all. Everything was so big. Even the doors were larger than standard ones. Were all werewolves as big as the two I had seen? I knew I was small.

All the kids in the work camps were, the border guards too. I wondered if all humans were small compared to werewolves. If so, why didn’t the werewolves win the war?

They were bigger, faster, and stronger.

At the end of the hallway, there was a set of double doors. A large cross was etched into the upper part of both doors. There was some writing along the top, but I couldn’t read it.

We were only taught the alphabet, how to write our names, and how to count to ten. That was all they said we needed. Once we turned eight, they put us to work.

Alpha Gabriel pushed one of the doors open, carrying me inside. The room was starkly different from the hallway. It was white and tiled, with about four large beds, all neatly made.

Everything was so clean.

I looked around in awe. I’d only ever seen my parents' small house and the blockhouse. My parents' house had two rooms. One for eating, the other for sleeping.

The blockhouse was just rows of bunks. We ate outside on benches.

A tall woman approached us. I didn’t like her. She looked at me with a sneer, as if I was something foul.

“A human!” she spat out, her voice dripping with disgust.

I felt Alpha Gabriel’s chest rumble; he growled again.

“She’s a pup, and she’s been shot. You will treat her like any other pup,” he ordered.

The woman bowed her head, then turned it to the side, exposing her neck.

“Yes, Alpha, please put her on the bed over there,” she replied, her voice trembling.

She looked scared, and Alpha Gabriel looked furious.

“I... I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

Alpha Gabriel gently set me down on the bed. It was so high that I wouldn’t have been able to climb onto it from the floor. The top almost reached my chest.

His hand rested on my head, stroking my hair again.

“Don’t apologize, pup. I’m not angry with you,” he comforted.

Then he shot a glare at the woman.

It felt strange, having someone touch me gently. The last person to be kind like that had been my father. After my parents died, the only touch I received was when I was hit or beaten.

Why was he being so gentle? Wasn’t I supposed to be the enemy?

The woman pulled something out of her pocket. One end of it she put in her ears, the other end had a light-colored disk.

She tried to lift what was left of my vest.

I quickly pulled away and wrapped my arms around my body.

She glared at me, then looked at Alpha Gabriel.

“I can’t examine her if she won’t let me touch her,” she hissed.

Alpha Gabriel took a step closer to the woman. He seemed to grow larger.

“Her!” he snapped, “is a female pup, and her name is Ellie. She understands English. Try explaining to her what you’re about to do!” he growled.

She turned to look at me, and I narrowed my eyes. I could tell she didn’t like me, and I didn’t trust her.

Before she could say anything, someone called her name.

“Melissa, please go to the maternity unit. You can help with Annalise’s pups,” the man ordered.

Melissa huffed and walked away.

The man who had dismissed her approached.

He smiled at me.

“Hi Ellie, my name is Doctor Sorensen, but you can call me Erik. I’m sorry about that. Are you okay if I take a look at you?”

Erik extended the same tool that Melissa had been holding earlier.

He presented it to me.

“This is a stethoscope. It helps me hear your heart and your breath. Ever seen one before?”

I shook my head. I’d never even been to a doctor before.

Erik gave me a warm smile. “This part...” he indicated the round disk, “goes on your chest, and these...” he pointed to the ends that Melissa had put in her ears, “go in my ears so I can hear.

“Now, I need to lift your shirt, is that alright?”

I gave him a nod.

I watched as he carefully raised my shirt. I flinched when he placed the disk on my chest. It was chilly.

Erik laughed softly, “My apologies, Ellie. I should have warned you it was cold.”

Erik moved the disk around on my chest, then he lifted the back of my shirt.

He paused, then his fingers brushed the skin of my back. His brow furrowed. I knew why. He had discovered the scars on my back. He looked taken aback...no, stunned.

He didn’t utter a word; instead, he continued moving the disk on my back.

Once he was finished, he tucked the instrument back into his pocket.

“Now, Ellie, can you open your mouth for me?”

I gave him a puzzled look, “Why?”

He grinned, “I just need to check your teeth and make sure your tongue is healthy.”

I ran my tongue over my lips, nibbling my lower lip, before I opened my mouth.

He gently lifted my lips with his finger as he inspected my mouth.

“You’re doing great, Ellie,” he complimented. “How old are you, Ellie?”

“Twelve...” I eyed him warily.

He shot Alpha Gabriel a concerned glance. I didn’t understand why.

Alpha Gabriel placed his hand on my head.

“Don’t worry, Ellie. We just want to make sure you’re healthy,” he clarified.

I scowled. Back at the work camp, no one cared if we were healthy, not until we fell ill, then we were isolated from the others, so they wouldn’t catch anything.

“Now,” Erik started, “let's examine your arm. This might sting a bit, Ellie. I need you to be very brave.”

I nodded. Then I watched him as he began to unwind the bandage that Jason had wrapped around my arm.

Alpha Gabriel sat on the bed beside me. Without any warning, he cupped my face in his hand and turned my head to face him.

“Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, Ellie?” he suggested.

I frowned, “like what?”

He smiled, “well, for starters, do you have any family?”

I was about to answer when a sharp pain shot through my arm. I yelped and tried to turn my head, but Alpha Gabriel held it steady.

“Focus on me, Ellie,” he encouraged.

I looked at him, then my vision started to get fuzzy.

“I... I don’t feel so good,” I mumbled.

His hand left my face, and he gently lifted me up, cradling my head. Everything was spinning, and my body felt limp.

“I know, pup, and I’m sorry, but it’s for the best,” Gabriel comforted.

As he laid me back down on the bed, a wave of panic washed over me. What did he mean, for the best? I tried to resist the sudden urge to sleep.

“Don’t fight it, Ellie,” Erik whispered, his hand resting on my forehead, “you’ll feel better when you wake up.”

The more I struggled, the more I seemed to drift away. Darkness crept into my vision as I slipped into a deep sleep.