Chapter 6 Six
Danica remained seated on the ground as Mason frantically paced in front of her. She had just finished telling him about her odd attraction to rogues. Following that, she revealed that it felt like another being had taken over her body once she was threatened.
"I think," he said suddenly, stopping in his tracks and turning to face Danica. "We need to speak with the elders."
"Elders?"
What exactly were the elders? Danica wondered. She immediately started picturing wrinkly old men wearing white robes and acting all high and mighty.
Nodding, Mason's face grew serious. "The elders oversee all creatures," he explained. "Every century, we all come together to vote an elder from each class of supernatural."
"Each class?" Danica repeated. "What else is out there aside from wolves?"
Smiling Mason crouched down in front of Danica, "my dear, there are so many more out there it would make your pretty head spin."
"Don't talk to me like I'm some naive kid," Danica bristled.
Laughing, Mason placed his hand on top of Danica's head.
"I'm not treating you like a child, I promise."
The all-too-familiar rush of fire surged through Danica as Mason's hand remained on her head. Letting out a contented smile, she found herself beginning to relax into his touch.
"Tell me what else there is," she murmured, trying her best to stay focused.
"You'll see soon enough. For now, how about we be on our way? Come," Mason stuck his hand out to Danica to help her get up off the ground. "Let me take you home."
"But..." Danica began only to be stopped by Mason's finger being pressed against her lips.
"I promise you will find everything out in due time," he promised with a smile. "As for now, I need to get back and inform my pack of what happened, and you need to go home and relax."
Frowning, Danica simply nodded. She would let Mason off the hook today, but if he didn't answer her questions within the next few days, she wouldn't go easy on him.
When she arrived home, she found Martha in the kitchen cooking dinner.
"Welcome back," she called as Danica made her way inside. "Did you have a fun date?"
Caught off guard Danica nearly fell over as she attempted to remove her shoes. "What do you mean, date?"
Had she spotted Mason earlier that day? She could have sworn Martha had been too engrossed in painting when she left.
Martha let out a chuckle. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetie."
"He's just a friend." Danica flinched at how her voice rose an octave as she spoke. "Anyway, what's for dinner?"
She desperately wanted to change the subject, and fast. Explaining her relationship with Mason to Martha wouldn't be an easy task.
Still chuckling, Martha set down the spoon she was using to stir the contents of a large pot. "Beef stew."
As soon as the words were out of Martha's mouth, Danica's stomach growled. Thinking on it, she hadn't eaten anything all day.
"Sounds delicious," she said, walking over to take a whiff. The smell of the savory meat and vegetables set her mouth watering.
"Go wash up and change first," Martha ordered, shooing Danica away as she tried to steal a spoonful of the almost finished food.
Obeying, she headed upstairs and into the bathroom. After the past twenty-four hours, she had a nice hot shower and wasn't sounding too bad. Quickly stripping, she stepped in the tub and turned the shower head on, allowing scorching hot water to hit her skin.
After finishing washing and changing into a tank top and sweats, Danica headed back downstairs, where Martha had already set the table for dinner. Sitting down, she waited until she was given the OK to begin digging in.
"Slow down," Martha urged as Danica began inhaling her food. "You would think I've been starving you."
Stopping Danica flushed, "Sorry, I haven't eaten today."
But was that really what was going on? Danica felt absolutely famished, not just starving from a day of no food. Could this have to do with her upcoming change? She'd have to add this question to her slowly growing list.
Martha simply nodded in response to Danica's words and went back to eating her meal while Danica slowly finished hers, being sure not to eat too fast or seem too robotic.
After dinner, Danica washed dishes as Martha wandered off to her room, as she always did once they finished eating. Once there, she would stay put until the next morning. If Martha was anything, it was a creature of habit.
So lost in her thoughts, Danica didn't notice two sets of glowing red eyes watching her from the darkness as she stood in front of the kitchen window. It was only when she heard a howl that she became aware.
Dropping the spoon she had been working on, Danica tried to calm her racing heart as she fumbled in her pocket for her cellphone.
Due to his worry that something would happen while they weren't together, Mason had given Danica his number, and now she found herself thankful for it.
Quickly scrolling through her contacts, she hit his name and brought the phone to her ear. As the phone rang, she kept her eyes on the rogues, making sure that they didn't suddenly decide to attack.
By the third ring, the line clicked alive, and Danica could hear Mason's rough breath.
"Am I disturbing you?" she asked as the world around her slowly began to disappear, leaving only the glowing red eyes there in front of her.
"Danica?" Mason asked just as her grip on the phone loosened, causing it to clatter to the floor. "DANICA! HEY!"
Ignoring the phone entirely, she turned her full attention to the rogues in her yard.
Turning, she made her way to the backdoor and outside into the night.
Instead of being greeted by two wolves, she was met by a man and a woman. Both were extremely tan, blonde, and tall. Their glowing red eyes regarded Danica curiously.
"Is she the one boss mentioned?" the woman asked, sounding bored. Her eyes regarded Danica as if she were some disgusting creature. "She's just a pup."
Beside her, the man nodded.
"This is the woman the boss mentioned, I'm sure of it."
With her mind too foggy, Danica couldn't fully understand what they were going on about. She was feeling like she was drifting once again as a small voice awakened in her head.
'I will take it from here,' it said soothingly.
I can't, she thought as she began to fight with the force that was trying to take over. She couldn't blackout while two rogues stood before her.
"Let's hurry and grab her," the man said now, drawing Danica's attention. "Before someone sees us."
"Let's get this over with," the woman agreed. "Now be good pup."
Together, the man and woman began to move toward Danica, their hands raised and ready to attack.
'Fight it,' the voice in her head growled. 'NOW!'
The force of the inner voice was like a bucket of cold water being splashed on Danica. All the remaining haze in her mind completely disappeared, and she was fully alert now.
She hadn't realized that the man and woman had begun closing in on her on either side. Instincts kicking in, she dove just as they moved their arms to grab her.
"Don't make this difficult," the man growled as his arms snagged nothing but empty air.
"Quit talking and grab the bitch!" the woman snarled.
Panic rising, Danica lifted herself and attempted to run towards the safety of her home. However, before she could reach a hand wrapped around her hair, stopping her in her tracks. With a yelp, she was yanked backward and thrown against the ground.
Gasping, she tried to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her as the two rogues closed in.
"Stop fighting!" the woman laughed, showing her protruding canines. "I don't want to have to take a limb off."
"Boss said one piece," the man reminded her as she lifted a clawed hand to attack Danica.
Mason, Danica thought weakly as the two grew closer.
"I'm here."
Feeling a wave of relief rush through her, Danica turned her attention toward where the voice had come from.
"Mason," she sighed. "You're finally here."