\[Elise’s POV\]
Phantoms swirl around, their eyes glowing red. Their clawed fingers reach out and attempt to grab me while their words echo in the air.
“Freak.”
“Monster.”
“Demon.”
“Bad Omen.”
They echo again and again, tearing at my heart and causing pain to shoot through me.
These were the words I was used to, and these were the phantoms that kept me company. They taunted me, tearing me down bit by bit as I tried so hard to build myself back up. Of course, that was only wishful thinking.
“How dare you gallivant around pretending to be normal?”
The voice pierces through the others as my hair is grabbed and I’m pulled forward toward a much too familiar scene, one that almost turns me feral as I try desperately to flee before I reach. However, just like every other time this familiar dream has come, I'm unable to do anything. All I can do is let myself be dragged back to that shed and wait while the scent of gasoline fills my nose and makes my eyes sting.
When it becomes too much, the smoke starts to fill the area, and the fire that wants to destroy me begins to quickly spread around me.
“No!” I squeak, trying to turn myself into a ball so small that the danger can’t reach me. “Please don’t. I’m not a monster! I’m not!”
As the words leave my lips, I feel it awakening in me, my wolf, which scared the hell out of me in the beginning. But I soon learned that she was always a part of me and the only person who truly cared about me.
‘It’s going to be okay.’ She soothes. ‘Just have faith in me.’
Nodding, I begin to let go while she pulls at me. Soon, I shift into my wolf and burst through the side of the building so that I can run to the safety of the trees.
Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the first time that I would be treated like a monster and left bloodied. It would be the first of many scars that I would be forced to bear for as long as I lived. And the worst would be the day I met Alexander.
Eyes opening, I stare at the ceiling of my room while the last of the demons begin to go away.
“Fuck.” I sigh, throwing a hand over my face. “Why did those dreams have to make their appearance?”
It had to be because Marty was bothering me about my past. There could be no other explanation. He welcomed those damn demons to show their ugly faces and bring back the pain I desperately wanted to push aside.
Letting out a grumble, I begin to get up, and as I make my way across the room, my door bursts open so that Marty can come waltzing in.
He’s dressed in a white tank top and gray sweats, with a look of excitement on his handsome features.
“What the hell?” I hiss. “What if I was in the middle of changing?”
“Then I would have gotten to see something good.” He shrugs. “Anyway, you need to get ready.”
“Ready?” I repeat, raising a brow. “And what exactly am I getting ready for?”
“We’ve got training.” He announces excitedly. “Did you think you were just going to lounge around all day and do absolutely nothing?”
Opening my mouth, I prepare to say that was exactly what I was going to do until I remember that the big lug already told me that part of my punishment for all my bad deeds would be joining his ranks.
“Not exactly.” I finally huff. “But I didn’t think that he would start training so soon.”
“The sooner the better, don’t ya think?” Marty asks, eyeing me. “Now go and put on something comfy to practice in. If it shows off your curves, that would…”
He doesn’t get to finish his words as I storm forward and lift a foot, then kick, sending him crashing out of my room.
“You’re annoying.” I growl, slamming the door as he lets out a laugh. “Such a pain.”
Suddenly feeling like I needed a way to release some tension, I quickly change into some oversized sweats and a ripped tee. If Marty thought he was going to get to see my curves, he had another thing coming.
Stepping out of my room, I find Marty waiting for me, and when he takes me in, his expression falls.
“You’re no fun, did you know that?”
“Maybe.” I beam. “Let’s go, guard dog. You were the one that said we had training, right?”
Later, I find myself standing in the middle of a large field with at least a hundred warriors who mill about waiting to begin their morning routine. None of them seem to notice me as I make my way through them until I find a good spot at the front of the crowd, where I find William and Rosco standing close together and discussing something.
Continuing to move forward, I squeeze myself between them and wait as both men’s eyes come to rest on me, and only when they do do I put a look of innocence on my face.
“What?” I ask, looking from William to Rosco. “Did I interrupt something important?”
“Nothing substantial.” William responds as Rosco prepares to say something rude. “But why are you here?”
“Because I’m a new recruit.” I grin, realizing that he didn’t expect me to join them. “Please be sure to take good care of me.”
As I speak, I give a wink while Rosco’s features darken. Now that I was calmer, I was over the rejection I already suffered from William and ready to go back to the way things were before we ended up kissing.
“Or do you think I’m not capable?” I pout when William remains silent. “Are you sexist or something?”
For a moment, William’s eyes grow wide as he takes in my words, but he quickly recovers, and that look of ease begins to fall into place.
“I guess we will see if you’re able to keep up.”
“Is that a challenge?” I ask as Marty reaches out and grabs my shoulder.
“What do you think you’re doing, inmate?” He asks, pulling from between the Torres men. “Don’t you know interrupting is rude?”
“Party pooper.” I grumble as William’s eyes come to rest on the hand that still touches my shoulder, and if I didn’t know any better, I could swear that annoyance flashes in them, but as quickly as it is there, it is gone. “Anyway, I’m not an outsider, so shouldn’t I be involved in any serious discussions?”
“If they wanted you to know, they would say.” Marty counters. “Now come along and fall in line.”
“I don’t wanna!” I gasp as he begins to pull me away. “I want to stay where I have the best view!”
“View of what?” He demands as William strolls forward and grabs his hand, then removes it.
“Are you bullying a lady?” He asks, taking Marty in. “Didn’t she say she wanted to stay in the front?”
Growing quiet, he waits as Marty considers his words, but instead of looking offended, he begins to look amused, and I realize much too late what is actually happening.
Was William... Acting jealous because another man was touching me?