Rising from the Ashes

“What happen, dear?” Grandma May whispers as she touches the wet towel to Elenora’s shoulder. Elenora doesn’t so much as flinch as she touches it to her wound. She had long since become used to such pains as a minor stab wound.

“There was a girl in the cells, a foster child. Vermont was beating her and I couldn’t.....I couldn’t watch it and do nothing grandmother.” Tears fill Elenora’s eyes as she stares at the yellow walls. Such an annoyingly bright color and yet it covers the walls of Grandmother’s home. Of course not so much of the color is revealed through the works of Grandma May’s cross stitch and her paintings. This is a family home and so works of art and photos cover the walls. The little girl had reminded her of herself. The girl she helped that is. They always do but there was something about this girl, a stubbornness that couldn’t be taught. A defiance in her eyes.

“Sixteen and trying to save the world.”

“I’ve seen the girl before Grandmother! She’s so young and so so alone, even in foster care. I don’t get it! All those children have is each other and yet they shove this girl to the side. She’s always alone, the rest of them gather together and they just leave her!” Elenora shakes her head, scoffing at the cruelty she had witnessed herself.

Elenora had been going to the foster care home for years, sometimes sneaking food in and sometimes she finds herself in the room of the red headed child. She had been caring for the girl years now, she helped changed her diapers and she fed her bottles as a wee baby. It had been insufferable and yet so unsurprising to see the girl in the cells. When Vermont hit her she....oh she had never been more mad “Calm yourself dear, I haven’t seen you this mad in years.” Grandmother chuckles. Elenora huffs but doesn’t say more, she merely kisses her grandmother on the cheek and walks out of the house with a quick thank you.

Best not to be caught there. There’s no telling what Vermont would do if he found her secret place, she only knows it won’t be good.

“Elenora, where are you!” Vermont shouts from the house. Part of Elenora wants to run, the rest of her knows it’ll be much much worse if she does. Elenora gasp as somebody grabs her by her shoulder, unfortunately the one with the freshly cared for stab wound and turns her around. The pain of the action shoots through her and she finds herself staring into the eyes of one of the longtime pack warriors. This one is a dirty fellow, with golden eyes and messy black locks of hair. He scowls at her shoving her down in a bush and grumbling about weak humans

“Warrior Hudson, I’m looking for Elenora. Have you seen the slut.” Elenora sinks deeper into the bush the warrior- Hudson had shoved her into. Peeking through the leaves she sees the man who claims to be her father and then the warrior who seems to have a lot of anger in him. Her..well she doesn’t know what it is but it reveals the warriors anger, and his pain. She figures it’s a human thing because nobody else has the same ability to feel the emotions of others. She has had this ability as long as she can remember.

“Haven’t seen her Alpha” Comes Warriors Hudson’s gruff voice. It’s silent for a moment, an awkward moment. Elenora doesn’t yet understand the tension, not until Vermont’s next words.

“Yasmin was your daughter right?” Elenora stares at Warrior Hudson, watches the way his jaw clenches and hatred fills him. She’s partly surprised he didn’t lunge forward and choke the life out of Vermont. Vermont however, didn’t seem to recognize the hatred filling him “Filthy little brat she is, you know I found her stealing food from my kitchen?” Elenora’s own jaw clenches, she hadn’t ate for three days before she tried to take food from the garbage. The garbage.

The warrior stays silent of course. The last person who spoke out against Vermont was tortured publicly. Not before Vermont had slaughtered the mans boy in front of him and raped his mate. Then, and only then was the man executed. Everybody remembers that day, everybody. “I’ll talk to her.” Warrior Hudson pauses, stares into Vermont’s disapproving eyes “I’ll punish her.” The warrior lies.

“As you should.” Vermont nods. It disgust her. “You find my daughter, bring her to me. She needs to learn she can’t interrupt my proceedings in the cells, the bitch keeps setting my prisoners free.” Elenora smiles to herself, part of her can’t help but feel proud and just a little bit happy for messing with Vermont.

“Why don’t you leave? Take your family and run.” Elenora mutters weakly after Vermont goes

“Same reason you don’t. Nobody leaves here, Vancino. Don’t allude yourself into thinking you will someday. We’ll die here, all of us.” With that Warrior Hudson walks away. Elenora had met the man before, and she’s quite surprised he had helped her at all. Most wouldn’t dream of lying to Vermont, fear keeps them from it. Most would have shoved her towards Vermont in hopes of winning his favor.

Elenora moves from the bush only to be struck down. She falls to the ground hard, whimpering at her own stupidity, of course he knew she was there. Elenora whimpers as Vermont pulls her up by the hair, pain shooting from her scalp “What do you think his punishment should be? Death?” Vermont growls in her ear “Maybe I’ll let you do it. Unless you want to take his punishment for him.” And like that Elenora finds herself wishing Hudson would have given her up. Shoved her towards Vermont instead of away.

“Please.” Elenora begs, tears trailing down her face

“You have grown up to be quite the stunning young lady, did you know that Elenora. Filled out beautifully.” He chuckles, pressing his lips to her neck. Elenora decides then that she’d rather die. Vermont’s laughs only grow at her struggle to get away from him.

Elenora remembers a time where she never got peace, not even in her dreams. In her younger years she could never tell if she was asleep or not. She’d live through nightmares with open eyes and she’d relive them when her eyes closed at night. There were no moments that made it alright, that gave her two seconds of peace. There was fear and there was pain. So much pain she’d suffocate in it. It’d drown her and sometimes she’d scream with her mouth close. No sound left her. Her tears did the screaming.

When Charlotte came around, everything changed. She had something to live for, to survive for and she’d smile. She needed to smile or she’d run. She’d run and Charlotte would be alone, just like her.

Smile. Smile while the world is burning. Smile while they dig a knife into you until it touches bone. Smile while he pricks away your sanity. You’ll survive. You will survive or else he’ll win. That’s what she used to tell herself. “Why are you here, girl?” The older man growls when he sees her at the door. She hadn’t knocked, not yet. She was hoping to buy some time, hoping she’d talk herself out of this ridiculous decision. Elder Thomas holds a basket of flower she eyes with minor curiosity “For Betsy, not that it’s your concern.” Elder Thomas growls, opening the door and letting her in. Elenora sighs and with one last look towards the path she steps in and closes the door behind her. “She’d fallen ill-”

“Werewolves don’t get ill” Well they do but not often.

“They do when they are in their late two hundreds girl. Don’t interrupt me when I’m speaking, it’s rude!” Elenora cusses as she steps on his confidential files and kicks them aside, stepping over a stack of books she dances into the sitting room. The house is just as messy as she remembers from her last unpleasant visit. “And don’t step on anything!” Elenora merely rolls her eyes.

“I need you to look into my memories.”

She doesn’t know what she was expecting Elder Thomas to do or say but she definitely wasn’t expecting him to drop a vase on his head. Elder Thomas is quick to let out a string of different words, none of which she understood as all of them are in a language Elenora doesn’t recognize. “To look into your memories, you look into mine” Elenora had suspected he’d bring that incident up and so she sits down, makes herself comfortable.

“I have a theory.” She tells Elder Thomas as he presses a towel to his forehead “What if it was my wolfs way of fighting against your abilities. Marcella knew I didn’t want you in my head so what if it was her way of fighting it.” The Elder seems to think of it “It will be completely consensual and if it is not...pull out.” Elenora shrugs.

Elder Thomas sighs before nodding his consent “What do you want to remember?”

“My first moments. Who was there?” Elenora tugs the picture she had found from the library and hands it to Elder Thomas “Was it this couple?” She ask. Elenora Thomas stares. He ask no questions before reaching forward and grabbing her head.

Everything goes black. Completely black before a white light blinds her and then the sitting room starts to come into focus once again. With that....Elder Thomas. “Elder Thomas.” Elenora mutters, nudging the unconscious Elder with her foot. ” Get up you lazy bastard, you were supposed to help. Not take a nap.” She manages a chuckle. This...This has got to be a joke, a prank. If the pack sees their Elder like this, she’s gone. Nobody’s going to believe she didn’t do anything to him. “Come on Thomas, the floors got to be uncomfortable so stop pretending and get up.” She tries again, kneeling down and shaking him. Elenora only gives in when she sees blood start to drip out of his nose.

“Hendrick, you bastard! They’re going to blame me for this.” She growls her fears before standing and picking him up only to drop him right on the couch once again and reach into his pockets. The only thing she finds is a candy wrapper. Elenora scowls “Come on old man, you’ve got to have a phone- there!” She bolts across the room so fast she knocks over a stack of books. Elenora ignores this, picking up the old phone she eyes the device before dialing what she knows to be Alpha Scott’s number.

“Alpha Bardrick speaking.” Elenora slams the telephone down just as quick as she picked it up and bites her lip. Their numbers must have been a couple digits off, she just happened to forget the last few. After one last glance towards Elder Thomas she sighs and redials the number. “Yes?” He responds, his tone more impatient than the last “Who is this?”

“Elenora, it’s Elenora.” She’s quick to respond. “I meant to call Alpha Scott, not you.” She explains her earlier action, gulping. Alpha Bardrick goes quiet for a moment.

“This is Elder Thomas’s phone.” He mentions. Elenora nods to herself. Lying is an admission of guilt isn’t it?

“He passed out.” She blurts out without much thought and then she clarifies because what else is she supposed to do? She’s a rogue. Nobody will believe she’s innocent, especially not him but if she lies....well there will be no going back, they’ll sooner lock her in a cell. the best she can hope for is Elder Thomas’s honesty when he wakes up. “I asked him to look into my memories and when the world came back into focus...he was on the floor.” If he wakes up that is. “There’s blood running from his nose.” Elenora listens, she hears his movements before he climbs into his vehicle and starts up the engine

“I don’t believe you did anything Elenora. This is not the first time this has happened.”

“He’ll be alright then.” She almost sounds as if she cares, and she doesn’t. Not for this cranky old man that claims he is an elder, no definitely not.

“Yes.”

Elenora clears her throat “Good, very good.” She tells him “I still need his help, can’t have the old bat dying on me now.”

“He’s an Elder.”

“And I’m a rogue, sense we are stating the obvious.” Elenora manages through a gulp, he’ll be fine. He will and she won’t be blamed and she can stay. She can stay. She can find a job, she can find out the rogue Alpha’s identity and then she can bring her daughter here. She can bring her daughter away from that damn orphanage and start a life, a safe happy life where they’ll finally be free. Even if it is in a pack.

“Put him on the couch, I’m almost there.” Already? How long has it been “I’ve contacted Alpha Scott already, he’s occupied with a situation at the borders so I’ll be the one taking care of this.” What does that even mean and what situation?

“I’m not the Elder’s slave, he can stay on the floor for all I care.” Elenora tells him as she finds a blanket, covering the older werewolf.

“Your respect for Elder’s truly astounds me my dear.” He drawls out, hanging up on her. Moments later the front door opens and the Alpha appears at the doorway. Alpha Bardrick stares at the Elder’s position on the couch, his lip twitching before he makes his way towards Elder Thomas and crouches down next to her. He presses his hand to his forehead before moving to the kitchen only to come back with water and a towel. Elenora watches Alpha Bardrick prepare a towel before folding it and laying it over the Elder’s forehead.

She turns away, biting her lip “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s strong but when fighting to get to a memory....it can take a lot out of him.”

“Fighting to get to a memory? Half the time he’s fighting to get away from them. Why was it so hard when both parties were more than willing? That doesn’t even make sense!” Elenora tugs at her hair before peeking up at him. Alpha Bardrick’s dark eyes are already set firmly on her, watching her, observing her.

“He was fighting to get to a memory blocked off. Magically so. At least that is my best guess. The only question I have for you...what were you trying to remember?” Nothing that should be blocked off, that’s for sure. For years she fought the thought that Vermont was really her biological father. What if he’s not? What if he had somebody block away who her parents truly were? She doesn’t look like him, not at all. She doesn’t look like his mate either. That’s the only reason she came here, answers. She just needs answers. Elenora wasn’t able to find out who the Rogue Alpha was but she had thought she’d be able to find out who the hell she is. Clearly she was wrong.

“That is none of your concern. How long will it be before he wakes?”

“Last time it took three days.” Elenora scrambles back as the Elder sits up, gasping for breath. His white eyes widened and his body shaking. His eyes focus on her before he grabs her and then he shakes her.

“Tell me who that man was, girl! Tell me!” He shouts, Elenora shoves him away and stands, grabbing her knife. The Alpha is quick to disarm her when she points it towards the Elder.

“What man? I don’t know what man you are speaking of!”

“The one who raised you, girl! What’s his name?!” Elder Thomas shouts, standing. He wobbles before falling right back on the couch. Should’ve left the damn Elder on the floor. Elenora would have if she’d known he might have attacked her.

“Vermont! His name is Vermont and you know that. You know all about him, you’ve seen into my head.”

“You don’t even know all about him! Who knows what other memories he has snatched from that thick skull of yours” The Elder growls, clenching his fist he turns away from her with a tightening of his jaw.

“What’d you see then? What did he steal from me?” She ask, her voice much more calm, much more quiet than her previous shouting. The Elder saw something, something that shook him so. Something that has him thinking that everything isn’t right with her, with her life. What did Vermont do?

“You. He stole you, girl.” The Elder manages, his eyes not looking at her once “I got a glance of it.” The Elder mutters and the next thing comes a whisper, yet it tears every bit of her apart. Rips through her heart. She never thought Vermont could hurt her from the grave but he manages well “I believe he killed them, your parents.” She swallows, Elenora turns to Alpha Bardrick and grabs her knife from his limp hands. “As for your other memories....I wouldn’t be able to access them in one sitting. You’d need to visit often, still, we might never get back what’s lost. Not unless you know what to look for. What memory might be missing.” The Elder explains, his voice cold and yet somehow...worried.