The Beta's Apocalypse

4. Honeysuckle

Ethan walked Ellie over to the bed and sat her down.

Elijah burst into the room ready to attack.

He mind linked Elijah. "Someone or something is in the tree across from Ellie's window, go check it out."

Elijah nodded, then ran to the door, sneaking outside to the tree across from Ellie's balcony. He  crouched down and snuck up stealthily, looking up he saw someone up in the tree. He immediately jumped up grabbing their foot, pulling them crashing to the ground. They let out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of their lungs. "What the hell? What are you thinking? I was ready to rip you throat out." Elijah reached his hand down, shaking his head.

Eric took his hand, then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I couldn't sleep, I had to check on her. What is wrong with her? When she let out that wail it felt like someone plunged a knife into my chest."

Elijah frowned. "I'm sorry but it’s not mine to tell. You'll have to wait and let Ellie tell you if she decides to. You shouldn’t be here, she said she's not ready to face you yet."

"I'm sorry, I just had to make sure she was ok. The look of her face on that stage tonight." Eric shook his head. "I just want her to be ok."

"That's all I want too, but it has to be on her timing. She has been hurt enough, please don’t be the cause of anymore pain to her."

"I would never!"

"Then for now you need to leave. When she is ready she will find you, or she will send one of us to get you."

Eric nodded. "Will you please just tell her I promise to take things slow? I will do anything she asks of me, the ball is completely in her court."

"I'll tell her, but for now you need to go."

"Ok, I'm going." Eric turned and looked at the balcony one last time, before letting Blaze take over, running off into the woods.

Elijah made his way back to Ellie's bedroom, he walked in and saw Ethan sitting on the floor next to Ellie's bed. His knees were bent, his head in his hands. He looked at Ellie who was asleep, but he could see how restless she was. He sat down on the floor next to Ethan, and opened up their mind link. "Is she ok?"

Ethan looked over. "She finally just crashed."

Elijah sighed. "It looked like a pretty bad one this time."

"It was, I mean look at her. She's asleep and still shaking. I want to find Mason and rip him to pieces."

"Me too, he is a dead man."

Ethan stood up. "Lets go out of the room and let her sleep."

They walked out and down the hallway. "So what was up in the bushes?" Ethan asked.

Elijah smirked. "Eric."

Ethan shook his head. "I should have figured."

"I told him to leave and respect her wishes." Elijah laughed. "He's got it bad."

They both looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Ethan leaned against the wall. "I hope he can help her heal and get better. She seems to be getting worse and worse."

Elijah nodded. "I hope so too. A hug from you and I used to calm her for the moment, but that doesn't seem to be working anymore. I hope the witches Sophie mentioned can help her."

Ethan stared down the hallway at Ellie's door. "I hope so too."

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Ellie shot up out of bed with a gasp. She glanced around the room, noticing the sun peering through the windows. She sighed and laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She rolled out of bed, and opened the door stepping out into the hallway. She stopped as she about tripped over Elijah sleeping on the floor. She smiled shaking her head, looked over and saw Ethan there as well. She bent down and shook them both. They stirred and looked up at her. "Did you both really sleep here all night?"

The twins stood up, stretching their arms out wide.

"Yeah, neither of us wanted to leave." Ethan admitted.

"This is ridiculous, you both must be exhausted."

The twins looked at each other. "We're fine."

Ellie shook her head and snuck her arms behind both of theirs. "I'm starving, do we have anything to eat here in the Packhouse?"

"Justin sent over some canned goods. I put them in the kitchen, let's go have a look." Elijah smiled.

The three made their way downstairs and to the Kitchen. Ellie looked at the countertop full of home canned goods, She started going through them. Applesauce, green beans, tomatoes, salsa, corn, pickles, jams and jellies. "Where did they get all this?"

Elijah shrugged. "Apparently Justin's dad was some kind of prepper. Their pack has always grown and canned their own food. I guess he even had like a bunker in the basement full of supplies."

Ellie looked up at Elijah. "Wow really? Well I am glad we ended up here. We'll have to see how we can help with all of that."

 Ellie grabbed a can of applesauce, then three spoons. She hopped up on the counter and handed the jar to Ethan.

Ethan smiled, unscrewing the lid and popping it off, handing it back to her. She scooped a spoonful out and plopped it into her mouth, then passed the jar back to Ethan. He did the same passing it to Elijah.

Elijah sat next to Ellie. "So what is the plan for today?"

Ellie smiled. "While I was standing at the balcony last night I caught a whiff of honey suckle. Do you remember how we would suck the sweet nectar out of the ones that grew on the edge of the woods back home?"

Elijah laughed. "Yes, man those were good times."

"Well I thought maybe we could go find out where they are."

Ethan smiled. "Sounds like a plan, but you should probably change out of your night gown first."

Ellie looked down at herself and laughed. "You're probably right." They finished off the applesauce, and Ellie headed upstairs to change.

When she started back down the stairs, there was a knock at the door. She ran and opened it to see Sophie standing there.

Ellie pulled her into a hug.

Sophie Smiled and hugged her back. "How was your night?"

"It was good."

Sophie stared at her, she could tell she was lying. She decided not to press it.

"As soon as my brothers get back down we're going to go on a hunt for honeysuckle. Want to go with us?"

Sophie grinned. "I'd love to!" She stepped in and Ellie closed the door.

"Uh excuse me can I come in too?"

Ellie's eye grew wide, opening the door back up. "Oh Zeke, I'm sorry I didn't see you."

Zeke laughed. "It's ok. I walked around the corner for a moment…I um was answering a mind link from the pack."

"Is everything ok?" Ellie asked.

"Yes, everything is fine." He answered.

The twins came walking down the hallway. "Are you ready for the hunt?" Ethan asked.

"What are we hunting?" Zeke asked.

"Honeysuckle!" Ellie exclaimed. "I could smell it last night."

"Hmm." Zeke said. "That’s strange. I have never seen it growing on your pack lands, I must have missed it."

Ellie grabbed Sophie's hand, dragging her out the door. "Let's go."

Sophie laughed as they ran out of the house hand in hand.

The twins and Zeke followed behind them. "Wow she has a lot of energy." Zeke said.

"You have no idea." Elijah laughed.

They five of them searched and searched all over the pack lands, but found nothing,

"I don't understand. I could smell it last night." Ellie said turning around and looking.

"Maybe it was just a really strong memory El." Ethan said.

Ellie shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know about you guys but I could eat a horse!"

Sophie laughed. "Why don't we head back to our pack? They should be serving lunch, and some pack members got a deer so it should be pretty good."

"Will Eric be there?" Ellie asked.

Sophie looked at Ellie. "Do you want him to be?"

Ellie sighed, and shrugged.

"Tell you what, I will mind link him when we're close enough, and ask him to hang out in his room. If you change your mind I can let him know. How does that sound?" Sophie asked.

"Thanks." Ellie replied. "Shall we race?!" She exclaimed.

"I'm pretty tired, I don’t think I could run right now. Ethan maybe you could stay behind with me? The rest of them can race?" Sophie said looking up at Ethan.

"Uh." Ethan looked at Ellie, then at Sophie who winked at him. He smiled. "Sure I can walk with you."

"Great!" Ellie exclaimed. "Mark get set…." Then she took off.

"Hey!" Elijah and Zeke yelled, as they chased after her.

Sophie laughed and slipped her arm behind Ethan's. "So I can tell something is wrong with Ellie. I asked her how her night was and she lied telling me it was good. What happened?"

Ethan sighed. "At night she has a hard time. Thinking back on what happened with Mason still haunts her, but last night it was really bad. It's getting worse."

Sophie frowned. "I was afraid it might be that. I was talking with Justin this morning, about taking Ellie to find Lanie, the witch I was telling you guys about. He wants us to take a couple days to prepare. Eric wants to go, but we will leave that up to Ellie."

"He was here last night. He snuck into the tree across from Ellie's balcony."

"I know he told me. I'm sorry."

Ethan shurgged. "It's ok, I understand the mate pull is strong, but he needs to respect Ellie's wishes."

Sophie nodded. "I agree. I will talk to him again about it. Shall we go a little faster so we can catch up?"

Ethan smirked. "You're not really tired are you?"

Sophie laughed. "Nope!"