Hidden Lycan. (COMPLETE)

Chapter eleven

"Hey Fallon, I got you some things." Luca yelled as he ran into the room. Bags hung haphazardly from his hands and arms, crutches were clutched under his arms dragging the ground behind him. Why would he get me anything? And why would he get me? He plopped down heavily on the couch beside me and smiled as he placed the bags on my lap. I furrowed my brow as I looked up to him. The only response I got was a fervent head nod. 

Sighing I placed the crutches by my side and looked in the first bag. It was bottles of what they called shampoo and conditioner, there was body wash, deodorant and some other things. Turning to another bag my cheeks flushed. It was under garments and socks, though I have no idea how he knows what size could fit this frail frame. I assumed he got the smallest available. Next was pants of all kinds. Jeans, leggings, sweats. Then there were shirts, sweaters, hoodies, and tank tops. Some things to sleep in and finally some slippers. "I didn't know what size shoes you wear." He said scrunching up his nose. "So I got slippers." I smiled and squeezed his hand. "Tha..thank you." I said lowly. 

I'm not sure what possessed him to get all of this for me, but I was thankful all the same. "Want to try the crutches?" He asked popping up from his seat like a jack in the box. I laughed but nodded. I grabbed the crutches and positioned them under my arms before hauling myself up. I wobbled a little as I gained my balance but got the hang of it quickly. Lucas followed behind me as I made my way around the house getting use to the crutches and how they felt. It was uncomfortable under my arms, but manageable as long as I could get around without being carried all the time. 

"And here I was thinking I'd get to carry you everywhere." Xavier said with a pout. I smiled and shook my head. I still didn't know how I'd get up the stairs. I looked from the stairs to my crutches and back again. Would I be strong enough? Putting one crutch on the stair I leaned on it and pulled my weight to the stair before pulling the other crutch behind me. I smiled, proud of myself, even if it was only one step. I repeated this motion slowly until I got to the top. I was tired and sweating by the time I made it up there, but I made it nonetheless. 

The Xavier and Lucas were at the bottom of the stairs clapping, which made my cheeks flush again. "Now see if you can come back down." Xavier called. "Don't worry we won't let you fall." He assured me. With his assurance I took a deep breath and tried to make my way down. Going down was so much harder than going up. I got the first few steps before I lost my balance and started falling forward. Xavier and Lucas were still at the bottom of the stairs, their eyes growing wide. I closed my eyes and waited to fall but I was pulled backwards into something hard with an 'oomf' 

My hand instinctively went up in between whatever pulled me, and when I opened my eyes all I saw was a black shirt. The smell of earth and sandalwood filled my sense, and I immediately knew who caught me. I backed up slowly head down eyes on my feet as every muscle in my body coiled. "Th..tha..thank y..you." I stuttered. Damn this man scared the hell out of me. "You can't even go down the stairs right!" He said coldly. "Pitiful." He sneered before walking away. I flinched at his words, curling my shoulders in on myself. Low growls were heard from the bottom of the stairs. 

I just sighed deeply as I grabbed the crutches and hobbled to my room. I want to be alone. I shut the door and walked straight for the balcony, now that I could actually get there. I was right, there was two chairs out here, and just enough room to walk. The balcony overlooked a meadow that was overgrown with wildflowers and just beyond them was a crystal lake reflecting the snow capped mountain that rested behind it. The flowers blew gracefully in the crisp autumn breeze and the sun set behind the mountains peek. It was a beautiful sight to behold, one I never thought I'd see. 

I don't know how long I sat there. I know long enough for the full moon to be shining brightly against the blackish blue colored sky and stars to be twinkling like a million diamonds around it. I wanted to stay here forever. I never wanted to leave this spot. I could watch the sun rise and set as the moon made its appearance and faded again forever. "It's so beautiful." I murmured to myself. Gazing at the endlessness of the sky. "The one place where beauty can be seen from the outside is in nature. Beauty means nothing if you're ugly inside." I repeated the words out loud, trying to make Alaric's ugliness make sense. 

"Wise words." Eli's voice came from behind me. I jumped, knocking myself in the chin with my knee with the movement. I rubbed my jaw, moving my leg from where I had it pulled up to me and stretched it out in front of me. "May I join you?" I nodded, motioning to the chair beside mine. "So you can speak without the stutter." He said never looking over to me. "You must find more comfort with nature and being alone than you do being with other people." 

"Na..nature is the o..one place wh..where there is p..peace and be..beauty. People, th..they lie and hu..hurt and hi..hide. You never kn..know who som..someone re..really is. Th..there will always be som..something th..they hi..hide. And there is no tell..telling wh..what that is." Eli looked at me then, I could feel his eyes on me as I watched a star shoot across the sky. "Everyone has something to hide Fallon. That does not mean it is necessarily bad." I turned to him, the gold in his eyes melted and swirling. "Doesn't mean it..it's good ei..either." I countered. "You ne..never know un..unless they wan..want you to." 

Determined not to get locked into his gaze again I turned and looked back to the scene in front of me. His eyes never left my face, he was studying me. "You are wiser than any of us gave you credit for." I snapped my head to him and narrowed my eyes. "Was that meant to be a compliment or insult?" I snapped. My eyes widened. I did not just do that. I looked down as if my hands have become the most fascinating thing on the planet. Eli just chuckled. "So you do not stutter when you are angry." He pointed out. "and it was neither. Just an observation. You have seemed so unaware of things. You did not know what a shower or refrigerator was. You did not know what a bar or what most of the food was this morning. But you seem more intuitive than most." 

I relaxed, knowing he wasn't going to hit me. "Just ob..observant." I corrected. Eli arched a brow, a smirk forming on his lips. "Care to tell me what you have observed?" I sighed. "Ab..about which one of y..you? I questioned. "How about myself?" I looked over to him this time, his eyes alight with curiosity. "You wo..won't get upset?" I asked, forcing myself not to stutter or mumble. He shook his head as he put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his hands. 

"You are extr..extremely well guarded. Yo..you lose con..control of your emotions som..sometimes but quick..quickly hide it. You stru..struggle with con..control though I do..don't know what ov..over. You radi..radiate power and dom..dominance like a sec..second skin. Bu..but it amp..amplifies when your emotions fl..flare. You are kind and car..caring and li..like hel..helping, tho..though it seems to we..weigh you dow..down. You look like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, and the stress shows ever so slightly in your features. Do I need to go on?" I asked, realizing I finished without stuttering. 

Just like with Xavier, Eli was frozen and gaping at me. His eyes wide and blazing with something unknown. I shivered at the aura that seemed to be screaming at me. "Like now." I said lightly. "You're struggling." I shook my head and turned from him back to the moon. "How?" Eli finally asked. "Observant." I said again. "That is more than observant Fallon." Eli's voice gained a rough edge. "Not if you know where to look." I stopped stuttering I realized. How odd. 

"Your brow has a constant crease, and lines that form in the corner of your eyes tell me you're always stressed. You're always tense, your muscles coiled, telling me you carry more on your shoulders than most. The ever so slight dark circles under your eyes tell me you're tired. But it's your eyes that tell me the most." I finally explain. "Like I said observant." I enjoyed how I sounded more confidant, more like me. or the me I wanted to be. 

"My eyes?" He questioned. "Is that why you are always look me in the eye the way you do?" My cheeks flushed but I decided to be honest. "Partly." I sigh pulling my knee back under my chin. "And partly because I find them captivating. I've never seen eyes like yours, they're unique." His eyes were burning holes in the side of my head and I finally turned to look at him, resting my cheek on top of my knee. "You're staring." I point out. 

Eli chuckled. "You have not been stuttering." He countered. "I've noticed that myself. Though I'm not sure why." I finished with a whisper. Eli stood and offered me his hand. "It's time for dinner." He said. "I can't get down the stairs with the crutches." I said tipping my chin to the crutches beside me. "I almost fell today. Alaric caught me." Eli grabbed the crutches and hauled me up into his arms, just like he's done before. "The I shall help you." He said carrying me out the door.