Call me Luna

6 - Needles

“Well then, Luna,” the doctor looks friendly at me. “How about we let Alpha out so that I can examine you?”

“You’re not touching me if Alpha’s not by my side,” I glare at the doctor and scoot closer to the wolf. Alpha moves in between me and the doctor and growls at him. Satisfaction ripples through me and I hold on tighter to his fur.

“Alpha can stay,” the doctor agrees, not even remotely fazed by Alpha’s display of aggression. “May I please examine you?”

“Okay,” I shrug and get up from the floor. I am game for anything as long as I have Alpha with me. No one would even consider tying me up with Alpha by my side.

I go sit on the bed and hold my hand out for Alpha. Immediately he comes to me and rests his head in my palm. Gently I smile at him before I look at the doctor.

“You may proceed,” I say to the doctor, but keep my eyes on Alpha.

The doctor comes closer and starts taking my heart rate and blood pressure. He probes into my ears, eyes, and throat. He listens to my lungs as I take deep breaths.

“Please lay down,” the doctor orders and reluctantly I obey.

I close my eyes and bite my bottom lip to keep the vulnerability that I am feeling at bay. There is no explanation for why I feel like this. I just do. For extra comfort, I drop my hand and hold onto Alpha’s fur.

The doctor’s hands are warm and gentle as he touches and presses my calves. I wonder if my legs are shaved. Hell, I cannot remember my own name, how am I supposed to remember if I shaved or not?

His fingers go under my neck and probe against my spine before he turns my head slowly left and right. The doctor shifts up my gown to reveal my stomach and Alpha gives a warning growl.

“Alpha, I’m just doing my job,” the doctor continues his examination of my stomach, ignoring the wolf. Alpha gives one last deep growl before he settles down and I stroke his fur, smiling by myself. I wonder how Alpha would have reacted when he saw the naked guy next to me.

“You may sit up,” the doctor pulls my gown back in position, covering me up, and turns to the cabinet in the corner.

I sit up and smile at Alpha, but that smile evaporates as the doctor turns back to me with a needle in his hand. Unreasonable fear takes control of my body and instantly I get off the bed and behind Alpha.

“No!” I scream, beside myself of fear. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get away.”

“I just need to draw blood,” the doctor reassures me calmly.

But I will have nothing of that. Cold sweat beads on my forehead and my breathing turns rapid.

“Please don’t do it,” I start sobbing and Alpha starts growling at the doctor again.

“Fine,” the doctor sighs and puts down the needle. “But Luna, I need a toxin report if you want me to help you and for that, I need to draw blood.”

“D … do it w … when I sl … sleep,” I stutter through the tears, still clinging to Alpha.

“Are you sure?” the doctor asks gently, and I nod forcefully. I understand the doctor is only trying to do his job but explain that to the overwhelming fear inside me.

“Luna, this is time sensitive. We have to do it today or we won’t be able to detect everything.” Doctor Russell looks at me seriously.

“Ju … just put me under, the … then you can do it,” I stutter.

“I’ll be back in ten minutes with anesthesia,” the doctor agrees and leaves.

Cora, who has been standing quietly in the corner the entire time, comes closer and sits next to me on the floor.

“Can you remember if you’ve always been afraid of needles?” she asks softly, and I shake my head.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “But the second I saw that needle, I just lost it. I had no control over it.”

Cora looks at me and sighs as she looks down at her fingers.

“Just say it,” I murmur. “I can see you want to say something.”

“It’s just,” with a sigh she looks at me. “You weren’t scared when you saw me the first time, but you freaked out when Mason and Ezra came in earlier. The same with the doctor. I want to try something, okay?”

I nod in agreement. It is obvious in which direction she is moving in. Cora gets up and calls down the hallway. Seconds later, a petite redhead comes into my room.

“This is Mira,” Cora introduces us.

“Pleased to meet you, Mira,” I smile friendly at the girl before I direct my attention to Cora. “And I guess that answers your question.”

“Mira, could you get her something to eat please?” Cora asks as she takes a seat on the chair in the corner.

“Now we know you don’t like men and needles,” Cora smirks as Mira runs off to get food.

“I like Alpha and he’s male,” I grin at her, not leaving the wolf’s side. He is just laying there happily wagging his tail when he hears his name.

“And he definitely likes you,” Cora rolls her eyes and Alpha barks at her.

“How did you manage to get a wolf into a clinic?” I ask curiously.

“Remember I’ve told you that Alpha belongs to Mason? Well, Mason is sort of in charge of the village and what he says, goes,” Cora explains.

“Village?” I frown. “Where the hell am I?”

“Close to Fernie, Canada, about two thousand three hundred miles west of Ottawa.”

“I’m going to need a map,” I shake my head, laughing, absolutely clueless as to where I am. “So, Mason is the mayor?”

“Something like it, but not entirely,” Cora pulls a face indicating that she is not really sure how to explain the situation. “We’re an independent village. Still under government law and all, but isolated in a sense. We tend to keep to ourselves, but we still need a leader. Nothing can successfully operate without hierarchy. Not even a single household.”

“And he’s that guy?” I smirk.

“He’s that guy,” Cora confirms smiling.

Just then Mira enters with the food and suddenly I realize how freaking hungry I am. I honestly cannot remember when the last time I ate. I thank Mira and take the tray of food before I make myself comfortable on my bed.

“Oh, my word, this is good,” I mumble through bites as I devour the plate in front of me in record time. “This pea soup is to die for.”

Next to me, Alpha snorts and I turn to him. “What’s the matter, boy? Do you want a taste?”

Alpha just gives a soft growl and turns his face away as he throws his paw over his snout.

“Well, I guess it’s safe to say that he does not like peas,” I giggle as I finish off my plate.

“He hates it,” Cora confirms as she gets out of the chair and takes the tray with my empty dishes. “I am just taking this to the kitchen. I’ll be here when Doctor Russell comes back.”

I nod and just gently stroke Alpha’s fur as I stare into the abyss, my mind in overdrive. I will be the first to admit my behavior is not normal. I go from relaxed and carefree to paranoid in less than a second. There is no way that it could be normal. So far, my triggers are men and needles. I have no idea if I have been like this my whole life. But somehow it makes sense. I was kidn*pped and chances are better than great that men and needles were involved before I was tied up in a shed.

Cora and the doctor enter my room and I get off the floor. As much as I dread what is next, I must start getting control over myself and my emotions. I cannot go freaking out like this. What kind of life would that be? I have no one. So, if I want to have a remotely normal life, I must start to work for it.

Even before the doctor could say anything, I get on the bed. Doctor Russell comes closer and puts the gas mask on my face.

“Please count backward from ten,” the doctor says.

“Ten … nine … eight …”

The Hunters

Emmet’s stomach gives a loud growl. He finished his trial mix ages ago and he is starving. When he grabbed his stuff before he headed for the woods, he somehow left his food behind and now his stomach is paying the price.

Maybe he should risk going into the village and getting something to eat. He has been hiding out here for a couple of hours, just observing. People going by their day. Not once did he notice any form of border patrol or security. This pack has gone to great lengths to hide their location and they succeeded. To the uninformed, it would seem like just a small community. But he knows better. He would bet his Killer Instinct Burner 415 crossbow that every one of them is a werewolf. If he goes into the village and just one of them recognizes him as a hunter, he is dead. Walking into a shop and buying something, is out of the question.

Intensely he looks at the cottage closest to him. Through a window, he can see an elderly woman preparing dinner in the kitchen. Well, since he cannot go and buy anything, he will just take something.

Emmet puts his backpack down and hides it in a tree. He leaves all his weapons, except for a silver knife and his Prophecy Pistol hand crossbow. It is no bigger than a normal pistol and can easily be concealed. Satisfied that his weapons are out of sight, he starts making his way to the cottage.