Switched Fates

A room with a view

Elodie slowly opened her eyes, her body still aching. She felt the comfort of cotton bedsheets under her fingers. Perhaps she dreamed the entire thing and was back in the safety of her loft. As her sight started to come back, she realized that, sadly, this wasn’t the case. She was in a massive king-sized bed in a beautiful suite. The bed was next to a set of glass doors that led to a balcony. Looking to be a two stories up. It was the middle of the day and the sun was shining across the trees with a slight breeze flowing through them.

The consequences of everything that occurred the night before rushed into her head. Her things were sat neatly on the bedside table next to her. Her bag was there with her coat and boots, but not her lantern. Dammit! She thought. Making an escape in the night using her lantern was probably not a great idea anyway, since now everyone and their cat would be on the lookout for a green light. She chuckled to herself at the thought of werewolves owning cats. She rummaged through her bag. Her water, cash, food and clothes were still there and her Grimoire. O thank the stars, she thought. They must not have noticed the hidden pocket and must not know too much about witches.

She started to look a bit more around the room. Photos on the wall of who she recognized to be the man she met the other night, laughing in a graduation gown with what looked like his other pack members. Books about business studies and star gazing were placed on bookshelves, and a guitar sitting in the corner. This isn't just a standard room, this is a personal one! The thought made her feel uneasy. Why am I in that wolf's bedroom?! She quickly got off the bed, and caught herself as her foot fit something on the floor.

A mattress!? What the heck is going on?! Her mind started to race. It was lucky enough that she wasn’t dead, but to be sleeping in this wolf's room in his bed while he was on the floor! What kind of pack is this?! I need to get out now. She went to the balcony doors. All were locked. She tried what appeared to be the main entrance, and it was also locked. Two other doors revealed to be a bathroom and a walk-in closet. Right there was an enchantment to make a key to unlock doors, she thought to herself as she raced for her book. She flipped through the books’ pages. The Grimoire was a large and sturdy leather-bound book. The pages were handwritten in the unknown script that she found out only she could understand when she knew what she was looking for.

If she knew what she was looking for she could identify the various spells, enhancements, Charms and hexes easily. If she didn’t’ and just tried to browse and flip through it, it was extremely difficult, close to impossible and very draining. The pages were written across the centuries by different people across different cultures and continents. It was said that the Grimore was passed down, and each witch would add to it. Elodie remembered her mother had said she had added a few pages herself. But she didn't tell Elodie what they were for. It was shortly before Elodie turned 18 and when she disappeared. Elodie had not seen her since.

Here! She came across the page of the key enchantment. I only need 2 silver coins and a piece of paper. It shouldn’t be too hard to find that in this room, she thought. She started to open draws and quickly came across a notepad and some loose change. The Grimore said to push the paper in the lock and pull it out, wrap it around the coins and hum a specific melody. As Elodie hummed, the coins twisted and turned around beneath the paper to form a key. Brilliant! She thought as she put it into the lock on the glass doors and grabbed her bag and coat. It was a real shame she didn’t have her lantern. Those are really hard to come by nowadays. The breeze hit her face as soon as she opened the door, and her fingers tingled. It must be from all the adrenaline she thought. A quick scan and she was two stories up and in a corner room of a large mansion. That she was assuming was the pack house, where all high - ranking wolves must live. God I hope they are all out training or something, she thought. A large beautiful Elm tree that was close enough for Elodie to jump from the railings of the balcony. Before she could even second guess herself, she climbed over the rail and lunged across to the tree. Grabbing hold of the trunk and managing to find a branch with her feet. She sighed with relief and started to scramble down. She didn’t want to stay and push the werewolves’ hospitality, although from what she could see so far they hadn’t hurt her. They had, however, locked her up and taken away her lantern, a known source of protection for her. Elodie knew that other worldly creatures would often use and abuse lone witches to do their bidding. Elodie had experienced this first hand, and she would be damned if she were to go back to being manipulated and used again. She had spent the last 3 years on her own, and in hiding, but ultimately free.

She hit the ground, quickly scanning the landscape to see if she could recognize the quickest route for her escape. When she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

“You really thought you could just Miss Tarzan your way out of here, did you?” It was the man from the other night, the werewolf.

“I was just heading off now, since I don’t think I can be any further assistance, and you know. Places to go, people to see….” Elodie replied jokingly, as she started to back away from the man who was leaning against the wall of the mansion. He was in jeans and a black t-shirt that was just a bit too tight, showing off his perfect muscles.

“Go on, run then… See how far you get, Maleficent” He dared her.

“It’s Elodie! Fido!” she roused back at him

“and don’t make me hex you” she lied as she raised her finger at him. She was trying to be threatening, but had never used her index finger to do any such thing in her life. He didn't know that she thought, despite feeling somewhat stupid for making such a gesture.

There could be a hex for werewolves in her Grimoire, but it’s not like she had one ready to go. A slight oversight on her part. But he didn’t know that either.

“You gonna hex the whole pack are you?” He laughed.

“Come on, back upstairs with you, until Alpha Leon decides what to do with you.” With that the man grabbed her arm, pulled her towards him and through her over his shoulder. With such ease it was like she weighed nothing.

“You have a lot of nerve Bingo!” she yelled, squirming and trying to get out of his grip.

“It’s Emerson, Emerson Knight. And is it just Elodie?” He asked as he turned towards the house's main entrance.

“To you, yeah, it’s just Elodie.” Elodie suddenly felt his grip get tighter.

“You should really start answering questions in full, or you are going to have a hard time”.

“Of course, I am going to have a hard time. I am a prisoner in a Werewolf pack and I am currently being man handled by a complete stranger!” Elodie replied-completely flustered and frustrated about the current situation she was in.

Emmerson opened the door to the pack house. It had a beautiful grand foyer, from what Elodie could see. All marble flooring with a beautiful crystal chandelier that led to a grand staircase.