Cursed with an Alpha Soul | Werewolf Romance

Chapter X - Blood Moon Rising

Ella took a deep breath glancing out her truck window at the small, one-story home in front of her. The grass was a vibrate green, perfectly tended too. Different colored bushes lined the walkway all the way up to the front door. The porch lights were on, although it was still bright out, preset to come on before it got too dark. One car was parked half-way up the driveway, facing the street. A small flag was planted in the grass with the school mascot on it. Ella turned her keys, clicking her car off. She opened her door and stepped out, not giving her time to stop herself. Every step she took towards the front door was telling her to turn back. The anxiety of confrontation was bubbling inside of her. Ella stopped on the front porch, staring at the dark blue door in front of her. Knowing this was her last chance to turn back, Ella forced herself to knock on the door. Instant regret flooded through her; I should’ve just left. After a few moments of silence, the door swung open. Ella smiled, tucking her hands in her back pockets as her eyes locked with his.

“Oh, hey.” Ben said, swinging the door wide open as he realized who it was. “Hi.” Ella responded, the word almost coming out as a whisper. Ben was dressed in dark blue jeans and a white shirt with a blue shirt pocket. He was fully dressed to head out, only missing his shoes. His hair was fixed up and Ella could smell his freshly sprayed cologne. The smell she had grown to love. She had a hoodie of his that still smelt like him that she constantly wore when the two couldn’t meet up. “C-can I come in?” she asked, rocking onto her toes. Ben quickly stepped aside, allowing her room to walk past her and giving a soft smile. She returned the smile, walking straight into the home and to Ben’s room. She didn’t care to look around for Ben’s father, she knew he was likely working late. Ben’s father owned his own mechanic shop, the only one in town. It was normal for him to stay out late trying to help as many people as he could before closing the shop.

Ella could hear Ben following behind her. As they entered the room, Ben closed the door behind them. As he turned back around, Ella quickly wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him in tightly, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. Ben was taken back for a moment, not expecting the sudden affection, but didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her waist. Ella closed her eyes, breathing in his scent. It was stronger than she remembered it, but she knew that was due to her heightened sense. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder, her hands fisting his shirt.

“Hey is everything okay?” Ben asked her, giving her a tight squeeze to reassure her that he was there for her. Ella took a moment before responding. The hug was not only because she missed him, but it was also from the guilt she felt. Before all of this, Ella would spend almost every day with Ben. There was no one else she wanted to spend her time with, but she had hardly seen him since the hospital, and it was her fault. Ella released Ben, pulling back to look into his eyes. “I just really missed you.” She whispered, her eyes slowly feeling up with tears. Ben’s thumb whipped away the tear as it ran down her cheek. “I missed you too.” He smiled towards her. Ben didn’t know why Ella had disappeared or what was going on, but he wasn’t the type to ask her. He believed that she would open to him when she was ready. It was one of the first things he learned about Ella. She wasn’t going to open no matter how much you asked until she was ready.

Ella pressed up onto her toes, pressing her lips against him. The kiss felt different. It calmed her. All the stress and anxiety she had suffered through the last three days melted away as his lips pressed hers. His lips were softer than she remembered, perfectly molding into hers. He wasn’t aggressive or trying to push her for more. He softly cupped her face as they kissed. Ella felt her heart slow, and her entire body relax. He seemed to shield her from everything that was going on beyond those walls. Slowly Ella pulled away, a soft smile painting across her face and grew larger as she saw Ben’s own smile. She gave him one more quick peck before stepping away from him. “I’m sorry I should have called first. You look like you were going somewhere.” Ella wrapped her arms around her chest. Ben looked himself up and down before looking back to Ella, “You know you can always come over.” He reassured her, running a hand through her hair.

“I was about to go to Xan’s actually for movie night, I never heard back from you and didn’t want to spend a Friday night alone.” He shrugged. A small wave of guilt washed through Ella. Friday was always their movie day, and she should have been here hours ago or at least messaged him instead of being more focused on Carlos. She hated that she seemed to forget about the world when she was with him. She hated him. Carlos didn’t bring her happiness. He brought back memories of the pain and tears that she shreds because of him. He reminded her of he treated her, how he tossed her aside without a care. He played her on with little regard to how she felt. Yet somehow; there was a part of her that wanted to be near him. That gave her a feeling of comfort. A feeling of understanding. She hated the part of herself that felt that way and she hated that this all came about after that one night.

“Oh, I should probably go then so you can get out of here.” She nodded. The drive to Xan’s home was two hours, he lived in the next town over. There was only a long stretch of road through the forest before you hit the next sight of civilization. “Actually,” Ben paused with a smile on his face, “why don’t you come with?” he asked her. Ella had never been to Xan’s home. She had never met Xan. She had heard about him and seen him through facetime when him and Ben talked. Xan was Ben’s best friend; they had known each other for over four years. “I don’t think crashing ‘guys night’ is the right way to make a first impression.” Ella laughed awkwardly. She didn’t expect Ben to cancel his plans for her and she didn’t want to make Xan a third wheel in his own home. Ben smiled, shaking his head, “No. Come on, Xan already knows you. He won’t mind I promise. Plus, what better way to get to know someone than junk food, popcorn, and Harry Potter?” He asked her. Ella bit the inside of her cheek, debating it before finally agreeing. “Yes!” Ben cheered, pumping his fist. “But I do have to warn you!” He said with a sarcastic shocked face, “He’s a Slytherin.” Ben whispered towards her. Ella let out a giggle, rolling her eyes at him. Ella wasn’t a big Harry Potter fan like Ben was, it was his favorite movie series. One their first date Ben made Ella take a test that would tell her the house she was in. Ella turned out to be a Ravenclaw while Ben was a Hufflepuff. At the time Ella had never seen a Harry Potter movie, which Ben teased was almost a ‘deal breaker’ for him, but she promised they could watch it for the next date. Ben was always into Sci-Fi and Supernatural movies and books. He had seen and read almost everything that was out there.

Ella wrapped her fingers with Ben’s as they drove through the unfamiliar town. It was a big town compared to theirs. There were light posts lining the roads, you didn’t have to rely solely on your headlights and be in fear of hitting a dear. There were gas stations on almost every intersection and all big brand name stores, no mom-and-pop shops. Ben and Ella didn’t talk the entire drive. Ella enjoyed the silence, memorizing the feeling of his hand in hers. Ben didn’t mind. He focused on the road for animals crossing and played soft music as they drove. Slowly Ben pulled up towards a yellow mobile home within a gated mobile home community. Ella could tell by the look of it that majority of people who lived in the area were retired. Xan was likely the only young person. There was no driveway or car parked out front, only a black Harley Davidson motorcycle in the gravel beside the front door. Ella could smell the freshly baked popcorn while still inside the car. She could hear the main menu screen music playing from the television inside. She could hear the sound of footsteps as someone walked around inside. Ben turned the car off, watching Ella in silence as she stared out the window. He gently squeezed her hand to draw her attention back to him. “I promise he doesn’t mind.” Ben said with a smile, wondering if that was why she was staring out the window. Ella nodded her head, releasing his hand and opening her door.

“Ella?” Ben spoke just as her door opened. Ella turned back to him, humming in response to her name. “You haven’t been yourself lately. What’s going on?” He asked her. Ella’s smile faded as she heard his question. Ben would normally never pry for answers, so the fact that he was asking meant he was likely debating on saying the question the whole drive. Ella thought it over. She wanted to slam the door shut and tell him the truth. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted him to know about her nightmares, and her eyes, the new abilities, and Carlos- but she couldn’t. Not only was it not just her secret to tell, but she still didn’t know what this new world meant for her. She didn’t know how dangerous it might be. She didn’t know what else was out there like her. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if telling him meant putting him in danger. She forced a quick smile, “It’s just been hard lately. But I’m slowly figuring things out. I’m okay. I promise.” The answer didn’t give Ben what he was looking for, but at least it he knew she was going to be okay. Or at least that’s what she wanted him to believe. Ella still didn’t know for herself if she was going to be okay, but she did know that keeping him out of it was the best decision for now.

Ella followed closely behind Ben as they walked up the brick steps to Xan’s front door. The motion sensor front light flickered on as they approached. The front door flew open before Ella made it to the top step. Xan smiled welcomingly through the screen door. He wore a cream knitted sweatshirt with black sweatpants. His teeth were perfectly straight and glistened under the porch light. His black hair was a mess, poking in all different directions. He was more fit than she remembered, his chin tightly sculpted. His eyes were dark brown, almost completely black. Ella had only seen him a handful of times through a phone, she already knew he was an attractive guy and if she was into Asians, she likely would have had a small crush on him when Ben first showed her a picture of him months ago. “About time you showed up!” Xan laughed as he pushed the screen door open and embraced Ben. Ella stood there awkwardly, smiling at the two. “Movie is already up, and popcorn popped. Just been waiting for you.” He told Ben. Ben nodded, moving to walk past him but turned around just before stepping inside. “Xan, as you know, this is Ella my girlfriend. Ella, Xan.” He formally introduced the two before continuing inside.

Xan gave Ella a welcoming smile, extending his hand out to her. “Hi. Nice to finally meet you.” Ella smiled reaching out to grasp his hand. “Same to you.” Ella said as her hand met his. As their skin touched, what felt like a zap ran through her body. The unfamiliar feeling caused Ella to jerk her hand away from Xan’s. Xan’s friendly expression disappeared. Though he did not jump as Ella did, he had felt it too. His eyes cautiously scanned Ella up and down as she watched in confusion. “You guys coming?” Ben yelled, pushing the screen door open and looking out on the two who still stood on the porch. Xan did not turn around, his eyes stayed locked onto Ella’s. He did not smile; his expression did not falter. “Yeah.” He paused, “We’re coming.” He said, turning a putting on a fake smile towards Ben. Ella was still confused. The shock wasn’t from static or electrical charge, it was different in a way she had never experienced before.

Ella followed Ben inside, itching the inside of her palm as the followed behind him. In the living room were multiple oversized bean bags that looked as if they’d swallow you whole when laying in them. Food was scattered around the coffee table, mixture of candies and popcorns along with some soda and water. Ella’s eyes glanced around the room, there was very little decorations and no pictures of friends or family anywhere to be seen. The only photo was one of Ben and Xan a few years younger in a frame next to the television. Ella took a seat in the bean bag next to Ben, who was already picking his snacks for the movie. Xan told them he would be back before he disappeared down the hall. As Ella looked around her eyes landed on a door in the kitchen. It had a combination lock on it. “What’s that?” Ella asked as she tapped Ben’s shoulder and pointed towards the door.

Ben looked where she was pointing and shrugged, “It leads to the basement.” Ben said simply. “What’s in there?” Ella said, her curiously spiking. Ben shrugged again as he kicked off his shoes and pulled a large blanket over him, “I don’t know. Xan’s never brought me down there. It’s probably just a man cave or maybe a s*x room like in that fifty shades movie.” Ella rolled her eyes at Ben’s comment which got a laugh out of him. She knew it was joke obviously, but her eyes stayed on the door. For some reason she couldn’t shake a weird feeling it gave her. Xan came back a few seconds later, stating he had to go put his phone on the charger in his room before he plopped himself in the purple bean bag on the other side of Ben. Ella smiled, pretending to not have noticed the door and turned her attention towards the movie. All the lights were turned off besides a small ankle level light in the hall to help someone find their way to the bathroom. It was pitch black in the house, but Ella could see almost clear as day. She tried to ignore the locked door and focus on the movie. Eventually, she was able to fall asleep while in her own thoughts on what could be behind it.

Ella sat up; her vision blurred. As they adjusted, Ella stared out at the large open field of grass in front of her. The bright full moon beaming down onto her. She sat on an unfamiliar dirt road. The wild grass was tall, almost up to the height of her knees. The trees weren’t like those of her hometown, they were taller, and the leaves were a brighter green. Slowly Ella stood to her feet, hearing the dirt shuffle under her bare feet. Ella grunted as someone slammed into her shoulder, knocking her aside. She watched as a young woman continued to walk past her, completely ignoring the fact she had just bumped into her. The woman wore an all-white gown that reached down to her ankles. Her hair was a beautiful blonde that gleamed in the moon light. A few braids were mixed into her long hair and flowed in the soft breeze. The woman continued to walk into the grass field towards the tree line ahead. “Excuse you!” Ella yelled out to her. The woman stopped, slowly turning to face Ella.

Her face was beautiful, like that of an angel. Her face had no marks or scratches, and eyes were bright blue. Ella stared at her in confusion. The woman did not speak, it was as if she was looking through Ella instead of looking at her. As if she could not see her at all. A strong smell hit Ella’s nose. It smelt like burnt metal, but she couldn’t remember what the smell reminded her of. Ella’s eyes scanned the woman. Quickly, Ella realized her hands were covered in blood. She held a silver blade in her right hand, still drenched in fresh blood. The sight startled Ella, afraid the woman would come after her. Instead, the woman turned, continuing towards the forest. Eventually the woman disappeared from her view. Slowly Ella turned around to find a small wooden cottage behind her. Candle lit flickered in the window, but Ella didn’t see anyone. The door was left open, swinging from the breeze.

Ella walked towards the door, slowly pushing it open. The door creaked loudly as it moved. Ella peaked her head in but saw no one. There was a small, hand made table with five chairs. A freshly used fireplace crackled beside it with embers still burning among the ash. Ella stepped in, quickly walking through the small home. The floor was made of hard, packed mud. Footprints large and small painted the floor, covering almost every corner of the home. Different sized pots and bowls were stacked along the shelves and fresh fire food lined the wall. As Ella wondered, she noticed a single door down the hall. Ella cautiously made her way down. As she grew closer, the same metallic smell grew larger and almost unbearable for Ella. Ella held her breath as she pushed open the door, not prepared for what was behind it. Inside was five beds lined up along the wall. Each was full except the largest bed in the middle. Ella’s mouth dropped as she realized what was in front of her. In four out of the five beds were children. Three boys and one girl. Each child laid on their back, sheets pulled down to their ankles. They all wore white cotton pajamas, but there was hardly any white left. Each child was covered in blood oozing from a single stab wound to their small chests. All the pieces were coming together now.

The woman Ella had crossed paths with was their mother and she had just killed every one of them. Without touching them, Ella could tell their bodies were ice cold. They laid motionless, but Ella still expected for them to wake up any moment. Ella slowly walked towards the beds; she glanced out the window at the full moon beaming light into the room. She watched as slowly the moon began to change, it’s color shifting to a deep red. Ella had seen and heard of blood moons before, but never were they red like this. Ella stared at the moon for a long while, waiting for it to change back, but it never did. The candles in the room were relit spontaneously with no reasoning. The light startling Ella as she looked around the room frantically for an explanation. Her eyes roamed back to the children, landing specifically on one. The young boy had bright red hair and laid in the bed farthest to the right. He was smaller than the others and skin was pale. None of the children looked like one another, all with different hair colors and facially features. As Ella turned to exit the room she froze as she heard a thud. She stood completely still, waiting for it. There it was again. Ella turned back, listening for it, tracing where it was coming from. She followed the sound to the end of the bed of the red-headed boy. The thud slowly became louder and faster. She stared at the boy, leaning over the end of the bed. “That’s not possible.” She whispered. Suddenly the boy’s eyes flew open, and he let out a loud gasp as if he had been holding his breath for years. The sight scared Ella, she fell back hitting her head on the mud floor.

Ella gasped, sitting up. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she frantically looked around. The movie credits scrolled on the television in front of Ella. Ben and Xan each slept soundly in their bean bags beside her. Ella tried to catch her breath, attempting to slow her heart rate down. Ella quietly got to her feet and walked towards the kitchen for a glass of water. Ella filled the cup up with water from the sink. As she turned around to head back to the living room, something caught her eye. The basement door. It was unlocked.