Lockwood City: The Tale of Eloise

Eleven

Highly Suspect- Fly

Eloise:

Cherry Hill. Before the chauteus were built here, this was known as p***y Hill. This is where all the kids used to come and well, you know. Do stuff. My dad bought the property shortly before I was taken from the old pack house. A few years ago, he turned it into the gated community it is now. Our family lives here. Cousins, aunts, uncles, and my siblings. I've seen pictures and brochures but seeing it in person is something else.

There are sniper towers all around. Lots of open space. The French-style chauteus are gorgeous. The six pillars along the front porch frame the four large windows and the double doors right in the center. The round bricked structures on the sides give the house a castle impression. This is way bigger than the penthouse and that place was big enough for me to ride my bike in.

I look over at the garage and spot a black Jeep Wrangler and Elias's black Ninja. He parks my car right next to the jeep and climbs out with a smile on his face as he takes the new color in. Matte red trimmed with a glossy black. I love it. I have to tell my dad that when he comes back. I wonder if I can get my bike wrapped with the same color scheme.

"Okay, I like this a whole lot better than the pink," he admits putting his hands on his hips.

I hate what he's wearing. Stupid shiny gray slacks. Black button-up. He's wearing a f*****g blazer for crying out loud. His hair is parted. Yeah, perfectly combed to the side like a preppy boy dumb ass. She turned you into a pretty boy, Elias. Why would you let anyone change you this much? Maybe I didn't know you at all. Maybe this is who you've always been. Maybe I just wanted you to be something you weren't and you went along with it. Maybe you went along with her. I want to know more about you because looking at you now, the time I've lost is a lot clearer.

"Pink is my mom's favorite color," I sigh.

"If you ever do something like that again!" my dad is stomping towards us.

"I love this," I point at the car. He freezes just before getting to me. "I mean look at it. I just want to go over there and give it lots of hugs,"

"Hugs?" he asks skeptically.

"I'm not. That's kind of dumb but it did cross my mind," I give him my best innocent grin. He looks the car over and nods.

"I think it would look better with the shiny black rockstar rims," he agrees.

"Uh-show me later?" I ask.

"Okay," he lets out a frustrated grunt. "You okay? Did you throw up?"

"Yeah, that might have been a little too much excitement for me," I laugh.

"Good. Don't let it happen again. Let me give you a tour,"

"Actually, I want to talk to Elias. Since you're here. I rather look around on my own,"

"What do you want to talk about?" Elias asks.

"Graduation is coming up," I cross my arms over my chest and step back from them. "Dad gave me until then to decide if I want to become Alpha or not. I'm not sure yet, but it is something I am interested in. With that being said, I have plans. I mean obviously, these past few days have been getting in the way-"

"Getting in the way?" he scoffs glaring at me.

"Can you not interrupt me?" I growl at him. He rolls his eyes and averts his gaze. My dad smiles but doesn't say anything. "Getting in the way of what you and I agreed on, Dad,"

"We can skip that part, Ellie. If you want to continue going to school online I'll allow it as long as you leave the house,"

"You were going back to school?" Elias asks. I bet he feels dumb about interrupting me now, doesn't he?

"I am going back to school starting Monday. I promised. Thank you for trying to help with Sasuke. I know he died because my wolf hurt him when I tried to get him away from Blitz. You have nothing to be sorry about. It was an accident.

"Anyway, I am going back to school. There are other things we need to talk about as well. I would like it if I could have Blitz throw in his name for the now-open beta position,"

"What?" Elias shakes his head. "I don't want to be alpha,"

"It's not something you can say no to. We're mated now. That means you have certain responsibilities. Even if I am the acting alpha, you have to take your place here. I will be the Lockwood alpha and as my mate, you can't be my beta. Blitz and I talked about this already and he agrees,"

"You want me to be a Lockwood City Alpha?" he asks crossing his arms over his chest. Is it barely registering for him?

"You are a Lockwood City Alpha," I corrected him. "For the past Thirty-nine hours,"

"Your brother has a career. A really f*****g good one. You're just going to ask him to step aside?"

"I didn't ask him. He's been asking since we graduated high school and he brought it up again last night. No one is happier to know that Elias is my mate than him,"

"No one?" Elias asks.

"No one," I confirm. "Maybe Elena but that's for a different reason. She's into romance novels and s**t,"

"What else?" he rolls his eyes.

"We're going after my uncle first,"

"No," he shakes his head and looks up at my dad. "There is no f*****g way in hell I'm letting her walk into that f*****g hell hole. Are you out of your mind?"

"No," he sighs heavily. "But she is and what are you gonna do? Forbid her?"

My mate and father stare at each other with a glare. This is not new to them. The tension between the two of them is thick. I burst into laughter. I laugh so hard I feel dizzy.

"That was funny," I say feeling my face and my sides ache. I shake my head only making it worse. "I think I need to lie down,"

My knees wobble, before I hit the ground Elias pulls me up into his arms. As soon as his bare skin meets the exposed skin on my lower back, a tingling sensation bolts through me painfully. My body jerks upward, a growl rips out of me as my wolf scratches at me from the inside. He set me down on the grass as I relaxed my muscles and tried to take even breaths. It takes some time for her to calm down and settle. She settles down but my body is trembling from the pain of her trying to force the shift.

"What the f**k was that?" he whispers.

"This is the second time she's done that," I sit up trying to get away from him. "She doesn't like the way you make me feel. She doesn't like to feel anything at all,"

"We're going to need to talk more about that," he stands up without offering to help me up again. I stand feeling dizzy.

"Okay, you're going to need to be assertive here as well, kid. Jesus, you are not cut out for this s**t," my growls and stalks towards me. He grabs my arm and starts dragging me into the house.

"I wouldn't do that," Elias chuckles.

I growl burying the heels of my boots into the grass. My dad stumbles a little when I yank my arm out of his grasp. Without thinking my arm lashes out. My hand wraps around his wrist and I twist upward locking his arm to his back. He groans when his arm pops.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I demand.

"Eloise!" mom rushes out of the house. "Let go of him right now,"

"He started it," I say defensively.

"Oh, really, Eloise? What are you five?" she growls. "Now,"

"Whatever," I let go of him and take a step back feeling completely winded. Everything begins to spin.

"Ellie?"

Three different voices mumble my name. Everything blurs into a pretty blue shade. For a moment everything is out of focus and it feels like I'm floating. The only sound I can hear is a low beep, like a heart monitor flatlining. The beeping fades. The blue fades to white. I can hear clicking all around me. Where do I know that sound from?

With a jolt, I take in a deep breath and sit up. My hands raise up as I'm suddenly falling forward. Six arms reach out to stop me from slamming on the hardwood floor but it was so close. I let my head hang forward resting it on the floor as my senses begin to return. Why does it feel like I've just been rebooted?

"Hey, can you hear me?" light is being flashed in my face. "Eloise? Can you hear me?" Elias demands. His hand is on my face as he looks into my eyes. "Ellie?"

"You like your job," I say, reaching up to remove his hand from my face. He immediately lowers the little black flashlight and lets out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," he says. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I blacked out?" I ask.

"You had a panic attack. I mean it was a borderline seizure but you just freaked out a little," he smiles. "Is this the first time this has happened?"

"No," I shake my head. "That happens all the time,"

"Do you take medication for that?"

"Yes," my mom answers.

"When did you stop taking them, Ellie?" he shakes his head disapprovingly.

"What?" my parents both demand.

"I stopped taking them with I was fifteen," I look around to find that I'm sitting on a bed in the middle of the living room. It's brand new. The mattress is covered with thick plastic still.

"Why did you stop taking them?" my dad asks trying really hard not to lose it right now.

"They made me lazy. I spent a year and a half in and out of naps after I came back. Did that not bother you at all? Do you really think I could have figured out how to do half the things I can on those things?"

"We'll never know now," my mom groans. "How are we both absentee and helicopter parents at the same f*****g time?"

"Yes, this is about you," Elias says sarcastically.

I look over at him to see him giving them the same disapproving headshake. This man is going to make us all take therapy. I can feel it in my bones. Maybe not right now but soon. Very very soon. I don't hate that. He genuinely wants to help. He believes in what he's doing. I can respect it if not for his poor choice of attire.

"Can you guys leave?" I ask. "I'd like you not to be here right now,"

"Ellie," my dad tries to protest. I turn my attention to him.

"Thank you for taking the day off to help. I love that you guys are always looking out for me but I really need some space. I'll be fine. I promise,"

"Okay," my mom agrees right away. She finds her purse and takes my dad's hand. "Let's go, Tec,"

"I'm-" he turns away and finally nods. "Sure, okay. Let me know if you need anything,"

"I will," I promise.

He lets my mom pull him away. I pull my legs up and wrap my arms around my knees. I'm feeling a whole lot of things right now. The excitement seems never-ending. I keep my eyes on the stitching of my jeans along the inside of my thighs needing to make the room smaller. I usually just sit in the closet under the hangers that hold the dresses I never use but I have no idea where anything is here.

"I'll give you a moment," Elias says. I turn my head sneaking a look at him to see him put his little flashlight in a pouch with other utensils in it before zipping it shut.

"Don't go," I whisper when he turns to leave the room. He stops looking back at me.

"Okay," he sets the pouch down on what might be a nightstand or a side table. What am I even saying? Those things are the same thing, aren't they?

"Why trauma?" I ask him.

"Why corporate finances?" he smirks.

"Numbers help me focus,"

"You hated math," he shakes his head.

"I know. I hated math because I was really good at it but as you get older math gets more complicated. It's challenging. Numbers become a pattern and traceable. They're easy to manipulate. You can apply math to anything anywhere and there's an answer there waiting to be solved. Forever. Well, infinite to be exact,"

"That's a really good reason," he grins. "I forgot you did that,"

"What?"

"Think about all the details. You take everything in and you give it a purpose," he sits on the bed in front of me making the plastic crinkle. "You really don't like who I am right now, do you?"

"I think you don't like who you are right now. It's making you crazy,"

"Or maybe it's everything that's happening," he suggests.

"You're enjoying what's happening. A part of you feels relief. That much is obvious. You created this perfect life around you. Made the bed sort to speak. I kind of just stopped you from lying in it. The bigger part is grieving all your hard work. You hate the conflicting emotions you feel. I've had twelve therapists since getting locked in the tower,"

"What are you?" he laughs leaning back against the headboard.

"I've answered your questions. Now answer mine,"

"Blitz," he answers.

"My brother?"

"Yeah," he nods looking down at his lap. "He changed so much when you came back. Suddenly, he stopped getting into trouble. He stopped smiling and having fun. He was the ideal student. Got into wrestling and track. Everything had to be perfect. He would freak out when there were things out of their place. Then there was the rage. The fighting. I wanted to help him slow down but he is your twin brother,"

"Yeah, he's-" I stop looking down at the stitching again. "That's a really good reason to,"

"That's not your fault," he reaches for me but then sees the way my body tenses up preparing for the intrusion, and lets his hand drop onto his lap.

"I know that," I say, my voice breaking. I clear my throat trying to soothe the tightness. "It's not his fault either. It makes me angry,"

"What?" he asks.

"That the people who ruined us are gone. That I can't hurt them back the way they hurt me and my brother and my family,"

"You're not ruined, Ellie,"

"Maybe not to you," I shrug. "Maybe not to my family either but you guys weren't there. You don't have to lay in a bed, close your eyes, and see it over and over again," I take a deep breath and hold it in for a while before letting it go. "It was a big cell. It probably seemed big because I was so small then but big rooms scare me,"

"That's why you set up your computers and shelves outside your room. So you could focus," he nods. "We can get a smaller-"

"No, no. I'm used to it now. This is fine,"

"I don't want you to have fine," he sighs. "I want you to have what you need. All of it. I don't care how ridiculous it is,"

"Thanks," I look up at him. "But that's a ridiculous notion. You're thinking with your mate's bond, not as Dr. Graeson. Give me the Doctor's advice,"

"Okay," he grins straightening up. "I think you're taking huge steps and while I love the enthusiasm, I think you should slow down. Too many changes can be overwhelming for someone who's not used to changing things about themselves,"

"Slow down? You mean like ignore everything happening and start redecorating this pompous ass house?"

"Oh, good. You're not going to turn this into a modern hell hole," he laughs. "No white leather couches and glass tables?"

"What are we, coke dealers?" I smirk. Warmth floods through me again and I have to fight back the urge to yawn. Instead, I stretch my legs out and stand up.

The high ceilings are a little intimidating. The iron chandelier hanging above us is huge and has lights that are meant to look like candles. There's a huge fireplace in the center of the back wall. There are shelves lining the sides of it. On the left is the round staircase that leads to the second floor. The windows give a bit of a home-alone vibe to the place. It is not going to be easy to turn this place into something comfortable for two. My dad said Elena has one of these as well. What the hell does she have in her house? She lives alone.

"What do you think?" he asks pulling me from my thoughts.

"I might be a little damaged, I'll admit but I would f*****g hate to live in my parent's heads," I say. He laughs. "I mean, wow. Look at these windows. This is bulletproof glass," I tap the thick glass. "These walls are soundproof. There's concrete under these floorboards. It's designed to be the ultimate fortress. No one can come in and terrifyingly enough, no one can get out. I bet that's the new advanced home security system L.C. released this year. It's like he expects them to come back with an army,"

"Do you?"

"No, it was never about me. It was about them. My parents. They-" I look over at him. "It was about hurting him. It was personal, right? Someone hated him so much they were willing to destroy the one thing he loved the most just to see him suffer. I never believed they would be back. They wanted something and they got it,"

"Alpha Nelson is dead. Whatever he intended died with him," he shakes his head. "Do you think someone made him do it? What would be their motive?"

"That's what makes it sound crazy. What would be their motive? There are dozens of reasons to hate my dad. He's Tecnition Lockwood. He might be getting old but it doesn't change the fact that he was one of the biggest assholes in werewolf history. Humiliation, extortion, jealousy, murder. Maybe a vengeful mate? An old girlfriend? Those are just things he's guilty of. Things he did before my mother,"

"I think you watch too much true crime," he shakes his head.

"Wouldn't it be crazy if I were right?" I laugh. "I'm kidding obviously, but the look on your face was worth it,"

"You're f*****g with me?" he growls playfully.

"I am. Yes. I'm sorry. I haven't had a new friend in a while," I press my lips together. His eyes flare with frustration. "Let's look around," I reach for my backpack and take my tablet out. "We need to make this place a little less pale and bright. I give us three months here before we jump ship,"

"I'm definitely going to need a smoke soon," he mumbles under his breath. I didn't know he smoked. I've always wanted to try that.