Secrets Ch. 2
#2 of Secrets
Chapter 2
The first thing I'm aware of is pain. Not the sharp blinding pain of before but a dull aching. So at least I know I'm alive, that's something. I slowly open my eyes and regret it as a bright light from an open window hits them. After slowly blinking a few times to adjust to the brightness, I look around the unfamiliar room.
It's a fairly simple room, there's the large bed I'm currently laying on, a bare dresser with a mirror above it, a single empty chair next to the window and a closed door on the far wall. Aside from those few items, there's nothing here to give me any idea as to where I am or how long I have been out of it.
As I lay there, I become increasingly aware of the throbbing pain from each of the wounds I suffered from Agerex's blade and despite the pain I consider myself lucky to be alive. It's at that point that I remember I was saved by..... someone. I can't seem to remember who saved me, only that they were wolves. But just because they saved me, doesn't mean that I am out of danger. I don't exactly engender trust from others, especially when they find out about my secret. It is entirely possible I have traded one form of trouble for another. Only time will tell.
Deciding that I'm not going to learn anything new lying in bed, I slowly lift the covers that were pulled up to my chest. As I move them back, I learn two things. First, my wounds have all been cleaned and bandaged. Second, that I have nothing on, and I mean nothing.
Ok, so whoever it was that saved me obviously doesn't want me dead, at least not yet. And they also got to know me better than I would have liked, especially since I was out cold at the time. As I sit up, I begin to take inventory of my wounds. There are a dozen or so minor scrapes that will heal in no time. Then there are the big ones on my left arm, shoulder, and right leg. My leg seems to have survived fine, it still bends like normal, despite being stiff and sore, I just won't be running any time soon. My arm will take longer though, I can still move my fingers without pain but that's about it. When I try to lift my arm, it feels as though that sword is cutting me open again.
When I tried to lift my arm, I must have yelped or something because as soon as the stars faded out of my vision, I heard a set of footsteps heading for the door. I manage to get the sheets back over my waist just before the door opens. In walks another werewolf. He is between 9 and 10 feet tall with a gray, almost silver fur coat with white around his muzzle and black tips on his ears and tail. He's wearing a faded green shirt and blue pants, his paws are bare and have black tips on his toes. All in all a rather nice looking wolf.
Once in the room he looks at me with deep amber eyes and a knowing smirk on his face. "I take it you tried to move a bit too much." Not yet sure I can trust him, I decide to sit there and watch him, not meaning to be rude, just not wanting to talk. Apparently he understands this, or is good at reading people, because he keeps on talking despite my lack of words. "I take it you are confused and not sure if you can trust me. Understandable considering your situation and how my pack mate and I found you."
While he was talking, he has been walking around the left side of the bed, the whole time I have not taken my eyes off him. He grabs the chair beside the window and pulls it up next to the bed and takes a seat. "If you're ok with it, I would like to take a look at those wounds of yours." After a few moments of studying him to try and determine if he has an ulterior motive, I figure that in my condition I have nothing to lose so I just nod.
"Good, now just relax, I will try to be gentle, but you got some nasty cuts going on here." He reaches towards me and starts to take the bandage on my left arm off so he can see the wound underneath. I flinch a couple times when he pulls a few hairs that have gotten stuck to the bandaging. When he reaches the last layer I see that it is soaked with dried black blood, my blood. I look up at him to see his reaction but he seems unaffected as he peals this final layer off and begins to look at the cut. He lets out an unsatisfied sigh "I had hoped this would be healing faster than this." He begins to replace the bandages with clean ones that he apparently brought in with him that I had failed to notice before.
When he finished with the bandages on my arm, he moves to my shoulder and then my other wounds. After each one he lets out the same unhappy sigh. "I had hoped that those would have healed by now, your wolf healing abilities should have taken care of them in the time you have been here." When he says that I raise an eyebrow and look at him and ask my first question. "Just how long have I been here?"
He looks up at me with a smile. "So you can talk. That's good to know." He leans back in his chair and looks at me with a new interest. "You have been here for nearly 4 days now, my friend, barely even alive for part of that time. In fact, today is the first day you have been fully conscious."
Upon hearing that I have been here for 4 days, I can't help but feel a little stunned and fall back against the headboard of the bed, instantly regretting it as I bump my shoulder a bit too hard and send a new wave of stars flying in front of my eyes. After the stars clear, I let out a sigh and stare at the ceiling before I start talking again. "I guess I owe you my life then." I turn to look at him. "So who is it that I owe my life to?"
He lets out a small chuckle before answering, "My name is Chase, but you don't owe your life to me or anyone else. We simply helped someone who seemed to need a hand." he just sits there as I study him and his words. Eventually I decide to take him at his word, but with caution. "I see. Well, thank you. If you hadn't shown up when you did......" I just give a small shrug, seeing no need to spell out the obvious.
After a few minutes of silence, Chase speaks up again, "May I ask your name or do you prefer I just call you friend?"
A small smile creeps to my lips, it has been so long since I last was in civilized company that I had forgotten to introduce myself. "My name is Ebony, Ebony Wolf." I watch as he studies my fur color, a deep black from head to toe with a few areas of dark gray where old wounds have left scars, and tries to hold back a smirk. I just let out a sigh, "Yeah, my dad's idea, he always had a thing for stating the obvious."
It takes him a few seconds to gain full control again so as not to laugh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
I just shrug it off. "It's no big deal, I'm used to it. Most people that get to know me end up calling me Eb any way."
He tries it out. "Eb.... It suits you"
After a few more minutes of silence with Chase trying not to study me, I finally break the silence. "For someone so curious you're being fairly patient in not asking."
His eyes widen in surprise and he tries, unconvincingly, to hide it. "I'm not sure what you are talking about."
I just look at him with a raised eyebrow. "For someone who just spent several minutes tending wounds of someone with black blood, you're a lousy liar. Then there are always my eyes," with my right hand I point to my eyes which are solid black, normally not that unusual, until you notice there is no white around the sides, they're just black orbs. "They tend to unnerve people."
He swallows hard. "Ok, I admit I was curious, and a bit taken aback the first time I saw them." He stares at his hands for a moment before looking me in the eyes and asking. "So, why are your blood and eyes black?"
I take a deep breath and a moment to get ready for the inevitable reaction that I know is coming. "It's simple really. They're black because I'm...... well, I'm a demon."