WOLF - pt.5
#5 of WOLF
Part 5, much love~
A brisk walk in the early morning twilight later and Linus lead me through a scattering of tall, narrow trees and out onto what looked like a great, sloped lawn. I could hear rushing water in the distance.
I followed the sound and discovered a great angelic fountain, the marble wings spread wide as the angels reached up to the Heavens.
A collossal manor house, four-storeys high with freaking towers at its four corners stood, bathed in the morning light.
It had to be at least five in the morning.
I glimpsed the ruined limosine parked up out front, with the driver stood beside it. A cigarette between his lips. So he'd survived the bust up in the limo. Fair enough.
"Welcome to Haven, Mr Whyatt."
I glared at Linus, and then nodded. Fine. I could play along, for now.
"Luis, could you please show Mr Whyatt to his room." He turned to me as he added, "I will see you this evening. I suggest you get some rest."
I buried my hands in my pockets and followed Luis Strong as he lead the way across the sloped lawn.
Soon we spilled onto a gravel road and headed for the great stone steps that lead up to the manor's great double doors.
As we walked 'students' passed us by, whispering, pointing at the new kid. All of them reeked of some animal or another. An institute full of wereanimals?
For the first time since I'd been told I was coming here, my mind wondered what Linus had planned for me. Why did he want me? How had he found me? What did he need with a school of wereanimals?
Luis lead me in silence.
I looked around as we walked. Long, open corridors lined with rich, wooden doors. Thick maroon coloured carpets reached out across the varnished floorboards. Tall, floor-to-ceiling windows allowed pale sunlight to dance across the candelabras that were scattered here and there. Thick drapes done in the richest of reds had been pushed aside to let the light in.
Luis lead me up to great staircases and soon stopped outside a door at the end of a corridor. He knocked once and then opened the door.
"Welcome home," he murmured, as he sidestepped and allowed me to walk ahead of him.
The room was large and square. Bookcases lined the walls on either side of the door, thick encyclopedias crammed to fit on the various shelves. Windows lined the wall opposite, overlooking a crystalline lake in the distance, nestled amongst more scattered, narrow trees. Dark red leather couches sat parralel to one another in the middle of the room, with a great glass coffee table between them. There were two more doors. One to the left, one to the right.
"Your room is on the right. Miles lives on the left," Luis explained when he saw me notice the doors.
"Miles?" I repeated.
"Miles North. Your roommate."
"Roommate?"
And with that the door to the left opened.
Miles North stood at around the same height as me, his body was lithe and slim, like mine too. He even looked like he was around the same age. Thick auburn hair reached his shoulders and at that moment was bound in a braid over one shoulder. He gazed up at me with pale yellow eyes. They should have looked alien in his pale face, but they looked natural.
I could smell canine on him. Not wolf, but something else, something I couldn't pinpoint.
He was dressed in what I assumed was the Haven Institute's uniform.
Black tailored pants, a button up white shirt with the sleeves fastened and cuffed at the wrists. A black waistcoat fastened across the front, while polished black shoes were strapped at his feet with small, silver buckles. A slim, black tie was fastened at his throat.
He carried a thick book in his slender hands.
"Miles North, meet Jack Whyatt. Your new roommate."
And with that Luis Strong abandoned us. Awkward as it was.
Miles looked at me and looked as awkward as I felt. "Soooo...welcome to Haven," he said. His voice heavy with an anxiousness.
"Thanks," I murmured as I turned and padded toward 'my' room.
"I'm sorry your here," Miles called after me weakly.
"Don't worry about it," I called back. I touched a hand to the door knob on my door and then stopped. I needed to know something. "Tell me one thing; is everyone here a student because Linus has a contract on all of them?" I demanded.
Miles looked down with a flush of embarrassment. "To begin with..."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"Everyone learns not to fight in the end," he murmured back.
For a second I could see a well of sadness in those pale yellow eyes. Something told me that Miles was as trapped as I was. Maybe everyone here was. Not all the students had had that level of sadness that Miles had, or the clear anger that resided in me. Maybe some had jumped at the chance to be here? Just who or what was Linus Eckhardt?
Miles gave me one more awkward glance and then went for the door.
"H-Hold up, Miles?"
He looked up at me, his hand at the door.
I took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. I'm feeling trapped here, and no wolf likes that feeling."
"Your a...werewolf?" he asked.
I nodded.
He went a little too wide-eyed and then looked away.
"Is there something wrong with being a werewolf. Luis Strong is one, right?"
"Y-Yeah...but, he's, um...no, nothing. Doesn't matter." He considered me for a second and then said, "I'm a fox." He then left, closing the door behind him.
I was alone, alone for the first time since I'd been arrested about ten hours ago. I rubbed my wrists, the mental sensation of the handcuffs filled my mind.
I may as well have left them on. I was still trapped, still imprisoned. Except these shackles were forged of threats and deceipt instead of simple, easy-to-break metal.
I growled my frustration and slammed the bedroom door behind me. I needed some sleep.