CHAPTER 5 To Be Part of A Pack
Emma’s POV
Slowly I pack my items in the small hospital bag that one of the nurses provided for me. Today is the last day that I will be spending in the hospital. Since I came in with no clothes one of my nurses was nice enough to give me a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to wear home.
Home. Just the thought of having to go home makes me sick to my stomach. As I look in the mirror above the little sink in the hospital room I smile as I see that all of my bruises have finally healed. My bright green eyes are sparkling with life and there is color in my cheeks. I cannot even remember the last time that I have looked this way.
A knock on my hospital door interrupts my thoughts and I turn to see Ethan walking in. Over the past few days, he has been in to visit me several times. He is always kind to me when he comes in and is sure not to ask me too many questions about my past. I get the feeling that he does not want to make me uncomfortable.
"Hey," He says shyly as his eyes glance over my body. "It is nice to see you in something other than a hospital gown," He jokes.
I look down at my attire and blush at his words. "It feels nice to be out of the hospital gown. I just wish I had the money to pay back the nurse that got me these clothes. I am afraid that when I get home my father won't let me return here."
"About that..." Ethan says as he shuffles awkwardly where he stands. "I have been talking to my father and we would like to offer you a position in our Pack."
I look at Ethan with my eyes opened wide. I blink several times as I try to process what I just heard. "You want me to become a member of your Pack?" I ask excitedly.
"I cannot very well send you back into the situation that I found you in," Ethan says seriously.
Chewing on my bottom lip I try to think about what it would be like to be part of a Pack once again. I know that my wolf would love it. But what if my father came looking for me. I wouldn't be able to handle it if he hurt someone trying to get back to me.
"While I appreciate the offer," I begin already regretting my words. "I don't think that would be the best idea."
"You mean you would rather go back to being abused than live safely within a Pack?" Ethan sounds offended and I shrink a little bit where I stand.
"That's not what I mean at all," I begin to explain. "I am just worried that my father will come looking for me. I don't want to cause any problems."
Much to my surprise, Ethan begins to laugh. "I think we can handle one rogue werewolf and keep you safe."
"You would really do that for me?" I cannot help but whisper because it all seems too good to be true.
"How about we meet with my father, the Alpha and he can explain what it is like to be part of a Pack?" Ethan says as he reaches out and grabs my hand.
I am about to jerk away from his touch when a warm tingling feeling spreads throughout my arm. The feeling spreads all over my body and calms me down. I look into Ethan's blue eyes and there is a slight look of shock as he looks down at our hands but he doesn't say anything.
Maybe only I felt the tingles?
My body is still sore from all of the healing that it has done over the past few days, so, Ethan walks slowly with me out of the hospital. There is a black car with tented windows waiting for us as we exit the building. Ethan opens the car door and allows me to slide in while he takes my bag and tosses it in the trunk.
Sitting in the back seat, I carefully buckle my seatbelt and notice a pair of blue eyes that are staring at me in the rearview mirror.
"Hello," I say meekly and wave my hand a little in the air.
The man seems to be embarrassed that he got caught staring at me and grunts out a hello and adverts his eyes.
Ethan climbs in the passenger side and we take off through the city.
"We are heading to the Pack house so you can meet my father," Ethan explains.
"Pack house?" I ask with my head cocked to the side.
"Right," Ethan reminds himself, "You didn't grow up in a Pack. The Pack house is a place where the upper ranks of wolves live and it is like a common area for the other wolves in the Pack to congregate."
"Do you live in the Pack house?" I ask curiously.
"Yep," Ethan says as he pokes the driver in the arm. "And so does he."
My eyes travel from Ethan's back to the driver of the car. "I am the Beta of the Pack," the man says gruffly as our eyes meet once again in the rearview mirror.
Ethan looks back at me and rolls his eyes humorously. "This is Beta Daniel. His father was Beta but retired last year so Daniel took over his duties. He is a little rough around the edges but he's really a big teddy bear."
Beta Daniel lets out a little growl of dissatisfaction and I cannot help but giggle at the two of them fighting together in the front seats of the car.
"I am Emma," I say and then my face heats with embarrassment because I realize that no one had asked my name so Daniel probably already knows all about me.
"It is nice to meet you, Emma," Daniel says gruffly but I can see a smirk on his lips in the rearview mirror.
I smile brightly back at Daniel and I can see Ethan shuffle uncomfortably in his seat and I cannot help but wonder if I have done something wrong. Casting my eyes down towards the seat I don't look up for the rest of the ride through the city.