Elle POV
12 years old
The bright fluorescent lights slowly pull me from the dark abyss of nothing I have been stuck in for Goddess knows how long. I open my eyes slowly so they can adjust to the lights in the white room. A small space that smells like it's doused in bleach daily. Five different machines are placed around the room in specific spots in need of importance.
Looking around, I see three figures standing at the edge of the room, whispering amongst themselves, not realizing I have woken yet. I am trying to focus on what they're saying, but I can't decipher their words. However, I can feel the power rolling off the large male and the beautiful blonde woman standing at his side.
"Look, Charles, she's up," The middle-aged woman says to the man standing to her right. Her voice is melodic, like an angel's song, and it's comforting. I've heard it before, but I can't remember from where. Without a second thought, I knew I could trust the woman and the man standing next to her.
As they come closer to me, I can finally catch their scent, and with theirs comes the faintest whiff of sandalwood and eucalyptus. It makes my mouth water, but I can tell that scent isn't coming from any of those standing in the room with me. Who does it belong to?
"Hello, Elle." the oldest man in the room says. I am guessing a doctor based on his uniform, "My name is Dr. Gibbs; how are you feeling today?" he asks, showing his kindness with a gentle tone.
"Thirsty," I croak out, my throat scratchy and sore. I wonder how long I have been unconscious and in this hospital. What happened? Where am I? And why can't I remember anything other than my name, which I only know because the man in front of me told me so?
The blonde-haired woman, whose name I haven't learned yet, rushes off to get me a glass of water, hurrying back to hand it to me. Charles's gaze hadn't left my body since he stepped closer to me, watching me with interest making me nervous from the intensity of it.
"Enough, Charles," The woman says, smacking his arm playfully, "you'll scare the poor girl." she finishes before looking at me with a smile, and I suddenly feel at ease again.
"Are you my parents?" I ask them, but I can tell from the saddened looks on their faces that they are not. Hell, we don't even look alike. Both of them are blonde-haired, blue-eyed bombshells. I don't remember what color my eyes are, but I can tell my hair is red from how it spills over my shoulders onto my chest.
"No, dear," the blonde woman says, again speaking for the couple. Or I assume they are a couple with the way he has his arm draped across her shoulders possessively.
"We are Alpha Charles and Luna Olivia from the New Moon Pack. You do remember that you're a werewolf, correct?" She asks tentatively, worried that she may have revealed too much too soon.
"Yes," I respond after thinking for a moment, trying to remember the things I know about myself. "I know I am a werewolf. I know my favorite color is green, and my favorite tv show is Gilmore Girls. I know that I like banana peppers on my pepperoni pizza."
"That's good," The doctor chimes with a smile, "what don't you know?" He asks as he grabs the clipboard pen in hand to take more notes on my condition.
"Who my parents are, what pack I am from, how old I am on my birthday, or anything else important to tell me who I am." I sigh, starting to feel defeated when I can't seem to recall these details. My memory is one foggy blank. "How did you know my name?" I ask them, feeling skeptical of their intentions.
"We found this on you," the gruff man says for the first time as he hands me a small blue velcro wallet. Opening it, I find a library card with a picture of a preteen-year-old girl on the front. The girl has red hair, the same shade as mine, bright green eyes, plump pink lips, and a button nose with freckles sprinkled over her nose and cheekbones. The Name "Elle Davidson" is printed underneath.
"What happened to my pack?" I ask, my eyes flicking between the three adults standing before me, watching their expressions for any clues they might give away. The woman called Luna Olivia grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I am sorry, Dear," she sighs, the sadness she feels thick in her tone. "But Alpha Charles and I arrived too late, and you were the only survivor we were able to get to before the Rogues destroyed the place."
"Oh," I say, my body overcome with grief for a community of people I don't remember, but whoever they were, I was a part of them, and now they're all gone. Taking a deep breath and calming my nerves, I look at the adults standing in front of me, not wanting them to see me as weak or scared, even though that's exactly how I feel. "What will happen to me now?"
"Well," Luna Olivia says, looking at Alpha Charles with a smile, "we were hoping you would come home with us. We hope you agree. We have a son around your age who will be able to show you around the pack and introduce you to people. We have tried reaching out to any surviving members of your old pack, but we haven't been able to reach anyone in the two weeks you have been here."
Unsure of whether or not it's the wisest decision to go with the Alpha and Luna, I do not know; back to their pack. I look at the doctor for some reassurance, and thankfully he chimes in with his opinion of the couple. "I understand you may be nervous about going with the Alpha and Luna to their pack, but I can promise you they are kind and fair leaders who will provide you with a loving and stable home."
Looking between the Alpha and Luna standing before me as I weigh the doctor's words, I finally decide I have no choice but to follow these two back to their pack. With no parents stepping forward to claim me, having amnesia, and the fact that I am a teenage girl, not taking them up on their offer would be a stupid idea.
"Okay, I'll go with you," my agreement causes Luna Olivia to squeal in delight as she wraps her arms around me in a reassuring hug. "You'll love New Moon Pack," she tells me. But all I can wonder is if the same scent of eucalyptus and sandalwood still clinging to her clothes will also be in her pack.
After being discharged from the human hospital Alpha Charles and Luna Olivia showed me to the black SUV. They pulled into the turnabout so I could get loaded into the car more efficiently and not worry about returning the wheelchair when we were done using it.
Climbing into the back seat, I lean my head against the cool glass, letting the radio lull me into a peaceful sleep as the SUV roars forward to my new pack and home. "Elle, dear, wake up," comes the soft lull of Luna Olivia's voice as she tries to pull me from my slumber.
Alpha Charles parked in front of a large mansion with four floors and two wings coming off of the main house, and I knew from the sheer size of the building in front of me that we were in front of the pack house. I wonder how many members fit into this ginormous building and where my room will be in the grand scheme of things.
I open the back door and climb down, standing on the paved driveway, dimly lit in the night sky by the solar lamps lining the driveway. The house is made of brick, with beautiful hedges and flowers lining the front. The Luna likes flowers from the many flowers planted in front of the home.
"Come along, dear," Luna Olivia says, eager for me to come up the steps to join the Alpha and Luna inside their home. Taking one last steadying breath, I follow behind them as they climb the stairs into the mansion. As soon as my feet cross the threshold, I am overcome by the most mouthwatering scent I have ever encountered. The smell is so potent it's making me weak in the knees and lightheaded.
The same comforting scent I smelled on Luna Olivia and Alpha Charles seeps into every free space of the air. Every once of control I have within my preteen body is fighting against my base instincts to go in search of the scent. Does this scent belong to the son they told me they have? How am I supposed to live here with that delicious smell constantly calling out to me?
"Our son Damon is waiting in the Alpha's office," Luna Olivia says, grabbing my hand, pulling my mind back to reality, and preventing myself from sniffing every part of this house until I find the source of the fragrance setting my senses on fire.
As soon as we enter the medium-sized office, I am smacked in the face with the irresistible perfume that has invaded my thoughts since I first smelled it on the Alpha and Luna hours ago. If I thought the delicious odor was terrible, nothing could prepare me for the beauty of the teenage boy standing inside the room.
Standing on the other side of the room is a god-like teenager, maybe a year older than me. He was tall, with blonde hair, the perfect mix of his parents' blonde hair. His blue eyes were so piercing I swear he is glowering straight into my soul. I notice how his pupils dilate, his jaw tightens, and he clenches his fist while he glares at me. It's evident from his demeanor that he doesn't like me, which makes sense when we haven't said anything to each other.
"Son," Alpha Charles says in that rough commanding tone of his, "This is Elle; she will be staying with us indefinitely."
"Why?" The teenage boy sneers as his eyes look over my body with the same intensity his father did earlier, causing my body to flush with his scrutiny.
"Her pack underwent a horrible rogue attack," Luna Olivia explains to her son, a sad expression on her face. "Elle is one of the survivors of her pack, and she doesn't remember much about her pack. Your father and I were nearby when it happened. Since your father and I rescued her, we felt responsible for her until her memory returns and a living family member can be found."
"What's her rank?" Damon continues questioning, his eyes dark and stormy with annoyance as he glowers at me from across the room, sending me shivers of fear and excitement.
"Omega," his father adds calmly, clearly not concerned by having a lower-ranking wolf in his home. The same cannot be said for his son, who turns as red as a tomato from anger. "Are you serious? Can you even trust her?" Damon demands to know, and his question causes me to snort while rolling my eyes. He can't possibly be serious, can he?
"What's so funny?" Damon growls as he slinks toward me as a predator does with his prey.
"Oh, nothing," I say, shrugging my shoulders, a bored look on my face as I look at the dirt underneath my fingernails. "Just never expected a big bad Alpha to be scared of a weak teenaged Omega," I say the last part while looking him directly in the eyes.
"YOU LITTLE-"Damon starts to yell, his eyes shifting to black and his nostrils flaring as the anger rages throughout his body, the aura coming off of him in droves.
"Enough!" Alpha Charles screams, causing us to jump, seemingly lost in our world for a few minutes. "Damon, you will apologize to Elle while you show her the room on the second floor. The Gamma's old floor. Now go!" He says, sounding exasperated as he holds the bridge of his nose, trying to calm his patience.
"Fine," Damon grumbles in response before spinning on his heel and leaving the room, expecting me to follow him. I trail behind him silently as we go further into the mansion, passing numerous rooms with zero explanation of what they are from Damon. I can see how his fists keep clenching, and his breathing becomes ragged, but I say nothing to him about it.
After climbing a few flights of stairs and going down another always, Damon stops in front of a door, grunting, "This is your room." He steps aside so I can open the door, and just as I am about to step past the threshold, Damon grabs my arms, causing tingles to run up and down the length of my arm.
Damon must have felt it, too, from how quickly he released my arm and stepped away from me. But it didn't stop the growl as he leaned down in my face, his hot breath fanning my face.
"Listen here, you little orphan. This is my pack; you will do as I say. You will only address me as Alpha Damon; We are NOT friends. You will do what I say when I say it. You will not try to be friends with my friends. And you will NEVER wear clothes like this again. Not at school or home," he growls as his eyes scan my body, pointing at the skirt, tank top, and converse on my body. "We don't need another pack slut, got it?"
"Yes," I sigh, already knowing he will make my life a personal hell within this pack, and I am starting to regret agreeing to ever come here with the Alpha and Luna. How could they be such lovely people and have such a nightmare for an heir? It makes zero sense.
"Yes, what?" Damon growls, bending down closer to my face, and I know I should be afraid, but something deep within me tells me not to fear the angry Alpha in front of me.
"Yes, Alpha," I mutter, trying my hardest not to roll my eyes at his stupid request but think better of it. I have already done something to piss this hormonal teenage Alpha off, and I have no idea why but I don't feel like adding fuel to the fire.
"Good," he says, nodding his head in approval before stomping away down the hallway and going up the stairs to what I assume is his room—refusing to enter my bedroom until I can no longer see him from the bedroom before walking into a space that'll be home indefinitely.