CHAPTER 2
THE FLARE OF ICE burning through Lenore’s arm jolted her awake. Her chains jangled loudly as her bandaged arm jerked tight against her body, half-expecting warm blood to flow through the gnawing cold.
The gauze remained white. The heavy rise and fall of her chest faded with the phantom pain, and eventually, Lenore’s arms lowered to her sides. All she was left with was a cold sheen of sweat.
When Lenore woke up, it was in a place she had grown all too familiar with. The stiff bed underneath greeted her with discomfort. A dull ache pulsed through her lower back.
Bleak walls of white surrounded her—a windowless room intended to contain a patient with no way out.
Candles of various sizes flickered in the corner, shrouding the small hospital room in muted light.
Long, dark shadows stretched across the empty walls.
Lenore’s eyes remained glued on the sight of the ceiling above. A soft, tired sigh escaped her.
“Are you alright?”
The masculine voice immediately startled Lenore, her body recoiling from the sound.
Her wide eyes landed on the two knights who were seated near the door, the same ones who had disclosed the overwhelming information from before. Two wooden stools supported them, a humble change from the impressive leather chairs they once occupied.
This time, the pair didn’t jump straight into conversation. They remained silent as Lenore gathered herself together, giving her time to process everything that had happened earlier.
The initial spike of adrenaline that surged through Lenore’s body gradually tapered out as the quiet lingered.
Her tense shoulders dropped. Bit by bit, her memories pieced themselves together.
Her eyes lowered. The appearance and words of the knights had only confirmed what everyone else around her had stated.
Her actions cemented it. Lenore was no longer human. She was a monster that didn’t belong.
Slowly, she turned her head to look at them. Her expression was bleak. “Did I… harm anyone?”
Barnabas shook his head. “No. You were taken down as soon as you lost control.”
“I see. That’s… good.” Though relieved, Lenore didn’t know what to say. She awkwardly fumbled with her chains. Meredith cleared her throat.
“How’s your arm?” she asked. “It looked like you woke up in pain. We can call for someone to check on that for you quickly.”
Lenore shook her head. “No... I’m fine. I think it was just…
” Her fingers tugged at her hospital gown.
“... A bad dream.” She stared up at the ceiling again.
Her mind couldn’t stop replaying everything that had transpired so far in the past week, all of it tracing back to the moment her life changed.
Lenore remembered the echoes of her screams that rang across quiet cobblestone streets. The shredded sleeve of her arm. The metallic smell of blood that overwhelmed her senses.
But the fragments she could piece together only crumbled into nothingness even when she tried her hardest to recall what happened afterward.
Quietly, she asked, “That werewolf that changed me... is he really dead?” It was the first time she’d been able to ask the question that wouldn’t leave her.
“He was executed by fellow knights as soon as they got the upper hand,” Meredith confirmed. “Your resistance kept him there long enough for our forces to arrive on the scene.”
Lenore’s fingers trembled. “Why... didn’t I get killed too?” For a moment, she thought that would’ve been a better alternative. Her face turned desolate. “I overheard from some of the hospital staff that some knights lost their lives.”
Her question hung heavy in the air.
Meredith answered once more after a brief pause.
“The lives lost weren’t because of you. Before you fully lost control of yourself in your werewolf form, your body was still adapting to the changes.
Some of the knights noted your lingering humanity just prior and made the choice to keep you alive.
Apprehending you was far easier than the other werewolf. ”
“Even with the way you are now, you are still beholden to life,” Barnabas said. The slow drawl of his voice suggested otherwise.
The way I am... the words stung deep in Lenore. Her eyes blinked back tears. She couldn’t respond. The knights allowed silence to settle in the room, if only for a brief period. A higher importance spurred Meredith to speak once more.
“Ms. Yunae, we apologize for springing all of that on you. We had hoped that you’d had time to acclimate during the past week.”
Lenore bit her lip. She turned her head to face the dark wall beside her bed.
She was only beginning to process it now.
The rest of her still hoped it was a nightmare she would eventually wake from.
Words to explain how she felt tossed and turned in her mind, all eventually becoming a convoluted mess.
“It’s all very overwhelming,” she finally said. “But I suppose that doesn’t change what needs to be done.”
“Yes. We must still follow protocol,” Meredith said. “Unfortunately, your choice of selection for where you are to go has been passed on to us. It had been determined that it was best to leave that to the professionals. Ultimately, we decided you will be with the Lunavie pack.”
“Lunavie…” Lenore quietly repeated the word to herself. An unknown place far from home. The small spark of dread began to build inside her, like a fire slowly catching hold. She drew a sharp breath, forcing herself to calm down.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Yunae.” Meredith’s voice softened. “You may not realize this, but you were out for hours, and the circumstances around you are layered in complicated procedures and rules. There was no longer any allowance for delay.”
Lenore gradually sat up, then leaned her head against the cold wall.
The coolness was a welcome soother to the burning stress in her head.
She knew it was pointless to ask why they had left her to sleep.
Startling her awake at the risk of her turning into her werewolf form could have led to more lives lost, including her own.
In a soft, resigned voice, she responded, “I understand. When do I leave?”
“Tomorrow, you’ll be on the road to Lunavie.” Barnabas stood up after his prompt answer, followed by Meredith. “As of right now, we’ll be escorting you to make sure all will be prepared in the meantime.” They both stared at her expectantly.
Lenore obeyed quietly. She scooted to the edge of the bed and placed her bare feet against the cool tiled floor. Her chains rattled as she stood while the knights assessed her carefully. Shame burned her cheeks, the current situation forcing her to be very much aware of how they thought of her.
Once satisfied, the knights exchanged a brief nod. Meredith kept her gaze on Lenore while Barnabas turned to open the door. They heard a satisfying click, followed by the groaning creaks of the door being pushed open.
Out in the hallway, across from Lenore’s door, was a hospital guard on duty.
He immediately bowed his head in respect.
As Barnabas stepped out, Meredith gestured for Lenore to follow him from behind.
Lenore obeyed the command without so much as a peep.
She skirted past Meredith, taking her place behind Barnabas.
As soon as she did, Barnabas strode forward, with Meredith closely behind.
The resounding thuds of the knights’ boots filled the otherwise silent hall.
Lenore’s eyes darted toward the long shadows that were cast upon the dimly lit walls.
The windowless room she inhabited, along with the hallway beyond, gave no sense of time, making her days bleed into an endless stream of hours.
If there was at least anything to look forward to, it was that first breath of fresh air outside.
Unable to bear the lone sounds of echoing footsteps and her own curiosity, Lenore asked, “Where are we going first?”
“Once we receive your clearance to leave, you’ll be taken to your current residence,” Barnabas replied. “Be prepared to swiftly pack up whatever you need.”
I’m guessing I won’t have any return trips after this. Lenore made a quick mental note of the items she most certainly needed. Wishfully, a comfy pillow instantly came to mind, along with the rest of her beloved bed back at home.
“We’re about to leave this ward. Please remain close to us, Ms. Yunae.” Meredith’s voice pulled Lenore out of her thoughts. Two guards waited on the opposite sides at the end of the hallway.
“Understood,” Lenore responded. She took a long breath to steady her rising heartbeat as the wooden doors were barely a few feet away now. She barely listened when the knights exchanged cordial words with the guards—her mind was too busy repeating that she mustn’t lose herself once again.
The wary gazes from the guards were only the first of many she would face as the doors swung open. Bright lanternlight flooded in, causing Lenore to squint as she tried to adjust to the change. Loud clamors of conversations and the sound of multiple footsteps blurred into one big cloud of noise.
There was nothing Lenore needed to do except act as if she was composed and follow where the knights led. All her focus went into keeping calm, and ignoring the mixture of fearful or disgusted whispers about her—the beast that roamed the hall.
They all stayed far away, afraid that she might attack.
Afraid that they too would lose their humanity and meet the same fate as her.
She kept her eyes low to the ground, her chained hands clasped together. Sweat rolled down her temples.
“Ms. Yunae.”
She didn’t hear her name being called the first time, too desperate to latch onto any remaining strands of her sanity to keep it together in the swirling, nauseating sight of bright lanterns and loud commotion. Different scents plagued her nose, their pungency threatening to make her vomit.
“Lenore Yunae!”
Her head jolted up, and she rapidly blinked to regain her senses as the sharp yell of her name startled her back to being alert. Meredith was frowning at her, her hand on the hilt of her sword.
“I’m sorry. I was... in my own thoughts,” Lenore murmured. Despite her words, there was no hiding how her silvery bangs clung to her sweaty forehead or the quickened pace of her breath.
“Let’s hope that’s all there was to that,” Meredith answered with a raised eyebrow. “Because we’re cleared to go.”
“We are?” Lenore croaked out the words as she took in the sight before her.
She realized then that the trio was standing before the hospital’s entrance doors.
Arched windows revealed the night outside, an expanse of velvety black that was speckled with the occasional twinkle of starlight.
Etched into the darkness was the faintest returning sliver of the moon.
Lenore felt herself being nudged forward and pushed out into the brisk night air, nearly stumbling over her own feet.
The stark coldness never felt so satisfying against the sweaty heat of her body.
She very much wished she could’ve lifted her long, loose waves to let her nape breathe in the sweet chill of the air.
Instead, she relished in sucking all the air that she could through her nose, enjoying the crisp sensation that came with it.
Her bare toes wiggled against the cool pavement, more than ecstatic to feel something other than the hospital floor.
“Ms. Yunae, the more time spent here, the less time you have to prepare,” Meredith chided her. “Until you’re handed over to the pack tomorrow, you must remain in your current secured state. It’ll be up to you to direct us as we collect your belongings.”
Her words added a sobering note to the atmosphere for Lenore. The light in her eyes faded. “Am I able to at least change my outfit?” The drab hospital gown she wore certainly didn’t boost her morale.
Meredith glanced at her dress. “That can be arranged. Are you ready to leave now?”
Lenore took one more deep breath. A soft, drawn-out sigh escaped her soon after as she stared up into the dark sky above her. After a moment’s pause, she turned to fully face Meredith.
“I’m ready.”