Ravenwood(70)

“You know what it is, don’t you, girl?” Elinore said, ignoring the black wolf and focusing on the white. “You know.”

Another low growl, turning sharper and harsher came from the she-wolf’s throat.

Elinore woke with a start, hearing the same low snarl she’d heard from the white wolf coming from her throat as she bolted upright in bed. Her heart thumped madly and she reached up, pressing her fingers against her throat where there had been strange vibrations only moments before.

“Elinore.”

She was in Caleb’s bed, Elinore remembered. At the sound of his voice, she turned toward him. He was awake, his clear blue eyes watchful. She was tucked close to him, her hip pressed against his. A sudden flush of shyness ran through her as she remembered that underneath the covers, he was naked. Her fingers curled into the neckline of her gown and she was heartily glad to be wearing it. Although, she supposed, it was rather late to be feeling modest and shy now, considering all that happened in the library. Her face flushed.

Caleb raised a hand and ran a finger lightly down her hot cheek. “Are you regretting yourself?”

Elinore shook her head. “No. Merely… coming to terms with a new world order.”

“What woke you?” Caleb took her hand in his, tangling their fingers together and tugging on her arm until she lay down against his chest. He rubbed his chin and jaw against the top of her head and then ran his hand down the length of her arm a few times. It wasn’t quite a petting gesture, but it was close. It had an unexpected calming effect on her.

“A dream.”

“Of what did you dream?”

She sighed, thinking on her dreams of late. “A forest. The iron gates outside. Of ravens and wolves.”

His arm tightened around her and she felt the line of his body go tense.

“I’ve been having such dreams since coming to Ravenwood.” Elinore tilted her head so that she could see his face. His eyes travelled down her arm to where the sleeve of her nightgown rode up, exposing the bite marks. They stood out black and stark against her fair skin. Caleb reached out and traced over them lightly, moving her sleeve up to see where the dark lines ran up her arm. His eyes moved as though he could see through the fabric of her gown where the lines traversed her shoulder and chest, traveling toward her heart. His eyes flicked upward and met hers.

“It means something,” she realized suddenly. Elinore hadn’t been aware she was going to speak, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they were true and that she needed an answer. From the first night she’d been bitten, to her coming to Ravenwood and him watching over Mrs. Davenport’s ministrations, she’d always had the sense the bite marks meant more than she knew. Caleb all at once seemed anxious and, perhaps, frightened. “What does it mean?”

Caleb sighed sadly and looked away from her. Although he hadn’t moved away physically, she had the feeling he was now much further from her than he just had been. It was as though she could feel cold air seep into the spot between them. She held back a shiver. She didn’t like the feeling of him being further away.

“You’ve read a great many books, haven’t you?” he asked.

Elinore frowned, not understanding the question. “Yes.”

“Have you ever read tales of beings who can change shapes? Take on other forms?”

She paused, thinking. “Yes. In classical mythology many of the gods can take on strange forms. Zeus in particular is quite inventive in his shiftings.”

Caleb didn’t meet her eyes, instead running his fingers lightly over the bite marks - touching them, but only barely.

“And what of humans? Any humans who could change form?”

Elinore couldn’t say for certain - she’d read a lot of books and at the moment, they were all a jumble in her head.

“Possibly.” A low, thick feeling swirled in her stomach. She looked down at the bite marks. They shouldn’t be black. She knew that. They should be red or pink, possibly oozing slightly. There should be no black lines traveling up her arms. Then, she thought of her dreams - strange and unusual - different from any kinds of dreams she’d ever had.

“Am I turning into something, Caleb?” she asked, her voice quiet and soft. In her heart, she thought she might already know the answer. She was changing; she was different since coming to Ravenwood. Her hunger for food, her temper with Hayter, her dreams and… though she was loathe to think it, perhaps even her feelings for Caleb? She didn’t know.

“Perhaps,” he answered, a frown creasing his brow. His eyes did not meet hers, continuing to linger on her bite marks.

“What am I changing into?” Elinore stared at his face, willing him to pull his eyes away from where he focused on her arm and look at her.

As though he heard her thoughts, he cast his eyes upward. His pale irises locked on hers and in the dim candlelight, for a moment they glowed. Her heart stuttered both with surprise, but also… recognition. For an instant, Caleb’s eyes had been the deep amber shade of the black wolf’s. Elinore blinked, and pulled back from him. He stilled, motionless as she pulled away. He drew his hand back from her arm and it felt as though he withdrew his entire being even further from her.

“You’re the black wolf.”

Caleb seemed surprised by her statement, but he nodded. “Yes.”

“Show me.” Elinore had to see, she had to know.