Ravenwood(95)

“He will call for you, tonight,” Caleb managed, sitting up even though he was clearly breaking open his healing skin. “He’s been calling for you this whole time. I thought it was the omega, but it was him. He said he’s been waiting for you to shift. He… he bit Victoria, but it was too late and she died. He believes since you are younger, stronger, you will shift. He wants you to be the mistress of Ravenwood, his mistress, his mate.”

Though Elinore had already surmised as such, to hear it fall from Caleb’s lips was terrifying.

“I shall not answer.”

“You will, you must. He’ll have the most influence on you tonight, on the first full moon after your bite. Mrs. Davenport’s tonic will not be enough. You will fight your way out if you have to, all to answer the call of the one that bit you,” Caleb continued, panting slightly as he struggled to a half-seated position. Mrs. Davenport rushed back into the room, a fresh tray in her hands with her herbs and other medicinal implements Elinore didn’t care to recognize.

“Mrs. Davenport, I believe he’s torn his stitches,” Elinore said, still trying to shush Caleb. He was now trying to get himself out of bed.

“I must stop him. I will have to fight him.”

“You are in no condition to fight anyone,” Mrs. Davenport answered. Her eyes flickered to Elinore and then down to her tray. Elinore saw a bottle of laudanum resting innocuously on the platter and she nodded once. Mrs. Davenport made motherly cooing and shushing noises, much as Elinore had done, as she fixed a draught for Caleb.

“You are so badly injured, Caleb,” Elinore spoke, hoping to reason with him. “Surely you see that you cannot fight like this. To do so is madness. Suicide.”

“If I don’t, he will call for you and you will answer. He is your sire. You won’t be able to stop yourself. It’s in your blood. He’s in your blood.”

Elinore could feel herself pale at his words and was never more grateful for anything than when Mrs. Davenport held a small cup to Caleb’s lips and tipped the contents of it in his mouth. He drank it, swallowing it fully, only blinking his eyes as he recognized the taste.

“No, I can’t sleep. I mustn’t. Hayter…”

“It’s all right, dear,” Mrs. Davenport said. “It’s all right.”

Caleb’s eyes moved back and forth from Elinore to Mrs. Davenport, his eyelids starting to blink heavily. “No. I can stop him. You can’t face him,” he said to Elinore, his bright eyes starting to dim. “He’s an Alpha. He’s more powerful than you can believe. More powerful than I realized.”

“It’s all right,” Elinore said, repeating Mrs. Davenport’s words, though she wasn’t sure she believed them. “You need to rest and heal. Perhaps by tonight you shall be in a manner to assist.” She glanced over at Mrs Davenport who shook her head once. She did not believe Caleb would be healed enough by nighttime. Elinore’s chest clenched.

“Elinore,” Caleb said, his words starting to slur. “You cannot face him. You can’t.”

“Shhh. Rest. Be well.” Her voice was hardly audible to her own ears and she wondered if Caleb could hear it, or if he could feel her fingers as they trailed through his soft hair. In a moment, he was asleep, his body going slack and falling into the bed, sinking deep into the covers.

Elinore was afraid to look at Mrs. Davenport, but she forced herself. The look on her face confirmed all Elinore feared.

“He’s right, miss. It’s a long time I’ve known werewolves. My whole life. I know of what he speaks. If Hayter is the one that bit you,” her eyes flickered down to Elinore’s arm and then back again, “when he calls tonight, on the full moon, you won’t be able to resist. You’ll have to go to your sire.”

Elinore shook her head slightly. “No, I can’t. I won’t.”

“You will not have a choice.”

Elinore turned to see Mrs. Thistlewaite standing in the door, Alice looking pale and scared behind her, Jonah just beside her. Again, Elinore shook her head. Her stomach rolled with fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of Hayter, fear for Caleb, for the rest of Ravenwood. Her home.

Her pack.

Then, like a cold wave, she felt knowledge run over her mind, through her body. Her nerves, which moments before were frayed, started to knit back together. She looked to Caleb and Mrs. Davenport, then to the doorway where Alice, Mrs. Thistlewaite and Jonah stood.

To Alice, Elinore said, “Did Caleb return your father’s gun? The one with the silver bullet,” she enquired.

“Yes, we have it. Father has six more silver bullets as well that he’s kept hidden,” Alice said.

“I’ve got four silver knives and enough broken bits to make two more bullets, miss,” Jonah added, seemingly understanding where her question was going.

Elinore clenched her jaw, steeling her nerves. “Mrs. Davenport, call everyone to the dining room. Mrs. Thistlewaite, if you please, could you ready some refreshments. Jonah, I need to know what other sort of weapons the men have - like the ones I saw you take hunting.” A sudden thought had her heart beating madly in her chest. “If Caleb found his way to the passageways, could Hayter not as well? Could he now be underneath us, waiting to attack?”

Mrs. Thistlewaite shook her head. “Mr. Vollmond does not know the passageways. We’ve been… quite circumspect in our use of them and have never mentioned them where he may be listening.” A rueful expression crossed her face. “He may be our Alpha, but we were not foolish to trust him.”