Thanks for your reviews Kelly & EC Brenway! So much appreciation for them, they keep me writing!
Kelly - Here we are! Let's see if Elly tells Chloe the truth!
EC - Aw Elly's the furry lover! Will Elly explain herself away?
The Chemistry In Darkness
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Tuesday 17th December 2024
Chloe sat in the Waterhole's storage room, running her fingers against her temple, closing her eyes then re-opening them. She'd been doing that for the past five minutes, expecting every time that when she opened her eyes again, they wouldn't fall upon the sight of a naked Elly curled up on her side on the ground of the store room.
Because how could it be possible that Elly was lying there?
When moments before, a dog had laid there in exactly the same place.
Chloe swallowed hard as her eyes focused on the stab wound in Elly's ribs. It didn't look like it was bleeding out but it hardly looked like it had healed either.
Chloe finally worked up the courage to shuffle over to Elly, running her hand up and down Elly's arm, "Elly, wake up."
Chloe felt like she was living the same day on repeat, having woken up the previous night next to a naked Elly in the place of the dog she'd felt connected to.
"Elly," Chloe shook the brunette again gently.
Elly roused from her sleep, blinking her eyes open but immediately feeling the pain in her side and gasping for air whilst clutching at the wound.
Chloe quickly removed the light cotton jacket she'd worn the previous night when she'd gone out looking for the animal. She quietly wrapped it around Elly's shoulders. Elly rolled over onto her back before feeling more pain and curling back up on her side, "Chloe?"
Chloe took a few deep breaths, "You okay?"
Elly struggled with the jacket Chloe had put around her shoulders, trying to put it on properly, seeing that Chloe was leaning towards her, clearly showing she wanted to help her but was trying to keep her distance.
Cause I'm naked…and I'm pretty sure I just turned back into a human from being a wolf so…Chloe's wigging the fuck out! Can't believe my secret got out this quickly…now I have to pray Chloe accepts me for whom I am… I'm a monster whom nearly lost control and made Pierce a monster…how can Chloe accept me when I'm not even sure I accept myself…?
Elly winced in pain once more as she got her arms through the jacket, then tried to curl it around her torso without putting it against her wound, "I'll be okay in a day or so."
"We should get you to a hospital. You were stabbed last night, Elly," Chloe told her.
"Yeah, I remember, Chlo. Pierce stabbed me when I went to attack him," Elly whispered before reassuring her, "It wasn't that deep, it's been healing overnight and should be nothing more than a scar by later today."
"You remember?" Chloe was surprised.
Elly nodded, then struggled for a moment as she noticed one of the Waterhole aprons lying on a shelf, lifted herself up enough to get it then placed it over her lower body, figuring Chloe would prefer her to cover up, "I'll answer your questions, Chlo…just ask."
I mean I'd prefer we just skipped over the talk and went straight to being in each other's' arms once more but I don't think I'm getting outta this conversation that easily.
"Oh, because when you said you couldn't answer my questions last night and that you'd do so today, now you want to talk," Chloe spat out.
"Ok, I deserved that," Elly admitted, "But, Chlo, what you don't understand is-"
"You ran away from me, Elly! We kissed and you ran away, then we slept together and you ran away again! Least you're consistent," Chloe snapped.
"Chlo, I had reasons as to why I ran away from you. I know I should've been honest with you from the start but there was so much risk and I was trying to stop you from getting hurt if you found out the truth about me," Elly tried to explain to begin with.
Chloe shook her head in disbelief as she remembered the image of Elly transforming right in front of her, "Oh, what? That somehow I really did see what I saw a few minutes ago and that you're a dog."
"I'm a what?" Elly frowned in confusion, then remembered that Chloe had spent the past few nights seeing her as a dog instead of the wolf that she is.
I really should call Abby and check with her that she did tell me years ago that human mates see their wolf mates as cuddly lovable dogs…
"Don't try to deny what I saw, Elly," Chloe accused.
Elly placed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, terrified of Chloe's reaction to the truth, stammering out anxiously, "I'm not denying…some of what you saw. I'm not a dog, Chlo…I'm a…I'm a…I'm a werewolf."
Chloe's eyes bulged widely as she opened and closed her mouth, unable to say anything in response.
"I'm a werewolf, Chlo," Elly repeated, feeling that Chloe needed to hear it again.
"That's not possible," Chloe finally whispered.
"That's exactly what I thought when I was first told I'd been turned into a werewolf…but it's true, Chlo," Elly implored.
"Did I fall asleep last night or did I hit my head and knock myself out?" Chloe wondered.
"You fell asleep…you were pretty exhausted last night…I'd like to take credit for that but I think it was more to do with the last 3-4 nights finally catching up to you," Elly told her, unable to deny she wanted to move the conversation along to whether they could be together after their love making session the previous afternoon.
Chloe blushed at the memories of sleeping with Elly but was determined not to let that distract her, "How do you expect me to believe you, Elly? I believe I saw what I saw that you transformed from being a dog just five minutes ago…and I mean that…that's not possible…but a werewolf…that's impossible."
Elly sat up, her back against one of the shelves in the storage room, sitting opposite Chloe. Elly stared at Chloe's eyes, until Chloe finally stared back at her, "I was turned the night before you got married to Pierce…when I left your Hen's party and I got attacked by a guy then…disappeared… I was attacked by a werewolf and turned into one. It's why I disappeared."
"I'd say that makes more sense than the bogus reason you gave for not feeling like you belonged here anymore and fell in with another family…except it doesn't make sense at all because werewolves don't exist," Chloe decided.
"We do exist, Chlo," Elly replied quietly, "I know I've been hiding this from you. I never really knew how I was ever gonna tell you the truth and to be honest, this is hardly the way I imagined telling you. I agonized over how I could tell you what I am because of how dangerous it is for any humans to find out about us."
"Humans? You make it sound like you're not human," Chloe frowned.
"I'm not," Elly acknowledged, "I may look human but I'm not. I'm a werewolf whom looks human except for three nights of the month that I turn into a wolf. The night of the full moon…and the two nights surrounding it…last night was the night after the full moon…the last night in the cycle…for this month. When it's not those three nights of the month, I have the strength, speed and hearing of that of a wolf."
"Why did Pierce see you as a wolf but I kept seeing a dog?" Chloe frowned.
I'm so not ready to tell Chloe all about her being my mate…I need to know Chloe accepts me for what I am before I open that can of worms that'll inevitably lead to Chloe leaving Pierce to be a family with Aster and I…even though I do kinda want to rush ahead to that part…
"Some people just…see what they want to see," Elly lied, "Chloe, I've seen you researching spiritual beliefs and beings such as werewolves…you know I'm different."
Chloe nodded gently, "I felt it as soon as you returned…that you were different. I couldn't put my finger on it…what it was exactly."
"It's this…that I'm a werewolf," Elly admitted, "Do you believe me?"
"I'm not sure what I believe," Chloe countered, "But I'm guessing if last night was the final night for the month you turn into a werewolf, you're not gonna expect me to wait around another month to show me again."
Elly grimaced, "Well…for honesty's sake…technically if I get really…really mad…I can shift into a different style of werewolf…but you wouldn't want to meet that wolf…no one should ever."
Again…you nearly met that wolf four nights ago outside Back Lane Bar…I don't want you to ever meet that wolf again…I don't ever want to be that wolf… If Pierce had done more damage than stabbing me last night, would I have transformed into that wolf and killed him?
Chloe couldn't help but shiver at Elly's words, feeling her pain and fear in them, "Guess I shouldn't make you mad then…I'm still not sure I believe you, Elly."
"I know it takes a lot to believe that the supernatural world exists," Elly replied.
"More than just werewolves?" Chloe was surprised.
"Lots more," Elly revealed, "But I think that's a conversation for another time when you've gotten used to the idea of me being a werewolf."
"I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea of you being a werewolf," Chloe decided.
Ouch…not exactly how things are going to work between Chloe and I in the future if Chloe can't get used to and accept what I am…
"I felt the same way, y'know," Elly whispered, recalling her own experience, "When I first found out I was turned into a werewolf, I thought it was just some horrible joke that the family I fell in with were playing on me. That it was their way of excusing that they'd kidnapped me but didn't want me running home to alert the authorities about them. But there was something so honest about them all. Then a few days later…the moon rose into the sky the night before the full moon…and I felt myself shift into a werewolf…then the next morning I was curled up on the ground…naked."
"You wake up naked a lot?" Chloe suddenly asked.
"Kinda comes with the fact that wolves don't wear clothes…it's why I don't mind walking around your house and across the street naked confidently…I've come to accept nakedness is just how I wake up three mornings a month no matter where I am," Elly smiled confidently, then shrugged, "And this is coming from someone who was turned into a werewolf when she was weeks away from giving birth and spent the next few months hating my childbirth body, needing to get used to not wearing clothes when I transformed."
Chloe quirked her head, "Does Aster know about you? Wait, is Aster also a…werewolf?"
Elly smiled at the way Chloe almost squawked the last word, finding Chloe adorably trying to get used to the idea of werewolves, "Yes, Aster knows, she's always known. I never wanted to hide what I am from my daughter…it's almost gotten me into trouble a number of times as Aster has that habit of talking before she thinks. There's a chance that Aster will become a werewolf when she grows up. I was human when she was created but I was turned into a werewolf before she was born. We won't know until she's a teenager."
We as in…you and I, Chlo, will together anxiously be waiting around for the next decade or so to find out if our little girl, Aster, is a wolf like me…or human like you…and I suppose her human father, Shaun…
"Werewolves can have babies?" Chloe almost scoffed.
"We can, yes," Elly confirmed, "We're also strong, fast, have really good hearing and…well we eat a lot more than you probably think we do."
"Well, that explains a few things that I thought were…off about you…no offence," Chloe shrugged, glad when Elly didn't take it to heart, "So, this is why you really disappeared for four years?"
Elly nodded, "Yes, the family that I fell in with…they took me under their wing because they're werewolves too…kinda refer to them as The Pack. I was turned by an Omega wolf, betrayer of his Alpha wolf, so I never got to learn from the wolf whom made me. Romulus saved me from that wolf when I was attacked after the Hen's party…took me back to their cabin and his wife, Abby, explained to me…what I am. After learning that I really am a wolf, a few weeks later I gave birth to Aster and my new family supported me through the change…motherhood and…my whole werewolf deal."
"And you disappeared for four years without a word because…of all this…werewolf…stuff?" Chloe accused.
"I didn't want to leave you…I wanted to come home every single day but me being a werewolf…it's not the life I'd ever want anyone to have if they can avoid it. It can be great…the speed, agility, hearing come in handy…but the turning into a dangerous werewolf for three nights out of the month…knowing you can hurt your friends and family…it's not all it's cracked up to be," Elly admitted.
"Doesn't sound all that bad to me," Chloe shrugged, "The dog version of you is very cuddly."
"You're sweet," Elly half-smiled, before sighing, "Maybe if you saw the wolf version of me, you'd have a very different opinion of me. I know you can't be scared of me…but sometimes I wonder how this is supposed to work…"
You can't be scared of me if we need to be together…cause how could this work…? How could this work even if you're not scared of me…?
"How what's supposed to work?" Chloe wondered.
But Elly refused to answer, terrified that telling Chloe about how she was her mate if that put pressure on Chloe to end her marriage to get together with her before she was ready.
Chloe continued, "I'd never be scared of you, Elly. I might not completely believe that you really are a werewolf…but I know I could never be scared of you."
Elly hung her head, staring at the floor, "You don't know that…you need to know the real me…I'm a monster."
If you and I are ever going to work, Chlo…you need to know the real me…
Chloe scoffed, "You're not a monster, Elly…I don't know what you are but I'd never call you that and you've been pretty honest with me this morning…at least I think you have…I honestly am not sure if you're playing some epic prank on me despite the fact, I am absolutely positive I really did see you transform before my eyes. I saw you leap at Pierce when you saw him and his guys with their guns, but I also saw you stop yourself from attacking Pierce mid-leap. You chose not to attack him because you're not a monster."
Elly felt the fear of Chloe's rejection coming, yet came clean regardless of the consequences because she couldn't lie to Chloe about what she'd done if they were going to have a future together one day, "I murdered Finn."
Chloe's face fell instantly in shock of Elly's confession.
Next time - Oh dear! Will the pesky little wrinkle of Elly's past as a murderous wolf be too much for Chloe to accept?