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Kelly - Let's see what's in store for whether Chloe marries Pierce - whether Chloe & Elly are reunited soon...depends on the definition of 'soon'...!
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The Chemistry In Darkness
Chapter Five
Tuesday 10th December 2019
Elly awoke from her nap later in the afternoon. Rolling over, she pulled her watch up to look at the time.
2.50pm…10 minutes 'til Chloe's married to Pierce…and any chance I'll ever have of figuring out my feelings for her cause even if I did…it wouldn't matter anymore…she'll be with Pierce for the rest of her life…
Elly shuffled to sit on the edge of the bed, much like she'd done earlier that day. She'd shifted her handbag to the bedside table before taking her nap. Pulling it to her, she sighed despite knowing her phone wasn't in there, feeling cut off from her family.
Elly pulled her purse from the handbag, opening it and looking at the family photo sitting in the inside of the purse. Elly smiled as she looked at how happy herself and Bea looked with their Uncle Karl and Aunty Susan. She couldn't quite remember when the photo was taken aside from it being not long after Bea had moved in with them all.
Elly ran her tongue over her lips nervously, as she reached behind that photo to the one behind it, "Okay…let's see if this whole 'mate' thing might be true…or at the very least answer the question on if the fuzzy feelings I do have for Chloe actually mean anything…"
Elly slipped the photo of Chloe and herself out of the purse, hating that she hid it in there behind the photo of her family and was confused over why she felt the need to carry a photo of her best friend everywhere she went. They'd taken the photo after their date on the boat. The boat was barely seen in the background, Elly had her arm around Chloe's shoulder and Chloe was lightly pecking Elly on the cheek with a kiss.
Elly smiled at the photo, at how happy she was in that moment, then sighed as she realized she didn't feel anything more than that from it, "I don't feel like nothing in the world would get in our way."
Guess that settles it…Chloe's not my mate…stupid of me to think that these feelings I do have for Chloe could possibly mean more than that…not that I believe this whole…'mate' thing…
"It doesn't work that way, y'know," a voice piped up from the bedroom doorway.
"Which one are you?" Elly glanced over at the brunette woman, ignoring her statement.
The brunette smiled, "Raven. Tech wiz. You must be Elly."
Elly nodded, "What gave it away?"
Raven tilted her head at the photo in Elly's hand, "You don't believe us when my mum and Lexa have told you you're a werewolf but you're testing out the 'mate' theory?"
Elly shrugged, placing the photo back inside the purse without showing Raven whom it was of, "I knew it wouldn't work…I already knew this wasn't the person I can't live without…just wanted confirmation so I can officially move on."
"A photo doesn't tell you either way if that person is your mate or not, Elly. It only happens when you meet them or re-meet them in person. Everything about being around that person changes you. Watched my sister go through it with her girlfriend…it's annoying how in love with each other they are. Trust me, being around thirty years, still waiting to meet my mate too. He or she will show eventually. I'm a tech wiz. If a photo is what would've done it, I'd have been spending my days scouring photos of the world to find him or her…none of us know who our mate will be, we're very open that it could be anyone. So, as for that photo your holding…it's not confirmation of anything…guess you won't be moving on anytime soon," Raven winked at her.
"Oh," Elly whispered, then scoffing as she glanced at her watch once more, "I have to…my best friend is getting married in a few minutes…it's over…and I will move on."
Raven walked over to Elly, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her, "Missing your best friend's wedding? No wonder Mum said you were anxious away from your family. Were you meant to be a bridesmaid?"
Elly threw her purse back on the bedside table, "Don't really have a choice but to miss it, do I? No, I wasn't to be bridesmaid. The groom barely approved of me being at the Hen's party last night, got two people to plan it whom…aren't even attending the wedding."
"I feel like this involves a complicated story," Raven teased.
"Chloe. She's my best friend. She loves…loved me. I've only ever being with men my whole romantic life. One thing led to another, we slept together before I got married to her brother. It was…the beginning of ending my marriage to him. I got pregnant to another guy. Chloe and I dated for…just over a week a few months ago. It ended cause I wasn't getting there with my feelings for her. Plus, the baby…Chloe has a terminal disease…and she got swept off her feet by a guy who can give her the world…and now she's getting married today. And I don't know if I'm missing the wedding because…I'm stuck here with your family or because…I don't want to watch my best friend marry someone else. Complicated enough for you?" Elly confessed, silently wondering why she was sharing so much with a stranger when she couldn't even think about saying them to her own sister.
"That's complicated," Raven assessed, throwing a smile at Elly.
Raven then pulled out a phone from her pocket, handing it to Elly, "I shouldn't be giving you this. It's a new phone with all tracking and location apps switched off. I transferred all your phone files to my laptop and then to this phone so you can at least access the messages from your family and friends. Don't…use it to call or message anyone. You can't contact them until we know you have a handle on your new powers or you risk their safety. That's an order."
Elly took the phone, "I don't take orders."
"You do now. The order has come from my father, Romulus. He's in charge of our Pack. He's our Alpha. The first Alpha of his kind. You cross him, you won't make it in this life," Raven advised, "Y'know the wolf whom attacked you last night, he was…"
Raven trailed off as Elly was distracted flicking on the new phone and wasn't listening to her.
Elly flicked past the notifications on the phone showing all the missed calls from her family, scrolling to her messages, skipping all the ones from Bea, Susan, Karl, Aaron etc and opened the single text message from Chloe.
'Elly, please tell me you're safe. I'll be thinking of you every moment of today.'
Elly's eyes looked at the clock on the screen as it flicked over to 3pm.
Except when you're walking down the aisle to Pierce right now, Chlo. I've lost you.
Elly then flicked through to the numerous messages from Bea, more than twenty of them, before looking back at Raven, "What makes you think I won't use this phone to contact my family?"
"Because whether you like it or not your life has changed," Raven reminded her.
Chloe's at the altar marrying Pierce right now…oh she means the werewolf thing…why is everything about Chloe for you?
"You have a responsibility to keep your family away from all this. If you defy my father and contact them before he gives you permission to…betrayal isn't treated well amongst our kind. As I was trying to tell you earlier…the wolf whom attacked you was an Omega. A betrayer. He fell in love with his Alpha Pack's mate, tried to come between them and kill his Alpha. My Dad was part of the hunting party to bring that wolf to his punishment. It's not often other Packs get together to help each other but they do when they need to keep our secret from the rest of the world. Do you want to get the people you love in the middle of our world?" Raven asked quietly.
"I don't even believe this whole werewolf crock of shite," Elly glared at her.
Raven stared at Elly, "You can keep denying what's happening to you but you know deep down something has changed. Your arm healed from a deep gash overnight. Your overly tired, that's normal for the first few days, then you'll be awake more hours than you can count soon. You haven't had anything to eat since you've been here. Your trying to suppress your hunger. Your eyes take in more than they used to. And your hearing has improved dramatically. Close your eyes, what do you hear?"
Elly put the phone to her side, closed her eyes and listened intently, "I hear…someone…screaming…"
Raven rolled her eyes, "That's my sister having sex with her girlfriend on the other side of the cabin…great hearing you got there. Get used to the sound of it. They're annoyingly in love and all over each other, in case I forgot to mention it. Now, how about you come with me and we go quench that hunger of yours with an incredibly late lunch?"
Elly blushed as she thought back to the naked woman, she'd met earlier that day, still able to admit to herself she found Chloe more attractive. Elly then looked down at her phone as a notification message came through from Bea.
'Chloe looked beautiful yet incredibly sad walking down the aisle, like she was looking for you everywhere. Her vows were hardly inspirational that she truly loves Pierce the way you said she loved you. We need you to come home, Elly.'
And like that…Chloe's married. I'd say I need a drink but that wouldn't be good for my baby…food will have to do.
Elly threw her new phone on the bedside table, "Aside from my family, I don't have any other reason to go home now. My family will be okay as long as I'm okay and I can go back to them soon. I know they'll believe nothing bad has happened to me and I'll be back when I can. Give me twenty minutes to have a shower and freshen up then we can go eat, okay?"
Raven winked at the brunette, "I'll be back here in twenty. I think you're gonna fit in here with us, Elly."
Next time - Elly meets the remaining members of the Pack. As the night before the full moon comes to pass, will Elly turn into a werewolf?