Chapter 6

Angel's POV

I had always wanted to see a sunrise, but due to my recovery and my inability to stand water, my plans to see one were often hindered. Despite the past fails, however, I always woke up before the sun rose. To my surprise, this morning showed no signs of rain. Birds were even chirping outside and there seemed to be no cloud in the sky. I quickly got up and dressed into one of Emily's shirts and shorts then grabbed my crutches. I quietly stumbled down the stairs and out the door, making a bee line for the cliffs I had remembered passing on the way to the Elder's meeting several days ago.

It must have been a few days since I was attacked, but life seemed to have settled out. I still could not remember my past, my home, or even my own name. I could recall facts, and when a situation called for it, I seemed to remember certain responses or abilities, but they seemed less like a thought and more like a natural reaction. For instance, it was natural for me to dry myself off when I wanted legs again. When questioned how I knew, I couldn't explain why, but it was just a natural instinct. Luckily, the tribe rarely questioned these instincts and agreed to keep my species quiet. I couldn't quite understand why, but I knew no one was supposed to know who I was, or even what I was.

As I hobbled past the forest to the short route to the beach, I couldn't help but try and think back to all the memories I had in my head, although there were very few. I couldn't quite place any incident before waking up in Sam and Emily's home. The most vibrant of my memories was seeing Seth. In fact, I often found myself daydreaming about his warm eyes or his laugh. I couldn't quite understand why, but it seemed so natural for me to be around him and to miss him when he wasn't. In fact, I almost wished he was beside me right now, but I knew he needed rest. He often tried staying by my side all day until Sam or Emily chased him out.

I realized in that moment as I turned to hobble down a trail with my crutches how I lucky I was that Sam had found me after the attack. Sam and Emily had graciously volunteered to take me in until further notice. They even went so far as to begin calling the guest room my own room. They adopted me into their family with no question, really the entire tribe did. A variety of Elder's would often stop by to keep me company or tell me legends of the tribes, especially Seth's mother. She came by every afternoon to check my bandages and my injuries and would tell me the most adorable stories about Seth when he wasn't around. Many of Sam and Seth's friends would hang around Emily's home. I was told they were all distantly related in some way, which is why each of them were so massive. They also worked in security of the reservation, explaining why I rarely saw everyone in one place.

It was a strange concept, that in a few days I had found a community and family. It was as if I had a tribe of brothers, all of whom where extremely protective of me. Anytime I would cry in pain or trip on furniture, suddenly all of them would be beside me, asking if I was okay. I couldn't understand why, but something inside me told me I was lucky to have this, and it was something I had always wanted. In a way, I was almost afraid to get my memories back because I sensed it may mean the end to the situation I currently found myself in.

Sighing to myself, I slowly reached the cliff Seth had carried me to when I asked for fresh air last week. The sun was just beginning to poke out among the lower clouds, lighting up everything in front of me. I couldn't help but smile as I smelled the fresh salt of the ocean and watched the beginnings of the sun's glow. My early mornings suddenly seemed worth it as I watched the view in front of me. It was during my admiration of all this beauty that I seemed to ignore my surroundings.

Barely a few feet away, I could hear a soft crack of a branch. I jumped a bit and turned around as best I could with the crutches. There was nothing there, making me sigh in relief. It was mostly likely just a small animal or perhaps a bird. I went back to watching the ending of the sunrise when there was much a louder crack. I turned around and almost fell over from the site of a tall woman. She had long black hair and pale skin that began to sparkle and glow when the sun's glow hit her skin. I couldn't help but stare in admiration for a moment until I caught sight of her eyes. They were a deep crimson, almost the color of blood. My own blood seemed to turn cold in that moment as I remained paralyzed in fear.

Somehow, the eyes began setting off a memory, but this time of a man's crimson eyes on the beaches below. I shut my eyes and whimpered as I flashed between the present and the memory, my body beginning to shake. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but it was as if all the air had been removed from my lungs and I was paralyzed to my current position. The woman in front of me chuckled just a bit. "That smell, it's salty, fresh. Nothing that I've ever smelled before. And look at you, you're such an easy prey," she said as she licked her lips. I tried moving back but ended up only falling over, leaving me to scurry away to the end of cliff.

She laughed slightly and pulled me up by my neck. I opened my mouth to scream but my cheek was soon met with a harsh slap. "Shhhh, don't worry. It'll be over soon," she said before leaning for my neck. Before her fangs would sink into my skin, a flash of grey ran across my vision and suddenly I was on the ground. I caught a quick glimpse of a wolf running into the forest line. I sat there in shock for several moments, my body seeming to forget to breath as I stared blankly in front of me. The memory that had risen earlier began playing clearly inside my head, and I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread as it played.

I noticed a small pile of clothing laying on the beach beside the water, most likely belonging to a surfer further out. Smiling victoriously, I pulled them on, realizing this climate was much colder than what I was used to. Although the shorts and shirt helped a bit, I still found myself a little chilled, but I kept telling myself this was only a quick stop. I just needed a map, and humans had maps. Sighing, I began wandering up the coast of the beach, nearing the rockier portion. To my displeasure, the beach seemed empty and I had yet to find any sign of humans or even animals. Sighing, I was about to turn back when I turned around to see possibly the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on. His skin was pale, his hair combed back, and his eyes a deep crimson red. I felt something inside me tell me to run, but I knew I needed to brave. If I had any hope of finding my pod, I needed to find my own location.

"Excuse me, sir? Could you tell me where I am right now, and where I could find a map?" I ask as I walk closer to him.

He smirked widely as he looked me up and down. "I don't think you'll need one sweetheart," he said with a smirk. In a flash, his hands were gripping my throat and my back was against the sand. I struggled against him as I felt his hand run up my thigh then hover over my breasts. Black dots began to dance across my vision, and I eventually clenched my fists and burned his hand away. He cried out in pain before slamming my head roughly against the rocks beside. I cried out as the world around me seemed to blur. He lifted me up by my neck, cutting off my ability to breath, when I suddenly heard the padder of paws against the sand. In the corner of my eye, I could see two huge wolves snarling at hopefully the man. He snarled back and tossed me violently across the beach. I suddenly felt an extreme sharp pain as the world went black.