{First published November 2015}

{Edited 6-15-2016}

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My throat. Ugh. I go to reach up to my neck with my hand. It's so dry my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. My arms won't move and I'm weak as a babe. My eyes won't open either. They feel heavy and weighed down.

What the hell happened?

The last thing I remember is the black thick ribbons. They where calling to me. The pain. The pleasure.

Did I die?

No. That can't be right. I can still feel things. Well physically things anyways.

The feather soft bed. The smooth silk sheets. The sun's warm rays on the side of my face. The hunger pains in my stomach. My sore body and bone dry throat.

Voices.

I concentrate on the muffled voices. Wanting to turn my head towards the noise but can't.

Like a volume button, the voices turn up.

"She should of woke up right? I mean if he did it right and nothing went wrong. It's been three days." It's Cameron. He sounds nervous and scared.

"I don't know Cam. Quite asking me." Aden snaps out.

Three days. I've been out for three days. What the hell. And why are those two in here. Where's Jeff? Or Shelly?

I ignore them and put my mind on moving my fingers. It's slow going. But eventually I get a couple to move. I work on them. Back and fourth. Wiggling them, soon I can move both of my hands, but my arms are made of stone. They seem like they don't want to move at all.

That little bit wore me out. Making my body want to sleep. I've slept enough.

I start moving my eyes behind my eye lids. Side to side. Up and down. It causes them to water. I keep it up and get a small slit to open.

Seeing the color of cream, I believe it might be the blanket covering me.

I take in a breath and jerk my eyeballs upward, causing my lids to go with them and a blinding light to shine in my eyes. I blink and blink till I make out my surroundings.

I'm in an unfamiliar room. White walls. A single dresser and a chair are the only items in the room. Except for Aden who is leaning up against the door and Cameron who is pacing at the end of the big bed I'm in.

He's like a rainbow of colors. Grey's, blues, greens, pinks, purples. So many colors I have no meaning for.

I stare. And stare. Wanting him to feel my eyes on him. I want to know what happened and need a drink.

I can't swallow.

He whips around. All the colors leaving him. An excited anxious smile on his face.

He moves toward the right side of the bed. My eyes following him. My head moving a little. Progress.

"Get Kayden." Cameron gasps.

"Avery." His head tilts to the side. "How are you?"

Stupid question. Stupid boy. Why Kayden? I don't want him here with his annoying tingles.

My cracked lips open. And I kinda grunt. Or something.

He just stares till his eyes widen in understanding and he rushes through a door I didn't notice before.

I hear the sound of water running. Bathroom then. He comes back with a cup and a bright pink straw, bending down he gets it to my mouth and I suck.

God. That's good. My tongue finally comes loose as the cool water wets my mouth and soothes my throat.

"More." I say in a scratching whisper.

We do this two more times till I feel satisfied and my stomach feels like a moving ocean.

I breath easier and feel energy coming back to my body.

"What happened?"

"Well,...." He scratches his head and just looks at me.

That's when I feel those damn tingles causing my body to jerk. Being to weak, I can't stop how I respond to them. My eyes snap to the door as a not so put together Kayden comes in.

His clothes are all wrinkle and his curly hair is a mess. More so than what I've seen so far. Those other worldly green eyes look crazed.

What in the world is his problem?

Kayden moves into the room. His eyes never leaving my face. The closer he gets the stronger the tingles get. It's like a buzz underneath my skin.

"Avery." He breaths my name like it's his air and drops down on his knees beside the bed, knocking Cameron back.

What is with these damn people?

My eyes widen as I see his a tan arm raise. Hand shaky as he reaches out towards my face. My eyes flicker up to Cameron's and back to the hand. Fear slips through my steel wall giving me the power to shift backwards. Away from the hand.

"Kayden." Cameron warns. Making Kayden growl like a dog.

"Don't." My voice crackles, "Don't touch me."

I watch his hand stop and pull back towards his body in a fist. A look of hurt flashes across his face as he never takes his eyes off me. A blue ribbon pokes in and out. I hurt his feelings.

I'm leaned to the side away from him. Pushed the fear back behind my walls.

"Leave." My voice comes out strong and calm.

His eyes shut. I watch his chest move as he takes in fast gulps of air. My eyes narrow as I see his skin twitch and move. Like something wants out.

He's up and moving. Never looking back as he passes Jeff in the door way.

Why would he try to touch me? I don't know him. Plus he should know the rules. No touching Avery.

"How are you feeling?" Jeff asks as he moves into the room.

"I want to sit up." I stare and watch Jeff grimace at my tone.

"Lets see what the doctor says first." Jeff answers.

I fellow his gaze to the left side of the bed. An Iv stand is there. I follow the tubing with my eyes. It twists around and leads underneath the blanket.

I give a nod. Still looking at the tubing. Remembering those first few days in the hospital.

Jeff's voice brings me back, " Do you know what happened?"

My head comes up fast. My eyes flickering from Jeff to Cameron.

No. I don't know what happened with the ribbons. The ribbons did do something. But they don't need to know that. It's none of their business.

Instead I ask, "Do you?"

There's a long pause. I get an inkling they know something.

"You do know something." I stare.

A long loud sigh comes from Jeff. He nods towards Cameron who leaves the room as Jeff pulls up the only chair.

A soulful howl rings out causing me to flinch and Jeff eyes closes. Must be one of the wolves from the beach. This place is insane and that's saying something considering where I've lived for the past two years.

Jeff's eyes open,"Avery there is so much you need to know." He says looking out the window.

Huh.

"Start from the beginning." I say. It seems rather simple to me.

He doesn't look at me while he speaks.

"The beginning. Okay." He whispers,"The man you know as your father is not your father. He's your uncle."

Nothing else. That's what he says. Not looking at me. He drops that kind of bomb.

It's on repeat over and over. He's not your dad, he's your uncle. The man who raised me. Who I found dead. Is not my dad.

My walls start to crack. No.

My eyes snap close and I turn in to myself.

I see the wall that I've built. My safe guard. Its huge. Stretches as far as I can see. I move forward scanning. Looking for the cracks. Spotting them, I vision then melding back together. Once that's done. I make the wall thicker. Stronger till I'm mentally exhausted.

When my eyes open I see Jeff looking at me. Worry shines in his eyes.

"Who was he?" My voice comes out cold and unfeeling.

Kayden leaves Avery. His wolf pushing at his skin more and more. He barely makes it out the front door. As he shifts into a beautiful chocolate wolf landing on all fours, on the porch.

He leaps off, sprinting as soon as his paws touches the grass. Heading towards the trees. Heading away from her. His pain.

Kayden knew there was a possibility that Avery wouldn't remember what happened. He hoped she would though considering how strong their connection is. He felt her fear. Fear of him.

He never thought it could devastate him this way. A growl rips from his throat. How is he going to connect with her? He doesn't know, but he has to try.

I'll give her time.

He turns in to his senses. The soft rich soil underneath his paws. The keen hearing and eyesight of his wolf. Avery's winter smell still overwhelming him.

A howl echoes out as he lets the wolf take full control.