LOGINShare
Chapter 21: The Road Home
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Ellie was nestled in between two warm bodies and once she had eaten her burger her eyes felt heavy. She drifted to sleep, her head dropping onto Stefano's shoulder. He reached around her and pulled her into his arms, nestling her against his chest protectively. He watched her sleep, her features soft in the setting sun. The day had passed and Sunday was coming to a close. He had planned a date for her today, but it would have to wait for another day. He was just glad she was back, safe, with them.
Thatcher looked at him, confusion clouding his eyes, "You know she has a mate, right?"
Stefano nodded, "It's Jake, I know."
"So, what's going on between you and her?" Thatcher asked kindly.
"Jake's not free to be with her. He's intended to another. If he can't have her, why shouldn't I?" Stefano asked honestly.
"You're not just a regular human, are you?" Thatcher asked as he watched Stefano carefully.
Stefano shook his head no.
"Want t
Related chapters
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 22: Nightmares or Memories
Ellie changed for bed, walked to the washroom, and took a quick shower. She brushed the leaves and twigs out of her hair and put on her fuzzy pajamas along with her new robe and slippers from Betty's. She was determined to sleep well tonight in her bed. She had classes in the morning, her entire weekend had been spent off-campus and now she had to get back to class in the morning. It was late, she was tired, so she fell into bed with a crash. She pulled her comforter over her head, closed her eyes, and waited. And waited. She tossed and turned, tried to get comfortable but she couldn't get to sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't sleep. 'Are you awake?' she asked Jake, now that she knew the voice in her head was not her own. 'Yeah,' he replied quickly. She got out her phone, it was still too weird to be talking to Jake in her mind, so she sent him a text instead. Ellie: I can't sleep. Jake: Me either. Ellie: Could I c
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 23: Stefano's Secrets
Ellie wasn't the type of person to skip class, but she ran out of her art class, waving to Sam as she rushed to get to the walkway to town. She wanted to meet Stefano before she went to Astronomy class. She didn't have much time, but she decided being late today wasn't the end of the world. She saw Stefano sitting on a bench by the forest, smiling at her as she reached him. "Hi, did you sleep well?" Stefano reached out to give her a hug and a peck on the cheek in greeting. She looked up at him uncomfortably, "I did actually. Listen, I wanted to talk to you." Ellie said. "You mentioned as much," Stefano laughed as he gestured for Ellie to sit on the bench next to him. Ellie sat uncomfortably, shifting to face Stefano on the bench, wanting to tell him more but unable to start. "You wanted to talk about Jake, right?" Stefano asked as he smiled gently at her. "Yes," Ellie's eyes betrayed her confusion. "How did you know
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 24: The Legend of The Alpha King
Ellie sat in class with Amanda, taking notes blindly as her thoughts went wild. She went over the words that Stefano had said. She repeated them in her mind, over and over. She couldn't understand why it was important, but it seemed important to know that the oracle was so close. She wanted to see him. "Psst-" she heard a noise next to her and Ellie glanced to her side and saw Amanda smiling next to her. "Did you see Stefano earlier?" Ellie nodded and picked up her phone, it would be easier to text during class than talk. She glanced up at the professor, hoping Professor Martin forgave her for not listening fully. She supposed the only one to suffer was her, since she wouldn't be ready for this part of the test when it came up. Amanda: What did lover boy want? Ellie: I asked him to meet me, I needed to tell him about staying with Jake last night. Amanda: You stayed with Jake last night?! You needed to tell me too!!! Ellie: Whoops. Hey,
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 25: I Said I was Sorry!
Ellie avoided Sam and Meredith for over a week before they finally caught up to her the following Saturday morning. She was leaving her room, heading into town, intending to spend the day with Amanda browsing through the shops and eating lunch with Stefano before he had to work in his brother's diner. She closed her door softly, knowing Sam wouldn't be awake yet, and assuming Meredith would be listening for her. Sure enough, as soon as she engaged the lock on her door, Meredith's door opened in a flurry. Sam's door opened, too. Ellie looked up in shock, not expecting to see the bubbly wolf awake this earning in the morning, it was just after 6 am after all. Sam didn't usually see this time of day unless it came before she slept. "You can't avoid us forever, Ellie," Meredith said as she watched Ellie turn toward the stairs. "Please, Ellie, let us talk with you? We'll go with you, wherever you're going. We'll explain things, as best we can, just don't ignore us anymore. I can't take i
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 26: Ice Blue Eyes
Ellie heard noises around her, murmurs and shouts in the distance. She couldn't quite open her eyes, but she knew with a sinking feeling in her stomach that she had fainted. Again. She thought she was done with this nonsense, but here she was on the ground somewhere waking up from yet another blackout.Ellie opened her eyes slowly, blinking rapidly while she focused on the nearest face."Hey," Amanda whispered as she leaned over Ellie, grasping her head in both hands and holding it up gently. "Don't make much sound.""What's going-" Ellie started to ask but she was interrupted with a finger to her lips. Amanda was hushing her from above."Shhh-" Amanda said softly as she helped Ellie sit up. Ellie's vision cleared and she looked around.The first thing she noticed was that she and Amanda were alone in an alley a few dozen feet from where Ellie last remembered being awake. They were behind a large trash can, hidden from view. Ellie sat up and looked
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 27: Fate is a Cruel Master
"WHAT.""THE.""HELL.""ARE.""YOU.""DOING?" Ellie yelled, gritting her teeth against her fury. It was consuming her, she could feel the flames lick through her blood. She grabbed her shirt snd pulled it over her head, leaving her bra for another time. She didn't even care when both Jake and Stefano got an eyeful of her chest as she dropped the blanket to pull the shirt over her head.Jake looked between Ellie and Stefano before he put his hands on the door frame, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath."Stefano, we need you in the headmaster's office," Jake said, still standing with his eyes closed.Stefano turned to Ellie and gave her a tight hug. She looked up at him uncertainly, her eyes apologetic."He can't help it. It's the mate bond. Don't be angry with him," Stefano said softly down to her, kissing her nose lightly. She smiled up at him begrudgingly and nodded. He released her and stepped bac
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 28: Amanda
Ellie rushed into the infirmary, Sam and Meredith close on her heels. The rest of their party followed behind the girls. Ellie knew that Sam and Meredith were only there to support her, they didn't really know Amanda, but she was grateful for their presence. The rest of the boys were following out of habit, always present with their mates. Ellie glanced around the beds, searching for Amanda, desperate for a glimpse of the girl who had become such a close friend the past few weeks. "Elizabeth, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to look you over, I heard you took a fall today," the doctor said, walking toward her. Ellie brushed her hand off. She spoke quickly, "I'm fine, where's Amanda? I heard she's back, where is she? AMANDA?" She yelled out in the room, not caring who she disturbed. A curtain was ripped back, and Amanda sat on a bed, staring up at Ellie with wide eyes. "AMANDA!" Ellie yelled, running to her friend, and engulfing her in a huge hug, her arms squeezing her tight. "Ooo
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 29: Hadean Daemons
Ellie was nervous. She didn't know why, she had been around Hannah before, but knowing that she was mated to Hannah's intended made her squirm. Ellie knew that Hannah would be on campus that day, it was Sunday and Hannah was going to start classes the next day with all of them. She was there to hopefully bring a truce between the packs. Ellie wiped her palms on her pants and glanced around the table where she was eating lunch. 'Calm down,' a voice said in her head. 'Get out of my head,' she replied, rolling her eyes. 'You know I can't help it,' the voice replied. She glared at Jake and he smiled back at her, winking as he ate his sandwich. "Ellie?" Sam asked. "Hmm?" Ellie replied, glancing at her friend across the table. Firash was watching Sam with hungry eyes and Ellie rolled her own. She still couldn't believe Sam didn't see yet what the rest of them found obvious. "Are you going to tap your foot all day?"
Latest chapter
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 48. Stefano's Escape
As soon as Halloween was over, it felt like life was on fast-forward. The days flew by and suddenly it was two days until Ellie and Jake's shared birthday. The campus had turned to fall, decorations and trees alike reflecting the orange and red hues typical of this time of year."We're going out for dinner tomorrow night," Amanda said, nudging Ellie with her arm as they headed in toward class. "I don't know," Ellie said, shaking her head as she gestured toward four books in her hand. "I need to get these read by the end of the weekend.""It's your birthday, Els, you can take a break for dinner with your best friend," Amanda teased.Ellie looked at Amanda with surprise then scrunched up her face in confusion and looked up at the sky, silently counting."Tomorrow is the 12th," Amanda replied with a snort. "Your birthday.""Shoot, I forgot it was tomorrow," Ellie said with a small laugh. "Dinner sounds good."Amanda laughed as they sat in their seats, waiting for the lecture to begin."
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 47: The World is Filled With Liars
Ellie paced in her room, Amanda was sitting on the couch watching as she walked back and forth. "Maybe we should figure out how to-" Amanda's voice was cut off by a knock on the door as Sam and Meredith swung the door open and walked in without preamble. Hannah came behind, walking slower, her face pensive as she pondered some private conundrum. Ellie could guess that her mind was preoccupied with her mate. "It's time to get dressed!" Sam said with her normal exuberance. "We are going to have the best time tonight! I can't wait to see you in your dress, you will seriously make the BEST demon." "Because that's what I want to be doing right now," Ellie muttered. Sam was still talking and didn't hear her mumbling as Ellie walked to her window, looking at the destruction in the courtyard beyond. Remnants of buildings were piled to the side of the walkways and Ellie's heart clenched at the memory of the students that had died in the blast. There had been a few in her class, the student
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 46: The Formidable Eloise
Ellie could feel herself clam up, her nerve flying right out the window in retreat of the icy green stares that pierced her resolve. There were six emerald-green eyes staring her down. One set was icy, one was angry, and one was almost disappointed, a sadness seeping in. "Els," Jake started, shaking his head as he paused. He looked disappointed and Ellie knew she was the cause. She was surprised to realize that she cared how he felt about her actions, but she supposed that happened when you grew closer to a mate. You suddenly want to please them. That was a weird feeling. She shook her head at her wayward thoughts, realizing she had been caught visiting a prisoner that she wasn't supposed to see. It was just Stefano, though. He was innocent. This was her Stefano. Her friend, not some dangerous criminal. "He didn't do it," she started, her voice soft and shaky. The glare of Eloise was enough to send her stomach into twists of nerves. She was certain she was going to be sick if she ha
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 45: Finding Stefano
Ellie's head was spinning. She was concentrating hard and it was giving her a headache. Determined to keep the brick wall sturdy in her mind, keeping her thoughts private, for once, she crept down the dark corridor of the teacher's hall and glanced to her left, searching for a staircase leading downstairs. She was on the ground floor, looking for something that would point her in the right direction of the basement. Dungeons are always in the basement, she thought wryly as she tried to determine which way to go to find Stefano. She crept forward slowly, trying to keep her step light, knowing the hall was filled with werewolves with super-hearing and super-senses. She didn't live under the illusion she would make it all the way down to the dungeons and back without getting caught but she was hopeful she would be able to sneak in and see Stefano before the werewolves clued into her presence. So far, the werewolves on campus had been doing a pretty good job trying to keep her away from
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 44: The Aftermath of Violence
Marcus looked at the building Ellie was pointing toward, his eyes widening a fraction as he glanced back at Ellie. "You stay here, understand me? Don't move. I need to go help," Marcus replied, distracted, his hand gripping Ellie's arm in a tight, death hold. Ellie nodded, her eyes wide with fright. She couldn't bear the thought that Jake had been in the building when the blast occurred. A building that was now a pile of rubble. If he had been inside, he was very likely dead. No one could survive that. She felt tears coursing down her cheeks as she watched Marcus run across the quad toward the stones, glancing back at her every few feet to make sure she was still alright where he had left her. She watched him go, her eyes not daring to look at the ground around the building. In her peripheral vision, she could see hands and feet and she couldn't bear to look where she might find a body. Those were her friends. She had very likely lost friends in the blast and until she knew which
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 43: Understanding a Gift
It was 3:36 in the morning, Ellie had been out for three days. In a rush of breath, she sat up in bed, gasping in air as she woke suddenly from her deep sleep. If you could call it a deep sleep. Meeting the Fates wasn't exactly a restful experience. Her hair was wild, she had a very distinct and very pungent odor that made her nose cringe and she felt like she had been underwater for a very long time as she gasped for breath. The sound of her pulling air in and pushing it out with the force of someone that had just escaped death was enough to wake Jake from his sleep. He had stayed by her side for days. He refused to leave her. Even when he was supposed to go visit his mother, he canceled the trip to stay with Ellie. He may only have a few weeks left with her and he planned to stay as close to her as possible for however long he had. No one would take this time from him. "ELLIE!" Jake's voice rang through the infirmary. Between the sound of Jake's cry of surprise and Ellie's gasp
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 42: A Trip to the Fates
Ellie was out cold, there was no getting her back. She had been lost in the recesses of her mind, the darkness enveloping her in a calm, deep sleep. Jake watched her sleep, running his fingers gently over her face as she lay in a bed in the infirmary. His cousin Stacy walked toward him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "She will wake up," Stacy whispered softly, trying to offer comfort where there was none. Ellie's face was serene and calm. She was at peace, wherever she was. Her mind was gone, lost in a sea of darkness that Jake couldn't access. Wherever she was, her thoughts were elusive, he couldn't hear them. "What will I do if I lose her again? Not just here, to this, but what happens if I can't get the contract void and I lose her forever?" Jake's voice broke. He didn't cry but he dropped his head in his hands in sorrow. He wanted to scream but he settled on a frustrated growl. Stacy squeezed his shoulder in understanding. "You won't," Stacy replied. Her confidence wa
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 41: Another Piece of the Puzzle
Stefano stood to the side of the restaurant and watched with an amused expression as Amanda walked slowly toward the man sitting at the booth. Amanda moved as if in a trance, her feet involuntarily taking her closer to the man with the intense gaze. He was watching Amanda's every move, seemingly memorizing them. Ellie smirked and followed, looping her arm through Stefano's. "About time it's someone else," Ellie murmured under her breath at Stefano. He chuckled and pulled her arm, hurrying her along behind Amanda. The man sitting in the booth was staring at Amanda, watching her advance slowly. His eyes were hungry, bordering possessive. He had shaggy brown-blond hair and ice-blue eyes. His eyes were mesmerizing, even to Ellie and she shook her head in exasperation as she realized she was lusting after Amanda's mate's eyes. Because it was obvious that this was Amanda's mate. 'Seriously, Els. Lusting after another man's eyes?' Jake's voice sounded amused. 'If you could see them, you
Elizabeth: The Great Reckoning Chapter 40: A Plan to Bait
Ellie knew something would happen to thwart them. It was her destiny to forever be left on the outskirts, forgotten and thrown aside by the Fates. She sat in her seat watching Jake with a pained expression as he spoke in low tones to Hannah, Firash and Mark. They were discussing Rand. Firash looked ready to turn around and find Rand so he could drag the man back to the Academy with them but Ellie knew he wouldn't come. Rand was long gone and he wouldn't reappear at his pack house until he was sure they had left. He wouldn't risk seeing Hannah again. She was his kryptonite. He may not know it, but it had happened to Ellie too. She thought she was safe from Jake. She had made the choice to stay away from him no matter what happened, no matter how many pretty words he spoke, and look at her now. She had lost that battle. "You're glad you lost that battle," Jake turned to speak softly to her. "How are you able to have a fully immersed conversation and still hear my thoughts and pro
