Gypsy Wolf Ch. 04

This story is a work of fiction solely from the twisted mind of Chromex. Any resemblance to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All characters are of at least 18 years of age unless otherwise specifically mentioned. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or total, without the author's permission.

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"Who's Mercy?"

That simple statement rocked me to the very core of my being as I stared at my sister in complete disbelief. How could she not recognize me and how could she not know who she was? It was her, there wasn't a shred of doubt in my mind that the person standing before me was my sister, but something had happened. I started to open my mouth but Holly quickly cut me off.

"Angel, can you give us a few minutes? I just realized I need to talk with Elizabeth about something. I'll let you know when we're ready." My shock was compounded at hearing the name Holly just called her. I instantly focused on her throat and the small silver necklace she wore. The chain was different and the metal slightly worn, but the charm was the same one I had given her for her twelfth birthday, the name Angel written in script. She had always been so sweet and caring, unable to harm a fly and wanting to save the world, we had started to call her Angel, as in the Angel of Mercy.

"OK Holly, if you need me I'll be down in the clinic," she said, "It's nice to meet you Elizabeth." Same voice, same cheerful disposition, and the same interest in helping people, there was no way this wasn't my sister. After watching her leave the room I collapsed on my couch, completely drained from the emotional upheaval today had brought. I heard Holly close the door and move around my room as I counted the knots in my ceiling.

"Here," Holly said, handing me an ice-cold beer from a fridge I seemed to have missed. Taking a large pull off the beer, I felt the liquid move down my throat and settle in my stomach. "Elizabeth, how do you know Angel?" Holly said sitting next to me on my couch.

"Her name isn't Angel, it's Mercy," I said, "and she's my sister. Angel was her nickname, and I gave her that necklace when she was twelve. The chain is different but the charm is the same."

"Natalie is going to have puppies tomorrow," Holly said, rubbing her temples, "I don't think I've ever seen someone unintentionally be the focus so much drama in a single day."

"I'm not worried about Natalie and believe me, it wasn't my intention," I said, "The only thing I care about now is why my sister doesn't know who she is."

"How positive are you that she's your sister? The condition in which we found her, it wasn't pretty."

"You found her broken, beaten, and raped didn't you?" I asked although the look on her face had already answered my question.

"How did you know?"

"The last time I saw my sister alive, we'd gone for a walk in the woods. We did it all the time as we both loved the forest. I was even looking into becoming a park ranger after college. It was starting to get dark and we were almost back when we were attacked." Tears began to stream down my face as the pain I had long suppressed began leaking back, prompting Holly to wrap her arms around me, as I relived that agonizing day. "I don't know if I never got a look at my attacker or if my mind is just blocking it but I'll never forget his voice," I said, "Rough and gravelly he threatened that if either of us called out, he would kill the other."

"You have no memory of what he looked like?"

"No, like I said all I remember is the voice. Why?"

"Just trying to figure out if this was a rogue we've put down since she's been here. If Angel is your sister then, the rogue wolf that raped you is a very frightening creature indeed." It was with that one matter of fact statement, the one impossible memory I had suppressed came rushing back. The cruel golden eyes, vicious yellow teeth, and black fur on what could only be a werewolf, holding me down with a strength that was impossible to fight. My body shuddered as the terror of that moment ran fresh through my mind.

"How did she come to be here and how is it she shifted when I didn't?" I couldn't worry about what happened to me, Mercy was the only important thing right now.

"She was found by one of our patrols," Holly said, "She'd been left in a spot that hunters like to use to enter our territory, so it's one we watch frequently. As for why she shifted and you didn't, whoever did this was methodical and controlled. She had a single, clean bite to her arm, but it was more than enough to trigger the change. She was suffering from severe head trauma combined with the memory loss, so Damien thinks she may have been unconscious when she was bitten. If this rogue had bitten you, you would have shifted. The fact that you were raped and not bitten shows extremely uncharacteristic control for a rogue."

"Is she ok?"

"She has no memory of anything before waking up in the clinic," Holly said, "but physically she's in perfect health. We called her Angel after the necklace obviously, but maybe with you here now her memories will return." There was nothing I could do to stop the happy tears streaming down my face, not that I wanted to. Despite everything that had happened, my sister was alive and well. "Damien will probably want to talk to you tomorrow once word gets around. I'm not sure how we are going to approach Angel with this, but he might have some ideas."

"I just wish our parents were still alive," I said, "she and I are the only family we have now."

"Elizabeth, I know your life has been difficult the last few years and just from what you've told me, I'm amazed at how well you've kept it together. However, when we say the pack is family, we mean it. Since Angel got here she has been watched over by every member of this pack. We were there when she woke up screaming, and the days she broke down for no discernible reason. Even Dimitri, before his head vanished into his ass, helped look out for her. We'll do the same for you if you let us."

"Holly, I appreciate everything you've done for Mercy, I do," I said, "Once I lost her, everything changed, I changed and I don't think I know who that person is anymore. It's why I chase bad guys and don't hug trees. I think that's why my parents gave me Bubbles, so I would have something to care about. Now that I have Mercy back, nothing is more important to me than her. I want my sister back."

"OK, just know we are here for you," Holly said, "I'm going to talk to Natalie first thing in the morning just to give her a heads up. Why don't you get some rest? It's been a full day for you." I suspect this was in response to the massive yawn that just escaped my mouth.

"I think I will. Thank you, Holly. Thank you for bringing my sister back to me."

"You're welcome and hopefully everything will work out," Holly said moving towards the door, "I'm just next door if you need me." The door clicked shut and I was alone in my thoughts. It was strange to be so happy and yet so sad at the same time. Mercy had been right there in my arms and yet it was the eyes of a stranger looking back at me. Maybe Holly was right, maybe Damien would have some ideas. I took a minute to clean up in the bathroom before getting undressed and slipping under the covers. I was hoping for a peaceful dreamless night. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

It was getting close to dusk and a chill had settled among the trees with the early March air crisp and clean from rain earlier in the day. I only had a few more weeks until graduation and my birthday was just days ago. I already had my acceptance letter into the forestry program at NAU pinned to the corkboard above my desk. As usual, Mercy was complaining about me going to school out of state. "Beth, how can a school in Arizona teach you anything about forests?" Mercy said, "It's not like they have trees there or anything." This was always one of her favorite arguments.

"Seriously, you've seen the pictures of the campus. They have trees."

"Ever heard of Photoshop?" I shook my head, just like every other time we had this same conversation. Mercy continued to prattle on, trying every argument she could think of for me to stay in town. I was content to let her carry on until something caused the hairs on my neck to rise.

"Mercy, shush for a minute." There was something wrong but I couldn't tell what. We were only about half a mile from home and I wanted to pick up the pace.

"Why, what's going on? Why are you telling me to shush?"

"Because I want you to stop talking, that's why. If someone says shush it doesn't mean keep talking, it means shut up." I love my sister, but God she could be thick sometimes. Finally closing her mouth, we both just stood still and listened to the silence of the trees.

"I don't hear anything," Mercy said in a loud whisper. I was about to snap at her when I realized that's what was wrong. The forest was dead silent, not a bird singing or a cricket chirping anywhere. Reaching out I grabbed Mercy's hand and began pulling her in the direction of the house. Every base instinct I had was screaming at me to get the hell out of there and it certainly seemed like a good idea. Mercy finally seemed to pick up that something was seriously wrong, and we both began walking as quickly as we could. I'd never been afraid to be in the woods until this very moment.

As we hurried home, it felt as if the trees themselves were conspiring against us. Every root, every branch, and thorn seemed to try and delay us. In the end, it was the laugh, a burst of rough, cruel laughter that seemed to echo from everywhere that paralyzed us both with fear. I wanted to run, scream even, but I couldn't get my feet moving or my mouth to open. I looked at Mercy and she was having the same trouble.

"Where's the fun in that, just standing there quivering in fear," said a voice just as cruel as the laughter, "Run my little gypsy whores, run from the big bad wolf."

Fear kept us locked in place until the snap of a twig shattered its hold on us. "Mercy Run," I screamed, dragging her hand. We were running blindly through the woods, but I knew we were headed in the right direction. We could hear him growing ever closer; I couldn't believe how quickly he was catching up to us. He seemed to be just barreling through branches we had to dodge, constantly growing closer. Splashing through a small stream, I knew we only had a couple of hundred yards to go.

Inevitably I slipped, the morning rain had turned every rock and leaf into a deadly hazard. Setting my foot down, a rock under the leaves shifted, severely twisting my ankle and sending me sprawling to the ground screaming. My knee smashed into a rock, sending pain coursing through my body. Mercy paused to look back at me, her eyes wide as she laid her eyes on our pursuer. "Run Mercy," I screamed, "Run and don't stop until you get home." I tried getting to my feet as Mercy began to run, only to be driven to the ground by something large and strong.

"That's right Mercy, run," the voice standing over me said his foot pinning me to the ground, "Run knowing I will kill your big sister right now unless you stop. Run knowing your sister will die if you scream. You don't want to be responsible for your sister's death do you?" I couldn't see what was happening, my face pushed into the forest floor, but I knew she had stopped when his tone changed. "That's right Mercy, come on back. Always the sweet, gentle one, aren't you Mercy?"

"Mercy no, please run," I pleaded with hot tears stinging my eyes, "Mercy run."

"You're not going to run, are you Mercy?" he said, his tone almost mocking, "You don't want to be responsible for me slitting your sister's throat wide open, do you? I didn't think so." She must have given him some kind of response I couldn't see and it broke my heart. The pressure was gone from my back and I found myself lifted to my feet, face to face with our captor.

Growing up, my great grandmother Rosa always told me wild stories; fae folk, vampires, and for the love of God werewolves. Standing before me was a werewolf, the creature of myth and legend holding me by my jacket. Black as night, his fur contrasted the golden orbs set deep into his brow, giving them an otherworldly glow. It almost could have been pleasant to see if not for the cruel expression and yellow stained teeth. The only thing out of place was the ace of spades branded into his chest. "The rules are the same for you Elizabeth. If you scream or try to run, I will tear out her throat and pour her blood over you. You already know you can't outrun me. Do you understand, or should I kill her now?"

"I understand," I said my voice barely more than a whisper, "Be strong Mercy."

Releasing my jacket, I had to bite off the scream as my ankle buckled under my weight. "That's right Mercy, be strong," he taunted stalking towards her, "Two tasty little gypsy bitches, I wonder which I'll have first." The blow was unexpected and powerful, sending my sister flying up into the nearest tree, her jacket snagging on a branch causing her to be suspended for a moment before she slipped out, tumbling down into a heap at its base.

"MERCY," I cried out forgetting myself. I could see the blood spatter from where her head impacted the tree but I couldn't tell if she was breathing. Her jacket was still stuck in the branches of the tree, hanging limp in the still air. I began to crawl over the wet forest floor to my sister when I was lifted into the air again. I started to struggle when a massive furred hand wrapped around my throat and slammed me up against a tree. The back of my head bounced off the tree, filling my vision with stars.

"Bitch, you don't listen very well." My head was swimming when I heard the tear of fabric and cool air on my chest. The sudden realization of what he intended cleared my head and I began to struggle against the hand encircling my throat. I might as well have been wrestling with a bulldozer as effective as I was. Lashing out with my foot, I did manage to get a hit in the one sensitive area all males share. "Gypsy cunt," he growled before repeatedly slamming me into the tree. I wasn't seeing anything but spots when I was flung through the air, landing hard on my arm. The loud crack and pain shooting through my arm were, unfortunately, familiar, and I knew it was broken.

Lying on the ground clutching my arm, I felt his clawed hand push into my jeans and instantly shred the fabric. My existence turned into a world of pain, as he grabbed my arms and pinning me to the ground, forced himself into me. The outside world ceased to exist as pain overwhelmed every other sensation. I don't know how long he kept me pinned to the wet forest floor but my mind soon detached itself from what my body was suffering. With only his chest to look at I focused on the large ace of spades burned into his skin. I memorized every detail, each wrinkle and bump of the smooth skin. It was only when I felt him spill himself inside me that I snapped back to reality.

"Well that was fun," he said lifting himself off of me, "One down, one to go." His vice-like grip on my arm had managed to deaden the pain, but the sudden flow of blood ripped a scream from me I could not hold back. My body curled itself into a ball, desperate to protect my damaged arm. I watched as he walked towards Mercy.

"Stay away from her, you fuck," I said with every ounce of hate I could muster.

"Such rage in your eyes, shame it's wasted on someone like you." Bending down, he lifted Mercy's unconscious form and flung her over his shoulder. Standing over me, he stared with those golden eyes, "You're just stubborn enough to try and follow me and we can't have that now, can we. Goodbye gypsy," he said bringing his foot down on my shin. The snap of the bone echoed off trees, soon drowned out by my screaming.

"MERCY," I screamed as he vanished into the woods. Over and over I screamed her name, the pain and hate from my shattered body energizing me, as my voice grew ragged. There was no way I was going to cry when my sister was gone somewhere with that monster. I could tell unconsciousness would soon overwhelm me but it didn't stop my screaming, "MERCY."

The force of Natalie's slap was enough to rock my head back and break through the veil of my nightmare. During my recovery in the hospital, I'd relived that day in the woods every night for months, but it had been years since the last time. I was a different person after that; colder, harder, and more standoffish, the wall between innocence and reality forever shattered. "Elizabeth, are you alright?" Natalie said. Looking around, I was embarrassed by how many people were in the room.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake anyone. It was an old memory." Sitting up, I was completely drenched in sweat and despised that everyone was seeing this moment of weakness.

"Here drink this," Mercy said, sitting in front of me on the bed. Taking the glass of water I quickly downed it, enjoying the cool liquid running down my throat. "When I first joined the pack, I used to have nightmares too. I never remembered what happened, but I know how they made me feel."

"Angel," Natalie said, "I don't think Elizabeth is quite ready to share just yet. Give her time, you remember."

"I do. When I got here I didn't know anyone, but they still made me feel welcome. If there's anything I can do, please let me know." Scrambling off the bed she headed out of my room before Natalie sat down and took my hand.

"Damien, today is going to be entertaining, to say the least, and I would like you there when we sit down with Elizabeth. Try and think if you can come up with any way to restore Angel's memory now that her sister is here and no one is to mention a thing to Angel until I say otherwise."

"I'll get right on it," Damien said, "OK anyone who doesn't live in this room or isn't an Alpha needs to get out. Your concern is appreciated but Natalie has this." Quickly guiding everyone out of the room he pulled the door shut.

"Want to talk about it?" Natalie asked. Even though her tone was gentle, I could tell saying no wasn't an option."

"It was the day of the attack. I used to have the dream all the time. I'd forgotten how bad it was."

"It's understandable, it's coming back now. Do you remember anything about the rogue who attacked you? Might help us figure out who it was."

"Not really, remember I was scared out of my mind dealing with something that for as far as I knew, didn't exist," I said my mind searching for anything, "Something is missing, some important detail, I've just never been able to remember what it is. It's always been there at the back of my mind, I just can't figure out what it is."

"Maybe working with your sister will help you remember as well," Natalie said before climbing off the bed to pace around the room.

"I do remember he referred to us as gypsy whores and then kept coming back to that word, gypsy," I said.

"Well whoever he is, if he knew about your gypsy blood then he's insane," Natalie said, noticing the sharp raise of my eyebrows, "I'm not going to go into it right now. I need to discuss it with Rasp first, but we'll talk about it after breakfast. Today is going to be a long one and the sun will be up shortly. I'll see you downstairs in a bit." Once the door was closed, I crawled out of bed and opened the curtains, looking out into the woods. The sky was still dark, but I could easily make out the faint differences in shades as sunrise grew closer. I stood there watching the sky grow lighter until a flash of white in the trees caught my eye. I only saw it for a moment, but that was enough for me to know Watcher was still around. Shaking my head, I closed the blinds before heading in to grab a shower.

"How are you doing?" Holly asked as I slid into my seat. The same group as last night was assembled around the table and they waved me over as soon as I walked into the dining room.