Chapter 5: Ella's Uncle

Henry's Point Of View.

One sentence and one sentence alone rang in my head:

I had to go back and find Ella!

I scrambled to my feet, keeping the wall of the alleyway behind me. An ache blazed hot in my head, and my knees felt like melted jelly, but I knew I had to find her as quickly as I could.

I knew my way around this college well enough to walk through it at night. After making sure I could walk without falling flat on my face, I began my walk east, to the part of the school that housed students.

On and on I walked, until I got to Ella's lodge. There was a lavish-looking car parked in front of the lodge; a car which I hadn't seen the last time I came, some hours ago. Stopping at the staircase that led up to her front door, I gripped the banisters tight.

God, the vision I'd had with the Moon Goddess seemed to be affecting me in all the wrong ways. It was as though the pain was not willing for me to have a moment of respite until I got to Ella.

I took several, calming breaths, then began the ascent up to her front door. Each step I took felt like lead weights were attached to my calves, each gulp of air like breathing in gaseous acid.

I got to her door and heard raised voices coming from inside the lodge. But at this point, my body was too weak to care. My knees gave in, and I collapsed in front of her door. Voices sifted into my hearing, unbidden.

".... you need to be careful, Ella!" a male voice bellowed. "I have been keeping a close eye on you, and I do not like the company you have been keeping of late!"

A sigh, before the reply came. "How else can I convince you that I am fine, uncle? I really am."

"Do you know who you are, Ella? Do you know what you are, how dangerous you are?"

My curiosity piqued, I pressed my ear against the door. My haze of pain had cleared in the eagerness to hear more of the conversation.

"Oh, wow." I heard Ella snort in laughter. "I suppose you know what I am now."

"You're...." A pause, before the man let out a frustrated sigh. "It is not time yet. All I ask is for you to be careful. I heard you met a werewolf of recent...."

"A...." Ella's voice trailed off. I sat up on the ground and listened more intently; this was where I could know the truth about Ella's character. Would she reveal my true nature to this man, or keep my identity a secret?

"I...I do not know what you're talking about, uncle." She stammered. I heard footsteps, and watched as the curtains of her window right beside her door shifted to the side. Ella herself peered outside, her eyes darting around in suspicion.

I sat very still, hoping I blended well into the shadows. Ella took a last wary look around, before she closed the curtain again.

"Uncle, you must know that you shouldn't talk about things like that." Ella murmured. "Anyone can hear you—"

"I do not care about any of that!" Her uncle snapped suddenly. "Tell me! You were found with a werewolf, were you not?"

"No, uncle! I have no idea what you're—"

Suddenly, I heard a loud clatter and a grunt, as though someone had fallen on the ground. Quickly I stood to my feet and stood before the door. Was Ella hurt? Should I go in to see how she was?

I hovered before the door, feeling a slight pain in my chest as my wolf threatened to burst out to save Ella.

"TELL ME THE TRUTH!" The man bellowed again.

"Uncle, I don't know—uncle, ow! You're hurting me!" Came Ella's pained voice. I let out an involuntary growl; anyone who was hurting her would have to answer to me.

I placed a hand on her doorknob, ready to burst in and find out what was happening, when the door opened by itself.

And there stood the man who'd been hurting her.

The first thing I noticed was his eyes, as green as Ella's, but his seemed to burn as terribly and as wickedly as wildfire. He had curly black hair, which was starting to go gray at the roots, and a full beard with a grayish tint as well. His mouth was lipless and set in a tight, unforgiving line.

And he was taller than me.

I knew I couldn't tackle this man without giving my identity as a werewolf away, and so instead I peered over the man's shoulder inside the house. Ella was only a shadow behind her uncle, arms wrapped around herself like a cornered animal.

"Ella, are you okay?" I asked. "I heard your scream."

"I'm fine, Henry." She replied, glancing at her uncle in fear. "My uncle was just leaving."

I turned to her uncle, who was still staring at me as though he would like nothing more than to bludgeon me with his fists. He turned to Ella, and with a low growl, spoke:

"I will come back to check on your well-being in a few weeks' time."

And then, he turned and walked away.

The moment he was gone, I turned to Ella and placed both hands on her shoulders. I turned her every which way, trying to look for any marks or wounds on her body.

"I am fine, Henry. I really am." She assured me. A faint smile appeared on her face as she touched my arm in reassurance.

"That man..." I started.

Ella immediately interrupted me. "He is my uncle. He only came to check on me, nothing else."

"There's something I need to tell you...." I began.

Ella frowned. "What is it?"

"I...." I continued, then paused. The pain in my head had returned again.

"You can never beat me!" The voice cackled in my head. "You will never find the Pot of Solution!"

"Ella....Pot of...." I whispered,

before falling to the ground, unconscious.