Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

I look at the nurse who is staring at me. When she realizes I caught her, her eyes dart away. What's that about? Okay, lady. Rude.

“I'll leave you now," she says, "You can go in the bathroom and wash up. Just take that pole with the IV solution with you. There are lounge shorts and fresh underwear in the bag. You need to leave the hospital gown on until your back heals. Alright?”

“Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Diane," she nods and leaves the room.

It's the first time in my life people have been kind to me. I mean, I think it's part of their job but still. All I have known so far were insults, physical misery, and hard work. Never any kindness, never any love. I feel like I can trust the doctor but I'm still wary of Nurse Diane. The way she stared at me just now makes me uncomfortable.

I pick up the duffle bag and go to the bathroom. I avoid looking in the mirror. I'm not sure I'm ready to see the damage on my face. Everything in the bathroom is fresh and white. There's a shower, but I'm worried the pressure of the water will hurt my back. I decide to fill the tub halfway and get in. The water is warm and soothing. There's a washcloth and a fresh bar of soap. I clean myself until the water is gross. All the dried blood tinges the water pink. I drain the tub, wipe out the ring of dirt around the edge, and fill it again. The water is not nearly as dirty as I finish washing. It hurts to raise my arms, but I don't want to call the nurse to help me. I gently wash my hair and use a cup to rinse it. I dry off and wrap the soft towel around my hair.

There's a toothbrush and a small tube of paste on the shelf by the sink. I'm living in the lap of luxury in the pack hospital! I pick them up and start brushing my teeth. I can't avoid it anymore, I need to look in the mirror. I finally worked up the courage to take a peek. What I see makes me drop the toothbrush.

My face is still covered in bruises, but that's not what made me drop the toothbrush. The iris of my left eye is violet. Not like a shade of blue that could be a little purple in the right light. No no. My right pupil is still the drab gray I'm used to but my left pupil looks crazy. I blink my eyes hard a few times. Still the same. I try rubbing my eye but it doesn't make a difference. There's no mistaking it - my eye is bright, practically glowing...violet.

The two days seem to last forever. I'm not complaining though. I've never gotten so much sleep in my life and as a bonus, I get three meals a day. Three! I keep looking in the mirror. I can't get over how weird my purple eye looks. I wake up on the second day and go to the bathroom to freshen up.

I stare at myself in the mirror for the millionth time. My left eye is still violet. Now my right eye seems like it's starting to turn violet as well. There was nothing I can do about it, so I decide to try not to worry. Since Silver Moon is a pretty big pack, we have a high school on pack territory. The library has a really big werewolf lore research section. I will do some research during lunch.

As I tilt my head to the side to brush my hair, I notice a chunk of my hair has changed color. Instead of my normal mousy brown, it is silvery gray.

is happening to me? Is this a trick? Is there bleach in the shampoo or something? If it is a trick, it isn't funny. I pick up the bottle and smell it. It smells like strawberries, not bleach. Weird. I have never heard of a wolf's

lunch with paperwork and pamphlets for me. She hands me another little bag,

for everything," I say as I open the bag. There is a

look?" I ask

"You're a star, darling." Maybe she isn't so

and sends me on my way. I have another two hours before I need to start prepping dinner. I decide to take

to find the room has been transformed. My lamp is not sitting on an old stack of milk crates. It is on a nightstand. There is a new bed too, my old cot is gone. I have a proper bed. Complete with new sheets and blankets. There is also a small desk and chair with all my school books arranged in a basket next to it. I must be dreaming. That or I walked into someone else's room by accident, except no one else lives down here. You can

out of the doorway to make sure I am in the right place. I seem to be. What gives? I walk over to the bed and sit carefully as if it will disappear if I move too fast. It is like a cloud. The gray and turquoise linens are fresh and new. There are even

Diane is the only one who came down here while I was in the hospital. Could she have had all this done? Surely she will get in trouble when Alpha Graham finds out. Then I remember she doesn't know how much the

in the drawers of the nightstand. I stash the duffle bag under the mattress. Once I am seventeen, I will figure out a way to get out

a thank you letter to the doctor and Nurse Diane. I turn in the chair looking around the like-new room. I am in awe that someone would do this for me. I must have been daydreaming because I don't hear the door at the top of the stairs,

scramble and stand in the middle of the room just as they get to the doorway. He leans against the frame and crosses his arms in front of himself. I can feel

I help y-you, Alpha

stunt you pulled cost me a lot of money," he says with a calm, gravelly voice, "And when you cost me money, you cost my

no idea what stunt he is talking about. I look up just enough to

him at school? I haven't had a conversation with him since his mom made me live

sneers from the doorway, "And do you know how disgusting the food has been for the past two and a