Heartbeats

Chapter Twenty-One

The first thing I remember was how composed Charles looked when the wolf lunged at him. He grabbed it by its forelegs and used brute force to keep the animal from knocking him over, redirecting it to his left. The wolf yelped as it hit the ground back first, but Charles didn’t miss a beat. When the wolf tried to jump back up Charles was straddling its torso, holding it tight between his knees and pushing down on its forelegs.

It snapped at his knuckles fiercely, growling before yelping loudly. The wolf seemed to scream as it arched its back, yowling. Charles’s face dropped and he was off the animal in less than a second.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, stepping forward.

My shoulder was caught by Charles’s cold fingers, pulling me back. “Don’t touch him,” Charles warned before cursing under his breath.

Even if he hadn’t held me back I think the sight before me would have sent me into shock. The animal was jerking around sporadically, almost like its body was seizing, and its cries of pain were unrelenting. Claws cut into the ground, but they weren’t making an effort to stand or gain ground. The wolf snapped forward, curling into a ball, before lashing back and shedding its lupine skin.

The fur on its back seemed to disappear off his spine, maybe fading into the moon-white, cloth like flesh. Within seconds I realized it was more than cloth like; it was cloth, a shirt, and it was starting to replace the thick coat of the wolf. Where his hind legs were there were actual human legs forming, fitted in dark denim. The fur on his head was fading, and the edges of his ear softened to that of humans.

In fact, he was completely human in a matter of seconds.

The guy tucked deeper into the fetal position and groaned, sounding more animal than he had moments before. The veins on his jaw and neck were insanely prominent, little blue tunnels for hybrid blood.

“Charles?” I breathed. “Mason? Do I help, or….”

Charles moved in front of me, immediately grabbing the attention of the guy writhing in pain. “Don’t touch me, parasite,” he growled. “I wouldn’t think twice about digging my pearly whites into your unreasonably aged flesh.”

Charles froze. “Warning noted.”

My feet were hesitant as they moved me forward, and I could feel Mason’s eyes lingering on me. His heart rate had spiked, overprotective fool. The other guy’s muscles loosened a bit as I approached, positioning myself between him and Charles.

“H-hi,” I stuttered, squatting down a few feet from his body. “My name is Jacie, and I think we have something in common.” Inside I was reeling, my  mind moving a million miles an hour with questions.

His fetal position morphed as he righted himself into a sitting position, tucking his knees into his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He seemed to hold himself together by grabbing his ankles, and his dirty white shirt was tight around his massive muscles. Blinking rapidly, he settled into a squint as he looked at me. “Malcolm. Malcolm Lyghte.” He smiled weakly and his eyes opened up, getting used to human eyes.

He was pretty for a guy, not just handsome, not just a boy. His bones were smooth and delicate, but undoubtedly sturdy. Muscles had developed a bit beyond the proportion of his height, and his skin was a gentle porcelain color. On his right arm my bite was settling grossly, not healing like any other wound would have. The story was the same on his neck, but other than that scars played no part on him. Nothing blemished his sense of perfection, except his nose may be considered too big or his lips a little dry.

His right eye focused on me with all it was, the rich gold captivating me. Mine was almost fluorescent, and here he was looking like honey had dripped into his iris, undoubtedly belonging to the animal inside. The other eye, however human, was not human at all. It bled a milky white, dialing down the crystal blue iris.