Freed Wolf

58 Fear

The door crashes open as Cindy lunges at me, shifting midair. My heart stops as my eyes lock on her outstretched claws beelining for my chest. I stand there frozen, fixated on the grotesque, half-shifted beast lunging at me. 

Time slows down as I watch this trainwreck come for me. Her body is caught halfway between human and wolf, her limbs are distorted and stretched, fingers contorted into claws. The refined human features in her face are lost somewhere as her mouth sprouts teeth too large for her gums to handle. Wisps of wolf fur are sprouting everywhere on her skin as her body transitions from human to wolf, shredding what was left of her dress.

In a blink, I'm tackled from the side and pain takes over my senses as I hit the floor hard.

Strangled snaps and snarls echo in the room as the air is knocked from my lungs. I groan under the weight as my side burns. Shouts fill the room but my ears can't make out anything over the sound of my own hammering heart.

I blink my watery eyes, trying to bring the room back into focus. A shadowy figure looms over me, along with muffled sounds that I can’t make out.

Peter?
 
His face is inches from mine as he cups my cheek to make me look at him. I can see his lips moving and  concern is clear in his eyes but nothing filters through or registers. Slowly, with each raspy breath I release, my senses come back.

"Get the healer," he shouts over his shoulder before turning his attention back to me. "Luna?"

"Yes?" My voice sounds like a mumble as the brain fog relents.ok

"Thank the Goddess! Are you hurt?" His eyes lock on me, desperate for an answer. "Jess, are you hurt?!" 

I push against his chest as I struggle to get my bearings.

Was I hurt?

He quickly gets up but trains his gaze on me. As I struggle to prop myself up and catch my breath, he instantly reacts, coming to my side and slipping an arm behind my back to support me. A moment later, I catch my breath and he helps me up. I stretch my arm and test all of the joints, breathing a sigh of relief when nothing appears broken but just shaken up.

"Nothing’s broken, the floor is just really hard," I complain, rubbing my arm.

Knocking on the door precedes Sasha walking in. Her eyes go wide at Cindy’s mangled body on the floor before locking on mine. She practically runs over to me and I feel her cool, tingling energy wash over me before I can say a word.

"Never a dull moment with you," she chides, shifting her attention to my arm. In no time, the residual ache is gone but my body feels drained and exhausted from this horrible existence.

"Thank you," I say, giving her a hug. "I'd have been fine with a bruise though." 

I can't help but laugh at the face she pulls. "You are a bruise! We just finally got you mending. Peter is right, you are a full time job," she teases. 

Peter walks over and puts a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. While we are distracted, someone removed the body, so now it is just the three of us. 

"Are you okay? We should let you sleep," he says when I nod. "Lock the door behind us." 

Peter leads Sasha to the door, stepping through and turns to face me.

"The one I need protection from has the key," I mumble, shutting the door and locking it. The recognition flashing in Peter's eyes is the last thing I see.

I felt disgusted and yet trapped in this room. I go to his dresser, find sleep pants and a tank and quickly strip out of the blood-coated dress that should be burned, kick off the stripper heels to the floor with a thud and change. No doubt I look ridiculous in the layers of oversized clothes.