17 Bullets: becoming the Werewolf Queen

Chapter 35: She-Wolf

Giving a bit of a stretch out through my shoulders and neck, I turned around the area to find something to target.

A couple hundred yards off was one of those arched green pepper plants. He seemed like a safe spot, greenery and fresh dirt all around him, no loose rocks to have the bullet ricochet off.

My gun was placed, senses stilled, and I zoned into overdrive.

I could see the plant better without the scope even, my glance moving over it. The sounds of the forest thrummed in my ear, wakening the hunter side of my soul. The scent of gunpowder right in my face burned my nose. Every sense came alive like the power dials on a sound board raising.

It was becoming overwhelming.

Sounds.

Sights.

Scents.

Everything came at once overloading me.

I could see individual veins in leaves that I shouldn't be able to see even standing in front of it. Tiny pink bugs with black spots I hadn't seen before shuttled up a tree ten yards away. A hummingbird sped by and I could make out each individual movement of his wing, like he was a butterfly instead. Everything like I could see details that were under a microscope. Colors I didn't have words for from the edge of the rainbow filled in the beauty of the land.

Sounds rushed at me from miles away, each trying to fight their way into my ears. A river. Some animal grazing on grasses. The wind whistling through the treetops raising the unseen hairs of my arms. Birds chirping. Bugs clicking. Heartbeats, breathing, and even blood pumping through the three of our bodies in the small clearing. Noises surrounded me like a cacophony of cicadas screeching their voices to the sky.

Scents that I couldn't identify took over my nose. A thousand all at once. Plants, flowers, animals, soil, everything. Some good, some revolting. But all too much to pick anything out.

Everything was too much. My heartbeat sped and adrenaline released into my bloodstream making my movements dart around in fear.

It was too much!

Too much!

The beginning of a panic attack to rival all panic attacks, flashed through me and I dropped my gun, lowering myself to the ground in a fetal crouch. My eyes shut tight and my hands wrapped my ears, my voice shrieked in pain, trying to drown out any sound.

Thann fell down in front of me and grabbed my shoulders in his own worry. His voice came through my muffled ears. "El. Eleanor! What's wrong?"

I still held on; my eyes shut tight. My head tossed back and forth. "I can't! I can't!"

He reached between my arms and caressed my face. "You can't what? Let me help?"

"The sounds! There's too much! I can't do it!"

"The sounds?"

Cane's reply was like through a bullhorn, no matter how much I tried to shut everything out. "She must be hearing everything. Remember, their senses were terrible. She's not used to it."

Thann was now strong, no scent of anxiety.

I knew anxiety's scent? WTF?

"Eleanor. Focus. Focus down on one thing. Focus on me. Listen just to me."

My shaky breaths slowed as my ears perked on him and him alone.

"That's right," he approved. "Just my voice. Nothing else. Focus on me and breathe. In and out. Deep focused breaths. In. Out."