A Friend To The Elements

Chapter 36

He reached his hand out to me and I gladly took it. My body was heavy and leaned forward with the weight of past due twins propelling me out of the car.

He chuckled while sliding his hand underneath my opposite arm to balance me. A foot kicked up into my ribs making me grunt and glare at him. He only smiled wider as my skin moved around the foot. I always heard that women looked as if they were glowing while pregnant, but he was the one glowing.

His hair fell slightly longer than it had when we first met, but still short enough to not touch his ears. His eyes glowed a bright silver while his lips twitched into a soft smile. I, on the other hand, had a scowl painted on my face. My clothes were tight against my body. My stretching skin itched beyond reason, and it was always so blasted hot.

Everything around us was foggy not allowing me to see where we were standing or why we were there. I just knew we were. His form started to dissipate turning his body into small particles that floated away in the air. I cried out trying to grab onto the little pieces that slipped through my fingers. My stomach began to shrink as pain shot through my torso. I clawed at my shirt pulling it up over the bulging stomach. Purple stretch marks sunk back in returning my body to normal.

I looked around me to see the fog lifting. I felt like I was in a snow globe that someone was shaking up to change the scene.

This time I was in a house I had never seen before. The cold from the hardwood floors pinched at my toes making me wish I had on socks. The plush furniture was enticing, but I noticed someone else sitting on it. From the last vision I expected it to be Adam, but it was a woman. I stepped closer and her head turned to look at me. Her dark hair fell on either side and a warm smile drew me closer to her.

Beside her was a tall man. If he hadn't been throwing his head back and laughing at something I didn't hear I might have found him intimidating. I stood in front of the pair causing the woman to knit her eyebrows together in confusion. She reached for my hand wrapping her fingers around my cold ones. The warmth seeped up my arm. The man wiped a tear from his cheek and took deep breaths to regain his composure. When he looked at me I saw the same striking silver of Adam's eyes, but these were different. Older.

"Sit dear. Adam will be back soon with the food. We haven't seen you all week." Her hand tugged on my own until I was in a sitting position next to her. She patted my knee. "See? Much more comfortable."

The man had his head turned laughing at someone. I shifted and squinted my eyes forcing the fog away to see who it was.

"Josh?"

The snow globe shook again causing everything besides me to disappear. A new scene began to come into focus.

I grabbed my head dizzy at the change, but I found myself laughing. Why was I laughing? I looked around to see a sideways room. That wasn't right. I glanced at my own body to find I was laying in a bed. The chain from the ceiling fan tinkled quietly against the glass that held the lightbulb.

My fingers spread out finding a soft navy-blue comforter underneath me. I was dressed in black silk night shorts and a matching camisole. My fingers moved to feel the smooth fabric. A hand reached out and intertwined with my fingers allowing me to see Adam again. He was older now. He looked closer to the man that had been on the couch than the Adam I remembered. He moved my hand above my head tightening his grip on our intertwined fingers.

Before I could register what was happening, he was hovering over me. His face was so close that his warm breath danced across my lips and his hair brushed against my forehead. I closed my eyes expecting him to lean in and kiss me, but the breath got hotter on my face.

The warm breath huffed across my face warming my cheeks and neck. This wasn't right. His hand was gone from my own, so I moved it between us looping my arm underneath his arm and to his back. I expected to feel a soft cotton fabric but instead fur laced between my fingers.

I gasped and opened my eyes. The large white wolf stared back at me with golden eyes. Lips were pulled back into a snarl. I was pinned. I tried to wiggle my body, but the wolf's stomach pressed further on top of me forcing the air out of my body. Pain rippled through every nerve as the wolf started to shrink.

Its stomach became one with my own. Its chest began to lower onto my own. Then I realized I was not absorbing it, but it was absorbing me.

I screamed kicking my legs, but everywhere my body made contact with the beast it latched on to me pulling me inside. I arched my back leaning my head back for my face to be as far away as possible. It was dragging me in, and I was powerless.

*Adam's POV*

A yanked my hands away feeling drained. Pain rippled up my arms. My body was covered in it. Cold sweat drenched my back from the fear that was squeezing my brain.

Mom shook me by the shoulders forcing me back to reality.

"Adam? Adam!" I blinked hard to make my eyes focus on her. The baby was screaming down the hall, but she didn't move to tend to him. I turned my head and realized that I was surrounded. Mom stood on one side while Dad stood on the other side of Lily. His arms were crossed, and his lips pursed. To my right Noah sat on the floor beside me. His face was like he had seen a ghost. Even Dr. Cassidy was sitting up on the couch staring at me with worry.

"What...what are you all doing?" Mom crouched down and placed her fingers underneath my chin. She moved my head from one side to the other examining me.

Dad was the first to speak. "You were screaming. It was like you were in a trance. Your eyes were open, but you weren't seeing us. Even though your hands were flat against her body they were glued there. We couldn't separate you."

I slid back a foot to put some distance between us. I wasn't sure if I really saw what I think I did. If I did, then I didn't want to think about it. My stomach churned and I put my hand to my mouth.

"Oh shit! He's gonna hurl!" Noah shot up from the floor and grabbed the small trash can we had been using for disposing medical trash. He placed it in my lap in just enough time for me to wrap my arms around the bucket and vomit.

Mom rubbed my arms up and down and made soft shushing sounds until all I could do was dry heave. I took a few deep breaths and took a sip of water Noah had gotten for me.

"What did you see?"

I shook my head swallowing down another gag. My throat burned along with my eyes. I couldn't say it. "She has to shift today. Or she won't at all."

I tightened my arms aroundthe bucket. I refused to look at the wolf that was swallowing her.