Intertwined

Chapter Twenty-Three

The sound of Lyall's breathing became my only friend in the darkness. I counted them. There was nothing else to do. I had no measure of time, and no distractions. Left to wallow in what Mattias said. He spoke the truth and it horrified me. The scarier part was that I couldn't come to want to leave Lyall. Everything he'd done, though it sounded evil and wrong, couldn't push me away. And if I knew Lyall, he had to have a reason for doing such things.

Around four-thousand-seven-hundred-and-eighty-two breaths later, Lyall's breathing started hitching and dropping. Low moans and whimpered sighs started to fall from his mouth.

"Lyall?" I asked. "Lyall, are you okay?"

Instead of a response, a large snapping of a hefty branch or solid bone sounded. The sound went along with the feeling when I fell on my arm. I didn't have to see in order to know that it was Lyall breaking.

The sounds started to build, louder and louder, one snap becoming overpowered by another. The sound was only second to the discrete slushing and slithering I couldn't quite place. Lyall's breath caught over and over, and the moans started to become mumbles of pain.

The more I focused, the more I could see Lyall moving. It was clear that he wasn't in control, the movements were jolts, spiking of his body. The sun must have gone down, and the moon had to be rising. He was becoming a werewolf. It was natural and normal, but to have him doing it so close was another thing entirely. I had to remind myself that this was what I asked for so many days ago. Strange that it felt like months rather than days. I asked to see him as a werewolf. I was getting my wish, but watching it first hand had me wanting otherwise.

Regardless of how I felt, I couldn't rip my eyes from him. I was forced to endorse his pain. I could handle that. After all, it was my fault he was here.

Far off, maybe a flight of stairs away, I heard someone talking. The tone and urgency of it was to herself.

"God damn it, I swear to god I'm going to kill him when I get my hands on him," she said.

Instead quivering in fear from the sound, I found relief. A strange sort of excitement vibrated through me. The threat was something of debatable and somewhat distaste, but I didn't care. This voice wouldn't hurt me, she wouldn't kill me, though she'd threaten day in and day out. The muffled sounds of a lock clinking open and a creaking door being pulled out of the way had me standing on my feet.

"Marleene," I nearly cried when she'd nearly jumped the entire flight of stairs. Her hands where held out infront of her, the warm and soothing golden light eminating from them.

"Oh, Em," Marleene said, real tears pouring from her lids. She'd gotten close enough to hug me. Her arms wrapped tightly around me, and I felt safe. Or that I was going to be saved.

"You're alive," I said, taking in the smell of the fake leather jacket on her shoulders. A scent I never knew I'd miss.

"I should be the one saying that to you. I knew something was up. You're lucky that—"

"It's Mattias," I cut her off. "Lyall was right, I was right. Mattias is behind this, we have to stop him before it's too late."

"Stopping him doesn't matter, not now. We have to get you out of here." She tugged at my arm, only for my body to slam against the hardened air.

"I can't," I said, gesturing to the bones.

With one foot, she kicked one of the eight bones across the room. As soon as the circut was broken, feeling rushed back into my body. I could see the basement fully, lighting be damned. I could see and feel Lyall as if he had a yellow border around him.