His Moon

V | Hospitals and Stalkers

"Um," Kaia started, staring at him for maybe a little too long. He smelled weird, like cigars and dirt. "I think it's that way," she said, pointing, scanning her memory from her trip here.

"Sorry, where?" he asked, "Could you just show me?"

Kaia hesitated but nodded. It was a big hospital, and Kaia wasn't even sure if she'd be able to figure out how to get back to her room. So she led this stranger away from the window and the main entrance to one of the side hallways where she thought she'd seen a restroom.

"I think it's-" Kaia heard a flick, like metal sliding over metal, and then saw a flash. Her back slammed against the wall with a thud, knocking the wind out of her. Something cold pressed against her neck.

"You're quite stupid, aren't you, Fishbait?" he said, amusement in his voice.

"Wh-What are you doing? This is a hospital, someone will come, they're-" It was a knife pressed against her neck, something she only realized when it bit into her skin a bit. She felt warm dampness flow down to her collarbone. She was bleeding. Her attacker's other hand was pressed against her chest, pinning her to the wall and making it hard to breathe.

"Oh, I don't think anyone will come," he hissed, "My guys are guarding both ends of this hallway."

"What the hell..." Kaia choked out. For some reason, she wasn't shaking. She gasped for air. "I can't...breathe," she managed in an exhale. She reached up to grab his wrist, try to force him off of her or at least loosen his grip, but instead, the moment she touched his skin, pictures flashed in front of her eyes.

Running through the woods, panting. The forest protested at his being there, cracking underneath his paws. The smell was delicious and peculiar. It made him hungry. And then it was a girl, standing alone in the woods. He would...

Kaia ripped her hand away. "You're...from...the woods."

"Oh, clever girl, huh? How did you figure that out?" he asked, confusion on his face. He eased back a bit, letting her get in a lung full of air. But it smelled so badly of cigars that it made Kaia cough.

Her brain was running a mile a minute. She couldn't quite get her head around the fact that a man could be a man and a massive wolf at the same time, saliva dripping from its fangs and death in its eyes...

She didn't know what to believe, what to trust. It was terrifying not to trust something that seems so real. Reality had always been clear, but lately, it had become muddled, confusing, scary. 

"You were going to kill me," she said, anything to give her more time. She had to figure out a way out of this situation. But it looked grim. She doubted she could take this guy on, both because he was larger than her and because he had a weapon. Not to mention the guys at the ends of the hallway he'd been talking about. But, if she could get that switchblade...

He nodded, delight in his eyes. "How insightful of you. Yes, and I'm still going to kill you. Why the hell did you think I followed you here?"

Kaia subtly eyed the knife. "I...because you're my number one fan?"

A perfect combination of confusion and surprise graced his face. Kaia would have spent more time enjoying that, but she'd have missed her chance. Her knee shot up, landing right where no guy wants to be kneed. The guy doubled over, a howl of outrage exploding from him. If a man attacks you, always go for the groin, Kaia. Be merciless and kick as hard as you can. Advice from her mom.

Kaia grabbed his wrist, bending it at an unnatural angle until the metal fell from his palm and clanged to the ground; it was something her dad had taught her in their many training sessions, the very sessions Kaia had dismissed as unnecessary. Kaia dropped to her knees, scrambling to pick it up, but she was too slow.