The Bite (Book 1)

Original Edition - Chapter 9: Cracking

Derek wiped my mouth while Levi tried to move me as gently as he could. It was horribly painful like I was being broken all over again, but at least I wasn't laying in vomit.

I felt more tears cascade down my face and my heart beat harder. I looked up at the sky. The moon was full and high tonight, her rays shining on me as she drew me more into this painful abyss.

"It's about ten thirty Char, you can do this," Derek said next to me. Levi had run back into the house for something and allowed Derek to take his place. His fingers were cool and felt good against my deformed back, but my beast wanted Levi. She was whimpering in the back of my mind for him to come back. I tried to calm her and assure her that he would be back out soon. She groaned and finally conceded to me. She didn't want to fight with me, nor I her, not now anyways.

Derek was stroking my hair when the needles came. It felt like a million needles were piercing through the skin of my back. Immediately he put the wet cloth in my mouth so I could bite down and scream into it. I started to choking on my own sobs and spit the cloth out when the needles decided to take a break. My skin must have been bleeding, because the cloth Derek had wiped my back with was red, blood red.

"Fur," Derek murmured the answer to the question on the tip of my tongue.

I took a deep breath and tried to breathe through it; breath through the pain. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?

I could feel him before I even saw him. It wasn't that I could feel him, I could feel his beast. I had never been able to feel it before, the power and authority that poured off of him. It calmed me, calmed my beast as the aura of him came closer. He smelt like pine and tobacco, a scent that drew a relieved sigh from my mind.

I heard clinking but was immediately distracted as another shot of pain and horrid cracking coursed through my body. The fingers on my other hand had all broke and shifted into the same repulsive position as the fingers on my other hand. I started crying again. I couldn't help it. It was all I could do to fight the pain. I couldn't fight both the pain and tears at the same time.

Levi sat next to me as the smell of whiskey invaded my nose. He tilted my chin towards his eyes that were trying to hide his distress and held a glass to my lips.

I drank the brown liquid in two large gulps and let it burn down my throat and land in my belly where it began to warm my body. He gave me another glass, I was wary but figured it couldn't do much harm now. It was a full ass glass and I almost choked on it as I tried to swallow, but swallow it I did. It burned but joined the first shot in warming my belly like a soft blanket. It dulled my limbs, dulled the pain, but only a little.

My wolf didn't like us drinking the liquid that dulled everything, but I quickly bit back. It was helping the pain so she could shut her pretty little snout.

Another crack.

My other arm broke along with a series of nauseating cracks along my ribcage.

Derek was whispering comforting words to me while Levi wiped my brow as I tried to breathe, which sounded more like a death wheeze. It was sickening, the sound of my breath; to anyone looking on it probably sounded like I was on my last leg. I guess that's what ribs suffocating your lungs will do...

"It's around eleven Charlie girl, it's going to get worse, but you've gotta push through," Levi said firmly.

I nodded before Derek gave me another drink of water.

My beast was pacing back and forth. She was anxious, worried, and tired of being trapped in this skin.

I understood but reminded her that if she went too quickly that it would kill us. I heard her growl, which sounded more like a groan, and lay down. We both would have to wait.