Eclipse

5.

The force of her first attempt dropped me to my knees on the tiles. I clutched my wrist in agony as she tried again, and this time the bones realigned themselves, silver fur sprouting from my skin. Within a minute my entire right arm had transformed into that of a wolf's. Had I enough control, enough strength, I would have been able to just suppress the urge to shift, but I didn't. I bit my lip to prevent cries from escaping, only to have fangs dig into the skin instead.

Somewhere, behind the heavy curtain of pain and screaming, I heard the door bang open. The water flow stopped, and I heard Kieran shouting mutedly at me in the hopes of gaining a response from me.

"Not now, Megan!" I heard a sliver of his voice pass through the curtain, but I could only focus on the taste of blood flooding my mouth, and the burning sensation in my arm that was fast spreading up and through my body. I felt Kieran's arms lift me off the ground, and the next thing I knew, I was lying sprawled across the kitchen counter, convulsing uncontrollably, as my skin fought against itself to accommodate a bestial being.

Kieran pressed a vial of some sort against my lips, and vile taste bloomed in my mouth. It tasted bitter and acrid, coating my tongue like a stubborn second layer. My first instinct was to gag and spit the substance out, but Kieran had already clamped his hand over my mouth, forcing me to swallow. The pain dulled and faded away as soon as the liquid entered my system, but not before my bones realigned themselves to form my human body.

I lay on the counter, gasping for air with a parched throat, almost oblivious to the face that I was completely naked, although that was the last thing on my mind. Kieran left my side and returned with a thick blanket with which he covered my body with. He gently lifted me up and led me back into the bathroom, where my clothes still were and closed the door halfway to let me change.

"What did you do to me?" I whispered. My voice was soft, worn out from my screams.

"The drink? We call it Akonit. It's made from the extract of wolfsbane. Tastes like shit, though, from what I hear."

"What does it do?"

"Prevents a Lupi from shifting. Large doses actually strip a Lupi of their ability to shift, but what I gave you was enough to subdue your shifting for just a few days."

I froze, and delved through my mind, searching for the familiar presence of my wolf, but all I could sense was a drowsy shadow lurking behind the curtain that moved sluggishly.

"Sorry, but I really am strapped for money. I'd find a shorter-term solution, but, well..." Kieran trailed off, and I laughed quietly at his reasoning. I emerged from the bathroom, dressed in the same drab clothes paired with dripping wet hair that stained the fabric several shades darker.

"Here." Kieran tossed me a towel, and I hurriedly squeezed out the excess water. "You probably need the sleep more than anything else, so you can take the spare room." I nodded without a word and followed him into a small room, empty of any decor other than the bed and a small corner desk. "You can sleep here for now."

"Thank you," I murmured. My voice was already thick with sleep.

"No worries. Just... try and get some sleep," he said as he left the room, but not before drawing that blinds shut, and gently closed the door behind him.

I stood still for a moment, letting everything sink in, before lowering myself under the blankets, but I couldn't convince myself to sleep.

I stared up at the ceiling that was streaked with gashes of moonlight that slipped through the gaps between the blinds, going over what had happened. The timeline constantly looped, always starting from that night in the rain. None of it made any sense. How could Leo have been a Nephilim? Surely I would have noticed his unusual scent... but then again, how did I mistake his Lupi killer to be a human? Something was wrong with me. Well, no shit, Megs. You've always known that. You've always known that you're brain's a bad apple. You just need to figure out which part has rotted away. I shivered at the dark thought and hastily stifled it. There was no point in trying to convince myself that I wasn't crazy. I'd known the truth the moment I saw Leo die.

I sank my teeth into my lower lip and shut my eyes in a vain attempt to block the thoughts that belonged to a mad woman. I could envision my teeth sharpening into fangs, digging deep through the flesh until it hit bone. I could see myself transform into a monster, the personification of my mental state, and it terrified me.

I went through the files of my memories, trying to remember when I first became a lost cause. When I was leaning out of my teenage years, I was an outcast of sorts. When I was leaning in to the teenage years, I was an outcast. When I was younger still, I was quieter compared to the rest of the pack, and I vaguely remember hating the presence of another Lupi child as a toddler. Had I really been like this all my life? Had I always been a goner?

A small sound escaped my lips as I turned to my side, hugging my knees to my chest as tears slid out without respite. Why was this happening to me? It isn't a case of why, Megs. You're crazy. You've always been a bit crazy.

A strangled sob came out as I pushed away the thought, and slowly, very, very slowly, I cried myself to sleep.