The Wolf in the HPA

Full Moons and Men

The last couple of days leading up to the full moon were difficult, to say the least. Sol's concentration kept getting interrupted by the pangs of his wolf. He felt like Bentius was trying to crawl out of his head but the wolf also seemed to be staying silent and still at the same time. Other than the headache Sol was able to ignore it.

Luke kept an eye on the pup looking for any sign that he might explode but Sol was being his normal self. Even his attempt to be less clingy and hyper had fallen through so now he sat on Luke's lap as Luke attempted to watch T.V. At least the boy was a hundred pounds soaking wet and so small that he didn't even obstruct his view of the movie.

As the movie progressed Sol found himself being spooned by Luke on the couch. They had never cuddled like this before and he snuggled in hoping the experience would make him forget the headache.

"Didn't know you liked laying with mutts Lukey." Josh one of the only other guys in the HPA around Luke's age (although still older by a few) commented as he walked into the living room.

"I see you cuddle with Rock all the time." Luke shot back. Rock was Josh's dog, the one Sol couldn't seem to catch.

Josh laughed good-naturedly. "Fair enough. What are you guys watching?"

"Up," Sol whispered. It was one of  the sad parts where you find out the boy's parents are divorced.

"The dog reminds me of you, Sol." Josh joked.

Sol smiled, he liked Dug. "Real?!"

"It wasn't a compliment." Luke sighed.

"It's all about how you look at it Lukey. I like Dug too kid. "

As they finished up the movie Sol didn't need to check the time or look out the window to know the night was in full swing and the full moon was out. He felt it in his bones but most of all in his head. The low headache was now an intense pain. He couldn't help but vocalize it.

"ahhhhhh!!!!" The high pitched noise had both Luke and Josh who had almost drifted off while watching the movie jolt awake.

"What's happening? What's wrong?" Luke asked startled.

Sol slipped off the couch as he writhed in pain on the floor. "BENNY, BENNY, BENNY!!!!"

Sol tried his best but there was no reply from the wolf.

"What's going on?" Josh shouted as Sol continued to cry, desperate for Benny to answer.

"I don't know." Luke didn't know what to do. "Shift Sol! You have to Shift!"

"I CAN'T, I CAN'T! BENNY!! COME OUT PLEASE!" Sol was in so much pain. Tears were streaming down his face but he couldn't concentrate on anything anymore. The pain was only swelling and becoming too much. Even the most important voice of all, that of his mate, was beginning to get tuned out until all their was was pain.

Luke looked on horrified. It happened almost too quickly to comprehend but also somehow at the same time it was taking place in slow motion.

The quick of it was Luke and Josh found themselves drenched in blood and guts. The slow painful reality was this:

Luke watched as Sol's body swelled and the boy continued to scream. He reached for him but the boy wasn't responding to his touch. He seemed lost in his own pain and Luke couldn't do a thing. It started with Sol's hands and feet. Furry paws sprouted out. Claws exploding out of fingers and toes. His clothes started to seep with blood from the forceful expansion of his torso. The men watched in horror until finally forced to quickly squeeze their eyes shut as they felt the splattered remains of the sweet innocent boy hit their faces. The boy who who all this time had pined for Luke's attention relentlessly since the day they met was now going the room in blood.

Josh looked on horrified as he just watched the boy actually explode. Luke drops to the floor in defeat. A large bloody dog stood in tattered clothes where Sol had once been writhing in agonizing pain. Luke sat stunned on his knees for a moment before dry heaves began wracking his body and he spilled  the contents of his stomach onto the blood-soaked carpet.

Benny stood in the middle of the living room and surveyed the carnage. He had killed his best friend. He let out a horribly pained howl. It was so loud even the pack could hear it and somewhere miles away they began to mobilize to come to his aid. They couldn't help him though. No one could after what he had done. He noticed Luke covered in Sol's blood and let out another howl for his mate's loss. What would Luke do? Bentius had just gotten rid of the part of him that Luke actually might have liked.

Luke sat in shock for another moment until Benny's movements jolted him. The wolf had crumpled to the ground and Luke could have sworn he was crying if wolves could cry. Luke didn't think, just acted. Moving forward on his knees he gathered the pup into his arms and numbly walked towards the nearest shower. Bentius continued to cry over the loss of Sol as Luke stripped himself down and set about bathing both of them in the shower. They both cried and didn't stop even after they were clean. Luke looked disgusted down at his soiled clothing and decide to leave the bathroom naked. Bentius followed close behind. Luke didn't speak it was like he was so overloaded with emotion his body just wanted to go on functioning without any help from his brain

"What's going on here! What's with the wolf?! And why are you naked?"  Alison looked at the bloodbath that was one of the T.V. rooms and watched a frozen Josh struggling to not spill his guts out onto the carpet. Alison turned towards Luke, realizing what happened. "Did he-... Is he..?"

Luke didn't answer. Simply passed her by and went on to his room. Benny following the whole way. Once there he crawled into bed and hugged Benny to him. He didn't want to wake up.

*happy early Halloween!! Enjoy this lovely horror story! And for the record, I had been planning to kill Sol from the beginning no matter how cute I made him.*