Hell Flower

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Stop! I called to my wolf. Why are you attacking them? This wasn't a part of the plan!

They have to pay. My wolf thought as my body moved without my control, stalking around the fire. I could feel my tail whipping back and forth behind me threateningly.

The sound of cracking and popping echoed from my left side, and I snapped my head to the source. With a jolting shudder, Jake's body shifted into the enormous wolf I had seen in the woods the other night. The brown fur around the tips of his ears and crown of his head glowed in the moonlight. He leapt to his feet, growling as he faced off against me. His yellow eyes burned with rage.

"Don't hurt her!" Alex called from off to my side. My neck curled around to face him. A glob of foamy drool leaked through my teeth, plopping onto the ground and steaming in the cold air.

Alex held out both hands in front of himself like he was trying to command me to stay.

Stop, please! I begged my wolf as she prowled in towards him.

Stupid human. I heard her voice in my mind, the volume growing and growing until it drowned out the sounds of everything else around me.

You are weak, and it shocks me how gullible you are. Did you really think I wanted to join with you? I'm so much stronger on my own.

I felt like I was falling away from myself, like I was clawing through water to keep my mind from slipping away. My vision darkened at the corners like the edges of my mind had caught fire. I couldn't breathe.

I'm so much stronger in this form, and I don't need you. It's time for you to be smothered.

Waves of heat poured over me. I could hardly feel the wind rushing through my fur and the cold ground under my feet as I charged at Alex.

I stretched my claws out in front of myself as I leapt at him.

He screamed when I hit him, throwing up his arms to protect himself. My right paw struck his wrist, my claws grinding and shredding the denim sleeve of his jacket.

I slammed him to the ground beneath me, the impact shaking through my entire body. I threw my other paw at his chest. My claws were like knives slicing through his clothes and breaking skin. Blood soaked the pads of my paws.

My mind raced as I tried to make myself stop. I fought, pushing signals to my limbs to stop attacking, but I couldn't control my body. Terror swallowed me. What if I couldn't come back from this?

I dove in to bite Alex, but before my teeth could make contact, something heavy crashed into me. I flew to the side, my shoulder smacking the ground with a thud. My side burned as I skidded a few feet across the rocks and pine needles. A whimper escaped my throat, and I rolled to try and right myself.

Kicking my legs, I finally regained my footing. I glanced to where the hit had come from. Jake charged at me again, going in for my neck with his mouth wide. When his teeth dug into my fur, I leapt back, recoiling just in time to escape his jaws as they snapped shut.

He snarled and slashed at me with his claw, grazing me below the eye. The scrape stung and burned as blood leaked from my face like tears.

The sound of a growl came from my other side. Alex had shifted to his wolf form. A third wolf stood next to him, slightly smaller but just as ferocious. His jowls were pulled back, revealing teeth glistening in saliva. Foamy drool curdled in his gums like sea foam. This one must have been Reggie.

I took a step back, putting more space between myself and the other three wolves.

Let me go, please. I begged my wolf, but my thoughts grew weaker and weaker, like a scream muffled by a pillow.

I felt my head move to glance around, but my vision was blurring and darkening to the point that I could hardly see.

Goodnight, Allison. I heard the growl of my wolf echoing through my mind, clouding out everything else around me.

In the distance, Veronica looked hazy, like she was made of purple smoke. She faded in and out of focus where she stood at the edge of the clearing with her back pressed again a tree. My gaze shifted, searching for Liz. She must have been behind me, but my wolf refused to let her guard down to check. She refused to take her focus off the other three wolves in front of us.

Shift back, now! Alex's familiar voice pounded through my head, even louder than the voice of my own wolf.

Please, listen to him. Please! I begged, but I could hardly hear the sound of my own thoughts anymore. I felt like I was submerged underwater. Every time I tried to speak, water flooded my lungs. My vision grew darker and blurred, like everything was stretching further and further away around me.

I was falling into a black hole. I could feel its enormous gravity pulling to me, my mind rushing towards the event horizon. When I reached it, that would be it. I would cease to exist. I would be gone forever.

Help me! I tried to call out, this time to Alex instead of my wolf. Alex, please!

His ears flicked back and forth when I said it. Could he hear me?

Let her go! His voice crashed over me as he charged.

Moving as a single unit, the other two wolves charged along with him, flanking either side.

My wolf turned to run, but we were met face to face with Liz. She was still in her human form. She hadn't ever shifted.

Why?

She stood her ground as I ran at her. I stretched my claws out to dive at her. My sharp nails scraped into her arm, and she screamed as she fell back.

Suddenly, a sharp pulse of pain raged through my ankle. I turned my attention away from Liz and snarled at Reggie, snapping my jaw at him. He released his teeth from my ankle when I batted at him with my paw, my claws scraping his face.

"That's enough!" Liz shouted.

Her hand grabbed the back of my neck, right between my shoulder blades. I swung my head around to knock her off me and jerked my back into her hand. She fell back, catching herself with her left hand.

My eyes went to the hypodermic needle she held in her right.

Hell Flower.

Rage boiled in my wolf's mind as my entire body tingled. It felt like my brain was on fire. My wolf charged towards Liz's hand, preparing to slam my skull into it and knock the needle to the ground, but before we reached her, teeth closed around my ankle. I whimpered as my skin broke. A paw clawed at my side, raking through my fur and scraping my skin.

Then, a sting of pain shot through my shoulder. A rush like ice burned through me, like all the blood in my veins had frozen. I collapsed to the ground, my shoulder landing hard right where the pain had flared from.

"I'm so sorry, Allison," I heard Liz's voice say.

I felt the gentle touch of a hand running over my side. Pain shuddered through my body, my bones cracking and popping. A bright light swelled, burning up everything else in my vision like staring into the sun. Then, with a bang, everything flashed to darkness.