Yes. Yes that was it. His fault.
“You,” she snarled, “ this is your fault. Everything has been happening after you came over. You bastard!!” She lunged at him and he easily stepped aside. She fell to her hands and knees but stood right back up faster than he had anticipated. She turned without hesitating and jumped at him, this time shoving him back against the bars. He grabbed both her wrists and held her easily. He swiftly turned and pinned her against the bars while he held her hands above her head.
“If you would calm down and listen this would go so much easier for you. Can you control yourself for a few minutes at least?” He was trying to reason with her. This wasn’t going the way he had hoped at all.
She struggled against him, thrashing as hard as she could. She didn’t like this, not at all. No one ever touched her anymore. She preferred it that way. Made things easier.
“Stop moving around god damn it all,” he ground out. She was making this very difficult and his god damn body was reacting in ways it really shouldn’t.
She surprised him by going completely limp. He hadn’t expected that. He let one of her wrists go to check to see if she was ok and before he could stop her she had twisted just enough to land a brutal blow to his nether region. It connected with enough force that he went down gasping for air. She literally danced away from laughing.
“Think I’m stupid? I’m not some weak, helpless little girl. Don’t you ever, ever touch me again, do you understand,” the comment came out as a command not as a question.
She was grinning down at him with such fury in her eyes. If he didn’t think he was going to vomit he would have strangled her. God no one had gotten the better of him like that in so long. He had to be careful ,she was dangerous. And she hadn’t even shifted yet which he found very interesting.
After a few agonizing seconds he stood up, slowly taking in air.
“Lydia, I am a Shifter as are you,” he took a second to breathe,” I don’t know how you are controlling yourself so well. Most would have been in agonizing pain by now. Most Shifters are taught from the early ages of childhood to control and master their abilities. Some I have found made it as long as early teens before finding out. But, by then, the shifting is so excruciating for them because they were not used to it.”
He was breathing a little better now. He straightened up to his full height again. He was much taller than she was. At six foot five he towered over most people. He wasn’t used to any females getting the jump on him like she did. He was going to have to be very careful.
“I have no idea what the hell you are talking about,” she sneered, “you are making no sense.”
God she was pissed. She should have lost control by now. Should have been in the middle of the shifting phase that would have been tormenting her. But there she was still holding back. He could smell her, her body was so past being primed for it.
“Oh the hell with it, I really hope you are ready for this,” he groaned out. He really didn’t want to do it this way but he had no choice she wasn’t listening and he didn’t want to fight all day.
He backed away from her a great deal, as he did he stripped his shirt and pants off. He had the satisfaction of watching her eyes widen for a split second before she had them narrowed again watching him with a scrutiny that should have had him squirming.
“Here we go,” he murmured.
His shifting was usually a blur. It was so easy and effortless for him. Like breathing, or living. It just was. He went a little slower. Letting her watch and soak in all of it. Usually it starts with the legs. Nature had a way of making sure Shifters were as protected as could be during the shifting. It started at the feet, traveled up the legs, hips, abdomen, chest, arms, and then head. It came in handy when one was running. Once mastered any Shifter could go from running as a human to running as a wolf within the blink of an eye.
It took about fifteen seconds for him to shift over. He had to mentally slow the change down so she could see it happening. He was peering at her now through different eyes. Oh they were his eyes alright, there was a little familiarity left over from human form. But usually… when one was this close no one ever got the chance to look into his canine eyes. Not anyone who lived anyway.
She was just standing there staring at him. Jaw open, slightly dazed. And he just stood there. Letting the reality of it hit her. He wasn’t sure if he should move or not. But then he didn’t have the chance. She started walking towards him.
What she saw stunned her. What the hell? She wasn’t aware that she e had started shifting as well. When she had seen what he did, oh god, what did he do? He was there then.. Just a massive bear sized wolf looking thing. Just standing there looking at her. She had no doubt if it decided to charge he she would be dead.
She gasped as she was snapped back to reality. Something was making odd popping noises. Her feet and legs felt like someone was taking a baseball bat and hitting her as hard as they could. She gasped in pain as she fell to her knees. She closed her eyes. Oh god what was happening, what was wrong with her. Shock, it had to be shock. She was going insane and it was causing her body to disintegrate.
“Lydia its ok, don’t fight it, it will only make the pain worse. Just listen to my voice. Listen to me and let it flow over you. The pain will subside. You will be ok,” he was trying to soothe her. Trying to make it as easy as possible for her.
She faintly heard him. God that man was insufferable. She didn’t want him cooing at her. She was so pissed at him for all this shit. It was his fault. His fault. She felt the heat again, the rage building inside of her. She was on her hands and knee’s gasping at the pain in her legs. She kept hearing popping noises and thought maybe her bones were just breaking apart. God, why won’t he shut up.
“Shut … up…. Now,” she was gritting out between muscles that were going into spasms.
Nothing could have shocked him more. He looked at her, there she was in more pain that most can stand and she was yelling at him to shut up. He smiled. She was strong.
Speaking louder this time he attempted to try to guide her through the shifting. She had to be scared all to hell.
“Honey, the pain will travel up your body, just let it flow through you. Accept it. It will go much easier if …..” he stopped as she turned and snarled at him.
“SHUT UP GOD DAMN YOU!!!” She lunged at him and as she did she fully shifted. The instant pain brought her down and knocked her to her side. She laid there panting, her eyes finally wide with fear in them.
She was beautiful. Not as big as the shifters he had come across. A small version of what he usually see’s but still bigger than any large wolf. Her fur was stunning. A chocolate brown with streaks of different shades of red and gold running through it. Dark reds and gold’s blending in with medium and lighter shades. He was amazed. He wasn’t sure how she would react if he walked over to her. In human form he was much more vulnerable, thou he could still heal quite fast.
He took a chance and slowly walked to her. Talking softly as he did.
“Lydia, it’s Jared. It’s just me walking towards you. No one else, no one will hurt you,” he talked softly as he knelt at her back. If she got the urge to snap at him he could easily avoid it being behind her.
Staring at her chest heaving with pain and exertion all he wanted to do was bury his fingers into that rich fur.
“I’m going to check you over really quick. I need to make sure you shifted fully and that you are all right.” He gently put his hand on the top of her head. He buried his fingers into the fur there. God it was so soft and thick. It felt like running his fingers through hundreds of silken threads. Pure bliss. His fingertips tingled and ached just touching her like this.
She was lying on her side. Well she thought she was lying on her side. It didn’t feel like her side. It didn’t feel like her at all. She felt different, everything was different. Her entire body was shaking in agony. For a split second when she tried to lunge at Jared it was blinding. She saw what looked like a flash.
God she hurt so badly. She didn’t even want to try to move. Her legs felt like they were on fire. And her arms, where were her god damn arms? She knew they were there, she felt them but…they weren’t arms. She was trying to look around but even moving her eyes hurt. Breathing hurt. But she didn’t have a choice there she had to breathe she felt like she was suffocating. Her chest was heaving as her body tried to take in enough to satisfy it. She heard Jared talking then. Saying something to her. She couldn’t quite make it out, the pain was still flooding her body making it hard for her to concentrate on anything but controlling her breathing.
She felt pressure on her scalp. It didn’t hurt but it didn’t make anything better. She attempted to tell him to stop and let her be for a while but all that came out was a soft whine. What the hell was that?
Jared heard the low whine. He knew she was in pain. But the tests had to be done and he knew they had to be done quickly.
“Doc get in here and get this over with quick. I don’t know how long she’ll be down for. I can’t believe how fast she did that her first time,” he said in astonishment.
The door unlocked and Dr.Carnope along with his team came in with an assortment of gadgets and devices.
Lydia had closed her eyes in hopes that she could try to just focus on breathing. God but it was hard. She didn’t feel like she could get enough.
She blocked out all other sounds and didn’t feel the needles or probes or the few fur samples they took. Nothing but focusing on the breathing. Breathe in, breathe out. Just like that, slow deep breathes. She wasn’t sure how long she lay there for. Minutes, hours, days. She felt herself slowly awakening. She no longer felt the breathtaking pain, but just a dull throbbing in her muscles now. Breathing seemed much easier, thou still a heavy feeling. She wondered if she was dreaming before. Some horrible nightmare.
She stretched herself trying to work out the throbbing in her muscles and joints. God she felt like she got hit by a truck. She felt the familiar aching starting in, but it wasn’t so bad now. She took in a few deep breathes and tried to sit up.
What the hell? Ok that didn’t work. Good god what was wrong with her? She opened her eyes. She was laying on her side still, as she focused she saw odd lines just out of view. Weird, she didn’t remember having any lined wallpaper in her house. She blinked a few times. Closed her eyes tight then reopened them. Hmm still a bit blurry. Well let’s try moving the head, she thought.
Jared watched through the invisible glass walls. He was about to enter when he saw her trying to get up. Her brain hadn’t processed the fact that she couldn’t move like she used to. Now she was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He smiled. Yes she was strong. Most Shifters were in training for months before they finally shifted and got control of their bodies.
“Doc open the door,” he said with a grin.
“Jared wait a sec, I found some rather remarkable things already,” Dr. Carnope told him.
Jared thought he sounded like a giddy college kid. Great, he was eager to go back in and try to help her cope with things. Eager, hell he had hardly slept. He hadn’t left the room at all, he sat in one of the chairs outside the control room. He had nodded off always waking up throughout the day and night making sure she was ok.
Jared sighed, “What did you find?”
“She already has remarkable regenerative abilities. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was up and walking around within the next few hours.” He was talking rapidly. He was so excited but he had to keep a lid on it. He didn’t want any information getting out just yet.
The Dr.’s voice lowered dramatically, “I also found some other properties that were very surprising. Markers in her blood and DNA samples we took.”
Jared could see the energy in the doctor. He was practically bouncing around, but he also saw the force he was using to keep himself reigned in.
“She has what looks like remarkable structures within her DNA,” he talked quickly now,” I didn’t understand it at first. I compared it to other female Shifter DNA and none of it matched. I saw none in any others. We need to run more tests,” he paused again and his voice lowered even more, “and we may want to keep quiet until we can figure out what it is.”
Jared tried to absorb this latest piece of information.
He walked to the door and told the guard to let him in. The bolts slid open and the door swung in. Jared walked into the control room.
She was getting angry. Why the hell couldn’t she move right? God damn it she could only pick up her head and even then she couldn’t see far. Everything was fuzzy. God damn it to hell. She heard a growl and tried to look around. She could lift her head but she couldn’t move it around. She had to keep it lying on the floor and tip it up. She couldn’t see anything. What the hell kept growling? She heard the scraping of what sounded like a door opening. Then it sounded like it shut again.
She had to be drugged. She saw no other reason why she couldn’t move her god damn arms and legs. There was the growling again. What the hell was that. If something was going to have her for dinner then they had best get it over with.
Jared walked behind her again kneeling at her shoulders. God she was even more beautiful that he remembered she was the day before.
He watched her, trying to get a sense for how she was feeling. He felt some pain, but more like a dull ache. She was still trying to focus on letting her body adjust to breathing differently. He felt frustration from her too. He saw her pick her head up again. She was trying to move already. Yes very strong. She would lay it back down and then move it up or down to try to look around. Her muscles weren’t quite used to the change yet.
“Lydia, honey, it’s Jared. Don’t be alarmed.” He spoke softly making sure he didn’t startle her. He heard her growl, low in her chest. It vibrated throughout her body.
“I’m not going to hurt you, I’m going to try to help you understand what’s going on,” he said in a soft voice.
She could hear him, he was behind her. Heard the words clearly, god how she wanted to tell him to go to hell, but all she heard when she tried was more growling. God damn it all was it her doing all that growling? It couldn’t be her, why would she be growling?
She heard him explaining some stuff about something called shifting. That she was a Shifter. That right now she was in her shifted form. God what a lunatic, what was he talking about? She heard him say something about running his hands over her body so she could feel.
What?! She didn’t think so! Did that man think he could cop a feel while she was laying here drugged? Oh no, she didn’t think so! She tried to tell him such and again that damn growling. Well so be it let her growl at least she could convey her anger.
Jared didn’t think she would like hearing that, he chuckled to himself. He started by burying his fingers into the soft fur at the top of her head. He ran them through and up to her ears. The stroked around them then slowly and gently ran his fingers down the side of her neck. He moved them to the back of her neck and ran them back up and to her right ear again. God it was exquisite. It was like rubbing hundreds of threads of silk along and through his fingers. It felt so good, it almost hurt. He slid his fingers back up to her ear and then instead of back down her neck, he ran it around her head and under her jaw. He stroked there for a moment then slowly slid them back down her jaw and down the front of her neck this time to her chest.
Lydia didn’t know what was happening. She felt his fingers, felt the pressure. But she felt something else too. She felt like he was running his fingers through her hair… but her hair was all over. She felt when he touched her ear, it was longer somehow. It tickled a bit there too. She felt him slide his fingers down her neck, so much longer feeling that it used to. Back up his fingers slid, up the back of her neck, back to her ear then down and around to her jaw. But his fingers kept going. Running through hair that she had all over, he was stroking her jaw now. God it felt good. She felt her muscles ease with the caresses. But she felt how her body felt now. Through his hands. With that realization she lifted her head and finally looked down at herself.
Good god, was that a bear laying on her?! Why wasn’t someone moving it? She felt Jared’s hands sliding over he back. Oh god it felt wickedly hot. His fingers were starting to make her skin burn now. She set her head back down and moaned. Thou it came out as a low whining sound.
So good, oh god, so good, she thought. His hand reached her behind. But it felt different. She concentrated on his hands. He was moving them down her leg slightly then she felt them running up her side. She shivered at the touch. Oh please don’t let him stop.
Jared felt her flinching at his touch. He knew it was easing her. Felt her relaxing. Felt her pleasure. He also still felt her confusion. She was beginning to understand, but still not fully. She had recovered faster than any Shifter he had ever encountered. An hour and a half he had been stroking her. Running his fingers along her bones, through her silken fur. When he felt her relax he would move further. He was running his hand up the side of her now and felt her skin flinching. He knew it wasn’t hurting her.
Lydia lifted her head again. At least she was able to move that around easier. The blurriness was easing just a little. But she still couldn’t see more than ten feet away. She looked down again as she felt Jared’s fingers running along her spine again. Good god, never did she want him to stop. Feeling him run his fingers along her back felt so damn good. She looked down as she felt him move his fingers down her leg again and back up her side. But what she saw was Jared’s fingers running up the bear’s side. What the god damn hell?
She growled and stretched her leg. Oh my god. This isn’t a bear it’s me. This is me. What the hell? What the fucking hell!
Her awareness hit her with a sharp sting. Jared was rubbing her. She was this thing. Oh god, how in the hell? She was jerking now, trying to get control over her foreign limbs. Bloody hell, she was a god damn bear or something. Oh it was his fault!!. His! Oh yes he will pay for this.
Jared realized she was aware now. She was fighting to stand. He stood up and stepped back a few feet. Then he knelt down again knowing it may take a while longer. Just watching her move was torture. She was so damn exquisite. He couldn’t think of any other word. What took most Shifters months to do, she was doing in mere hours. Strong, determined. She’ll be a force to be reckoned with, if she didn’t kill him first, he grinned.
Oh fuck. She could walk on two feet, how was four any different. Ok she could move her head. Quite well now. Except she couldn’t see behind her. She knew he was back there watching her. Probably laughing. But she couldn’t swing her head around or back far enough to see.
Ok head was moving. Check. She tried to think of a dog. He had said something about canine’s which dogs were.
She supposed her two front legs had to come next. She lay back down and focused on her front legs now. Willing them to move she focused. Ok maybe not both, let’s try the right. She tensed the muscles in her neck. Feeling the movement, the jerking movement. She focused and tried to concentrate on the chest and shoulder muscles. They were attached to her neck. She could surely move that too.
Focus girl focus!! Moving isn’t hard!!
She felt the flicker of the muscles there. The long sinewy, power in them. She lifted her head again and managed to move her shoulders as well now. Ok well there we go. Head, neck and shoulders. Check. Now she had the pattern down. Concentrate on the next set of muscles. Her shoulder and chest muscles connected to her front legs. Ok Concentrate, come on you can do this. She focused again on the long muscles in her front legs. The strength, the power, the feel of them. Oh yes! There we go look! Look I got them moving. Yes!! Take that you bastard! I’ll be up in no time, ready to maul your ass. She smirked.
Jared sat watching her. In less than two hours she had control of almost the entire front portion of her body. Amazing. Simply amazing.
“Jared she’s going to need to eat soon. She’s had nothing for almost two days. To be honest I’m really not sure how she’s moving right now, she should be exhausted,” he heard Dr.Carnope’s voice through the intercom.
Jared turned around and nodded at him. God he had been so wrapped up in her struggles to move he totally forgot about feeding. He stood up and walked to the door. He was let out and the door was shut behind him.
Lydia was so pleased with herself. She had gotten control of almost the entire upper portion of this body she was stuck in. She lay back down. Something within her was burning. She noticed it now. It felt like it was in the middle of her body. A horrible aching, burning. But it wasn’t spreading. God now what, she thought. She figured just a little rest. A little rest and she’ll be good to go again. She drifted off to sleep.
Fifteen minutes later Jared walked back in with a plate full of food. Mostly it had meat on it. Shifters needed a lot of protein and fats to keep them going. The shifting part itself was a huge energy drain.
“How is she doing?” He asked. He had grabbed a plate for himself as well, and was planning on eating it with her.
“She fell asleep,” Dr.Carnope looked at her through the bars. “She’s exceptionally strong Jared. I think she wore herself out.” The doctor chuckled. She was feisty, this Shifter was.
“Aww hell she needs to eat. She’s running on empty,” he sighed. He was going to have to wake her up. She’ll be cranky and he’ll have to be very careful with as far as she’s gotten. He wondered if he would have to help her eat.
Lydia felt her mind pushing her awake.
Aww, just a few more minutes. God I am so tired, I feel like I ran through half the country. She felt something at the back of her neck. Mmmmm it felt good.
“Lydia, honey I have food here, you need to eat,” Jared was speaking loudly trying to rouse her. God she was stubborn. He was rubbing the back of her neck trying to stimulate her with touch to wake up.
He put the plate up under her jaw. He was hoping the smell of food would get her up and going again. He glanced down and saw her twitch. He smiled, ah yes here she comes.
Lydia couldn’t deny it, she was hungry. Oh god the burning in her stomach was hunger. Food, she smelled food. She opened her eyes and lay still for a moment. Taking things in again. She couldn’t see very far still and her muscles ached like hell. Well that’s what you get for moving so much, she thought.
Oh but that smell. It smelled like roast beef and potatoes smothered in thick, hot gravy. Oh god she could smell turkey, or maybe it was chicken. Who cares it smelled heavenly. She picked her head up and looked down. Oh the food on the plate! She felt herself drooling. She should be mortified but she didn’t care she tore into the food like it was going to run away. Biting and gulping , some of it she didn’t even chew, she swallowed whole. After she devoured it all she licked the plate. Oh god she was still hungry. She smelled food still. It was here, she knew it. She needed it. She forced herself to a sitting position. Or at least she thought it was.
Oh that smell! It was all consuming. She smelled more roast beef, but fish and something else as well. She didn’t care it smelled delicious.
Jared was sitting in the chair, near the wall of the control room. She had finished her food and was sitting now. God, she was determined. He saw her swing her head around. Looking, he knew she couldn’t see far. Then he saw her raise her jaw into the air. Sniffing, she was sniffing. What he saw amazed him next. She brought her rear to a standing position. His fork was in midair. He was staring in astonishment. He felt the eyes of the doctors as well. No shifter had ever stood that fast. None had even made it to sitting before the three week mark.
Ha! Take that you damn hairy ass body! She was standing and it was glorious. Although she did feel like she was going to flop back over, she was up!
The smell hit her full force making her insides burn again. She looked around trying to figure out from which direction it was coming from. God this was such a pain! She was so hungry. She was getting frustrated again. She heard a pitiful whine coming from her throat. But she didn’t care. She just wanted food. She turned again and looked and saw a blur behind her. But what she saw as well was the aroma of the food. Floating to her from that direction. She lowered her head and slowly turned herself. One paw at a time. Well that’ wasn’t so hard, she thought.
Ok now to make it to the food. She moved her right front paw forward. Ok one down. She moved her back right paw forward. Ok two down. She wobbled then, frightened she was going to topple back over. She kept her self-steady by sheer will. Left front paw. Three down. See this wasn’t so bad. Now just the back left one…. She couldn’t stop it. She felt her front legs giving out.
No!!!!!! She toppled face first onto the floor. No god damn it!! So close! She felt like crying, why the hell was wrong with her. This was completely ridiculous. She always had control over herself. Now she couldn’t even walk.
Jared rushed over to her as she collapsed. He heard her whining. It ripped at his heart. It sounded so much like crying to him. All of her legs looked good. He noticed she kept trying to move her head. He slid his hand under her snout and lifted it up off the floor slightly. He checked to make sure all her teeth were ok. When he did she opened her mouth and licked his hand.
He gazed at her then. She seemed so sad. But he saw something else. Hunger. She was still hungry. By god why didn’t he think about bringing more! That’s what she was after his food, she smelled it.
“Doc bring me up more food,” he yelled never looking away from her.
Lydia was relieved. He knew what she wanted thank god. She was so tired. She could sleep for a week.
Ten minutes later more food was brought up and she ate until she could eat no more. She drank some water, laid back down and fell into a deep sleep.