Staggering up to his feet, Jack checked on Mark. Mark practically dived under the bed and Jack glanced around for anything that Mark left behind. His mind couldn't focus, and his heart was making it hard for him to breathe. His dad knocked loudly, calling out a bit louder. "Jack?!" Stumbling toward the door, Jack answered shakily. "Ya! Just a minute!" Reaching the door, he touched his burning cheeks and tried to calm himself down. Unlatching the door, Jack opened it. His parents looked him over with their eyes with slight suspicion. Closing the door, his dad asked him curiously. "What were you doing?" Jack gestured to the kitchen, answering as honestly as he could. "Eating. I thought you weren't coming home until late..." His dad rolled his eyes, chuckling out. "What are you talking about? It is late." Jack averted his face and blushed a little. Time really did fly when he was having fun. From the kitchen his mom suddenly asked him with concern. "Jack...? Did you have someone over? Why are there two place settings?" Jack hesitated to answer as they turned to look at him, pressuring him to mumble out. "I was... Talking to myself. Trying to take dad's advice about thinking everything over." His mom stared at him for a long moment but asked lightly. "You do that often?"
Feeling a bit defensive now, he crossed his arms over his chest and blurted out in a heartbroken tone. "Only recently. It helps me think." His dad chuckled, wandering through the living room as he said aloud. "In my day, we just used mirrors." His mom waved it off, then pointed to the dishes as she told Jack seriously. "We'll clean up after yourself. Your father and I would like to eat." Rushing over to the small table, Jack quickly cleaned up the dishes that Mark and himself had used. Setting them in the sink, he set the table for his parents. Pouring them bowls of soup and cutting slices of bread for them, he asked a bit reluctantly. "So...? How did it go?" His mom took a seat, excitedly recalling. "Wonderful! You know, for once I think things are looking up for us. Such a lovely family and you should see their house!" His dad stoked the fire, then asked Jack a bit perplexed. "Did you clean this?" Jack stiffened, mumbling out nervously. "Yes. Why?" Crossing his arms, his dad asked him suspiciously. "Alright. What do you want?" Jack shrugged innocently, prompting his dad to state out. "Don't pull that bullshit with me. You only ever clean shite when you want something. What is it?"
Jack moved away from the table, saying a bit uneasily. "Nothing. I just felt like... trying to help. I mean, I was missing for a bit, and I missed some chores so... I just felt bad." His dad walked up beside him, telling him a bit discreetly. "If you did this to try and talk us out of this wedding arrangement. It's not happening. Do you understand?" Jack nodded grimly. His dad patting his back, before joining his wife at the dinner table. Jack started to go to the ladder, when his asked him. "Jack...? Did you do something to the soup? It tastes... different." Jack gave her a small smile, answering openly. "Ya. Put in a different herb." Gesturing upstairs, he told them grimly. "I'm going to lay down. It's late." Jack only got half-way up the ladder, when his mom called out to him. "Oh! Before I forget! Jack, tomorrow. I want you to spend some time with Charlotte. Maybe make her something. We want to keep her happy." As broken as his heart felt, he nodded and finished climbing up. Reaching the top, he moved to grab the curtain to divide his room from the rest of the house. He normally only closed it to change, but today he just wanted to block out the light from downstairs.
Hooking the curtain closed, his listened to his mother whisper to his dad. "I don't understand. Why isn't he happy? Did you say something to him?" His dad whispered back just as concerned. "I've done nothing. I just don't know what's wrong with him. He's been acting so strange lately. I'm worried he has an unhealthy attachment to my mother..." His mom chuckled, whispering back hopefully. "Let's hope that Charlotte can fix that." Putting his head to the curtain, Jack tried to block out their words. He didn't want to feel like a disappointment but nothing about himself made sense. He sighed heavily, trying to fight off the tears that wanted to fall. Composing himself, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it off himself. Tossing it to the floor, he kicked off his boots and started to unlace his pants, until warm hands touched his shoulders. Jumping, Jack jerked his hands up to cover his chest as he looked over his shoulder. Mark stood so close, staring at him with such deep gentle eyes in the starlight that streamed in from his window. Turning around to face him, Mark brought his forehead to his and asked in a low whisper. "Are you ok?" Jack nodded shakily, but then started to shake his head as he bowed it to look at the floor between them.
Mark trailed the backs of his fingers up Jack's arms and over his shoulders before cupping his neck so lovingly. Lifting his head to look at him, Jack felt a single tear run down his cheek. He was losing the fight with himself. His emotions filling him with painful emotions to back the words his mind tormented him with. Mark's thumb brushed the tear away, before he leaned in slowly to bring his lips closer to his. He stopped just before his lips, hesitating to kiss him. For a moment, Jack saw Mark's eyes go from human to a wolf and realized why he had stopped. However, he didn't want him too. Grabbing Mark's shirt in his shaking hands, he pulled him closer to encourage him to keep going. He wasn't afraid of him. He needed the comfort Mark was offering. Mark got the hint, pressing his lips to his in a tender kiss. Jack's hands slid up Mark's chest, wrapping his arms around his neck to hold him closer. Mark's arms wrapped around Jack's back, his fingers running up his spine to hold him just as close. When Mark ended the kiss, he whispered over Jack's lips so beautifully. "Jack... Run away with me. Tonight." Jack bit his lip, before mumbling out to him timidly. "I can't..."
Mark put his hands on Jack's face, pleading with him. "Let me take you away from here before it's too late." Jack backed up to press his back to the wall, whispering back anxiously. "I don't know..." Taking his wrists, Mark whispered a bit desperately to him. "Jack, please. Come with me? You don't want to go down this road. I don't want you to... Let me take you away." Jack looked to the curtain, listening to the light clinking of glass from downstairs. Feeling lost within himself, he asked Mark so softly. "Take me where?" Mark turned his chin to look at him, before whispering seriously. "Anywhere. Just... let me take you there." Jack smirked a little, before whispering coolly. "I don't know, Mark... I trusted you before... I-" Jack stopped talking, watching Mark wince and grab his stomach. Jack reached out for him, but Mark backed away from him quickly. Falling to all fours, Mark started breathing harder. Jerking his head to look at the window, Jack gasped. A dark cloud was moving to reveal a bright full moon. Below, Jack's dad asked loudly. "Jack?! Are you alright?" Jack stood frozen but called out. "YA! I'm fine!"
Mark's breathing turned into deep growls as his body started to grow thick fur and change. Mark's ears changed to large wolf ears and his teeth started to grow out into canines. Jack could barely breathe as he watched Mark's clothes tear at the seams to allow his furry muscles to expand. His plaid shirt turning into a plaid vest as buttons popped off and the sleeves tore free of his arms. His pants split up the seams, until he wiggled out of them to allow his long bushy tail to sway freely behind him. Mark grew in size until he towered over Jack on his hind legs. Mark stretched, his joints popping and cracking as his body adjusted and settled. Jack swallowed, his eyes looking over Mark's gorgeous chocolate brown fur and docile looking wolf face despite his bright yellow eyes giving him a slightly sinister look. Lowering back down to all fours, Mark hung his head and panted heavily. The transformation took a lot out of him. Even on all fours, Mark was as tall as horse! Jack was fascinated by how Mark looked like just a really large wolf on all fours. Yet, when he was on his hind legs it was easier to see his human features. Below, his dad rushed to the ladder, calling out. "Jack?! What's going on?!"
Jack grabbed his cloak and tossed it over Mark in a panic. Mark flinched, dropping to lay on the floor. Rushing to the bed, Jack pushed his blankets off to try covering him, just as his dad yanked the curtain back. Keeping still on all fours on the bed, Jack weakly blurted out. "Something wrong, Da?" His dad gripped his gun tighter, asking uneasily as he looked around. "Jack...? What are you doing up here?" Jack panted a bit too hard, when he gestured to the window and said nervously. "The moon. It startled me." His dad looked over the bed, pointing with his gun to the pile of blankets as he asked. "How did those get there...?" Jack inched closer to the blankets, chuckling out. "Tossed them off. I'm fine, Da." His dad moved up to the blankets quickly, prompting Jack to hop off the bed to cut him off. Averting his face from his dad, he told him seriously. "Dad. Please. I'm fine." His dad stared him down, then shoved Jack to the bed and yanked off the blankets. Jack yelled for him to stop, getting back up to push his dad away. The damage was done though. As the blankets came free, Mark lifted his head, peeking from under the red hood. His dad gasped, staggering back as he blurted out. "Oh my god!"
Below, Jack's mother screamed as Mark slowly rose onto all fours. His dad raised his gun to shoot, but Jack grabbed the barrel and pointed it up as it went off with a loud 'BANG'! Shoving his dad to the ground, Jack whirled around and yelled out. "MARK, RUN!" Mark whined but jumped onto the bed and broke throw the shutters of the window. Landing on the roof, Mark looked back into the room and Jack's heart went with him. Another gunshot went off outside and Mark flinched, running off the roof. Fear gripped Jack, until he rushed to pull on his boots and grabbed his cloak. Stuffing a few things into his basket, he bolted for the door. His dad tried to stop him, but Jack risked jumping from the second floor to avoid him. Landing roughly, Jack rolled across the floor, before running for the front door. His mom almost grabbed his arm, until he leapt off the porch and into the snow. The neighbors all peeked out or boarded themselves in as the patrolmen ran toward his house. Running out around the house, he tried to find Mark to make sure that he made it out. Finding his pawprints in the snow, Jack skidded to a stop to see where he was headed. Only to hear a soft 'click' behind him.
Whirling around, he saw Geralf's man aim a gun at him with a smug expression. Jack only had time to gasp as the man pulled the trigger. From the shadows, a large form slammed into the man knocking him to the ground and causing the bullet to splinter the wooden post over Jack's shoulder. Jack took a step back but smiled as he smiled out. "Mark." Mark flashed him a wolfish grin, before running toward him. Jack turned to run with him, trying to lead him out by peeking around corners for him. Jack led him all the way out across one of the crop fields, when people began to open fire on them. Mark hopped over crops and zig-zagged to avoid getting hit. Jack ducked, trying to seek cover behind dirt carts and plows left out in the large field. Getting pinned down behind a cart, Jack yelled out to Mark. "GO!" Mark made it behind the barn but stopped to look back at him with a concerned expression. Jack flinched as crops blasted apart and rained down over him, but he couldn't go anywhere. The gap to the barn was too far. A horse thundered out across the field, the gunfire lightening up as the hunter rode up around the cart. Pointing his gun at him, the hunter yelled out. "Where is the wolf?!"
Smirking, Jack told him honestly. "Behind you." The horse reared as Mark slammed into it, knocking both the horse and rider to the ground. Mark reached out for him, and Jack made a split second decision as more horsemen started to race out across the field. Hopping onto Mark's back, Mark let out a growl and dashed off toward the wall. The hunters opened up fire again as they rode after them. Reaching the wall, Mark tried to jump it. His claws dug into the wood, but he could only make it half-way before sliding back down. Falling to the ground, Jack yelped and held on for sear life as Mark dashed off it another section of the wall before the hunters could reload on him. Unable to jump it, Mark sought out the stairs to get up on the wall to possibly jump off, but every stairway was flooding with hunters that fired at them! Mark retreated, running along the wall and searching for the sneak hole that he'd made. Jack ducked and yelped as bullets and crossbow bolts wheezed over him a little too close for comfort. Reaching the spot, Mark clawed the ground to stop himself, lunging at the door to dig in a panic to try and destroy it off the hinges to get out.
The hunters on the wall rushed to the nearby stairs to load their weapons to aim at Mark. Jack thought fast, sliding off Mark to yank out a crossbow bolt from the wall. Snapping off the end and slicing his palm back open with the metal tip, he threw it at them. The blood soaked metal tip began to shine a bright blue and as it impaled into the wood at their feet, a bright blue light shined through the cracks of the wooden boards. The men stumbled and scrambled away in fright; unsure what Jack hand done. Jack removed another bolt and turned to face Geralf and his men with their weapons training on them. Mark kept digging, while Geralf yelled out. "Jack. Think about what you are doing. We had a deal." Jack nodded, retorting seriously. "We did... and now we don't!" Jack picked up a snowball with his bleeding hand, letting his blood soak it before through it at Geralf. Geralf's gun went off, before the glowing snowball hit his chest. As the snowball burst against his armor, it sent out a powerful pulse that knocked Geralf and his men off their horses. Resulting in the horses stumbling and bolting. Jack smiled, then felt a burning sting in his side and looked down.
Blood was running down his side from a bullet hole in his side. Putting his hand to his side, his legs gave out beneath him from shock. He'd been shot. Mark finally busted the hatch, turning to look at him. Seeing him in distress, Mark whined and moved closer to try and get him to climb onto him. Jack didn't want to move but knew he couldn't stay. Crying out in pain, he grabbed Mark's neck and climbed onto his back. His side protesting until he was yelling in pain. Mark crawled out the hole and slid down into the ditch, before snarling aggressively. Jack looked up to see a bunch of werewolves standing around and staring at them. A large light brown werewolf stepped forward, but at the sounds of gunshots, it flinched and barked at the others. Mark understood and leapt from the ditch to follow it, while a few werewolves stayed behind to cover them. Jack couldn't tell if he'd made another grave mistake in trusting Mark. To Be Continued...