CHAPTER 20
My head bolted up, and I sucked in air, waking up groggy as fuck.
I winced at the throb in my head and squinted my sore eyes. The morning sun was harsh as it pierced my blurred vision. I blinked and found myself resting on the couch in the living room. My shirt was off, and I was in my vest and jeans. I glanced at my upper arm, it was cleaned and neatly bandaged. Something damp and cold settled on my forehead and my fingers reached for it. It was a small face rag I pulled off my face. I shifted my body and moaned out in discomfort. My muscles and internal organs felt like it been through hell. My clothes were damp from sweat, yet I oddly shivered.
I groaned as my eyes scanned around the place. A small bowl of water sat beside me on a side table, and I dropped the face rag into it. The living room was empty, except for Alice sleeping at the edge of the couch, still in last night's clothes. She sat on the floor, her head cradled in her arms on the couch.
"What the hell happened?" I grumbled.
Alice fluttered her sleepy eyes open and noticed me awake. Suddenly, her eyes were wide alert. "Zoey... oh my gosh, you're okay," she squealed. "I was so worried," she said and crawled closer. "I thought I was going to lose you. You had such a terrible night."
I frowned. Remembering nothing.
Alice noticed my puzzled expression. "You were restless throughout the night and burning up like crazy. You were falling in and out of consciousness, you were struggling to breathe. I tried to cool you down as much as I could. Only the last hour your breathing became steady again," she explained.
"Shit, I can't remember last night." I admitted and tried to get up, but I winced from all the muscle spasms.
"Careful," Alice said, easing me up on the couch in a sitting position. "You had a rough night; your body went through shit."
"Yeah, but at least I feel much stronger today." I swallowed and my throat was dry. My thick saliva grating down my throat. "Water?" I said. "I need water."
"You must be thirsty. Wait here." Alice said, jumping up from the couch and hurried to the kitchen.
I laid my head back against the sofa and breathed in deeply the air, filling up my lungs. It felt good. But I was far from okay. An underlining heat infiltrated beneath my skin and deep in my chest. Like heart burn but more severe that travelled low down my abdomen.
"Fuck," I hissed. "What the hell is wrong with me?"
"You made it."
I lifted my eyes and saw Zack grinning, munching down an apple. "Good job, Miss Fragile," he said, and his smile dropped. "Oh shit, that reminds me. I lost the fucking bet to Mike. Damn!" he grumbled and walked past.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Yeah, I'm alive, assholes." I mumbled and rubbed the side of my temple.
Alice rushed into the living room and passed me a full glass of cool water. "Thanks," I said gratefully and grabbed it, slugging it down in four gulps. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was. The cool water relieved me, but the scorching heat was creeping quickly up my spine.
"I need to get to a doctor," I mumbled.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible." I lifted my eyes above the rim of the glass and watched Faye walk in with a faint smile and sat down next to me. "A doctor won't be able to help you." She moved her long, silky russet hair to the side of her face. "Let me see," she said, glancing at my bandaged arm with caring eyes.
I nodded and extended my left arm. Faye unraveled the white dressing as Alice looked on curiously. I swallowed and frowned as the last of the dressing was removed. My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat.
The once lightly scratched bite looked infected and diseased. The wound was darker, with blackened veins creeping out like an infested plant vine.
"What the hell..." I whispered. "What is this? Fucking gangrene?!" I asked, scramming up to my feet in shock, staring at my arm with my face in distress.
Faye stood up and Alice darted her eyes in anxiousness. "Calm down, Zoey. It's natural that your wound would take effect like this."
"Natural? There's nothing natural about this." I shook my head in a panic. "Shouldn't I see a doctor?" I asked desperately. They couldn't keep me from one, could they?
Faye shook her head. "I told you, there's nothing any human doctor can do. We must let nature take its course... if it's in your fate," she sighed and held my shoulders. Her touch was firm yet warm. "It's up to the moon goddess now," she said with a sympathetic smile. "Your first shift will be more aggressive since the full moon is so close. But who knows, maybe luck will be on your side and the moon won't show up."
I cringed my eyes. Absorbing what she said as she strolled to the kitchen. But only one thing came into mind... I needed medical help!
"I need to get to a doctor, Alice." I whispered.
"But they said you can't leave," she whispered in return. "Our doctors can't help."
"How do you know that for sure?" I said. "I can't take their word for it. Did you see my arm? It looks like death bit into it!"
"Do you know what this means?" Alice murmured, inching close. But I didn't pay attention. "You're going to turn into a werewolf."
I spun around, facing her. "No, I am not!" I snapped. "I don't care what the hell they have to say. I deal with fucking science, and this needs medical attention. It's fucking rabies!" I blurted and marched out of the living room, dashing up the steps to my bedroom.
Once inside, I shut the door. But something felt strange. I hadn't noticed at first, but then it hit me. No brace was on my left foot. I didn't grab my crutch. I dropped my head to my ankle. It felt much better — stronger. There was a slight tinge in my muscle but healed enough to walk without a limp.
I lifted my left ankle and gave it a twirl. It felt great! I raised my brow, impressed.
"I guess my ankle is good now... fucking finally," I muttered.
But now I faced another injury, my damn arm. If Alice won't help me, I need to help myself. These people refused to let me leave and forced me to do the only thing I could think of before it was too late. I walked into the bathroom and pulled out a clean bandage and wrapped it around my arm with a grimace.
"Shit," I huffed and opened the faucet, splashing my face with the cool water. I hovered over the sink, leaning my arms against the ceramic. I grasped my toothbrush as my tongue grazed my teeth. But my tongue stopped at my right canine, feeling the tip of my tooth. It was sharp and pointy. Instantly, I examined it in the mirror. Both canines appeared abnormally longer. I blinked and shook my head. My brain playing fucking tricks on me.
After brushing my teeth quickly, I sauntered to the window, rubbing my arms from agitation. The pack ground was bustling with activity and my gaze wandered to the tall, thick trees of the forest.
I needed to wait till nightfall.
***
It was 11:10 pm and the day finally ended. I sat at the edge of the mattress of my dimly lit bedroom. I bounced my knees and stared at my watch, gripping the ripped sheets tightly that I made into a make-shift rope. The patrolling deltas should pass their watch area in five minutes, and that was my chance to slip through into the forest. I studied their movements enough over the past two weeks, and their patrol regime was exactly the same. Every fifteen minutes, they stop and move along the borders.
I stood up from my bed and checked the deltas stroll along the edge of the woods. The main house was quiet. Everyone was in their bedrooms, except for Zack fooling around downstairs in the living room with a female from the pack.
I glanced at my watch; the fifteen minutes were up. I paced nervously up and down until the patrolling deltas moved out of sight, leaving me a gap to escape. I grabbed my packed backpack and slid the window carefully open. With a sigh of anxiousness, I looked at the dizzying drop below. The house lights shone across the ground I needed to land on.
I sucked in a fearful breath, wishing I could walk through the front doors. But these wolves would probably smell me leaving. This was the only way. I grabbed the make-shift rope and threw it outside my window. Sweat beaded from my forehead as the heat succumbed me once again. I breathed in and out, steadying myself. I couldn't allow a recap of last night.
Gripping the makeshift rope tightly, I tied one end to the window frame and secured it with a tight knot. Double checking its security, I took a deep breath, readying myself for the daring descent.
As I lowered myself out of the window, I took a moment to steady my shaking hands before resuming my escape plan. The cool night air breeze was soothing on my heated face as I climbed cautiously down the improvised rope.
"Ok, Zoey..." I gulped. "You can do this shit," I assured myself. My eyes dropped to the ground that was still a distance away. I forced myself lower. Suddenly a knot unraveled, making the rope slip through my fingers, causing me to lose my balance. I hung in the air for a moment, my heart stopping, until I managed to grab onto a nearby gutter, my body dangling precariously.
My heart pounded in my ears as I clenched my teeth, desperately searching for a way to regain my damn footing.
"Fuck," I murmured. I spotted a drainpipe within reach and lunged for it, grasping onto it with all my strength. The pipe shook and groaned under my weight, but it held.
I heard muffled sounds inside and my eyes shut closed, remaining still, hoping I hadn't awakened the wolves.
Nobody came bursting out, and I blew out a held in breath.
With a renewed sense of determination, I slowly climbed, inch by inch, making my way down the drainpipe, feeling the cold metal press against my palms. The adrenaline-fueled minutes passed agonizingly slow as I fought to maintain my grip.
Finally, I reached the ground. My legs shaking with exhaustion and relief. Shit, I took too long as I spotted the patrol making their rounds again. I quickly ran west and disappeared into the forest.
"I can't believe I made it," I murmured with a delightful chuckle. I could get to a fucking hospital now... if I can make it to a road. To civilization. To the human world!
The moon cast an eerie glow upon the dense forest, creating long, haunting shadows that dance among the trees. I walked within the darkness of the woods, my path illuminated only by the beam of my flashlight. I stopped and swallowed hard. This was going to be more difficult than I thought as my eyes darted around the murky woods. I moved forward and every hoot of an owl and rustle of the bush pounded my heart.
I winced, not regretting this decision. My life depended on it.
The further I walked, I trailed to nowhere. With every step, I was getting more and more lost. Yet I couldn't shake the unnerving feeling I was being watched. I tugged at my shirt collar and zipped down my jacket, wanting the cool breeze to hit my scorching skin. I stopped and wiped my burning forehead, but a crack of a twig broke the silence of the night, sending a shiver up my spine. I gripped my flashlight tightly, my heart pounding with fear. I turned cautiously around, a pair of glowing eyes appeared from the shadows, fixed upon me. I took a step back, my flashlight trembling in my hands.
Emerging from behind a large tree a short distance from me, a wolf emerged. Strong, beautiful, and large. Its smooth fur silver grey like a shard of moonlight, its eyes a metallic steel, and its presence exuded untamed power.
"Fuck me," I whispered with my mouth agape. "It's you... the silver wolf from my bedroom window."
My pulse quickened. "Stay back... I don't want any trouble," I said.
The wolf approached slowly, its steps deliberate and calculated. My heart raced.
The silver wolf paused; its intense gaze fixed on me curiously. It lowered its head slightly, its growl growing softer, almost contemplative. My fear ebbed away as I sensed a shift in the creature's demeanor.
"You don't want to hurt me, do you?" I whispered, amazed. "Are you a werewolf?" That meant he was a man, too. The size of the wolf indicated he was male.
The wolf's grey eyes softened, its body language pondering. He took a step forward, closing the distance between us, but stopped just short of me. His enigmatic eyes locked with mine, as if studying my soul.
"Little Miss Fragile?" an obnoxious voice called out in a distance that I recognized as Zack's.
"Zoey?" I heard Mike's faraway voice reverberating through the trees.
I still fixed my gaze on the silver wolf. I took deliberate steps backward, my heart pounding, but my movements purposeful. The wolf watched me intently, a mix of cryptic curiosity.
You better get back...
I blinked.
A voice resounded in my head.
It was a man's voice, smooth and deep, that I didn't recognize. I shook my head. What the fuck was that? This fever making me delusional as fuck. As I retreated to where the twins were, the silver wolf remained rooted to the spot, its eyes tracking my departure.
"Come out, come out wherever you are, or I'll huff and puff and come and eat you up," Zack chanted with a rumble of chuckles. I rolled my eyes as the twins approached behind me, coming into view. There was no point in running anymore.
"Look who sneaked out of her bedroom and ran away," Mike chuckled. "That's naughty."
"Whatever, okay. You found me. Big deal," I said and glanced back. The silver wolf was gone. I scrunched my eyes.
"What are we looking at?" Zack whispered in my ear, and I jerked back, not expecting him so close.
"There was a... a," I faltered. Wanting the secret of the silver wolf to lie only with me.
"A what?" Mike said with a raised brow.
I shook my head. "Nothing,"
"Oh boy." Mike shook his head and grabbed my arm. "That Lupine fever has got you bad, huh?"
"Listen here, I'm going to the doctor, and I would appreciate your boy's help in getting me there tonight!" I demanded, shimming my arm out of Mike's forceful grip.
"Not this again," Zack said with folded arms. "How many times do you need to hear 'No'?"
"I might have fucking rabies, Zack!" I yelled.
Mike laughed. "Believe me, you got something way worse." His eyes lifted to the moon glowing silently above us, and a devilish smirk thwarted his face. "And the full moon reveals itself tomorrow."
"Enough of this," Zack grunted and moved forward, swooping me up abruptly over his shoulder. "I was in a middle of getting it on when you cock-blocked me!" he groaned and walked alongside Mike.
"Put me down, you caveman!" I shouted, clubbing his back with my arms, but it was no use.
"Babe, I'm a freaking wolf,' he teased, bumping me up on his shoulder.
"I need a fucking tetanus shot!" I yelled as they dragged me back to the main house.
Thank you for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far:)