My body felt weak from fatigue, 'Food!' It cried, 'Eat!' When was the last time that I had eaten? They should have food in the kitchen shouldn't they? The thought of it made my stomach turn. Nothing sounded appealing to my taste buds, but my body craved nourishment. My mouth watered uncontrollably and my teeth begged me to allow them to sink into something. 'Eat!' My body pleaded again and again. Grinding my teeth together, I prayed for this feeling to go away. By now, my whole body was beginning to react. My breaths and pulse increased in speed, my nails dug into the carpet.
"Stop." I groaned quietly rolling onto my stomach, my face flat on the floor. This feeling was driving me crazy, I felt out of control, desperate. My fangs slid out from my gums, tingling and aching. "Stop!" My claws tore at the fabric beneath me. I looked up to see a pair of boots standing a few feet away. I smelled Luke, but my mind was focused on something else he had with him. Whatever it was drove my senses wild.
"Look at you, it's so pitiful. You want this?" He lowered the piece of raw meat, dangling it just out of my reach. 'I want it!' My body cried, but my soul refused to accept anything from him. "Why are you fighting it? Go on, take it." Luke all but shoved it in my face. Slapping his hand away, I crawled back and hid behind a pew. My hunger pains that had begun as small cramps got worse so I curled up, trying to ease the constant stabbing.
"I won't." I growled, rocking back and forth. The moonlight shone in through the stained glass windows, a scene of angels flying around. What's going on with me?!
"If you don't eat the pain will only get worse until it really drives you into a corner." Emerald eyes walked up to me and crouched down. "You didn't feed out there did you? Eat this or you'll be forced to hunt and I'll really have to kill you." His eyes alone commanded me.
"Why am I like this?" My tired jaws clenched together in my fight to resist. The question had obviously caught him off guard, but his stone face returned a moment later as he shoved he raw steak into my face. I tried backing away but his free hand pushed my head forward sandwiching me to my meal. 'I can't! I won't! No!' The smell was overwhelming, my stomach punished me for continuing to refuse. 'I can't take this much longer!'
"Fay! Fay! Fay!" The girls' shrieks in my ear were head piercing; they continued giggling excitedly. Their footsteps came quickly but halted a few feet away. "Fay?" Danny's voice was more quiet and soft, but everything still sounded amplified to my ears. My head pounded like a drum that should belong in a heavy metal song and I made the fatal mistake of opening my eyes.
"Gah!" I shielded them as best I could, but in the attempt, I rolled and banged my head against wood.
"Fay!" Mom came running and rolled me over onto my back. I covered my face, blocking any sunlight from burning my eyes again.
"I'm fine." I managed to slip the words through my teeth. "I just have a really bad headache." Another pair of footsteps approached while my mom helped me sit up.
"Would have brought this sooner, but taking care of mutts isn't normally on my to-do list so I guess it just slipped my mind."
"Thank-"Mom began as if she was receiving whatever he brought, but I don't think he gave it to her.
"Open your eyes." Emerald ordered.
"I can't" I growled. First he calls me mutt, then he starts barking orders? Who does he think he is?!
"Open them!" He repeated. They obeyed, blinking several times to adjust to the vivid colors that exploded in my face.
"What happened to you?!" Mom's face was washed with alarm as were my sisters', Luke was just as stone faced as ever. "Were you bleeding last night or something?"
"What are you talking about? I told you last night I don't remember what happened!"
"But now there's more blood on your face!"
"What?" I sniffed the air and was instantly drowned in its smell. "When did this happen?!" I wiped my face trying to clean it off. I've woken up with drool on my face before, but this was a new one. Luke grabbed my wrist and half dragged half lead me to the closest bathroom. Before my family could enter, Emerald locked the door.
"Hey! Luke open the door!" Mom knocked outside but he ignored her.
"Hurry up and wash your face. The others definitely can't see you like this." I turned on the warm water and went to work scrubbing away the color. My head still ached and all that sudden movement wasn't helping either.
"So this is what a hangover feels like..." I mumbled to myself in the mirror, man did I look ragged.
"It practically is, for beasts who haven't fed in a long time." Luke leaned against the wall.
"Beast? Really?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you doing anyways? I'm a big girl, I can wash up myself thank you."
"Should I call you mutt then?"
"Or you can call me by my name like a normal human being." I suggested, drying my face.
"Your kind doesn't deserve to be treated like human beings." Emerald glared at me coldly.
"My kind?!" I bolted straight up.
"Save the stupid act for your family! You know exactly what I'm talking about." He stormed up to me, stopping only inches away.
"Enlighten me kind sir." My face said happy, my eyes? Exasperation.
"Your feeding frenzy from last night? I almost had to put a muzzle on you to keep you from howling."
"What are you talking about?!" I felt his anger rise as his eyes searched mine for a tell, signaling him that I was just screwing around with him.
"You honestly don't remember?" Luke's volume dropped, his eyebrows furrowed together.
"Don't remember what? All I remember was you trying to kill me, saying goodnight to my sisters, and then...it gets fuzzy..." The more I tried to recall the events of last night, the more uneasy I felt. "What happened to me?"
"I had to feed you before you lost control of yourself."
"Feed me?"
"Meat, hence the blood."
"I ate RAW MEAT?!" He covered my mouth with his hand and listened in the direction of the door.
"Yes, that's all your body would accept during that time. Fay, you're not human, you're a werewolf." Biting back the urge to laugh I stared at Emerald, he was what? Three? Four inches taller than me?
"How old are we again?"
"I'm being serious." He frowned, obviously not as amused as I now was.
"There's no such thing as..." Yes, apparently there is, I witnessed it all myself. "But I'm not..." My voice trailed off again; a mental image of a tail, fangs, and claws momentarily took my mind's eye hostage.
"I don't know why you can't remember, but judging from that look on your face, you've come to accept reality."
"But my family, they're not? Are they?" Luke shook his head while I stepped back, running my hands through my hair.
"They're human, and still unable to See clearly."
"How am I the only one then?" I didn't need to ask. My little sisters and I have different dads. Or maybe I was bitten before and I just don't remember? Isn't that how it usually goes?
"Either a parent or you were turned. If you were turned, all other injuries get healed completely, with no traces, except for the bite."
"So my dad?" If that was true, then why is all this just happening now?"
"Interspecies relationships aren't unheard of, but they're not very common either. Sometimes instincts are too overwhelming, or the family doesn't approve and gets rid of the issue."
"But why now? I've never been like...that."
"Anytime when you've had a blackout in the past can be explained with this. Your wolf nature takes control, your conscious mind doesn't understand or recognize it, and so as self-defense, it makes you forget it. The more you are around your kind, whether you know they're there or not, the more that side comes out."
"But I don't know any other...of my kind..."
"Not consciously perhaps, but every species is drawn to their own, even humans. You might not have realized it, but you've been seeking them out." Luke explained. His temper seemed to have cooled down but he still remained stiff and distant.
"This is insane!" I laughed with disbelief, "Wait how could you tell? Are you?" I narrowed my eyes at him again. Something dark flashed across his eyes.
"No, I'm human, but I can See past the illusion a Nightwalker makes to go undiscovered. It's kind of complicated to explain how someone can See, but usually those who gain this sight are eaten shortly after or die if left unattended. Or in some cases like relationships, the creature allows their partner to See them. Once you notice one, you gradually are able to See the rest."
"So how was it with you?" My curiosity was piqued, I'll admit. Paying more attention, I noticed several scars on him. Some small, others noticeably long.
"After the first time I was attacked, I've had plenty of encounters."
"Wait wait wait! I'm still so lost!" My hands raked through my hair again as I paced back and forth.
"For now, all you need to know is that you're not leaving my sight. Everything else you'll learn as you go. Now come on, you made me late for breakfast." Following my warden back through the chapel, I made a few observations. First, everything was nearly spotless in here. Dusted, polished, and vacuumed, the whole nine yards. Second, Luke never gave me the painkillers for my headache, but I wasn't about to ask him for them now. And thirdly, he was inked, but I couldn't tell what it was.
"Good morning!" Evelyn stacked some dirty dishes in the sink. "There's breakfast made to heat up after you shower. We brought some clothes you can look through and see what fits, they're in your sisters' room." I blinked taken aback by how normal the scene before me seemed. Evelyn's group and my family all sitting around the table and island eating pancakes, bacon, and sausages like it was just another day.
"You feeling better?" Mom eyed the two of us wearily. I simply nodded and turned to head down the hallway where the rooms were. Halfway down the hall I realized I was tracking my sister's scents to find the room. I could have just asked before taking off, I mentally face-palmed. I knew Luke was behind me, watching my every move.
"Are you really going to stalk me everywhere I go?" I opened the door and found a pile of clothing, all different sizes.
"I told you, I'm not letting you out of my sight. It's my job to protect everyone here." Warden stayed, leaning against the doorframe. I blew out some hot steam that was beginning to build up again as I dug through the candidates.
"I'm not going to do anything, you don't need to babysit me." I rejected a majority of the articles, though there wasn't much to choose from.
"Believe me, the last thing I want to be doing is guarding a mutt. But I don't trust you."
"So what? You're going to sit on the toilet while I shower? Sorry but no show today."
"Please, I'd rather gouge my eyes out." He snorted while my lip twitched at the insult. Rolling up my clothes in a bundle I pushed past Warden and walked to the bathroom, slamming it shut and making sure it was locked. Talk about douchebag! Even though I had obviously set myself up for that, I still saw him as a jerk wad. The shower though, felt majestic! Being able to wash away all the dirt, sweat, and scent of blood that still lingered on me felt incredibly rejuvenating. The hot water relaxed all the muscles I wasn't aware were stiff and tense. Once I finished up I changed and brushed my teeth with a new toothbrush I found under the sink, secretly checking to make sure no fangs had elongated. Nope, everything was normal.
Combing through my wavy hair with my fingers I entertained myself with the idea of styling it differently, but my hands decided against it. Instead, the dark locks went up into the usual ponytail. Looking at my reflection I pursed my lips; there I was, not-so-normal Fay looking as plain and average as ever.
"Ugh! I can't let the idiot get into my head. What does it matter what he thinks anyways. Arrogant punk-"I muttered. Opening the door I jumped back and stifled a scream. True to his word, Warden had waited outside.
"Smells like wet dog," He wrinkled his nose tossing me a trash bag for my old clothes, "Hurry up, I'm hungry."