Dedicated to xXArachnidXx for the amazing cover!
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What can I say? I'm a predator.
I have the innate ability, the desire.
Which means it should have been a lot easier to find him than it was. Alex, to no surprise, had left town.
He stands at the entrance of a house, looking squeamish. I peer at him through wary eyes as he knocks a fist against the door.
I had chased him after our brawl, following his secluded path out of town. Alex had wasted no time to split, being quite careless as if he doesn't think I'd follow him.
After what had happened, I knew I had to end this. He has to die. Yet then again, he's the only person like me I'd ever come across. I went this entire time thinking I was the only one with a curse, that I was the only one that's a true beast on the inside.
How could I just end his life, without knowing what he is or where he comes from? Being left to wonder again if I'm the only monster in existence. Deep inside I know he has to die, he knows far too much. I can't run the risk of him exposing me.
If it came down to it, could I really kill him?
I guess there's only one way to find out.
After standing at the entrance a few moments, Dex is finally let into the house. I quickly get up and sneak towards the house, making my way to the nearest window. I peak into it, taking in the scene.
He's standing in between two humans, a woman and a man.
They're in a heated argument. I make out just a few segments of their conversation.
"You're such a fool"
"...We help you... For this?"
"It ain't even my fault, just shut up before you make me mad!"
Oh god, he better not have told them.
"How about... Just leave!"
Alex stood in almost shock at the man's shouting, then he was fuming. I thought for a moment he was going to shift and mutilate the humans. Instead, he turns around and grabs a knife. If he's anything like me, he'll stab the life out of them. I wouldn't hesistate to if humans were talking to me that way.
A half grin tugs at my lips as I watch him become a puppet of his fury, as has happened to me countless times. I wait for him to snap, anticipating a bloodbath.
He grasps the knife with a shaking fist, pointing it at the man. "You best watch your mouth, Ray. You're not the one that calls the shots around here!"
The man called Ray mutters something back, as if to dare Alex to try it.
Alex just glares at him, face flushed with anger. I glance at his mouth, suprised at the absence of sharp canines. I guess he doesn't carry all the side effects I do.
To my surprise and dismay, Ray snatches the cutting knife from Dex.
"You're not strong enough," He lunges at Dex, causing the dirty blonde to flinch. "You don't have the balls." He throw the knife at the ground and it stabs into the hardwood floor at an upright position.
My mouth is gaping in shock at the gesture, this human surely must not be aware of Alex's other side. I shift my focus to him, expecting a wolf to appear in his place any second.
Dex just stands there, glaring daggers at the man who must have a death wish. He then turns to the door and stomps out.
Now's my chance.
I quickly go to the front of the house where the entrance is, glancing around in an effort to spot Alex. I soon catch wind of him, he's leaving back from the way he came. He was going to shift and slip away. Now's my only chance. Without hesitation, I chase after him. He starts running through the unkempt terrain. I speed up my pace, trying to stay out of his detecton at the same time and looking for an opportunity to shift. The dry, rough weeds poke and scratch my legs, causing me to wince.
I curse under my breath. Alex was nowhere to be seen. I listen intently for any sounds that might give away his position, but there was only silence. At this moment I'm panicked, desperate to find where he went. Before I can stop myself, I release the spirit inside of me. It awakens from its slumber with might, seizing my body as if to reassure me that I have no power over it.
Its mocking voice rumbles in my head. It scolds me for being so careless, so stupid. For holding it back when it can clearly handle things better than my weak human form could.
"You cripple yourself with oppression."
For a moment I'm scared, but then I feel it. The powerful muscles, the incredibly heightened senses. The otherworldly being armed at my side, ready to spring into action when I need it most. I then feel one with it, a tranquility of having such protection, such power. For just a moment, it doesn't feel like a curse, but like a friend. A friend with ultimate reliabilty.
Revenge can be a real bitch.
I taste the air again, taking in the scents. The musky smell of the earth, the fresh currents of air, woven together. Among them the blood churning familiar scent that was carried and left by Alex.
I bare my teeth, pinpointing the direction in which he had traveled. You can't hide from your fate.
I stalk through the long, dry brush. You promised me the sky, then tossed me into an abyss.
There he is, facing the opposite direction. I'm going to make you pay, just for making me shed a tear.
I'll be the end that you deserve.
The time is now. I'm going to taste his blood, hear his cries. I'm going to end this, but I'm going to do it right. Baring my fangs, I reach out to him.
"I'm gonna make you bleed for a little bit." He gasps, turning to face me.
"Hear me, scream and shout enough to wake the dead."
I taunt him, urging him to shift and take me in a battle to the death. One of us isn't coming out of this confrontation alive, and it's going to be him. Alex, the sole person that caused everything, that hurt me beyond repair, stands in front of me. His gaze glued on mine, stance defiant.
"I'm not going to fight you, Avery. You don't understand." He spoke with a deadly calm.
I growl in response. My claws sink into the earth
"It's either that or you taste your own blood. You don't have a choice."
I take a step forward. If he doesn't want a fair fight, I'll just rip out his throat and that'll be that.
"No, Av, stop." His eyes look pleading.
I double back.
"What did you just call me?"
I feel his arms around me, his breath in my ear.
"I love you, Av. Don't you dare forget it."
"And if I do?"
"I'll just have to prove it to you again."
He pulls me into a kiss. For a moment, everything was perfect. I was perfectly in love.
The fire, it burns inside of me. Fueling my agony, feeding my rage. He made a fool out of me.
"You never loved me. Look what you did to me!"
I was so fooled. Did I really think I had a shot at happiness? I'm not special. Hot pain shoots through my chest and I whimper. Now look at me, I'm cursed. I'm nothing but a creature of the dark, a monster from nightmares. I hoped it would heal, but it never did.
More pain. I feel myself shrink. Then echoes, the lies.
The wolf, its prescence is fading. I fall into a state of chaos. I can't find it. Only the despair. I try to scream, to call the wolf. It's not there, no matter how desperately I search or summon for it.
I cry out, feeling close to the ground and nothing else. Why? Why me?
I feel the hands, then there's darkness.
I must deserve it. But what have I ever done to earn this? All I'd ever done with my life is what any human weakling ever does, give in to desires. But has any other human been punished to this degree for it? The answer would have always been no, until I discovered what Alex is. I'm not the only one with the ability, but that doesn't mean he got it the same way.
I know nothing about him. Did he have the abilities back when things were different? When I loved him? If he did, then why didn't he tell me? Well, I guess I wouldn't have said anything either. Maybe he got the curse after, like me. But we're are different. I'm a degenerate creature of darkness. But him, that striking gold fur, those human eyes, he's not what I am. He's pure. It doesn't make sense. Maybe...
Could he have gotten his abilities from the opposite being that gave me mine?
No way, that's ridiculous. It's a curse. Curses are bad. I can never be anything but evil. Of that I'm certain. And I'm going to end him if it's the last thing I do.
But first I need to wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake!
I will myself into consciousness. Coldness grips my body, my limbs numb with it. A thundering headache. I squint my eyes, trying to make out my surroundings. There's just walls, bright lights. I'm laying on a small, hard bed. My eyes squeeze shut as my head pounds with blunt pain. I bring my hands up to my head and groan.
The wolf isn't there. I can't feel it. Why can't I feel it? I'm suddenly empty, alone and isolated in a cold world. My body is fragile, like a delicate flower among freezing currents. I curl up, wailing.
Where are you?
What am I without you?
Please don't leave me.
The room fills with my cries, orchestrating as howls in my head.
"Not so tough without the wolf huh?"
I freeze. Everything is silent again. The thundering in my head dissipates. I slowly look to the direction of the voice.
At the side of the bed stands a man, the same man Alex had been yelling at earlier. His name I can't recall. I bare my teeth, but no fangs are present.
He chuckles. Another person enters the room, standing behind the man. It's Alex. I glare at him.
"I'm betting you're not so keen on a fight now, huh?" Dex mocks through a grin.
I ball up my fists, anger boiling my blood. "You fucking coward." I jump up of the bed and stand in front of them. "I'm going to rip out your throats."
I can't wait to taste his blood. He's made a huge mistake. If I could just reach my wolf, take its form. Then they'd be sorry.
The man laughs. Dex looks somber. Anger flushes through me. I'll show him to laugh at me. I lunge forward, seizing the man's throat. My eyes widen with dismay as I realize that how weak I am. He snatches my arm, twisting it. I shriek as my bone snaps like a twig. My arm explodes with pain and my screams fill my ears as I fall to the ground. The pain is unbearable. My delicate body absorbs the full force of it. I'm nothing but human.
"Ray, no! What did you do?" Alex shouts.
"The bitch tried to kill me!" The other voice shouts back.
Then the voices are drowned out as the booming in my head returns. I try to cry, but nothing comes out. My body shakes uncontrollably. The emptiness in which the wolf used to be hurts the most. The only thing in the world that I had, is gone. Despair seizes me as I wonder if I'll ever shift again.
Then hands grasp me and I gasp, scrabbling backwards and shouting protests. This causes my arm to scream with pain once again, I grit my teeth against it. My gaze travels up to Alex, eyes full of grief.
"What have you done to me?" I plead.
"I corrected my mistake. Aren't I the one that caused your curse?"
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IMPORTANT!
A/N
Okay so recently my iPod got stolen, it had ALL my information for both my stories. That's why I haven't been writing. I mean, I still vaguely remember some of the stuff for this story, but I have to like almost completely reinvent Common Abnormalities. It really sucks because I had worked so hard writing up the concepts and plot lines and character bios and all that stuff. Now I have to redo all that. And now that my story has gained certain popularity (A heart felt thank you to my readers, I love you!), I'm working hard conjuring all that up again and writing some fresh chapters since I haven't written anything in a good while. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading! And, please, don't forget to vote and/or send me feedback, it really motivates me to push myself and write great chapters.
Much love, Mothy.