It's been a long time, I know.
Unfortunately, since November 2017 I've been swamped with work and I was sick with an infection during December, then I had food poisoning twice and a stomach bug in January, and while I was recovering in February I suddenly had a spout of migraines in March which haven't eased enough, and I'm still not at full health.
I've had a rather unlucky few months.
Despite it though, I'm determined to get my stories back up to date - I'm juggling this story, A Siren's Sacrifice, Typhoon, as well as writing Her Rise at the moment, and preparing the stories I've had in the archives of my brain into the Short Stories segment as to show you some more tales I'm prepared to write.
I've missed this. I've missed you guys.
Thank you for being patient, I've seen all your messages and comments, doing my best to recover and note what's to write next as well as take note of your suggestions (thanks for pointing out the plotholes in the old BCG guys, it helps with editing the new version).
I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and thank you for almost 600k reads on the original Behind Closed Gates (OHMYGOSH)!
This chapter was one of the biggest changes I had while editing; changing 'Bella's' first shift to Carter's. In the end, I think it's a better show of their characters, and it leads to a better scene later in the new version of the book.
Let me know what you think as always!
Thank you,
Libby Xx
~
Marie froze as she watched Jasper pale, and Carter heave his guts out on to the fresh grass that someone had probably mowed and cleaned up for the Royals arrival. He struggled, trying to carry his best friend in his arms as he pulled them towards the side of the packhouse - towards the woods.
Marie unstuck her feet from the ground and followed Jasper's swearing form as he dragged Carter away.
Carter...
She knew what that surge in her heart meant; knew about the bond that had snapped into place. At the moment nausea rolled in her belly racing after the two guys as she remembered her first shift.
Marie had been alone. In the woods. In the dead of night with nothing but her instincts.
She didn't want Carter to be alone either.
"He's shifting Bella!" Jasper shouted at her when he noticed her following.
"I can see that!" She snapped, seeing Carter's body curl into Jasper's in pain.
"So piss off so he can shift in peace!" Jasper stumbled when they were in the woods, dropping Carter mere metres from the treeline, but Carter was his side, wheezing. He groaned in pain when Jasper grabbed his waist to heave him back up; it only resulted in Carter heaving his stomach's contents again.
"I can't... I can't move." Carter coughed out. Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose, looking around chaotically. Marie slowly made her way around so she was in front of Carter, crouching to his level. She finally looked her old best friend in the eyes, staring into those soft, kind blue eyes that were now filled with pain and panic.
"Hey." She whispered, her heart thudding as she stared at him. Too many emotions were rolling through her body as she stared at him. "I'm not going anywhere."
Carter didn't have the energy to speak again as he groaned in pain, his arms buckling under his weight as he collapsed on the floor, vomiting at Marie's feet.
Jasper gagged, paling. "No...nope! You deal with this Bella, I-" He gagged, cupping his mouth as he ran out of the forest. He ran into a wolf on patrol, who waved him away from coming near Carter's trembling form.
Newly shifted wolves were wary to their surroundings. Their instincts were at full force, known to randomly attack others who had a small grudge, or to immediately jump and mark their mates. Some, it was deadly, but Marie suspected Carter wasn't the aggressive type.
He plants flowers...
Marie's instincts kicked in when Carter groaned again, it came out more like a low scream. Marie gently touched his shoulders, knowing his bones felt like they were on fire, and pushed him into a kneeling position.
"You need to stay on your hands and knees Carter," She instructed, trying not to touch him too much. "Don't lie down."
"It hurts!" Carter snarled, a deep rumble echoing at the back of his throat. Marie swallowed her worry and stared him down, those soft eyes starting to take on a feral shade.
"Stay on your knees Carter." Marie tried to keep her voice calm and clear, no emotion to jolt his wolf instincts. If she was too aggressive, he could attack. But if she wasn't stern enough, he wouldn't listen, and his shift would be more painful for him. Her heart dropped at the thought.
Carter groaned again. As he adjusted his stance on the forest floor, his joints clicked. Marie could see his skin rippling, muscles shaking as the werewolf gene took hold. She could hear his bones start to grind, preparing to mold into a new shape. She remembered what came next.
"My legs..." Carter gasped out, unable to stop the welling up of his eyes. "They're burning..."
"I know." Marie assured, slowly taking off her jacket - she didn't want to startle the poor wolf. "They will shift first. Keep breathing, it'll be over soon."
Carter's eyes were darting back and forth, she could see the panic take hold. She lowered her voice, knowing his ears would also be sensitive to sound. "Focus on your breathing, let your instincts take control Carter."
Carter growled, groaning, his hands grasping at the ground as his legs buckled beneath him. Marie watched, partially fascinated and partially grossed out, as his legs started to shake.
Werewolves were unique, unlike vampires. When a werewolf shifts for the first time, the wolf gene is forcing itself out of the human body, basically bursting out of the human skin. When they shift back, the human takes control, bursting out of the wolf. It's not that painful after multiple shifts, but when you shift for the first time, the wolf emerges limb by limb - starting with the legs.
His eyes glazed over. He couldn't hear Marie through the pain anymore. His wolf was about to emerge.
Marie gently touched his hand as Carter hung his head low, spine rippling, as his knees gave out. She couldn't do anything but watch as his left leg shook, white with sweat, as his bones remodeled themselves, his muscles trembling and his tendons weaving into their new shape. Ligaments broke, Carter screaming, as his leg adjusted to the backwards frame of a wolf. Before his fur could grow in place, his right leg gave out and soon followed suit, Carter kept on screaming, his voice deeper and huskier as his feral side was emerging in the most brutal of ways. As his right leg took the shape of his wolf, Marie gently telling him he was doing great and it was almost over, his claws, as white as his nails, dug deep into the foliage in the forest floor.
Tears were running down his face but before Carter had the chance to breathe his spine rippled. Marie started gently stroking his head, brushing the sweat-covered locks away from his eyes.
Marie held his head gently, slowly stroking behind his ears as his spine shook again. His entire torso was about to shift, his tail about to stretch out for the first time, and his head had to remain still. Marie's almost snapped when she was shifting; she was shaking too much with the pain.
Carter's trembled beneath her touch, her cool fingers almost burning his hot skin. Marie kept her grip firm as Carter opened his mouth, his jaw would be throbbing, bracing itself, as his tail started to show itself. He bellowed a deep scream, a roar that made his new claws dig into the forest floor, as his spine rippled.
Marie jolted as she realised his shirt was still on. Keeping one strong hand in place by his head, she used her sharp nails to rip his shirt away, seeing his long lean torso, and the muscles coiling underneath as his organs moved in his belly as his ribs lowered and extended. Marie gulped, glimpsing his stomach shaking with fear and sweat dripping down onto the floor. He wasn't overly toned, no abs to show for himself, but Carter's body was the heavier side, his shoulders broader - probably from the volunteer gardening and any other help he gave. He was built not for running, but for standing tall. While Jasper was built like a salmon, always running, Carter was the solid rock in the river that would not move. So much stronger.
He hunched his body over, Marie clenching his head tightly as his back rolled, tail flicking out in full as Carter started to cry in pain, his belly dropping as his wolf body took over. His forearms trembled, his neck almost twisting as Carter tried to move.
"Stay still," Marie commanded, watching his arms and his head, moving her hands to his neck like a brace. "You're almost there, it's one big push now."
Carter roared, his half-wolf body trembling as the wind picked up. Marie kept her grip firm. "Take a deep breath Carter, one deep breath, and then push." If he stopped now, if he gave up, his body would crumble. This was the most dangerous part - if he slipped, his neck would give way.
His roar pitched as his jaw trembled, a howl breaking through, as his arms ground backwards into shape, nails digging in to the dirt, and his neck broadened under Marie's touch, quickly followed by his jaw lengthening and his skull swelling, ears being drawn back and raised to a point. His eyes shut. Spread out slightly. His nose stretched out with his mouth, following his new jaw, teeth elongating to sharp white fangs.
A howl echoed through his wolfish throat as the blonde hair on his head spread over his snout and ears, running down his thick neck and broad, long frame, dancing around his legs before going over his tail. His legs collapsed underneath him and he fell on the floor, his large wolf head resting on Marie's feet. She was gently stroking his ears, her heart pounding and breathing out a heavy sigh of relief, as she looked over his light coat.
Carter was a blonde wolf.
They were rarer, very few blonde, red, or black wolves existed because they were so easily spotted in the forest and were hunted down. It was more common for a brown wolf, like herself, but Carter...his fur was beautiful.
His wolf wasn't as big as hers. He was breathing through his nose heavily, his mind adjusting to the more wild template of a wolf, but his light fur was so soft under her fingers. It was a darkened gold over his spine and around his cheeks, fading to a light cream on his underside, like fluffy meringue.
To think that her old best friend, and the one destined to stand by her side, was here. Lying before her. It baffled her mind. Marie thought she would have hated him for pushing her away all those years ago but a sense of understanding echoed in her mind. She would have probably thought the same thing if the tables had been turned, Carter hadn't been in the enclosure, hadn't seen Willow. Jasper she still hated, but Carter?
He shifted his head at her feet, Marie removing her hands from her ears as she stood, watching as he opened his eyes. Those soft blue eyes, like the sky to his sun-like fur. They looked around as they adjusted to the brighter vision wolves had. When they landed on her feet, slowly following her body up, Marie tensed when they locked eyes.
Carter whined in his new body, his light paws shuffling around as he tried to stand, tail waving to balance his form, and he stood before her. His wolf was average height, standing just below her hip, as he nudged her hand with his wet snout.
"Look at you...." Marie whispered, scanning him as he stood before her. His tail was slowly moving back and forth, his eyes bright with so much emotion, so much life. He was staring at her like she had his life in her hands. In a way, she had while he was shifting.
Her mind scrambled as she realised that Carter had never forgotten her. He remembered her middle name, he kept the photo of them by his desk, if Jasper's word was anything to go by. And with how he was staring at her now, any past grudges instantly faded away.
It was instinct that made her drop to her knee, kneeling to the golden wolf. Marie smiled as she looked him dead in the eye, straight on, and gently stroked his cheek - knowing his body would be sore from his shift.
"Hello, mate." She said with a smile.