Since Kiera was young, before she was even born, Revokers had attacked the Alcrest lands, killing and murdering. They ruined everything as they slaughtered. Regardless of who, how or why.
But as soon as Kiera leaps into the group, a savage beast among fearless murders, they scatter. In a confused blur, Kiera spins around, slashing wildly at any attackers. People shout at each other, dodging the through trees. Kiera snarls, unsure which fleeing form to hunt.
She knows they’re doing it on purpose, but the uncertainty who to follow nags at her. With a hateful growl she bounds after a pair closest to her. Fear hangs in the air, enough for Kiera to smell the tang, to practically taste it. Fire and ice play through her body.
Within a few long strides Kiera’s at the Revokers heels and snarls her ravage as she lunges. Blood floods her mouth as she slams into the man’s leg, ripping flesh with ease.
A rugged scream splits the air, but Kiera ignores it.
Hands futilely scrap at her face in hopes to dis lodge her. She refuses to let go of the man’s thigh. She tugs him back, shaking her head to shred the flesh. His mangled leg is unresponsive, but with the other he kicks at her side with weak attempts. Out of nowhere a foot smashes into Kiera ribs, sending her sprawling into the snow.
Pain laces over her side, strangling her breath as she bursts from the snow. With a choked snarl Kiera starts circling the unharmed Revoker. The black haired guy watches her warily, struggling to lift the injured man. “Walk away. We don’t want to fight you,” he coaxes.
Too bad. I wanna fight you the beast in Kiera hisses.
“Fucking bitch!” The first man clutches at his shredded thigh. The leg hangs uselessly.
Kiera can’t help but think he’s hopeless. Weak. He will die before he gets to the wall, losing his life and blood. Such a stupid man. To think he could escape. Stupid, to think coming onto Alcrest land was going to be fun. Easy. He thought he could kill.
No.
Kiera suddenly charges as the men back away.
A knife appears out of nowhere, a seeming barrier between the Revoker and her. It’s so small, so…unhelpful . The injured Revoker is dropped, shouting as he hits the ground as the second turns to meet her head on.
Fire and pain streak through Kiera stomach. She lands harshly on the Revoker, knocking them over chokes out a sound that’s neither growl nor yelp. She jumps backward, the knife sliding free with another flash of bright hot pain. Through the haze of pain Keira spots the knife coming at her head. She blindly jerks back, landing clean on her back.
Frantically she rolls away and onto her side then finally onto her feet. She whimpers in agony, trying to glance at the wound. The Revoker lets out a laugh. It’s odd in the dark forest, haunting. “I did try to gave you a chance.” Blood stains his stomach and chest in splashes of red, and his shoulder smeared crimson-curtesy of his friend.
Kiera glances up from her bloody stomach, snarling her challenge. The man swims in her eyes, eyes blurring into dark holes of nothing. She shakes off the pain.
The man jerks forward, eyes growing wide. He face-plants in the snow, stabbing at his back wildly. The wolf sinks her teeth into the man’s wrist. Blood drips down the golden wolf’s chin as claws sink into the man’s back.
The other guy suddenly punches at Cody’s face, ignoring Kiera’s warning snarl. But before Kiera can intervene Cody yelps, jumps aside with a growl. She backs away completely, turning to circle the men. Kiera jumps forward, barking at the men as they stumble unsteadily to their feet. A thrill rushes over Kiera, washing away some of the agony climbing through her body.
Past the two men Kiera watches Cody, waiting for their pray to escape. Ready to chase.
Ready to hunt.
Behind Cody is a flash, brief movement of colour.
The golden wolf yelps, jumping sideways. The dart dislodges from her skin to land in the snow without a single sound, but Kiera eyes lock to the red feather on the end.
Before Kiera can even think to react a Revokers drawing a gun, levelling the muzzle at Kiera’s face. “Say goodnight, dog”
In a haze, the next actions become a blur of pain and darkening forest. Something grabs her muzzle, pain flares through her body. A tiny prick in her shoulder.
Next thing she knows she’s rolling to her feet, the ground pitching under her. Her knees buckle, sending Kiera to the carpet with a thud. Agony jolts through her body, breaking apart the illusion of tolerable pain. She lets out a strangled cry and forces herself back onto the bed. Clutching her stomach, she glances around the room, confused.
Chase appears in her doorway of her room. “You okay?”
Kiera hisses, shoving her pain aside, and snaps “of course.”
His face says he doesn’t buy it. Crossing the room he pushes down on her shoulder gentle, forcing Kiera back on the bed. “Sure you are. You only got a good 10 stitches in your stomach, and lovely fresh bruise on your ribs, oh, and we can’t forget the near punched liver. Who wouldn’t be okay?” He grins cutely. She hates it.
Shaking her head, Kiera leans back against the pillows, glad she didn’t wake up still in the forest. Questions poke at her brain, so she grabs one of the first, easiest question. “Why are you here anyway?”
The bed dips as Chase sits. “Looking after you.”
“What, no one else could?” she jokes.
His eyes don’t meet hers. “Something like that. Cody’s at Kadar’s, as far as I know. She got tranqued, like you. Nothing serious though. Romy’s getting an earful from Jordan again…”
“And you were…”
“I’m a lover, not a fighter” Chase grunts, turning around. “Actually, I was babysitting some brats.”
Kiera lets out a bitter laugh. “Then you got a promotion. How sweet. Who found us anyway?”
Chase leans over, pulling up Kiera’s shirt smoothly. A cool finger trails lightly over the lumps of stiches marking her skin. At least she hadn’t ripped them open while trying to attack the floor.“Kadar. I wasn’t there, but I heard he nearly left you both there, thinking you were dead. He got people though, and you were taken over to the infirmary.”
She had no recollection of any of that. And judging from the light brightening the horizon, she didn’t want to know how long she’d been snoozing. She hasn’t even got a chance to ask when Chase continues.
“Eleanor had to shift you back. Nobody could stitch up your stomach with you being so hairy”
Kiera snarls defensively. “It’s fur.”
Chase rolls his eyes. “Whatever. The forced shifting looked painful…” he pauses, a blush brightening his cheeks. He sees Keira bristling and hurries to set her thoughts on a different track. “It almost looked like when others turn on-you know-the moon…and stuff…will you stop looking at me like…that?” Carefully he removes himself from the bed, taking a good, slow step back. A flutter of fear runs up his spine.
Kiera grips the blankets hard. Not sure if she was angry, or just so embarrassed that anger was trying to replace the humiliation. She knows she’s not ugly, nor fat. Every time she shifted it always ended with her turning back human, bared to the world in her nakedness. But knowing people-Chase-saw her naked without her able to snarl at him…was strange. She felt as if there was no fence that stopped him from thinking, or looking, or-god forsake-touching. She knew-hoped- he hadn’t done anything. “You saw me naked?”
Chase’s blush says everything. ”It’s not like I meant it-and I didn’t-“
“I know.” Kiera snuggles down into the blankets. They’re warm, gentle against her itchy skin. Her muscles ache all over, reminding her of the abuse they had gone through. She couldn’t help thinking that the involuntary shift was to blame for the strained feeling in every part of her being. Geez, she felt it in her bones.
Chase splutters some incoherent jumbles but cuts off suddenly, looking confused. “Er?”
Kiera says nothing to the crazy guy, and rolls away from him. Sleep claws at her again, pulling her mind towards dark bliss. A bony finger jabs her shoulder blade. “What?” she growls, the sound unfortunately muffled from the pillow her face was mashed against.
“I think I need to take you to the infirmary. You must be sick-or have brain damage-or have a concussion. Yes. Possibly. No. Something’s wrong-“
“Something will be wrong with your face if you don’t shut up.”
“…mhm? What do you mean? My face is fine, it’s-“
A fire flickers inside Kiera, and with a savage snarl she spins around in the bed. The blanket tears as inhuman claws shred the material, and sharp fangs flash at Chase. The wolf stirs under the surface, demanding respect from the littler being. She knew it was wrong to think such a way, but she wanted-needed- to sleep.
Chase blanches, white as snow. He jerks back, his flinch clearer than day itself. The dark vanity rocks as his back hits it. Kiera only perfume bottle topples over, and the lamp shakes; but no one notices. They stare at each for a second; just long enough for Kiera to see the pure fear in his features, the horror in his eyes.
Kiera pushes herself up as Chase flees from the room. His name sounds odd as she calls for him.
The hallway floor boards creak loudly as Chases footsteps recede quickly, echoing in the empty house.
Dizziness crashes into Kiera as she leaps from the sheets. The airs cold and she nearly stumbles into the wall in her hurry to get out the door. “Chase!”
The front door closes with a slam, and Kiera can only barely fight the dizziness off. Pausing in the hallway she doubles over, gasping for air. Pain radiates through her torso as fire burns her lungs. Ignoring the million protests of her body Kiera makes her way to the front door, leaning against the wall most of the way.
She’d never gotten the concept of jelly legs; now she did. They just wanted to buckle, they shake and tremble, threatening to give out front under her.
Wrenching open the door, Kiera’s shocked by the bitterly cold weather. The wolf in her surges, fire igniting her body in invisible flames, but at the same time, coils at the chill. Feeling torn between shift and hiding in her bed, Kiera force it all away.
Chase is gone, deep boot prints leading hazardously towards the trees. Halfway the footprints turn to paw prints, and shredded clothes are a shocking splash against the snow. Kiera’s eyes pick up on Chase almost instantly, a tone darker than the icy world. He watches her as she watches him.
Lost for words, Kiera says nothing and Chase doesn’t move.
Dropping her head, she leans against the door frame. She doesn’t even feel it: only the pain streaking through her stomach. Everywhere hurts but the pain is stronger in her abdomen. Hesitantly she reaches under her shirt, fingers grazing the stitching on her stomach.
Her fingers come back red.
“Damn it” The female werewolf mumbles. With one last glance at Chase she curses, and steps inside. The door closes softly, but it seems like a huge, steel gate between her the outside world. Kiera shuffles towards the single bathroom across from her room. Cody’s late night blood smearing had disappeared.
The blood reappears this time Kiera’s.
The tap’s smeared with pink finger marks as she turns it on. Wetting a wash cloth Kiera uses it to clean her wound. It isn’t terribly ripped open, not like she’d expected. One side’s pulling apart again. The flesh is an angry red and the stitches pulling at the diverging skin. Biting back a hiss, she dabs at the blood. She works slowly, carefully. Every move hurts.
Out of nowhere a hand takes the pink cloth.
Kiera jerks her head up. Rosey water drips onto her feet as her grip tightens. Chase looks different in the mirror, taller somehow, older. Regretful, worried, guilty, tortured; and all he was doing was looking down at her shoulder, hand closed over the same cloth she was holding. The wet fabric falls from her lifeless fingers, into Chase’s hand. And for the first time ever, she wonders if the Chase she knows is the real Chase. His gentle pressure on her stomach says yes, but the far away, hollowed eyes say different.
Does she even know him at all?
Carefully she turns around, slow. Chase’s shoulders tense. She hadn’t realized he looked so hunched earlier. His eyes flick up to Kiera’s face, and a sheepish, bitter smile appears on his face. Same smile. Wrong eyes. “Sorry”
“You don’t need to be.” She says slowly. “I shouldn’t have…” She lifts a shoulder, looking away.
Chase’s eyes lock onto hers, and an almost confused, awed look appears there. They flicker yellow.
A feeling on undoing flutters through Kiera. As if Chase can see under everything she does, to what she really is. Not a wolf. Not a girl. No werewolf. Just Kiera, peeled away to reveal something else.
She wonders what he sees. A headstrong, stupid girl? Someone naïve? Or irrational? Does he see the wolf, the savage inhuman part? Or some scared girl putting up a mask? Someone crazy and weird? She had no idea. She had no idea what she was, who she was. She couldn’t read herself, but for a while, Chase seemed laid bare. And she to him.
Like some sick love story.
Kiera’s eyes slide between their bodies. The cloth’s wet against her skin, sticky from the blood that runs like tiny pink rivers down her stomach. Without a word Chase pulls away, reaching around to squeeze the water out. Kiera’s eyes stay locked on her stomach, the inch wide line. Water splatters against the sink. She doesn’t turn around, instead she watches the area between them silently. His chest is bare, although his jeans had reappeared- wet in places and the button missing, but otherwise intact.
Leaning back against the sink, closing her eyes Kiera bites back a groan. The pain flickers chaotically through her body, now accompanied with a headache. The ache starts behind her eyes, spreading out. “There’s some Panadol…somewhere in there” Kiera waves her hand vaguely towards the medical box.
Chase says nothing for a while, to which she’s about to open her eyes to look at him but feels his hand in hers. Pressing her hand over the rag, he steps away. Her eyes open to watch him flick through the box.
He pushes through the coils of string, packets of needles, boxes and bottles of piles, disinfectant and antibiotics, wraps of bandages, sheets of gauze.
Most had never even been used once.
Taking a small foil rectangle Chase glances around. He sends her an odd look before leaving the room. Confused, Kiera leans more heavy onto her hip. The look she had no words for. It seemed playful, light almost, kind of annoyed though.
Returning with half a glass worth of water he hands it over and a two tiny white pills. She takes them without hesitation, nails scraping his palm. Chase tosses the foil into the box silently.
A howl echo’s through the night. The voice provokes the wolf in Kiera, pulling it from the depths of her being. A growl rumbles in her chest and pain flares over her body in a blinding agony as the beast wrestles for control. She almost doubles over.
Chase tenses, muscles changing to stony ridges. For a while every muscles obvious, clean and hard.
Another howl echo’s the first, and another, til she can no longer tell voices apart and everything turns to a mash of tunes; deep, high; short and long. All at one. It’s a dread full song to hear. Haunting, chilling, daring, promising. It raises her hair, and gives her the chills. It calls for the monsters, shouts for revenge and pain.
The wolf in Kiera surges, screaming for release.
Without even a pause Kiera downs the pills and liquid. The glass clanks against the sink as she blindly throws it aside. The glass titters and topples, right into the basin. Chase watches cautiously as she closes the box up and returns it back to its spot with one hand. Grabbing the gauze she’d put aside, Kiera replaces the cloth under her pressure hand. “I’m going back to bed. Thanks.”
His hand closes over Kiera’s arm, stopping her. “What? So you’re not going out?”
“No.” The wolf heaves, tearing at her mind. She forcibly keeps her mind on track. Not on revenge, killing and hunting. Not now.
Perplexed, Chase lets go. “Oh.”
With a frown Kiera retreats to her room. The bed welcomes her back in a cool, but soft embrace. The shirt’s still bloody but she ignores it. Chases presence fills the room. He says nothing for a long time, until eventually he asks “do you want me to stay?”
Kiera holds her breath. The house has been so quiet lately. She missed the sound of living with people. “…Only if you want to.”
Briefly she feels a hand rest against her head, smoothing down her hair. Footsteps recede from the room. “I’ll be here when you wake” he promises before closing the door with a soft click.