*Maggie*
“Please!” I sob “No m-m-more. It hurts.”
Another shock wave ripples through my body, my teeth clench, and my back arches painfully. Every single part of me aches, every muscle feels as though it is ripping and will never heal again.
“Mommy! Daddy! P-p-please.” I cry out.
I look around the room frantically and Dr. Malcovic walks closer with a needle. I know what is coming, every day since my parents have left me here has been the same. Shock therapy, then their needle of pain. After, they will leave me in a thin patient gown in a padded room locked away in the darkness, waiting for the beast to take me over. Every day I blubber and sob with physical pain, but they feel no sympathy and why would they?
I'm a freak of nature. A beast when the pain overload is too much for me to bear on my own. There is a monster inside of me and they want to play with it, poke it, make it violent. And they are winning. Holding on to my humanity is becoming harder and harder. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try I can never escape. I am their little science project. Signed over by my fearful parents who no longer want anything to do with me.
The needle punctures my sensitive flesh and instantly the cold feeling shoots through my veins bringing with it the shivers, the mind-numbing feeling of my mind freezing out, and then the sound of snaps. First, my wrist, snapping back towards the elbow at a sickening angle. Then my elbows, popping and twisting as white fur pushes my skin out of the way.
My knees are next, the grotesque pop resounds through the room, my cries and screams grow silent as one vertebra at a time creaks and snaps, I twist and writhe on the bed I am latched to hoping soon the air will come back to my rearranging lungs. Suddenly the change stops. The bones cease to break but the pain is present. I begin to pant and thrash my head waiting for the end. But it doesn't come. I pause when I see myself in the one-way mirror.
My eyes are bloodshot, my legs and arms are protruding in awkward angles and my body has small tufts of fur sprouting out in random spots. I stopped shifting. Panic rises when I realize what is happening. They aren't letting me shift completely. They are stopping me and the relief that comes along with finally fully shifting is now out of sight.
The pain rushes back to me as I scream out in pain. Each and every break of my every bone registers and I begin to convulse. Vomit fills my mouth and consciousness wains, I try to force myself to fully shift, to make the pain leave. Human or wolf form, anything is better than this limbo of nothing but pain.
A shock touches my cheek, soft, angelic, and like a drug sweeping through my body taking away all that is wrong. It radiates through me, touching each and every piece of my broken body putting it back together again. I close my eyes tight, tears streaming down my cheek at the relief.
Then opening them back again, I realize I had fallen asleep, and that my reality right now is just as scary as the nightmare I was just in. A beast with a reconstructed torn-up face is crouching beside me stroking my cheek. I lash out, punching it in the grotesque face, and scurry back against a tree trunk, screaming in fear. My hand tingles joyously at the contact with its skin and I look at it shocked. Then from my chest bubbles up a feeling and my lips part.
“Mate” I whisper.
I have no idea what the word means, why it came to my mind, or why this ugly beast makes me feel strangely calm. It saved me from my haunting memories, the demons that plague my mind. The beast slowly stands with its back to me. I realize it's a man and I blink through my tear-covered eyes allowing them to focus.
“No,” he whispers. “I’m not your mate.”
“I’m sorry” I whisper, not really sure why I’m apologizing, he is the creep who felt he had the right to touch me.
“What are you doing in the woods?’ he asks, refusing to turn and face me.
“I’m just passing through” I lie.
I've become an excellent liar in the years since my escape from the mental hospital. I’m here for the Ultima. The elusive wolf that is leaving a trail of changed humans behind it. The wolf that lit everything I know on fire with a single bite to my wrist, leaving me to go up in flames and come out as black as the very ashes of my life. But this deformed man doesn't need to know that. He spins to face me crossing his arms across his broad chest and I swallow when I take him in.
His eyes captivate me. His left eye is hazel and full of sorrow, whereas his right eye is a striking blue that I find myself getting lost in. I open my mouth to speak but I find myself speechless. How could I have called this poor man a beast? He has scars covering half of his left face, they look menacing and as if they long ago healed. I take a step forward reaching out to touch them.
“What’s your name?” he asks. His voice is fierce and demanding and it startles me. I jump and pull my hand back.
“I said I'm just passing through.”
“What's your pack name?” he asks, ignoring my response.
“What's your pack name?” I shoot back at him annoyed.
He smirks at my outburst.
“Calm down princess, I’m trying to help get you home,” he says, his torn lip curling up into a small smile.
“Who says I need your help?” I say growing irritated.
“Fine. Continue south,” he says, turning on his heels and heading north.
“No!” I shout after him.
He stops and looks over his right shoulder. His right side is flawless and mind-numbingly attractive, I find myself stumbling over my words.
“I-i-i don't have a destination,” I tell him.
“I told you. Your destination is south.” He says. Starting to walk again.
I stoop down and grab my backpack, stuff my blanket in the back and follow behind him. I know he can tell I am following him, but he says nothing and doesn't slow down. He leaps spryly over logs and exposed roots and I find myself drawn to every muscle movement. I have no idea what is wrong with me or why the voice in my head is panting ridiculously. I mentally kick myself for spouting such a stupid word when I tried to talk.
I mean Mate? really? what kind of moron just says 'mate' out of nowhere? I mean I've heard and used it before but that was in reference to a shoe, not a greeting. Maybe it's a weird werewolf greeting? I've not had much help in learning about what I am other than the crash course of 'we shift and have super powers' which was super not helpful.
*Maggie* The man looks over his shoulder a few times and sighs heavily, noticing I am still on his heels. Before coming to the opening at the end of the woods, he whirls around to face me and I jump at his closeness. A sadness flits through his eyes but morphs into a haughty glare as he looms over me, stepping closer, trying to intimidate me. It’s working, and sadly, it has more to do with his scar than his presence. “Why are you here?” he asks, his eyes boring right through my soul. I gulp. “I have nowhere to go.” “You look like a pretty girl.” he sneers, looking me over. “You must have a boyfriend waiting for you. Or a mommy and daddy wanting to coddle you,” I snort out a laugh, trying to cover the realization that him saying I’m pretty is doing something strange to my insides. “Yeah, mommy and daddy don’t want me anymore,” I say, sounding snotty, but I don’t care. This jerk started
*Axel* It is taking everything in me not to laugh at her reaction. Is it wrong to convince her that werechickens are a thing? Maybe, but it’s entertaining, so I’m not sure I care very much. She is clinging to my arm, looking around like a kid being led through a horror house. I sneak a peek at her scared face and I have to mentally slap myself out of the attraction. She is fucking gorgeous. There is an innocence about her. She brings out the desire to just protect her, even knowing she has been protecting herself all this time. Her blue eyes meet mine, and I grumble and turn away. Maybe if she finds me mean I can get her to keep her distance. The poor girl has got to be fighting this bond, just like I am. Though she has it a little easier if you ask me. How hard is it to rebuff an already hideous man as your mate? I can’t help but wonder what she is feeling. Her destined mate is this beast who is dragging her through a new world s
*Axel* My tent flap flies open as Maggie storms in. So much for avoiding her completely. The dim lighting from the tent softens the angry features on her face as she stalks over to me with purpose. Gently, I lay aside my pen and paper and give her my undivided attention. “How can I help you?” “Ticket duty?” She seethes. I quirk a brow. “You have a problem with working for your room and board?” “No, but ticket duty? Really? I’m a shifter too. I can shift and do things and be a part of the show.” “Good for you,” I say, looking back down at my work. “I want to be a part of the show.” She demands. “I’ll think about it.” “Really?” “No.” “What! Why?” “Because you are not a member of our circus. We are helping you out. You aren’t staying, so why would I alter the show to accommodate you for a short time.” “I can’t stay?” she asks. I look up when her v
*Maggie* When I first met Axel, I felt a draw to him, like he would always be my safe space. Even now, with his face that he thinks is so terrible, I can’t help but think about being near him. I want to bask in his smell and be in his arms. I don’t know what it is, but something about him just irritates and calms me simultaneously. But I can’t allow anything to come of these feelings. Not when I’m here on a mission. Admittedly, I feel bad about what I have to do. I hate that after getting to know these people even in a short time, I will have to leave them. It’s been just me for so long that I’ve forgotten what true kindness feels like. But, I have a job to do and for the first in years, I’m so close I can taste it. The quaint life and the protection they have promised me is almost within reach and Axel and his crew are the key to getting me there. My pocket vibrates, and I pull out my small burner phone. Three new messages. Oh, j
Axel doesn’t even bother to look at me as he walks away. My head hurts from the whining my wolf is making and my knee feels sore from the tumble we just took. I wipe my pants off and freeze when I touch an oozy substance. Whimpering slightly, I look down and find I’m covered in egg. I turn to look for any survivors and find three. The chickens cluck around the coop like I’m not even there, so I take the chance and grab the only remaining eggs and sprint for the door, whipping it open and slamming it shut behind me. I breathe a sigh of relief at being away from them. I jump as a bird squawks and I run to the dining tent, clutching my little prizes as I have done so well. “Billy,” I call out, looking for the large grumpy man. There is no response, so I move deeper into the tent, looking around at all the random stuff that sits out. There are ribbons in mounds on the table, a map, and a bunch of random small wood carvings with
*Axel*The chains clink together in Billy’s hands as he stands, trying to convince me that maybe, just maybe, this time, the chains will work. He has tried chaining me four times. The longest time the chains restrained me is a whopping three minutes and fifty-two seconds. Billy knows as well as I do that more chains will only slow me down by a few seconds. I groan and slump down into the plush leather chair in my tent.“Those won’t work and you know it.”“It’s the best I can do. If we had a tiger cage, then I’d put you in it, but we house our tigers in tents like morons,” he says, trying to crack a joke.“Billy, I think I need to leave this time. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”“No! The show can’t happen without you. You have until the moon is at its fullest height to get away from here. It will be fine.”“You always say that and it
The power of the blue moon comes in flashes, crashing over me as a stark reminder that the time is near. With each nauseating reminder, my anxiousness grows. Sweat tickles my brow and the blood pumping through my veins feels cold. Billy steps close, handing me a glass of water. “It seems like it’s getting harder to control with every blue moon,” he whispers, looking at me with worry. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut and willing myself into control. He is right. Every blue moon has gotten harder and harder to control. I go out for longer periods of time and when I get back I feel like I’ve run a worldwide marathon. “I don’t think I can wait,” I whisper. “I feel like my wolf is going to crawl out of my skin and leave me behind in a puddle on the floor.” “Drink some water. You're on in a couple minutes and then you will take off. I will do an extra bit where you normally would.” “What are
*Maggie*I spent the better part of the night searching for Axel and Billy. The moment the show ended, I snuck into the woods, hoping to catch wind of them. Axel’s scent was nowhere in the air and Billy’s had long been gone, so I wandered, calling Brutus and making him join the fray. He searched further into the woods than I did, and I’m supposed to be meeting him in ten minutes by a dead willow tree just out of scent range from camp.Walking deeper into the woods to find our meeting spot, I hear the timbre of two voices, and I try to get closer. The words they are saying are too low of a decibel for me to make out, but I can identify a half-naked Billy looking mighty fine and a gaunt and exhausted looking, Axel. My heart lurches at the state of him as my feet propel me forward.Axel’s normally styled hair is damp with perspiration and his face is pale. Even in his disarray, he is breathtaking from this angle. I mar