And there it was. The rare way that werewolves were made accidentally.Rabies.The magic that allowed us to change our shape was in our blood. Sometimes, a weaker wolf would catch rabies and then bite their tongue as they went on a rampage or breathe so hard that they could cough up blood from exertion. The blood in their mouth would then mix with the foam forming from the virus, making the salivary glands overproduce.If they attacked a human, then their blood could be transferred in a bite with the rabies virus. If the human got to a hospital in time, then the rabies could be eliminated, but the shape-shifting magic would still be there just waiting for the next full moon.I gave Skye a sympathetic hand squeeze, letting him know I was still here. He wasn't alone.He gripped my hand tighter and kept talking. "The wolf attacked me before I could move. All I managed was to get my arms up to protect my face. It's a bit of a blur after that. I remember blinding pain and screaming, then a
In some ways, my quality of life improved after that night. Logan held true to his promise and rarely let me out of his sight. I attended meetings with him seated on his lap, where I started to learn this pack's politics and more about the surrounding world. I ate meals the same way. My stomach couldn't hold much yet, so Logan just loaded extra onto his plate and shared it with me, feeding me one careful bite at a time.I was just happy to be getting full meals now. I wasn't going to risk upsetting him and losing my food privileges, so I wasn't about to complain.One thing that I had not expected in the slightest was for Logan to begin teaching me. I had a very basic understanding of how to read and write, but my math was terrible. He helped me with these and also taught me history, which I greatly enjoyed. Surprisingly, he also began to teach me self-defense."So you can protect our pups." Logan had explained. Fortunately, the years I had spent tackling all of the manual labor around
"Alpha Logan, Sir?" A small voice called, drawing both of our gazes to the child that approached."Adella," Logan greeted. "What can I do for you?"The little girl fidgeted with the hem of her dress looking nervous. "Mamma asked me to ask you… she said… Mamma wants to talk to you." She finished in a rush, pointing to a light blue cottage with white trim.Logan followed the child's pudgy finger and nodded, standing to offer me a hand up. "Shall we?" He asked.But Adella shook her head. "Not her." She said quickly. "It's a surprise.""Right then," Logan dropped his hand but smiled warmly at me. "I'll be right back, babe. Two minutes." He promised and kissed me quickly on the forehead before striding off with Adella.The smiling mask I wore slipped from my face as a feeling of foreboding settled over my shoulders like a thick wet quilt. Smothering.Something was going to happen, and it would not be good. All I could do was wait for it to find me.I didn't have to wait long before Leah ap
Skye took a breath to steady his hand and brought the scalpel to my skin.“Are you sure?”“Just do it, Skye!” I didn’t mean to snap, but I was already fighting down my trauma, and I wanted this over with before Logan came back.“Okay, okay.” The blade bit into my abdomen, opening a trail of red across the orange iodine stained skin. The pain was familiar and helped me focus on my breathing.I had chosen this. This was my choice. That thought helped me settle my panic down further, so I kept repeating it to myself like a mantra. Sky made several more overlapping incisions. Each time, the scalpel dipped further and further into the bloody cave he was opening. He moved with precision, working quickly but deliberately, brows furrowed together in concentration.“Almost there.” He murmured.A trembling breath escaped my lungs in a soundless whimper. The emotional pain was worse than the physical pain. But this was why I had requested a hysterectomy. I couldn't keep doing this. As much as I
I peeked out through my lashes at the yellow and very well lit room and groaned. "Well, well, it looks like my favorite patient is awake. How do you feel?" I tracked his voice to the chair next to the bed I lay on. Skye gave me a gentle, if not cautious, smile.“Why is…” I grimaced and licked my dry lips. “Why is my brain so fuzzy?”Skye's smile faltered. “What do you last remember, hon?”The tone of voice he used immediately put me on edge. “Why?”“Just… please.” His big hazel eyes searched my own, so I did as he asked.I furrowed my brows and hauled myself into a sitting position but then closed my eyes, trying to remember. The fuzz in my brain refused to budge, swirling around my thoughts like a lazy fog. I shook my head groggily, looking back up at Skye.“I can't think. My brain is too fuzzy.”The Healer pursed his lips and then spoke. “I had to sedate you.”My mouth popped open like a fish.“For your own safety.” He added quickly when my face morphed into a look of horror. He s
Skye kept me under observation for the remainder of the day. He had told Logan it was to make sure I didn't relapse, but I was pretty sure that he just said that so I could rest and have some peace and quiet.It was strange to be so alone outside of the basement after years of constant abuse. I had never really had free time. Never had me time. Logan had hardly let me out of his sight for the last seven months, and his presence had become stifling. So laying on the little cot in the dark, listening to the world turn around me and feeling the ripples of energy pass over and through me, I felt like I could breathe a little bit easier.Every so often, Skye came to check on me and bring me food. His energy was soothing, like chamomile tea with honey or lavender, I came to recognize it before he even knocked.But then worry started to creep into my mind. I had never had this much time to think and just be. What if they were plotting something? What if Logan and the Alpha were thinking of s
My father never wanted kids. He couldn't stop my mother from having me, but once I was here, he was wrapped around my little finger. I was his little girl, his princess. My mother was missed dearly since she had died giving birth to me, still, I was loved, and no one blamed me for her death. The entire pack treated me like their own pup, and their kids treated me like a sister. We were a tight knit community. I was always happy. Our pack was happy. Happy until the first full moon after my seventh birthday. Happy until I was stolen.
I sucked in a deep breath of forest air and let it out in a gust that drifted away like a ghost. The most prominent smell was my pack, with undertones of night mixed with trees and small animals. I had always had a good sense of smell, but now it was even better!I looked over at Thomas and Lily, who lay on their sides panting and trembling with exertion. Thomas was sleek and dark brown with a white V running from his shoulders down his chest and along his stomach while Lily was a lighter brown with a gray splash across her left cheek. I waddled over and flopped on Thomas, chewing on his ear happily and committing his scent to memory.Thomas let out a groan struggling to move out from underneath me but too tired from the shift. "Get off, you lump." Thomas thought grumbled to me.Now that we had shifted, we had access to the telepathic link stemming from my father that bound our minds together. This link was what made us Pack instead of just werewolves.I decided to be nice and roll of