It was had been so weird seeing that man change into a wolf. There’d been a sparkling, wavering change in the air and then the man was gone and a wolf had stood in his place. It had been a massive, black creature with large white teeth. Then it snarled and leapt forward, so quickly it had been just a blur of black fur.
Her uncle had shouted in surprise and then the sound of a gun firing had filled the air. Her mind skittered away from the image of her uncle lying dead and instead focused on the wolf. The man inside the beast was still present. She knew it. Even though gore had dripped from its jaws, the eyes had been human, intelligent.
She was sure he would remember exactly what she looked like. The werewolf would hunt her down; never giving up until she was cornered and then...
A whimper escaped her lips at the thought of those large teeth piercing her skin and ripping her flesh. When she’d run, she’d had a quick glimpse of Mr. Aldrich. His throat had been torn open and blood poured from the wound. His hands had gripped the wolf’s fur even as he struggled for air...
Cassie curled into a tighter ball. The floaty feeling was leaving already. Fear poured into her; fear and a crawling sensation as if her very skin was alive and had a mind of its own. The need for...something...was filling her and she shifted restlessly on the bed. Her head was starting to spin; she could actually hear the blood thrumming through her veins.
Thinking the first pill must have worn off and a migraine was looming, she sat up with difficulty and pulled her bag onto the bed beside her. Her fingers shook as she fumbled to find and open the medicine bottle. The cap came off and she spilled most of the tablets on the bed. Damn and double damn—she didn’t want to waste any of them; who knew when she’d be able to get the prescription renewed. Strange, how the hated medication now seemed to be her friend.
Managing to pick one up, she swallowed it, almost gagging as she forced the pill down without water. A lamp was on the table by the bed and she reached to turn it on, but paused. Light made the symptoms worse, she’d been told. A sliver of moonlight was peeking in through a crack in the curtains and she used that to help her see the pills that were strewn over the bed. When all the tablets were accounted for and back in their bottle, she lay back down. Running her hands over her face, she tried to hold back the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. Her head was pounding. She wished she were home, but it was too dangerous now. Her uncle was gone; the wolf was after her... Her skin prickled again and she curled up in a ball once more, rubbing her hands over her arms in an attempt to ease the sensation.
What had her yoga instructor told her? Think of a happy place? She furrowed her brow. Where would she rather be right now? An amusement park? A museum? Vegas? She chuckled at that random thought, but then focused on the idea. She’d seen pictures of the place before. Bright lights, large crowds; crowds she could get lost in, so no werewolf would ever find her...
The image clarified in her mind. Gambling machines, showgirls, the hot desert, tourists... The patch of moonlight that splashed across her room became a spotlight, guiding people to their hotel, beckoning them to heed its call... A strange feeling came over her. Her whole body vibrated, it felt like her head was going to explode. She clenched her fingers around the strap of her bag, her muscles tightened and then the air seemed to shimmer...
*****
It was morning. Mel reclined in her seat as Ryne slowly drove the car out of the parking garage. They’d talked on and off throughout the night and she had finally accepted the truth of what he’d been telling her. She was becoming a werewolf. There’d been anger and tears; he’d apologized, even though forcing her transformation hadn’t been intentional. Eventually she’d come to a sort of numb acceptance of the fact.
However, her whole life was changing now. She wasn’t just Melody Greene, waitress and journalism student. Now she was Melody Greene, secret werewolf. From what she could gather from Ryne’s ‘crash course in wolves,’ they were social creatures and lived in packs. There was an Alpha who kept everyone in line and made the important decisions, though pack meetings were held to discuss options. Full moons were a time to party and, if you were new to the whole werewolf thing like she was, you had no control and transformed once a month. Older wolves could fight the effects if they wished, though most didn’t.
It gave her a headache, trying to figure out how she’d manage. She’d have to lock herself up every month so no one would discover her secret, which would really play havoc with her job and her studies. Then there was going into heat once a season. Ryne had enjoyed explaining that one to her. Even in the darkness of the underground parking garage, she was sure he could see her face turning bright red. Just the thought of being turned on for a whole week, ready to jump the first male she saw, had her cheeks heating up.