“Erm, yes, I didn’t hear—”
“I don’t care if you were listening in. You’re to stay and protect Katalina. Help her change, understand?”
“Yes, sir, you can count on me.”
Great, how am I going to get past Toby?
“Good. See, Cage, all sorted. Now get out there and hunt!”
Katalina moved away from the door as she heard Toby’s feet shuffling up the stairs. She didn’t want a babysitter and she wasn’t in the mood to see Toby. He was always so happy and full of life, neither she was in the mood for. Rather, she felt like ripping someone apart, not happy chitchat. The thought of changing into a wolf terrified her and she knew Toby would only try to help, but somewhere out there, Bass was waiting. Her instinct told her to go to Bass and to do that she needed to be alone.
“Kat?” he called, knocking on the door.
“Yeah?”
His head appeared around the door. “Hey, how’s things?” he asked, smiling.
“I know what’s going on, Toby. I’m not the only one who can eavesdrop.”
“Hey! I wasn’t listening. I just happened to walk up to the door and thought it would be rude to just walk in.”
Katalina couldn’t help but laugh at the innocent expression on his face, “Okay, Toby, but I’m fine. I just wanna be alone, okay?”
“All right, Kat, but shout if you need me, or you think you’re gonna change, okay?”
“Yep,” she said, smiling too brightly. He left anyway, a frown marring his normally happy face.
As soon as he’d shut the door, Katalina pulled off her woolen jumper. Her temperature was rising. Arne whined at her. “Shush, boy, I’m just hot is all. I’m going to be fine. Bass is going to come and we are going to go home.”
But as the moon rose further into the sky, Katalina began to feel anything but fine. Her skin itched; she couldn’t stop scratching. She scratched until she bled. Pulling her shoes and socks off, she tried to cool herself down, but nothing worked. Walking out of the room, she locked herself in the bathroom and threw water over her face. Bracing her hands on the sink, looking at herself in the mirror, flushed red, she looked like she had a fever, and her silky hair was matted with sweat.
A small part of her wanted to call Toby for help, but the other refused. She liked Toby and she did trust him but he was part of River Run, a part of Jackson’s pack. Accepting Toby’s help, felt like giving in to Jackson’s demands. She didn’t need Jackson, she didn’t need River Run; to admit that they were a part of her, was to admit Jackson was her father, and she didn’t want him as a father, she already had one.
“God, what’s happening to me?”
Her stomach suddenly lurched. She fell onto the floor, gripping at her middle, biting back a groan.
“Kat, are you all right?” Toby asked, knocking.
“Yes, Toby, please go back downstairs,” she forced out through clenched teeth.
“Are you sure? Maybe I should come in?”
“No, Toby, honestly, I’m fine.”
“All right, Cage just called. They’ve not found anyone yet.”
“Right.” Bass…
“Shout if you need me!” he called, bounding down the stairs.
“Urgh!” Katalina threw up. She retched over and over until there was nothing but bile in her stomach and her throat burned from the acid.
Pulling off another layer of clothing, she rubbed at her skin; it felt tight. Her neck bled where she’d scratched it raw. She needed to get outside; the house was too small. There wasn’t enough air. Pulling the window up, Katalina lowered herself out. Digging her fingers into the boards, she scaled down the side of the house. A ripple of pain traveled up her spine. Crying out, she fell to the ground. Moaning, she rolled over, noticing the snow melting beneath her burning skin. Standing, Katalina ran for the tree line, but more pain shot through her. She bit down on her lip, tasting blood, trying her hardest not to cry out in pain. The last thing she wanted was the pack to find her.
She heard distant calls and knew she needed to get away.
Half-crawling, half-running, she made it into the trees as another wave of pain washed over her. She retched again; this time crying out as the pain became too much. Her hands stretched and cracked; her body was breaking apart from the inside.
“Arrh!” she screamed, stumbling further into the forest, colliding from tree to tree, not noticing the bark grazing her skin or the fallen branches cutting at her feet.
Another wave of pain and she half-changed. Her feet became wolf paws, her nails changing into deadly sharp claws. Pulling her jeans off, Katalina crawled over the ground, tears rolling down her face, mixing with the sweat coating her skin. Her heart boomed in her ears, each pulse throbbing inside her skull.