I dared to open my mouth and the word came out as a shout. “What?”
A pained expression crossed his face. “You don’t want to know what comes next. It’ll upset you too much. Just go. Head into the woods and get acquainted with nature.” He pasted an obviously fake smile on his face. “It’s about to become your new best friend.”
I knew what was next. This was the part that scared me most of all. I was to be hunted down and savaged. And not in the good sense of the word.
I gulped back the lump in my throat. “Isn’t there another way? Couldn’t you just bite me?”
“I’m not a vampire, babe. Just go. I’ll see you in the morning.” He sounded light, but the strain in his voice gave his true feelings away. He was just as nervous about this as I was.
If I survived. “Sure.” I picked up my favorite sweatshirt off the floor and started to pull it over my head.
“You might not want to wear that. It’ll get destroy... uh, dirty.”
“Thanks.” The irony wasn’t lost on me. Moments before he’d be forced to nearly kill me, he was still worried I’d ruin my favorite sweatshirt.
I dropped the sweatshirt on the bed and walked to the dresser to grab one of his. “Try to go easy on me. And I’m wearing your Bruins jersey to ensure it.”
“That’s not fair. I love that jersey. I think I have a Yankees jersey around here somewhere.”
I laughed. “You know you don’t have one of those.”
“And you’re stalling. Let’s just get this over with,” he grumbled. I could see he wasn’t looking forward to the next step either.
“Wish me luck.” I pulled the yellow and black jersey over my head and painted the most convincing smile I could on my face.
“Just go, babe.” To avoid continuing the conversation, he stood from the bed and started to transform.
The air in the room took on an electric charge. Dark gray fur began to grow all over Aiden’s body as he began to twist and contort. Each movement was accompanied by a strange popping sound, like the cracking of knuckles. His nose lengthened into a muzzle; bones began moving and shifting underneath his fuzzy skin. It was hard to witness because it looked so painful, but Aiden did not cry out as he continued to contort, slowly becoming the large wolf, his other self.
A hundred thoughts ran through my head. Was the transformation painful? Would I make it through this next step, or would I die tonight? How would everyone react if I did die? No, I couldn’t think like that. If I did, there would be no way I could leave the room.
Please go easy on me.
I sighed. My stomach churned from both nerves and the blood and flesh I’d just had to ingest. I walked out the door and down the hall to the front entrance.
Outside, winter’s chill felt colder than ever, and I was too exhausted from the day to withstand it. Immediately, I wished that I had worn more clothes.
I heard a howl. A rallying cry. Was it Aiden? I couldn’t tell. Though I had been through a few moonlight revelries, I hadn’t yet learned to distinguish each wolf and his or her particular tone. I wondered if that would change.
Too many questions. Too many worries.
The wind picked up and goosebumps prickled across my skin. My teeth chattered. I needed to move. I hugged myself tight and started walking. The wolf preserve was a mere clearing amid a thick forest, and the treeline was not too far away. I headed toward it.
Moving helped. Moving kept me warm. Moving kept me sane. What was I thinking, letting myself be put into this situation? I was walking into a fight. Willingly!
Another wolf answered the first call with a long low mournful howl.
Two? How many were joining in on this hunt?
My heart picked up speed and my feet matched it. I found myself trotting now, heading for the darkness of the forest, wishing I could escape the horror that was to come.
My stomach churned and bile rose again. My throat burned from the effort it took to keep it down. My whole body began to warm from the inside. The contrast made the bitter cold feel even more biting.
I tripped over a shallow root and landed on my palms. There was no stopping it now. I lost the fight with my stomach and it all came spewing out, searing my throat.
When I looked up, I spotted two ice blue eyes staring back at me. Those eyes weren’t Aiden’s. They weren’t Brady’s either. The owner had silvery-white fur and dusky gray paws.
The wolf’s ears were pinned back. It bared its teeth but didn’t growl.
That scared me more than anything. It was almost as if the wolf were smiling, as if it were happy about what was about to come.
I took a deep breath, hoping to calm my racing heart. “I’m not afraid.” I hoped I sounded convincing. Weakness is always frowned upon.
The wolf snapped its jaw in response and crouched low with its front paws, ready to attack.