She ran, powering her limbs to move with the last of her strength. She panted crazily, detecting a sense of relief in her feverish brain that no one was out in the fields. The rain was gushing down, threatening to drown anything in its path.
Her arms throbbed. The bones felt like they were being crushed by a vice. Her fingers contracted into fists and then opened out into stiff claws unable to soften. Every muscle in her body cramped and she bit down on her lip to muffle her cries.
She stumbled into the cabin and collapsed on the floor, dripping wet and muddy. She turned over onto her back and suddenly began to spasm out of control. She shrieked, tucking her arms into her chest, trying to stop the shaking. But it was no use. She only got worse.
Her muscles seared and writhed. All her bones felt so compressed by an invisible grip she was sure they'd snap.
The door was wide open and the rain was pounding against the wooden roof and outside on the grass. She focused on a puddle on the ground, trying to work her way through the shakes and the inexplicable pain.
A figure appeared in front of her as it rushed through the door; her eyesight blurred and then refocused.
Edda stood over her, anxiety lining her wet face. “It's okay, Jaz. Your body is preparing for the Change. Don't fight it.”
The sound of a blood-chilling howl as if someone was being tortured, filled the air. Jaz felt the vibrations in her throat and then realized it was hers.
~Chapter 22 - Recollect~
Three years earlier...
Saturday March 8th, 2008
Library
Lora was sitting in the library, immersing herself in the adventures of Sabriel by Garth Nix. She liked fantasy, sci-fi and adventure best. They were the dream world of all genres. A place you could truly escape to. A whole new world.
She'd always been told what she was. What her family was. Her parents had been quite private about how they looked when they Changed into Were form. She'd never seen it for herself, only in her mind from what they'd described them to be like. It had never prepared her for the terrifying moment she'd stared into the eyes of the real thing.
She was eighteen years old. And she already felt like her life was over. In fact, in some ways it really was. She couldn't pretend to be normal anymore.
She took refuge in the vast collection of books the community stored in their enormous library. It stood facing the forest to the east. She liked gazing into the dense green carpet, reading stories about witches, necromancers, brave kings and strong heroines and heroes. She used to like reading the dark Gothic stuff. Frankenstein and Dracula. Anything with vampires or werewol... well, not anymore. Not when it was mocking her from the pages. Laughing in her face. It would take some time before she could find any enjoyment in those particular genres.
She had gotten past the self-loathing very early on, but the fear was constantly alight within her.
She knew it was coming. And soon. She could feel it.
Her muscles ached. The spasms were so intense she couldn't control them or predict them until the last second. That was dangerous. Her body used to give her more warning before an attack. But when you have fevers more times than not, it's hard to judge. Unless you were experienced.
She was no expert. She was a Cub. A Seedling. Nicknames for a newborn Were. She shivered, grasping the hardback in her hands until the paper dug into her fingers.
The only thing that made her feel safe, and at times even proud of what she was, or would soon officially become, was Nik. She hadn't known him long, barely a month, but she could already feel a connection. He was the one. She could feel it in her very bones, in her core.
Her friend Sunhild had once told her that her overwhelming feelings for him could be a strong sign they were potential mated pairs. Lora had spent enough late-night hours discussing this topic with her father to know that the whole concept of the bond was relative. That like humans, two people could feel a strong connection to each other, sometimes instantly, but it didn't mean they were immediately in love with each other or that they ever would be. The feeling of the bond was probably where the term 'soul mate' originated from.
The status of a 'mate' in Were speak in general was the same as being a husband or wife. Being a 'potential mate' was something rather different and much more complicated. It was when two people had the potential to become like one person, knowing each other's moods and feelings in a way no one else could. Being aware of their presence in a crowded room was just one example. If they were sad or angry, their mate would sense it to a point of feeling the emotion themselves.