Kierra

Straddling the chair at the table, I go over things in my head. The things that have happened, what I've become, and who's in my company. None of it makes any sort of sense. I can hear Bastion in the bathroom moving around in the water, the more disturbing part is that I can smell him too. Asher's walking around, exploring the house while Tigger hides under my bed, hissing and growling.

Air is pulled in, then a sigh goes out, heart clenching. I stand and walk across to the living room when my legs buckle, chest seizing in pain. I hit the floor hard, trying to catch myself but move too slow and end up falling to my side, veins feeling like living lava flows through them while my brain cooks within my skull.

I clutch at my head as images flash behind my eyes. A strange room, the feeling of anger and despair, pain, and extreme heat. Very reminiscent of how I felt when my body had shifted hours ago. I see Nicolaus, a smirk on his face as he looks down at me.

Me?

No, wait, Faline!

I'm seeing through her eyes and can feel her pain move through me as if it were my own. What has he done? Her body is shifting, changing. Hot tears flow down my face unchecked as I feel her agony.

I cry out as the images fade, the connection severing. I lay curled up, my sides heaving, panting as my reality returns. Gasping as I try to catch my breath, trying to pull oxygen back into my starving, abused lungs. The pain starts to lessen, but before I can move, the images bombard me once more.

Less pain, but more anger, rage. I see Nicolaus once again, completely naked. Screaming out in denial at what that could mean, I will Faline to lunge at him. My own bloodthirsty thoughts wanting to eat out his heart.

Surprise fills me as she jumps at him with that very thought in her head, a terrible hunger in her mind, an extreme thirst. Knowing it's the wolf within me projecting the thoughts to her, I try to pull away. My pure rage and need to kill those who've hurt us both riding me hard.

With a scream, I force myself to break the bond, to sever the connection once more. Hating to leave her even for a moment while I come to my senses, laying flat out on the floor. Hot tears stream down my face at the possibility of what I just made my little sister do.

My skin is cold. Sitting up tentatively, I look down and see bare skin. Confusion fills me as well as shock. Fur brushes against my side, causing me to flinch away. Asher stays close, his beautiful eyes looking worried as I look into their centers.

I draw my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. Tears silently make their way down my cheeks as he lopes away, soon returning with the throw blanket that was on the couch. I take it gently from his mouth, a little dazed as I wrap myself in it.

"Are you alright?"

His soft voice echos in my head. Am I alright? I take inventory of myself, body seemingly healed from my ordeal with both Anthony and...the others.

"Where's Bastion?"

I can't hear him in the bathroom.

"In your room. He became really upset when he heard you screaming. He wanted to help, but you were thrashing around. Didn't want him getting hurt."

I nod and look at the floor around me. The wood deeply scored by the claws I had before I'd reverted back to human. My thoughts return to my sister since the boy is fine.

"I saw her Asher. I saw my sister. Well, I was seeing through her, through her eyes. She was in so much pain. She fought back, but I could feel her despair. Her rage."

His head inclines and watches me closely. Waiting for me to continue, to work through what had just happened.

"I don't know where they're holding her, she thinks she's underground. She was in so much pain, and I couldn't help her. I think...I think I just made things worse."

My voice cracks as I pound my fist onto the floor. Angry with myself as well as the situation. I'm supposed to protect her, but I've failed every time she's needed me.

"We will find her."

The midnight wolf noses my hand, his voice a small comfort. The skin had split over my knuckles from my lashing out at the floor, but it's healing. I don't even feel it. I should probably be worried about that, but I'm just too despondent to bother.

"Thank you, Asher, for coming and helping at that house."

He bobs his head again but doesn't say anything.

"Could you take Bastion into Faline's room while I clean up and get some clothes on?"

Tilting his head in acknowledgment, he pads off down the hallway. My legs are shaky as I make my way to my feet, stumbling into one of the bookshelves before I can get myself righted. Hesitantly walking into the bathroom, I grab hold of the edge of the sink, knuckles going white.

The blanket drops as the door is kicked closed. I glance at the mirror above the small sink and have to do a double-take. I'm covered in blood. Looking down at my hands, they're caked with it and grime.

I hurriedly turn the shower on, stepping in and facing the stream as I begin to scrub myself vigorously, not even waiting for the water to be a certain temperature. Grabbing the washcloth that Bastion had left on the edge of the tub, I re-wet it and go after my skin with a vengeance. I don't stop, even after my skin has turned beet red, damn near raw from both the scrubbing and steaming hot water.

My hair is washed over and over, fingernails scratching at my scalp as tears stream down my face to mix with the cooling water. It will soon turn cold, but I just can't find it in myself to care. I back up against the wall and slide down it, sinking into the tub as the water beats against my bent head, shoulders, and back, bringing my legs up and wrapping my arms around them. Not easy when you're a bigger girl, but I manage. The heavy mass of hair reaches down my back to my rear end.

Eyes stare sightlessly at the opposite wall, my heart hurting for both my sister and I. I have to find her, she was in so much pain. Her anger and despair were thick and just as alive as my own.

My skin had pruned awhile ago, the water having turned icy cold at some point without my noticing. After rubbing hands over my face, the water is turned off and I step out. My pity party now over as I stare determinedly at the full-length mirror against the wall behind the door. Standing five-foot-four, I'm not all that imposing. A thicker, wider body than what's considered beautiful these days, but most of it's muscle. Working out with friends and family pays off I guess.

At first glance, I don't think I look any different than I had before all this happened. Several tattoos still where they're supposed to be and the usual scars. I step closer, knowing something has to have changed besides becoming something that shouldn't exist.

The scars. Guess becoming a Werewolf doesn't heal everything; my shoulder is a mass of white scar tissue crisscrossing over my whole upper left side. The small worded tattoo there looks a bit worse for wear. Thick, fading stripes go down my chest and belly as well.

I rotate my shoulder slowly, there's not even a slight twinge in the muscle. No pain. The bone has reset and healed. I'll have to keep working with it so the muscles and tendons don't stiffen from healing so fast.

Fingertips slide over the marks. Scars have never bothered me, I'd already had quite a few before this. My fingernails are long, longer than what I usually have them. I could never get them any longer since they were always so thin, constantly breaking. These new ones are not only long, but thick, healthy, strong and not quite pointed, but there's an arch there.

Looking at my face, it's crystal clear, the need for glasses now gone. My green eyes are brighter than what they were, going from a forest-green to a bright emerald, damn near glowing even. Here's to hoping I don't glow in the dark. It takes but a moment with my head tilting to the right, raising my left ear to learn that I can hear out of it perfectly. I'd been born deaf in that one.

I look closer at my face, seeing that my skin has evened out. No more sun blemishing or breakouts to be found. I stick out my tongue to find what I already know; my tongue ring is gone. The hole's still there, just much smaller than what it should have been. All my other piercings are gone as well.

Lips close as a glint in the mirror catches my eye. My calico hair is still wet, but the brand new gray streaks stand out clear as day. Frowning, I raise a hand to touch them. They feel just like the rest of my wet hair, none of that coarseness that gray hair usually comes with.

I step back, slightly shaking as I reach for a towel. Once noticed, I force myself to stop. Wrapping the towel around me, I steel myself with blowing out a long breath. Heading out and to my room, I'm glad I don't see either Bastion or Asher, feeling much like a coward slinking into my hidey-hole.

I dress in a pair of old jeans and another random T-shirt. Comfort clothes. My normal higher body temperature seems to have raised even higher, which is so not cool. Wet hair hangs down my back to air dry, like usual.

Kneeling down next to the bed to peek under it, Tigger has curled up and is totally ignoring me. Sighing softly, I stand back up. It's time to figure out what I'm going to do, I need a plan. Fat chance that'll do, but it's something.

Walking barefoot out of the room back to the kitchen table, the sack is dumped, my things making a racket as they hit the wood. Hearing the click of claws and soft sock-covered footsteps coming up behind me, I glance over my shoulder and give a small smile to Bastion, letting him know I'm all right.

"Hey, kiddo. How you doing?"

He shrugs and slips into a chair. I look him over, then go to the fridge, pulling out some orange juice and sliced meat. Can't go wrong with roast beef. Pouring him a glass and pushing both it and the opened package of meat across the table to him, his blue eyes light up instantly before digging into it. I don't even bother with a plate or insist on manners, I know he's starving. Besides, I rarely use a plate myself, uncultured swine that I am.

Going back to the fridge and pulling out some sliced ham, I sit across from him and chow down, slipping some to Asher and looking off through space. His deep, soft voice startles me when it slips into my head.

"What are you going to do now?"

Forgetting that Bastion can't hear him, I speak aloud. My voice feeling a little raw.

"I don't know. I know what I want to do, but I also know I can't do that until I get more information. Would it be possible for you to follow the other Werewolf's trail from the parking lot where I was attacked?"

I look at him hopefully, I know my eyes convey it to him because he looks away sadly.

"Remember it had rained that night? It obliterated most of it. The blood had been washed away. There may still have been traces that I could have followed later, but I followed the man that had grabbed you."

I nod, a slight burning behind my eyes heralding tears. I blink them away. Only now looking up to see Bastion gazing at me, he probably knows who I'm talking to and some of what's going on.

"Bastion, do you know what all has happened and what's going on?"

I ask him before grabbing another package of meat slices, leaning back in my chair to grab the bread off the counter as well. Opening it and offering him some before I snag a couple slices. Stacks of meat get placed between the pieces before I start stuffing my face, starving just as much as he is. The kid chews a few more times before answering.

"Sort of. Asher has told me a little bit but wasn't sure what all to say. I'm just glad I'm out of that house."

His too old blue eyes look at me then slide down and away. I nod again, taking a couple more bites before I answer, knowing that even though he's young in age, he had grown up fast in his mind. I know all too well. Grabbing my phone from the center of the table, it shows a dead battery.

"I'm not even sure what day it is," I say under my breath, "at least a few days ago, my sister, Faline, and I had gone to a newly opened place at the mall. When we were leaving, we were stopped in the parking lot by a couple guys. One turned out to be a Werewolf."

I swallow hard but keep going.

"The other was...actually, I'm not sure what he was or is."

I look over to Asher. His blue-green eyes flash for a moment in hatred, so I raise an eyebrow, then balk as he responds heatedly.

"Vampire."

I blink several times, uncomprehending. Denial yelling in my head before I get myself to think.

"A Vampire. Well, hell. Why not? There's Werewolves so of course there has to be Vampires."

My voice stumbles over the words. Shaking my head, I look back to the wide-eyed little boy and continue my story in between munching.

"So one was a wolf and the other was a Vamp."

I snort, wondering which movie I've fallen into.

"The Werewolf, Anthony I believe his name was, took me down fast. I was fighting with him when the other, Nicolaus, had taken off with my sister. I fought hard and was able to get away, making it back here before I passed out. The next thing I know I'm waking up at that house, finding out that I had been in a drugged state for three days."

I stop for a moment and really think about things before pondering them out loud. Had the boy already known I was there? How do 'real' supernaturals work?

"Asher, how long does it take one to shift into the big form after they're bitten?"

He sits down next to me before he responds, his low voice slipping through my head, causing things low in my body to burn.

"Three days, but it's not always a given, sometimes the Werewolf strain doesn't take to the blood. So after bitten you either become a Werewolf, which is uncommon unless the damage done is severe enough, or you more than likely die from the attack itself."

I bob my head absently, shifting in my chair uncomfortably.

"So...three days. If I was in fact there and knocked out for three days, then that was my time limit. The drugs they pumped into me probably slowed the change. I felt it draw back when they had drugged me that last time, but by then my metabolism was already speeding up and worked it through my system. Seems I should be very happy that the change happened when it did, otherwise things would be a whole lot different than what they are now."

I look over to Bastion to see if he's following along, even with only hearing one side of the conversation. His not being used to my rambling on and thinking out loud probably isn't helping my 'being sane' image. So far so good though, he doesn't look too confused.

"From the house, well, you know what happened from there."

I pause again, voice trailing off as I think back to the guy under the bridge. He mentioned 'Night People', did he mean others like me? I make a note to myself that at some point I need to go back and have a longer chat with him.