Kierra

I've never smelled anything like that, wish I still hadn't. Having a super-sniffer right now is so not a good thing. Tears fill my eyes as I retch over and over. When you're dry heaving from what feels like your sternum, it gets very painful.

Giving myself several more minutes, I look back at the cellar. There's a rubber sealant around the doors. There had to be. Otherwise, everything around for more than twenty miles would smell that.

Combine a port-a-john that's been baking for hours with a meat plant and a slaughterhouse that has had no airflow. Taken on slowly, it might be manageable, but when it's a furnace blast to your face like that... Might as well have been fired at point-blank with salted buckshot.

I swear I'm never gonna eat again with all the damn vomiting I've done in the last twenty-four hours. Thank God for the cold breeze. Only problem now is it's blowing in the direction of my home, and I have to open it again.

When I dropped it, it closed again. I want to run away, fast, but something like that can't be ignored. I have to know what it is to have any kind of peace of mind.

Before I can take two steps towards it, a howl splits the air. Asher. He caught the smell. Can't exactly return the call when I'm too busy holding my face together. Within another minute though, I don't have to worry about it as he comes flying over the fence.

Landing next to me as if we'd practiced it hundreds of times, I fall to my knees and bury my nose into his fur, hands grabbing handfuls to anchor myself.

"What happened?"

All I can do at the moment is point in the general direction of the doors.

"I take it you didn't know the place was empty?"

That catches my attention. Pulling my face from his pine and wood scented fur, my eyes find his. From his expression, I'm guessing my eyes have changed again.

"No. I did not know the place was empty. Last I knew the old couple was still here."

The look he gave me back at the house makes sense now. He thought I was going to an empty house and figured I was misleading from the reason I had given. I seem to inspire so much confidence in others.

Abruptly dropping my hands from his side, I scowl and stand. He had looked back towards the house, but when I drop my hands, he looks at me, picking up on my voice change.

"Why are you here Asher?"

My neck starts throbbing as my hurt turns into anger. Steps are taken away from him as my cold skin starts to heat up quickly. My breathing picks up as my rising fury starts spiraling out of control, falling back to my hands and knees as I try to pull it all back in.

He steps close, but I growl in between panting breaths. Still damp hair falls around my face, the silver streaks catch the light and glitters like metallic paint.

"You have Vampire blood in your system, don't you? Why didn't you say something earlier?"

His disdain sets off my temper, my arm flying out to swipe at him as a roar of rage erupts, a scream mixes with it as I attempt to pull it all back to me. My body's trying to shift, silver fur bursting through my skin then receding back in. I don't connect, so I guess he moved away.

"I didn't exactly know...that it was going...to be a problem... Dammit!"

His apology slips into my head but gets ignored as my mind whirls. I've been angry before, I've been enraged, but I've always had a good reason. This isn't one. I sink my teeth into my arm, the pain providing a little clarity.

Enough at least that I can hear what Asher is saying to me in earnest.

"...the bandages off. A Vampire's blood doesn't mix well with ours in certain cases, it sets a blowtorch to emotions, enhancing them, especially aggression or anger. The wounds need to drain unhindered."

No fucking kidding.

Releasing my arm, a bloody imprint of my elongated teeth now decorates it. I rip off the gauze further up, grabbing at my shirt and yanking to get to my shoulder, practically tearing it from my body.

Such enthusiasm at my shoulder is not a good thing, as my nails dig right through the bleeding wound, causing me to cry out hoarsely. My eyes flash yellow as I stare at Asher's face, my reflection in his eyes is not flattering. He's looking at both my arm and neck, his thoughts grim.

"I am sorry, I didn't realize so much had been mixed. It hadn't looked like you took too much of his blood, but he must have bled all over your neck."

Oh great, I'm infected with Vampire germs. The flushing I did in the shower clearly was not long enough.

"You can deal with what's wrong here later, right now you need to get home and let those drain safely."

I shake my head and get to my feet, a little unsteady, and the inside of my belly feels cold. I only ever got that feeling when I smoked too much pot, so feeling it now is a bit off-putting. I get a few steps towards the doors before a wolf comes at the back of my knees, taking me back down to all fours.

"Knock it off Asher. This has to be done now or I won't do it later. You think I want to know what's making that God awful stench? Just the thought has my insides rolling."

I get back up, even make it a few more steps before I'm taken down again. My knees are really disliking the hard ground. I rear up with a growl to have an obsidian-colored face right in mine, growling back with much longer teeth. Ocean eyes are stormy as they glare at me with frustration.

Feeling is mutual buddy.

I glare right back, my irrational anger starting to flare again, feeling the pulse of my heartbeat throughout my whole body as it throbs in want of the change. He keeps pushing me and I will end up shifting. I don't take orders well, especially from males. I'm not a feminist, I have issues, but that ain't one of 'em.

Leaning back on my legs, head tips back to bring in cold air to soothe my lungs. I can't go back to Bastion like this. Can't go anywhere near my home with this level of wanton emotion. The mad desire to fight just for the sake of it isn't very healthy.

This isn't all dead man blood, I've been spoiling for the action of destruction since yesterday. No moon to blame this on. Something is going wrong in my head, and that just pisses me off more because it's some bullshit or another that I can't control.

My body is shaking hard, skin reddening from the heat it's collecting. Asher is yelling in my head, but I can't hear him. Leaning forward and down just to have my head thrown back and spine arch, it cracks with the violence of it.

Long hair flies around me while Asher steps back. My insides feel like they're boiling, skin stretching at the very seams, mind in chaos as my flesh starts to split. An agonized scream rips itself out of my throat.

Not of pain, but at the sheer outrage of not being able to control myself. I fall to my back, writhing on the ground as flesh crawls with hundreds of tiny flames. Silver fur flows over my skin in waves, frame contorting fast.

Within seconds I lay as a red wolf. Red from being covered in blood as my body tries to expel the last of the Vampire taint. My mind is still crazed, seeming even worse now as nothing is recognizable.

I lurch to my feet as my head shakes, causing my ears to pop. The movement goes down my body, sending blood flying. A howl rises within me, a confusing scream of mixed nothingness.

Forelegs rub over my face to clear my eyes of blood, but it doesn't help. Everything seems to be tinged in red. More resentment fills me at the realization that there's yet another thing I can't control.

Turning away from the house and its basement of horrors, I run. I don't even see where I'm going, I just go. Memories fading in and out, unclear and in pieces or flashes.

A sensory memory of cement and pavement below my feet, a dark shadow barreling into me several times.

Teeth and claws, bright lights, loud screeches. Something hard collides into my body, metal screams as my side heaves.

It's not enough, I keep going. Dark shadow long gone as I fight against several other shadows. More red being added to my coat.

I run and run. No sense of time.

A dive into icy cold water...dripping too much blood...can't leave a scent trail...

Might be found.

Shaking and diving back in, again and again, swimming a distance then back to running. Have to stay away.

Avoid the black shadow...

My head pulses, body hurts. Feet feel raw.

Keep going, can't be found...

Nothing smells familiar, don't know if that's good or bad. A memory tries to rise...a child. It gets pushed back, nothing can touch me here.

Safe...