Chapter 2 2

A wolf.

A giant, big, black wolf right in front of me.

I could be hallucinating. Jake saw it too, didn't he? He even ran away with not even a glance back, or was it for something else and I was really hallucinating?

The wolf was growling and looking at me with those bright red eyes right into my soul, yet for some reason I was not scared. I think it was the drug acting on me or that I didn't entirely believe there was a two feet 'or more' tall wolf in front of me. I don't think it was real.

Time felt slow or stopped completely. I was in a haze thinking I was Alice in Wonderland. Yup, there you go Faith, falling into the rabbit hole.

I extended my hand to try and reach out to it but I heard another howl at the distance. I couldn't tell but I felt it was not far from here.

My heart was beating against my chest like there was no tomorrow. I felt some kind of electricity extending throughout my skin making me feel sick and hot while our eyes crossed, I couldn't avoid feeling my cheeks flushing, what was going on with me? Was I flushing because a wolf wanted to eat me or was it the drugs' fault?

The black wolf in front of me took its tongue out to lick its canines, they were directed towards me. I think it was eager to taste, it looks as it was already tasting me like a four course menu. As soon as the howl stopped, the black wolf sprinted out of my sight just as fast as it came.

I sighed. I wanted to know if it was real or not by touching it.

Suddenly, I felt a smack on the back of my head and everything went black.

...

When I opened my eyes again I was surprised to see my room's ceiling, I don't think I was conscious just yet. My head hurt like never before, it was like a throbbing pain constantly reminding me that Jake was a dick and I'm never trusting any other guy in my life.

Who hit me? Was I conscious enough to walked back home? What the heck happened?

I drank the whole glass of water in my bedside table. I was so thirsty; it was like flames were burning my insides. I was on my pjs which meant grams put me to bed and that she would be extremely mad at me for drinking and trusting stupid guys, douchebag as she called him before we left.

Lesson learned. College, parties and guys were so out of question for me, I will be forever single and partner in crime with my grams.

I stood up from my bed. It was already half ten, grams is probably cleaning Ms. Roberts' house and she wouldn't be back up until seven. I have a shift today at the gas station at noon up until seven as well, she would pick me up so we could come back home and start our birthday night with popcorns and scary movies, we had a whole itinerary.

Today's my last shift at the Roberts' station, I was just a cashier there but I also had to help Joe filling up the stands, at least there was not a lot of movements on Thursdays.

I went to take a shower while exploring my body making sure nothing besides my head was in pain or red when I saw a bite mark on my neck. It could pass as a mosquito bite because I'm not sure I should tell grams the whole story of what went on yesterday.

The clothes I wore yesterday were already in the laundry basket, but I didn't see my jacket. Where is my jacket? Probably was left back at the forest where I saw the massive black wolf.

Was it real or was I just imagining it all?

I'll just blame it on the alcohol and whatever drug the 'douchebag' aka Jake put on my drink last night. I'm sure he had to drug me so I could be that useless.

I knew personal defense. Grams always made sure we both knew how to fight for ourselves in the event we needed to fight back, yesterday was a perfect example. Though drugged, I don't think I would be able to do much. I don't think I could have done much if Jake didn't stop, was he also on drugs? We couldn't have had the same hallucination right? It didn't make much sense.

After taking a shower, I dressed with my usual blue uniform and headed out, I think I will have breakfast at the Starbucks across from the gas station before arriving. I'm dying with hunger and grams didn't left me any food. Another reason why I knew she was pissed, she normally prepared breakfast for me before leaving.

I sighed arriving at the Starbucks. It was a good fifteen minutes' walk in this summer heat. I could walk back at night but grams wouldn't let me because 'it's dangerous at night' and I was on her way after work from the Roberts' so it was not big trouble.

I asked for my regular bacon, cheddar and egg sandwich along with a frozen cappuccino. It was just too hot to be drinking hot coffee and I definitely needed coffee today. I was still feeling the throbbing on my head and was feeling feverish, I don't know if it was due to the drug or the smack I received.

Was it Jake? Even when he couldn't rape me, he still hit me. Was it the wolf?

No. There was no wolf, that was just the drug in my system.

The Starbucks was extremely empty, besides the two weird guys sitting all the way to the back all dressed with black suits and shades there was no one else. Weird given the fact that is almost 90 degrees outside. It was already late, everyone who was supposed to work should have already eaten their breakfast.

After having my breakfast and feeling satisfied for the next couple of hours. I crossed the street to the gas station. It was a simple job, just tend to the customers and read magazines when there was no one to give service to.

This town was mostly quiet. No accidents, no big news like the big cities, everything felt homey and cozy.

That's what I used to feel every time we moved. I don't think grams likes big cities. This is the first time we're moving to something "big" and we don't know yet where we'll live, it was hotels for the first two weeks and then getting a house, I think she worked to buy houses. She always had the money to purchase them even before selling the previous house, but we always sold them, real state is a good business.

While the hours passed with no customers, I remembered I had a new phone I could download some books into it, but grams didn't want me to get online without being at home, so that was a bummer.

I don't really know much of my parents, grams only said they died in an accident when I was almost 2. That's why she made sure I could have everything possible and within range of security, at least I had a good education. I don't complain and never felt bad about the life grams was able to give me, only when I reached puberty we fought a lot but that was pretty much it.

We all argue for everything when we reach certain age.

Around four, the gas store started crowding with people buying gas, snacks and even lottery tickets, we all wanted to be rich the easy way I guess.

After helping them out and emptying the station again, I felt someone was watching me but there was no one at the store anymore.

I looked outside and noticed it just started raining, weird because it was not even cloudy. I was feeling even worse than I was this morning, the headache wouldn't stop and my skin felt burning even when I set the AC to the lowest temperature, even my limps were aching as if I just ran a marathon.

Was I running yesterday? Was that how I arrived home?

I got a ping on my phone from a text message, grams texted me to see how I was.

'I have a headache, but the biz's going slow. How about you?'

'Jake told me you fell and hit your head. You didn't look out of place when I was changing you, was that what really happened?'

So that was the story he went along with, that means that he really hit my head afterwards just to cover his ass.

Dick.

'Yeah, you know how clumsy I am sometimes. Thanks Jake for that'

I heard the bell at the door chiming. The two guys from before using shades and suits were here this time, were they still around? They didn't look from around here.

"Is there anything I can help you guys with?" I asked politely but I had my hand below the counter in case I needed to sound the alarm and call the police, even if I was going to be dead before they arrived.

These guys looked extremely suspicious, maybe it was with the way they walked but something didn't sit right.

They didn't answer yet they moved around like they owned the place, one of them was quietly looking at me while the other one moved around, were they trying to steal something? They didn't look like robbers or mug people, if so they looked like the mafia and the mafia was not stealing small gas stations in an old town.

I heard a growl from the guy that stood closed to the entrance looking at me while I was looking at the other guy. I looked back at the guy near the entrance, I couldn't see his eyes but something about him was starting to feel familiar.

He had good facial features but what was most surprising is his tall stature, he was almost two feet tall so even when I was behind the register I still needed to raise my head to see him. I couldn't see his eyes though, was he famous?

The bell chimed again breaking the enchantment I had over the customer and the three of us looked at the door at the same time as if we were caught doing something bad. Jake was coming inside the store. He looked sick and nervous, too pale for his tanned skin.

"Hey" he just said as a hello. So this was mutual, we were both sick due to the drug he tried to use against me to commit something awful.

The other two guys got close together while adding stuff to a cart, it looked like they were pretending mostly instead of attempting to purchase anything in particular. Jake, on the other hand, was nervously moving around the medicine area and taking everything in his hands, he didn't take a cart like the other guys.

He looked nervous and wary, like if something could come close at any moment and kill him, did he really see the wolf as well? Were we both under the same drug?

He moved closer to the register and handed me all the medicine he had; flu medicine and stuff for the stomach. I was feverish so we were definitely having different symptoms.

"About yesterday..."

We both heard it, he froze on the spot. There was a growl that neither of us knew where it was coming from, it felt close and thunderous. The other two guys seemed too focused on what they were doing that didn't even notice the sound, so I guess it was just us two.

"Are you... are you seeing and hearing stuff too?" he asked cautious of my answer. He was trembling as if he didn't have any control over his body.

Besides the headache and fever I believe I was okay compared to him. Should I give him a little shake in revenge?

I moved my head no which made him even more pale.

"So that means you... you didn't see the bear... or wolf? Whatever that was" so we did see the same thing.

I noticed while I was scanning the items Jake wanted to buy, the guys from before stopped moving. One of them left the cart into one of the aisle stands and they both walked outside without uttering a word. Even when they seemed to be running away scared, this didn't stop them from looking graceful. They didn't really rob anything because the antitheft alarm didn't make any sound, but they were still strange and uncanny.

Why were they even here?

I motioned no with my head which made Jake shiver. This was my vengeance. I don't think I'll see any other wolves anyways. I was moving away.

After getting his change I took a break from the register to fix the items the guys got in the cart but didn't buy. People should be more conscious about employees; this is more work that I didn't have to do if they were not so strange and left everything behind.

I was starting to feel dizzy all of the sudden, the rain moved from a slow drizzle to a downpour while I was doing this. I just hope Joe will arrive on time, I was eager to cuddle in the couch for the lineup of movies we were watching today.

I took some other pills for the headache and fever. It was not like a regular fever, I felt my whole body aching and burning as if a fire lighted up inside me and I didn't know how to make it better. My skin felt as if it was being torn apart from within.

I think I need a cold shower, probably that will make me feel better.

I sit at the register watching the rain fall, it was quiet and no one was outside and that's how I spent the next couple of hours, no customers, nothing to entertained myself but the old magazines I've read multiple times.

Why is Joe not here?

I looked at the clock on the wall while I ate some Doritos along with a Coke. My grams was almost here and Joe was nowhere to be seen. Under this weather I don't think he'd be too excited to go out.

I tried moving but every step I made was as if I was moving a huge stone on my back, my muscles were sore and my back hurt like if I was hit with a bat. I fell to the ground while trying to stand up.

I used the phone below the register to call Mrs. Roberts, I don't know what was happening to me but I couldn't leave the register alone or the store nonetheless. Was this how drugs felt like in your system?

'Hi Mrs. Roberts, it's Faith.'

'Hi darling, how is all going along?'

'Mrs. Roberts, I'm feeling extremely sick. Is my grams still there? Joe is not here and I really need to go as soon...'

An ear breaking scream came out of my mouth when I felt my back tearing apart. I was sweating and shaking.

What was happening to me?

'Faith? Faith? Are you okay? What's going on? I'll look over the cameras. Is there someone hurting you?'

'No, I... I just have a fever' I couldn't even talk due to the pain I was feeling all over my body. I felt as if my body was breaking into pieces and then coming back together as if I was some kind of puzzle.

'Susan went out before you called me. I'll call Joe and ask him to go to the store right now. You can just lock the door when your grams arrives'

'Ok... okay'

I closed the call without even saying goodbye, I was internally dying. Do I have a cancer? Is this what being ill felt like? I should call 911.

I was twisting on the floor due to the pain I was feeling. I noticed my body contorting into shapes I didn't even know it was possible for the human sake. I tried to move and close the door so no one could see me like this.

I screamed. Screaming seems to alleviate the pain but it never stopped.

I was crying at this point.

I heard the bell chimed and rushed steps closing to me, I didn't want a customer seeing me like this.

But it was grandma, she had a huge blanket to cover me with.

"It is happening sooner than I though. I'm so sorry baby" were her words while she helped me up, she was extremely strong to rise me up and cover me with the huge blanket so no one could see me.

"What... what is happening to me?"

I screamed again while she was closing the door to the shop area. She knew that this was going to happen?

I screamed to the top of my lungs when I was inside the pickup truck. I felt my skin was tearing up from within and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Being in a sited position didn't help, my body felt like breaking so lying on the floor was the best option.

The rain didn't seem to stop either, the thunders were covering my screams which helped feeling less guilty about the noise. It was just too quiet outside if we removed the rain, probably some random people outside noticed my screaming and wouldn't know why this happened.

"I needed to talk to you about this before. The pain will be over in a couple of hours, you will shift completely at midnight and you need to let her run"

My grandma was explaining stuff I didn't even understand, let who run? Who was she talking about?

"We come from a long werewolf line. When we reach 18 is when they come up for the first time, that's what's happening to you. You're turning for the first time"

I loud howl came out of my mouth. I couldn't understand anything she was talking about and I couldn't seem to concentrate, the pain was just too much.

"Please make it stop!" I know it was my voice but I couldn't recognize it, it sounded guttural, animalistic even. But the pain never stopped.

We reached the house but instead of going inside grams took me to the greenhouse. I didn't want to be surrounded by plants, I wanted to be stretching in my own bed. Is this how I'll spend my birthday?

Grams locked the door behind us, we lived in a secluded area which now that I think about it, it was even convenient. No one could hear my screams.

My body kept contorting for the next couple of hours, I felt I couldn't feel my skin and bones anymore. Grams was humming next to me trying to consort me, she was trying to talk to me about wolves but I screamed at her asking her to shut up, I couldn't concentrate on anything due to the amount of pain I was feeling.

I felt like hours went by and on while I screamed and suffered along with my grams, she smiled when everything seems to be over but I still felt weird. When I tried to stand, I felt flat on the floor. My legs were not answering.

What time was it?

'Grams' I tried to speak but it sounded like a whimper.

"I can't understand honey. I'll have to shift too"

Shift? Shift into what?

'I don't understand' I heard myself saying but she laughed again.

I watched her while she removed the clothes she was wearing from her body until she was not wearing anything. She kneeled on the floor and while I blinked she turned into some kind of gigantic gray wolf. I tried to step back scared, I was still on the floor and my legs were not answering.

'Grams?' I found myself asking even when I knew the answer for that.

Her eyes were blue, but it was like a shiny blue and I knew right away she was not hurting me. That was grams.

'Stand up baby' her mouth didn't move but I still heard her talking, it was as if she was talking to my mind.

'Ho... how?' I asked still not believing anything that happened or anything that's happening.

'I have so much to talk to you about'

I tried to stand up again but this time I did it. It was like learning to walk all over again, I was on my four legs and my fur was all black instead of gray. Why?

'How are you feeling?' she asked scared of my answered. I whimpered scared, I was crying inside, I don't know what's going on.

'Grams?'

'Let's get her running, she'll need to be exhausted to give you control again'

She kept talking as if there was someone else inside of me. Was I a werewolf?

She started pacing outside the greenhouse through a big door from the back which was still open. I tried following her and keep her pace.

'Our... your bloodline is from an ancient werewolf line. Your father was the most powerful alpha, when you were born everyone thought you'd be a boy due to how fast and strong you were since the beginning.' She laughed but it sounded empty.

'Your mom was so proud as soon as she knew you were a girl. It didn't really matter; you'd still inherit the pack.'

She continued but I had so many questions that were sounding inside my head, I still think she heard them because she laughed and answered them.

'Yes. We're werewolves, Faith. We don't have superpowers but we're strong, you'll start to develop all your wolf's senses even when you're a human. You could hear stuff that are not close, we can talk to each other without being next to each other, you'll smell everything from afar'

'How come I didn't know any of this before?' I asked still shocked, that means that the wolf I saw was real. 'Are there more like us?'

'Yes, we used to belong to a pack but that... wait, did you see one like us? Where?' she asked in panic, I didn't want to say it because it looked like I just messed it up.

'We need to go now' she yelled inside my head and started running towards the house.

I followed her feeling the passing of the wind behind me, I felt free even when I still didn't understand anything. I could hear the birds chirping at the distance, even the crickets around the trees, I feel like I can hear and smell everything and the rain felt amazing against my skin.

When we were getting home I heard something breaking, the greenhouse was being attacked by a group of man, whilst one was just observing.

"She was here. I can still smell her" I heard people screaming, were they wolves like us?

A group came outside the house breaking everything on their path and one of them had the only picture my grams and I moved around everywhere we moved.

I was pacing while looking how grandma stopped, I can't believe we can't do anything against it.

"Alpha, it is the girl from the store" someone approached the man that was standing there. It looked familiar, was it one of the guys that were at the store and left before Jake? Were they following me?

"Her body temperature was too high; she must be turning 18 today" that was the other one, were they always together? I wanted to scream at them and tell them to go away.

'Faith, your parents... that's the guy who killed them. He's looking for you and we have to run, run as fast as you can' I heard my grams say but I couldn't move.

My eyes crossed into the line of sight of the guy grams just mentioned killed my parents and I felt rooted to the floor, I couldn't move.

Weren't they killed in an accident?

His hair was long, reaching almost his chin if it was loose but it was styled slicked back, even some strands were decorating his face. His broad shoulders and tall stature, he was almost two feet tall and behind all those clothes he still looked muscular and well built up. He was even taller than the guy from the store.

His face is handsome and captivating, with a strong jawline, well-defined cheekbones. The straight nose and inviting full lips add to his attractive features, complemented by sun-kissed skin. It's a face that effortlessly combines strength and dominance. I could even see his eyes from here, for a moment they were clear brown but all of a sudden they were red.

I felt like I couldn't move and even when I was supposed to run away I felt like he was what I wanted all along, that's when I understood what my grams said that I would feel special. He had a smirk on his face, he knew. He felt it too.

I felt in this trance until I heard my grams screaming 'Run!' and that's when hell was unleashed...