by Lewis, D. C.
Snapping back to reality, Kiera shivers as power she has never before felt infused her body and sharpened her awareness.
The force caused her body to convulse as it began its physical transformation. Kiera felt like one of the villains she had seen in old Westerns, bound by their ankles and wrists and then strung between two horses who pull in opposite directions. Her limbs began to lengthen to unimaginable proportions. She can hear the remnants of her already tattered clothing start to rip as they struggled to contain her growing bulk. The human side of her took a few moments to mourn the loss of the jeans that she had owned for so long. As her face began to elongate, she felt her jaw likewise start to lengthen, making room for the large canines that would dominate her mouth.
And then it came. The hair that she dreamed about on so many nights has finally made its way to the waking world. With her fully developed Lycoan sight, she could see the hair wiggle its way out of her pores, like tiny worms escaping from the ground after a hard rain lest they drown. It covered her body in a coat of blond, matching exactly the color of the human Kiera's hair. The newly formed claws on her hands easily dug into the hard earth as if it were warm butter. Her senses were finally at their maximum potential. It was almost as if she had lived her entire life deaf and blind. So much detail assaulted her that it made her head spin. She felt intoxicated with stimuli. The process of change that seemed as if it took hours, really happened in a few seconds. In a very short time Kiera had gone from a girl with Lycoan potential to a full Lycoan with all a Lycoan's powers. Once again pressing her palms to the ground, she extended her arms with a force that launched herself five feet off the ground. Twisting in the air, she expertly landed on her feet, prepared to defend herself against an attacker who was no longer there.
So caught up in the process of the "change", Kiera hadn't even noticed the fleeing of her attacker. The primal side of her raged at the lack of revenge and it took all of Kiera's willpower to rein it back under the control of her human side.
A battle between two awarenesses began. The primal side of Kiera, so relieved at finally being set free after all those years of restraint, didn't want to give into the human awareness, afraid that once brought back under control, it wouldn't be allowed out again. The mental struggle was intense as Kiera closed her eyes and focused. She was surprised to find herself mentally whole when she finally regained control.
Breathing heavily and feeling completely exhausted, Kiera was surprised when she looked down at her hands, to see that she was back to human form again. When she changed back, she didn't remember.
Then her world erupted in pain.
All the wounds she suffered at the claws and fangs of the turquoise-eyed beast came rushing back upon her. The skinned knees, the puncture wounds in her back, the bite on her shoulder, all combined to create a symphony of pain like she had never experienced. Her Lycoan side had provided a buffer for that pain and in her Lycoan form, she had barely noticed them. Now without that barrier, the pain became debilitating and the wounds she received during her struggle, reopened and started to pour once more.
It was at this point that Kiera realized she was standing out in the open naked, her clothes having been torn off entirely during her encounter. Due to the loss of not only all of her clothing but much of her blood, Kiera's body shivered uncontrollably, even in the summer air.
With a newfound respect for life, Kiera realized that she really didn't want to die, and took the first step towards her car. Pain came with each footstep. Regardless of how softly she took each step, a new wave of pain shot up her body and with each, a bright gush of blood to accentuate the pain. Understanding that she didn't have much time left, Kiera worked through the pain and finally arrived at her car. Falling into the driver's seat, she paid no attention to the blood that splattered the leather and even pooled around her buttocks as she put the key in the ignition. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep, but she knew that once closed, her eyes wouldn't reopen, and not even her primal side could help her then. Her main goal was to get back home, to her sanctuary, where hopefully Katrina could help her. And if nothing else, at least her mother would know what happened to her.
Kiera found it difficult to hold her head up. The combination of blood loss and torn muscles in her neck make it easy for gravity to drag it downward. Putting down the window, she stuck her left elbow out the window and used that hand to keep her head propped up. The night air blowing in her face barely helped keep her awake but at this point, every little bit helped. She couldn't even feel her right hand on the steering wheel, and she didn't know if she were driving on the right side of the road, or even towards home. Lacking the energy to even use her phone, she was amazed that she was able to drive but she knew that it was the voice that had talked to her that was giving her the strength to make it back.
The glance into her rearview mirror would have shocked Kiera had she not been so disoriented. She didn't even recognize her own reflection as she looked at the blood-covered being staring back at her. The blood on her face had crusted, transforming into black scab- looking fissures. The once-blonde hair was tainted red and in total disarray, tangled to the point where hours would be needed before a comb could run unhindered through her once blonde locks. It occurred to her that she probably looked more frightening now then she did when she was covered in hair. But that thought barely registered, just a flutter on the edge of her mind.
Her bloody body was starting to shut down, she couldn't feel her extremities. Muscles deprived of life-sustaining oxygen started to seize up and die. Stubbornly she fought to keep her eyes open but the trauma was starting to win and suck her down to the depths of darkness.
A minor impact jolted her senses. She could hear a voice calling her name.
The angels had come to take her home.
Eighteen
The Watcher was furious as it ran through the forest, pacing Kiera's car. It had come so close to finally dealing with its prey and at the last possible moment, it had slipped through The Watcher's claws. Taking a swipe at an unoffending oak tree, The Watcher ripped half of it off, leaving a crater-like gouge in giant. The Watcher wanted to howl in frustration. Months of planning and waiting had led up to this evening and in the blink of an eye it was all ruined. Glancing over in Kiera's direction, The Watcher could smell the metallic tang of her blood. She looked pale, there was a good chance that she wouldn't survive the encounter.
The Watcher still was shocked that Kiera had actually "changed." This was unanticipated and was severely going to impact The Watcher's plans, if Kiera managed to survive her ordeal. Effortlessly keeping parallel to the big BMW, The Watcher was surprised at how well Kiera was keeping the car on the road. From her appearance, The Watcher knew that it was instinct alone that piloted the journey. No human in Kiera's physical condition would have the means to focus on something as monotonous as driving. Simply trying to stay alive would consume all her energy.
The Hemming house was coming around the corner, somehow Kiera had managed to make the drive home. The Watcher slowed its pace and fell back as Kiera neared the front gate to her mother's home. Wondering how Kiera was going to gain access through the gate given her current condition, The Watcher's question was answered when the car impacted one of the hand- laid stone columns that stood like two sentinels on either side of the iron gate. The impact wasn't severe, as Kiera's car had barely been moving, slowing down considerably over the journey home, but even so, The Watcher could see some significant damage to Kiera's prized car.
With the premonition only a mother could possess, Katrina burst through the front door and rushed to Kiera, calling her name as she ran to her daughter's aid. The Watcher knew that with Katrina's presence, no further opportunity would present itself this evening.
Working its way to the rear of the house, The Watcher made sure to stay downwind of Katrina so as not to risk detection. Even though she was focused on her daughter, Katrina's senses would still be on high alert
, a defensive mechanism that was natural to all living beings who feared attack.
Finding the spot in the brush that it had used so many nights before this one, The Watcher continued its vigil. The next time an opportunity presented itself it would not hesitate. It would not let its prey escape again. This time it would take its last breath between The Watcher's clenched jaws.
Nineteen
Bursting through the front door, Katrina rushed down to Kiera's car. A nagging feeling that she couldn't shake had been distracting her for the past hour. It wasn't until the final few seconds before Kiera's car hit the column that Katrina figured it out and ran through the house, just in time to see the car settle after the collision. She barely recognized the battered and bloodied form sitting naked and unconscious behind the steering wheel. It looked like Kiera had gone through a war. Straining her ears, she could barely hear Kiera's heartbeat. A sound like someone shouting kept drowning the precious sound out. Then Katrina realized that the shouting was coming from her, a panicked repeat of Kiera's name.
A dozen thoughts had run through her mind as she finally came to her daughter's aid. She knew that her hold on the pack was tenuous at best and she had been concerned something would finally erupt, but she never thought that Kiera would actually be attacked, and in such a violent manner. The rage that was starting to rise was suppressed by her concern for her daughter. There would be plenty of time for revenge later.
After a moment at her daughter's side, Katrina saw that it looked even worse than she had initially thought. Kiera's blonde hair, knotted up and matted with blood, looked like it had gone through a bad dye job. Her face was bruised and swollen, the dried blood giving her a ghoulish appearance. Katrina could see a massive wound on her left shoulder that appeared to be a bite mark. The wound trickled only a slow stream of blood, not because it was closing up but because Kiera's body was running out of the precious fluid.
Not wanting to lose time in opening the car door, Katrina simply moved Kiera's arm from the windowsill and ripped the door off its hinges, as easily as someone would rip the wings off a fly. Throwing the door over the gate and into the front yard, Katrina reached in and gently removed Kiera from the driver's seat. The car's interior was soaked in blood. Some of the deluge even managed to penetrate the light-colored leather seats. Seeing how much blood had pooled in certain areas in the car, Katrina was amazed that Kiera had any blood left in her thin body and knew that if her daughter didn't get treatment at once, she wouldn't last another fifteen minutes.
The mosquitoes, usually a pest at this time of the night, were completely ignoring Katrina and her daughter, focusing instead on the interior of the car where food came with much less risk of death.
Kiera's body was limp in Katrina's powerful arms, a rag doll, lifeless. With ease, Katrina rushed back inside carrying her precious burden. Heading for the kitchen, Katrina held her daughter with her left arm and used her right to sweep everything off the bar so she could make room to lay Kiera's body knowing that if Kiera had any chance of survival it be due to the Lycoan’s ability to heal, her wounds being too grievous for a mere human to survive.The fluorescent lights highlight the extent of Kiera's wounds. How she has managed to survive this long is only due to her stubbornness. Kiera's wounds had completely stopped oozing but Katrina knew that the first step would be to tend them. If she didn't close up the holes, her body's replenishing its blood supply would be pointless as it would only make its way back out.
Grabbing some clean towels from the hallway linen closet, Katrina soaked them in warm water in order to soften the coagulated blood that had hardened in Kiera's wounds. Gently but deliberately cleaning the aggravated areas, Katrina finally was able to assess the full damage done to her daughter. The puncture wounds on her back were deep but in no major arteries. It was the bite on her shoulder that concerned Katrina the most. The trapezius muscle looked severed, which caused Kiera's head to lean to the right side. The bite went deep and Katrina could make out the white of the collar bone. Katrina easily spotted the puncture marks where the three-inch canines sank into Kiera's soft flesh, displacing anything that got in their way, leaving a perfect mold of the teeth. Once again her anger threatened to overcome her rational mind, her primal side screaming for revenge. Battling it back, Katrina focused on the task at hand, the saving of her daughter's life.
Satisfied that Kiera's injuries were as clean as she could manage, Katrina hurried to locate some thread and a needle, not needing to worry about disinfectant since Kiera's body was naturally immune to infection. The main concern was to close up the holes in Kiera so that the natural process of Kiera's body replenishing its blood supply could begin. Katrina only hoped that she had enough time.
Quickly dashing to the medicine cabinet in her bathroom, Katrina located the tools she needed to suture the openings in Kiera's body. Even though she was gone for less than a minute, Kiera's condition had worsened during Katrina's absence, her breathing barely detectable. Time was slipping away. With a fierce determination fueled not only by anger but by love, Katrina began the delicate process. Kiera made no sound, not even the tiniest moan as Katrina passed the needle in out and out of the meat of Kiera's shoulder. Expertly closing the wounds, one would be surprised at the gentleness with which Katrina wielded the tiny metal object, exactly spacing the stitches to maximize their effectiveness.
Putting the final stitch in the last grievous wound, Katrina got a fresh washcloth and bowl of warm water and finished cleaning her daughter's nude form of the remaining blood and other detritus that had adhered itself to her now pale flesh. Doing the best she could without completely submerging Kiera in water, Katrina covered her daughter with a blanket and went to prepare something easily edible. Given the Lycoan's already hyperactive metabolism, injuries such as the one Kiera had suffered, placed an even greater demand on her body. Combined with the amount of blood lost, it sped up the process of muscle cannibalization. If Kiera didn't get food in her system soon, her body would eat itself from the inside out. Wanting to feed her daughter some sustenance but realizing Kiera probably lacked the ability to chew, Katrina decided on the tried and true alternative, a beef broth that she could pour into Kiera's mouth and rely on her to instinctively swallow. While not the optimal way to help Kiera's body begin to repair itself, assuming she had any chance of survival, it would hopefully make her strong enough to begin to eat solid food.
Grabbing a pot, Katrina filled it half full and put it on burner, cranking the temperature to high. Remembering the old saying "a watched pot never boils", Katrina turned around to check on Kiera. While she certainly didn't look any better, she didn't look any worse. Katrina took this as a good sign and was starting to believe that she might have gotten to her daughter in time. Looking at Kiera as she waited to hear the water boil, Katrina wondered if she had handled the whole situation correctly. Had she herself been as naive as she had so frequently accused Kiera of being? While she had known there were some who were unhappy with her leadership, she had not expected a direct attack on her daughter. Had she thought this actually likely, and not just a tactic she was using to persuade Kiera to accept her responsibility, she would have taken some precautions. The Larissa problem needed to be dealt with immediately. A quick and bloody response was required. Katrina debated sending Kiera away to a safe house if she recovered but really couldn't decide whether that would make her safer or actually put her back in harm's way. It might be better for Kiera to stay close to her mother and members of the pack who were still loyal to Katrina.
Katrina hated indecision. It was uncharacteristic of her. The worry for Kiera was clouding her judgment. One thing was for certain, Larissa Sinistari had put events into motion that would conclude only with either Larissa's or Katrina's death. There had to be some way to protect Kiera from the backlash if Katrina came out on bottom.
The hiss of water coming into contact with an open flame marked that the water had achieved its boil. Reaching into the cabinet above the stove, Katrina remo
ved two beef bouillon cubes from the airtight glass container that housed them and threw them into the pot. They made a tiny splash as they broke the water's surface and sent even more droplets to the ever-hungry flames.
The cubes dissolved quickly in the boiling water, turning it a muddy brown color. The concentrated smell of beef wafting up from the pot pleasantly assaulted Katrina's nose, causing her mouth to water with the delicious aroma. Making sure the cubes had completely dissolved, Katrina poured the contents into a bowl so that it could cool enough for Kiera's consumption. Gently stirring the aromatic liquid, Katrina blew into the bowl, watching her breath make ripples on the surface of the broth.
Satisfied that it had cooled enough to not burn the flesh it was going to encounter, she brought the bowl over and rested it next to her daughter's head. Wielding the spoon with care, she dipped it into the lifesaving broth, piercing the surface with a determination to save Kiera's life. Lifting the spoon from the bowl, Katrina blew on it one more time to make sure it wasn't too hot and with her left hand gently opening Kiera's mouth, used her right to drop the spoon's contents into Kiera's now gaping maw. All her hopes were pinned on the fact that Kiera still had the strength to swallow. Katrina didn't even want to consider the consequences if Kiera didn't.
For what seemed an eternity, the liquid stayed stationary in Kiera's mouth. Katrina felt a panic start to rise in her gut, and just as she started to reach over to massage Kiera's throat in hopes this would make it contract and force the liquid down, Kiera swallowed. A wave of relief washed over Katrina. Though she knew that they weren't "out of the woods" yet, this was a good sign that Kiera would pull through.
