elongated teeth now protruded from his gums. He inhaled, a ragged, gurgling mess of air and saliva, and his breath burst back out in a ferocious scream that twisted into a long and painful howl.
Allie watched the entire transformation, saw the man vanish into the skin of the creature, and did so without visible reaction. It was a thing that happened, she told herself, it was true, and this man she had rescued from the snow was in fact a werewolf.
It licked its teeth and howled again.
She looked towards the rope and chains – the knots held. The werewolf tugged with all its strength, but they did not yield. It howled a third time, a hint of surrender in the sound.
Allie poised in awe—rather than fear—and a shrewd thought occurred to her.
“Stay,” she said, pointing her finger as she slowly moved backward through the doorway, then turned and ran to the kitchen. She swiped up the two rabbits from the sink and hurried back to the bedroom, hoping she would find the creature just the way she left it.
Thankfully, the werewolf still struggled against its bonds, still snarled as she returned to stand before it. It was larger now, nearly two feet taller than Tyler when he was human. His eyes followed her as she came into the room, and she held up the rabbits, drawing its full attention.
“Please, she begged, “don’t hurt me. I’m just trying to help.”
Though confidant in the security of his restraints, she walked towards him cautiously. He leaned as far forward as he could, sniffing excitedly at the air.
“Down,” she scolded, hiding the rabbits behind her back. A deep breath later, she shifted her weight and stood assertively. “Look, Tyler, if you’re in there, I need you to listen.” Allie settled into a more nurturing tone, searched his eyes for a tinge of human-ness and whispered, “It’s going to be okay.”
She held out one of the rabbits and immediately its ferocious mouth nipped at her, tripping her back a few steps. Determined, she regained her posture and tried again, but not without reprimand.
“No!” her voice cracked. “Just eat,” she insisted, “the rabbit. Not me.”
This time, she waited for its eagerness to subside before she placed the animal delicately into his waiting mouth. He snapped it up, just after he paused long enough for her to pull her hand clear. In a few quick crunches of his powerful jaws, the rabbit was gone, and his mouth opened again.
Allie placed the second rabbit inside. This time, he chewed more slowly.
“Good boy,” she praised, and impulsively reached out a hand and placed it over his chest. Surprisingly, he let her and inside she found his heart beat furiously. Powerfully.
Allie smiled at the rhythm under her fingertips. For even through the thick muscle, bone and fur that covered him, it was the familiar sound of a human heart that raced within him.
In spite of it all, she reasoned, he was still a man and she now felt compelled to help him with this condition he had revealed to her. Something told her, that despite his arrogance, Tyler was helplessly flawed, and if not in danger of those who shot him, most markedly, he was a potential threat to her safety, as well as his own.
“We’ll get through this,” she pledged, unsure of how, but decidedly resolute. “I promise.”
Chapter 12
Tyler opened his eyes, slowly.
It was near dawn, just before or after, and the light that filled the room was bright but not blinding. He was still standing up, and Allie sat across the room from him, her chair pushed back to the bed. Her face was turned towards him, eyes open, with the shotgun resting across her legs. She didn’t look angry, or afraid. She looked…patient.
He cleared his throat – it felt dry. “So…” his voice lingered, “have you been sitting there all night?”
She pointed her thumb out toward the window where the sun was rising. “All night.”
“And did I…?”
She nodded.
He pulled on the ropes; they were
Allie watched the entire transformation, saw the man vanish into the skin of the creature, and did so without visible reaction. It was a thing that happened, she told herself, it was true, and this man she had rescued from the snow was in fact a werewolf.
It licked its teeth and howled again.
She looked towards the rope and chains – the knots held. The werewolf tugged with all its strength, but they did not yield. It howled a third time, a hint of surrender in the sound.
Allie poised in awe—rather than fear—and a shrewd thought occurred to her.
“Stay,” she said, pointing her finger as she slowly moved backward through the doorway, then turned and ran to the kitchen. She swiped up the two rabbits from the sink and hurried back to the bedroom, hoping she would find the creature just the way she left it.
Thankfully, the werewolf still struggled against its bonds, still snarled as she returned to stand before it. It was larger now, nearly two feet taller than Tyler when he was human. His eyes followed her as she came into the room, and she held up the rabbits, drawing its full attention.
“Please, she begged, “don’t hurt me. I’m just trying to help.”
Though confidant in the security of his restraints, she walked towards him cautiously. He leaned as far forward as he could, sniffing excitedly at the air.
“Down,” she scolded, hiding the rabbits behind her back. A deep breath later, she shifted her weight and stood assertively. “Look, Tyler, if you’re in there, I need you to listen.” Allie settled into a more nurturing tone, searched his eyes for a tinge of human-ness and whispered, “It’s going to be okay.”
She held out one of the rabbits and immediately its ferocious mouth nipped at her, tripping her back a few steps. Determined, she regained her posture and tried again, but not without reprimand.
“No!” her voice cracked. “Just eat,” she insisted, “the rabbit. Not me.”
This time, she waited for its eagerness to subside before she placed the animal delicately into his waiting mouth. He snapped it up, just after he paused long enough for her to pull her hand clear. In a few quick crunches of his powerful jaws, the rabbit was gone, and his mouth opened again.
Allie placed the second rabbit inside. This time, he chewed more slowly.
“Good boy,” she praised, and impulsively reached out a hand and placed it over his chest. Surprisingly, he let her and inside she found his heart beat furiously. Powerfully.
Allie smiled at the rhythm under her fingertips. For even through the thick muscle, bone and fur that covered him, it was the familiar sound of a human heart that raced within him.
In spite of it all, she reasoned, he was still a man and she now felt compelled to help him with this condition he had revealed to her. Something told her, that despite his arrogance, Tyler was helplessly flawed, and if not in danger of those who shot him, most markedly, he was a potential threat to her safety, as well as his own.
“We’ll get through this,” she pledged, unsure of how, but decidedly resolute. “I promise.”
Chapter 12
Tyler opened his eyes, slowly.
It was near dawn, just before or after, and the light that filled the room was bright but not blinding. He was still standing up, and Allie sat across the room from him, her chair pushed back to the bed. Her face was turned towards him, eyes open, with the shotgun resting across her legs. She didn’t look angry, or afraid. She looked…patient.
He cleared his throat – it felt dry. “So…” his voice lingered, “have you been sitting there all night?”
She pointed her thumb out toward the window where the sun was rising. “All night.”
“And did I…?”
She nodded.
He pulled on the ropes; they were
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