Ariadne: Almost an Alpha | ✓

Chapter 11 - The Rougarou

Chapter 11 - The Rougarou 

I know the moment its paws plant themselves firmly on my chest that I'm done for. The jaws opening in a snarl, the sharp canines dripping in saliva, the bloodied snout, and the rotten stench of its breath emphasize just how real this moment is. This creature is a monster, a monster that just killed many of my pack members, my friends, my people, and their blood is matted in its fur. As its open mouth comes in for the kill, I can only think about how I don't know where all these wolves came from. This attack was so sudden, so unexpected, in the middle of a cold winter night like this. Why are they here? Why are they attacking us? Why are there so many of them? Where is the rest of my family?

Just as its hot breath descends on my exposed flesh, I flinch, yanking me out of my nightmare. My eyes open to darkness, and for a second, I lay there, heart beating furiously, sweat collecting under my chest, desperately trying to bring myself back into the present. Then, after finally calming myself down, I realize just how dark it is in here, and my heart starts to race again. After taking the painkillers, I was so tired I forgot to turn on the small lamp across the room before I passed out on my bed.

I rush to the other side of the room and click the lamp on, bathing the room in a dim, pale orange glow. Much better. The small alarm clock on my bedstand displays 2:00 AM in red LED numbers. The pain in the left side of my stomach has returned, and I briefly consider taking another dose of painkillers. Maria said my body would burn the effects off quickly, thanks to the werewolf gene, but that I still shouldn't take them too often. I decide to save them for when the pain gets worse. 'It's not like I'm going to have any luck going back to sleep anyway,' I think, my mind reflecting on the all too real dream.

My feet trudge to the shower. It seems they did somehow get most of the dirt from the attack off me when i was in the medical cabin, but unless someone sponge bathed me, I haven't washed since the night before the rogue attack. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can smell myself. As I strip, I notice the bruises peeking out from underneath the bandage on my side. Gritting my teeth, I peel it back from my skin, revealing the dark purple bruising around a crescent lines of puncture wounds and a chunk of skin that seems to have been stitched back onto my body. Although it looks pretty nasty, I notice that the wound is almost closed up, and I could probably remove the dressing and take a shower without hurting anything. The teeth marks at the back of my neck are barely visible now, and the red area is only a little sore.

The water burns slightly on the wound, and I make sure not to let the shower spray hit it directly. Feeling my muscles relax under the warm water, I take my time, shampooing and conditioning my hair, shaving my legs, and scrubbing the layer of grime off my body.

After, I head to the den downstairs and immerse myself in my newest sci-fi book.

"More end of the world stuff?" Dylan's voice breaks me out of the world of my novel just as I'm almost at the end.

I laugh. "Of course."

"What is it this time?" Dylan asks. "Aliens? Some new disease? Ooh, I know! The cats rebel against their owners in order to rule the world."

Embarrassed, I blush, and quietly murmur, "A new virus spread by cats and sent to Earth by aliens wipes out the human population."

"Oh boy am I good," he smiles, proud of himself, before sitting on the side of my armchair. "Come on, tell me I'm good.'

"You're good," I admit, and his chest swells, "at smelling like butt." He shrinks back down, looking confused. "Seriously, what have you been doing? You need a shower."

"I was checking on the night patrols," he answers.

"Shit,' I let out when I realize just how terrible I've been. "I didn't even talk with anyone about the details of the patrols when I got up. I completely neglected the pack!"