Teethmarks and Wolf Pelts (The First Priscilla Plight Novel)

Sworn In

He leans forward, the skin on his back literally spiking up in little random spots as if something were pulling it. He breathes hard as this happens all over his back and arms. It seriously looks as if needles are shooting up in random spots, pushing the skin up but never breaking the surface. Suddenly, with each new spike, something starts to replace the skin and after a minute or two I realize that its dusty beige colored hair- fur. Felix closes his eyes and lets the process continue. He drops to his knees as the bones in his back, namely his spine, shift out of place, pushing up against his flesh as it rearranges itself. His hair slowly forms into fur and wolf like ears burst from his skull. His human ears, like the rest of his skin stretches and is reformatted to fit his new appearance. His nose and mouth elongate into a snout and his arms and legs slowly transform into strong legs, ending in powerful paws. And just like that, there was a larger-than-average wolf standing where Felix had just been, his clothes in shreds at his feet -er, paws.

And while this is going on, this minute or so that seems to last an eternity, I'm screaming at the top of my lungs. A lump of emotions and thoughts get caught inside me and I just keep screaming. A boy had just turned into an actual wolf. Right in front of me!

"Stop!" Lewis shouts and crosses the distance between us, just cram his hand over my mouth to muffle my scream. We both fall and Lewis wraps his other arm around me, but I barely take notice. If it weren't for the fact that Felix had just become a wolf, I would have ran from Lewis after what he tried to do last time. Absentmindedly, he began to stroke my hair but I didn't silence my scream. The wolves that had surrounded us look at us with a look of mild curiosity and amusement. "Leave us," Lewis says in firm and commanding tone. They listen. Each wolf, even the one who should be the boy known as Felix, turn to the tree line and start racing toward it. I don't stop screaming until me and the blue eyed boy are all alone.

"You're..." I cough out as Lewis drops his hand, my throat completely dry. I know exactly what they are, but I don't want to even think about. I've always considered myself one to believe in the impossible. I didn't have trouble considering the fact that this group of teenagers weren't exactly human, but there's something tugging at my brain. It's trying to tell me that there is no possible way anyone can turn into an animal, but I had to ignore this feeling- I'd seen it for myself.

"Yes. I'm two natured," He said calmly. Two natured is a term I've never heard before. I make a confused sort of grunt, as if to tell him to explain. "Being a two natured being means that I have two forms- human and animal. My pack and I, minus the except of Carter, are all wolves."

"I-"

"You will not breathe a word to anyone about this," his voice drops. It's the same tone he'd used to growl at me before he hit me in the woods. "Or I will kill you. We would normally never let an outsider know what we are, but you have valuable information. We're desperate for it." Lewis keeps stroking my hair. For being a buff, scary boy, he was so gentle with my hair. Despite his threatening me, I do feel safe having him hold me here in the clearing. "Now. Tell me where Connor is."

"I don't know exactly where he is," I manage to breathe out. Lewis's hold on me tightens, but I know he won't hurt me. He knows I must have some form of information otherwise he wouldn't have shown me what they are... Werewolves, shape shifters, two natured. "But, I do have some information on him."

"Tell me what you know," He whispers softly, though his voice still has a commanding tone to it. And so I do. I tell him all I know. I tell him about how he came to me the night before he left and I told him about the text messages. Lewis asks to see my phone and I showed him the text messages. I'm not sure what he's doing, but he punches in a few numbers on my phone and hands it back to me. "I'll have my trackers on the search as soon as possible."

"Why do you need to find him so bad?" I ask, my voice meek. While the question hadn't occurred to me until just now, it is a good one and I'm glad I asked it. Lewis's eyes flicker to the side and then back to me.

"That's.... That's confidential. Look, Priscilla, I need you to do something for me." At this time, he stands up and then helps me to my feet. I'm a little weak at the knees, my head is spinning a little, but I think I'll be alright. I wish I could believe that werewolves didn't exists, but I've seen it and I'd have to accept the fact sooner or later. "I need you to take an oath."

"It's fine. I promise not to tell about you guys," I say. It's not like anyone would believe me anyway, much less give me the opportunity to talk to them. Then, Lewis pulls an object out of his shorts pockets. He pushes a small button on the silver rectangle and a blade shoots out of a little slit at the top.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" My voice drops and I have half a mind to back away. But the look in Lewis's eyes tells me that I will not be killed by him.

"Of course not. It's just a little oath us two natured make humans take- the ones who know what we are. It'll only hurt for a second. Just hold out your hand." Reluctantly, I do as I'm instructed. He takes my hand in one of his and uses the other to slash my palm with the knife. I let out a high pitched whimper of pain and tears fill the edges of my eyes. He closes his eyes, trying to stable himself. When he finally opens them again, he spits directly into my wound. It immediately stings and hurt like hell. I hiss out in pain.

"You have seen what they have not," Lewis says in a chant-like manner. I don't interrupt. "You know what others cannot. You have been let in, and have to keep the others out. Bound by blood and the spit of your brothers, you are sworn in."

Lewis lets go of my hand as soon as his chant ends. I bring it up to my face on instinct, but what I see almost causes me to scream again. The wound is drawing the blood and spit back inside my body, the flesh stretching and binding itself together until the cut is completely gone and there is no pain left. Panic rose inside me. Did he just make me one of them?!"What did you do to me?" My voice cracks, so he knows I'm fearful.

"Calm down. You have just sworn you into the pack. You are still a human, but you will be slightly enhanced." His cocky grin is back and his blue eyes flashed. "Nothing big. Reflexes will be quicker, you'll heal fast. You're still you, but if you even try to tell anyone about uswithout consenting the Alpha in the pack- my spit prevents you from revealing our secret inany way."

I'm taken back by all the magic and mystery involved in this, but I don't ask questions. There's no logic to magic. It is what it is. I take several shaky breaths before nodding in his direction.

"You just go on home now, okay? We'll stop stalking you. We may need you from time to time in our search, so contact us if you get any more information. Okay?" I nod, not saying a word as I turn and head back to my crappy, vomit colored car. The drive back seems longer and I'm surprised I didn't crash- thank God no other cars were on the road at the time I was. Even all through dinner, my mother and I didn't exchange a single word. I think she knows somethings wrong, but knows she won't get an answer. Finally, toward the end of the night, I crawl in bed, still fully clothed. I don't shower, I don't check Facebook or my phone. I just close my eyes and let sleep take me away.

Predictably, I dream of nothing other than men turning into wolves.