Heavy. Maddison felt unimaginably heavy. Like she was sinking in quicksand. Why-?

  Then the memories came back. The phone call and Kalie in pain, acting crazy. Biting and scratching at Maddison's flesh. She was a werewolf. Her best friend was- is- a werewolf. And Reece! He was a werewolf too.

  "Maddison? Honey, can you hear me?"

  Well, that was Greg. She must be in bad shape if he was calling her 'Honey'. Not wanting to worry him further she tried to, at least, open her eyes through the quicksand.

  She winced at the light streaming into her eyes and moaned. But, out of love for her father, she pushed through the pain and opened her eyes once again.

  Greg's haggard face swam into view, his glasses halfway down his nose and tears shining in his crisp blue eyes.

  "Hi Greg." She croaked, trying to shift in what she assumed was a hospital bed. She winced again at the overwhelming smell of antiseptic and sickness. Definitely a hospital.

  She heard a strangled laugh and suddenly Chase was there too, his eyes puffy with sleep and old tears. He smiled at Maddison and griped her hand.

  Mine. She thought. Then she became confused by that thought. Sure, Chase was her brother but she had never felt the urge to, literally, claim him as such. Strange. Must be the drugs they gave her.

  "What time is it?" she asked, wishing desperately that she could brush her teeth. Her mouth tasted like a sour sponge. "Shouldn't you be in school? Both of you."

  "Yes, well, all things considered I figured we would call in sick just this once." Greg chuckled weakly.

  "Wow, it must have been worse than I thought if you say its fine to miss school." Maddison joked.

  "Reece and his pack got you here pretty fast. Apparently werewolves are a very efficient bunch."

  "Right, the black wolf. That was a surprise." She groaned as she tried to sit up.

  "I'm sorry..." said a new voice that sent a familiar shiver over her skin. "I had planed on telling you some time soon... I just didn't know how to bring it up. I am not, publicly, out as a werewolf"

  "S'okay." She said, not looking at him because her eyes were squeezed shut against the light plus the headache that was building thanks to the strong smells. "I bet Chase has been badgering you like mad though."

  She heard her landlord laugh quietly. "Nah, he's been to busy looking after you."

  "I have to admit I was not expecting Kalie to be- Oh my God! Kalie! Is she okay?!" she exclaimed, her eyes snapping open. She ignored the pain and locked her mismatched eyes with her father's grey ones, Desperate to know where her friend was.

  "She's okay Maddison!" Greg stated calmly. "She woke up half-an-hour ago and is talking to some OWPD officers right now. She's pretty torn up about what she did."

  "No! It wasn't her fault! At least I'm pretty sure it wasn't. I-I got a call from her phone but it wasn't her. It was a man. He was saying strange things! He said that Kalie was his and called her horrible names. Then he said he had left her out front. Or something... I couldn't see out the window properly so I rushed outside. She jumped me. It was Kalie but not Kalie..."

  "Shh its okay."

  The light hurt so much! She wanted to see Kalie. She needed to see her! And why did it smell so bad here!

  "Can somebody please turn off that damn spot light!" she shouted desperately, tears welling up in her eyes.

  She heard the shuffling of feet, louder than it should have been, and the light went out. Stephanie sighed in relief. That was much better.

  "How are the smells?" asked Reece.

  Now that the light wasn't blinding her she turned to look at him. As her eyes caught on to his emerald ones, her breath hitched. It felt like some one had just squeezed her heart. An intense and confusing longing erupted up in her, and she had to fight back the urge to reach out to him. Every fiber of her longed to be near him, touching him. What the hell?

  "Umm..." was all she could manage as an answer. She was pretty sure she was turning red and panting slightly. She could almost taste him on her tongue. Something in here hungered. Mine. There it was again; a voice that wasn't her but was. "what?"

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "You were bit by a werewolf Maddison." Explained Greg with a pained look. "The doctor came by two hours ago and your blood tests came back. Maddison, you have the virus."

  She managed to tear her eyes away from Reece, who was looking at her sadly, and switched to her father.

  "Wait. I'm a werewolf now?" her voice seemed to rise a few octaves.

  "No." said Reece immediately drawing her eyes back to him like an irresistible magnet. He sat at the foot of her bed and looked at her gravely. "You have the virus but, aren't yet a wolf. The whole thing takes about a day and a half to complete... Maddison, you can still stay human. There is a cure."

  "Seriously?" she'd never heard of a cure before.

  "Yes. A potion, and a spell. But-"

  "But what?"

  "There are risks Maddison." Said Greg, sitting down in the chair next to the hospital bed. She was suddenly aware that, despite the dark of the room, she could see perfectly well in varying shades of blue. "When the doctor told us your results he also told us about cure. You can go back to being human if the spell is done within the next six hours."

  "I take it from the look on your face there is a catch?"

  "Yes." He didn't seem able to get the rest of words out and looked to Reece.

  "The spell will put you in intense pain for several hours. You would not be able to take any pain medication for it either. There can be nothing to interfere with the potion you will have to drink." Explained Reece. He put one of his strong hands on her bare ankle that was sticking out from under the blanket and she felt a jolt of recognition that nearly made her gasp. It was like something in him reached out and grabbed something in her just as his hand had done her foot. The intensity of it made a small squeak escape her lips. She felt inexplicably tied to Reece. Bound.

  "Pain?" she said breathlessly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father and brother looking at her strangely. "um, is that all?"

  "No." was it just her, or was Reece breathing heavier just as she was. His green eyes glowed intensely and he slowly removed his hand. It looked like it was the last thing he wanted to do. It was the last thing she wanted him to do. "Maddison, fifty percent of people who take the cure die in the process."

  "We understand if you want to risk it Maddison." Said Greg, hastily. "The doctor explained that most people opt to take the cure despite the risk and-"

  "No." she said plainly, and Greg fell silent. All three looked at her with surprise.

  "You want to be a werewolf?" asked Chase.

  "Well, I don't want to die." She laughed. "Are there any major risks to just remaining a werewolf?" Maddison asked Reece. "I wont go bonkers and attack people will I?"

  "Well, no..." Reece honestly sounded stunned. "Not unless someone does what was done to your friend."

  "What can I expect then?" she asked, wanting to weigh her options.

  "As you've noticed, you have heightened senses. You'll get used to that over time. You might see some personality changes, and a few behavior changes. Like, you might get a little more opinionated or aggressive. Others go the opposite way. It depends on whether or not you are naturally dominate or submissive. Also, being alone will be a problem. Werewolves need pack. Being without one for too long could break a wolf."

  "Will she want to chase cats?" Chase laughed.

  Reece gave him a small smile. "While shifted, she probably would. With practice that becomes easier to resist. Also you might develop a fondness for rare steaks."

  "Will I have to change form or is that an option?" she asked, now a little calmer.

  "You won't shift unintendedly on the full moon or anything. You'll want to. The moon has a kind of pull over werewolves. If you get injured shifting is always a good idea. You heal fast while shifting either way. Also, you might get a bit antsy if you stay in human skin for too long."

  "So other then a few minor inconveniences, I would still stay me? And I wouldn't be a danger to those around me?"

  "I don't know if I would call them 'minor', but yes."

  Maddison sighed and settled back into her pillow. "Then I guess I'm a werewolf now." She said with finality.

  "Awesome..." breathed Chase. "Can I be one too?" he asked excitedly.

  "No!" everyone else said at the same time.

  Chase seemed to deflate and flopped down in a chair. "Well, why not?"

  "Changing humans is illegal Kiddo." Reece explained to him gently. "No human changes, by any Other, period. Surely you learned that in school?"

  "Yeah..."

  "Kalie won't get in trouble will she?" Maddison asked worriedly.

  "She shouldn't. It sounds to me that someone used her to attack you. Whoever did that would be the one at fault for your change."

  "Who would do that?"

  "If you think you can handle it, we can go ask her. I'm sure the OWPD will want to ask you some things anyway."

  Maddison glanced down at herself. Her upper left arm was bandaged tightly but she wasn't in much pain. She put a hand between her breasts and felt another bandage beneath her hospital gown.

  "They won't get mad at me for walking around?" she asked.

  Maddison's heart skipped a beat at the playful smile that lit up Reece's face. "This is a OW hospital. So long as the patients aren't hurting themselves or anyone else, they can go where they like. People here know better than to tell werewolves and, many others, where they can and can not go."

  "Alright, I want to see Kalie. But I don't think this hospital gown is good for going on a stroll."

  "Oh. When I went to get your phone I grabbed some clothes too." Reece said looking a little awkward. "Sorry for rummaging through your stuff."

  "Its fine. You saved me, so I'm sure I can forgive a tiny invasion of privacy." Maddison managed a small laugh. She may have only known Reece a short while, but she had a feeling he wasn't the type to look out of his element too often.

  "I'll step out then so you can get changed."

  Reece escorted Maddison and her family through the complex web-work of halls that was the OW hospital. She purposely stuck close to her father and brother because she was still alarmed at how Reece seemed to draw her in. Every time he brushed up against her she felt- something.

  The feeling was so foreign that she really didn't know how to describe it. It wasn't painful or pleasurable. It was a kind of super awareness that she couldn't explain.