Lockdown

The atmosphere was awkward. Clearly, Dylan was regretting his uncharacteristic outburst earlier but judging by his quick glances towards Kale, it was obvious he was more concerned about what the newcomer’s reaction was rather than Damien’s. Since the scene back in the living room, nobody had bothered to utter a single word. Instead, they silently ushered into the dining area without much complaint.

Doc sat on the head of the table with Kale to his right and Dylan to his left. Beside Dylan was Damien, and then to his side sat Selene, and finally Loren. Opposite them, Bijou looked uncomfortable sitting next to Kale but Theo’s teasing on her other side seemed to make her feel better.

The food was passed around quickly with all of them taking a good amount to fill their plates. When Selene glanced around the table she found that Loren was reluctant to cut into her steak and seemed to have been waiting for Kale to make the first move. Amused, she nudged the teenager to show her taking a huge bite of the fillet speared in her fork. Blushing slightly, Loren started to eat.

“Kale,” drawled Theo lazily, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “What brings you here to Kaia? Couldn’t find a place to stay somewhere else?”

Doc exhaled in annoyance while Dylan sent him a scathing glare. Kale, meanwhile, didn’t appear offended at all. “Why?” he returned in indifference. “Is that why you’re here in town?”

There was no chance of stopping the smile on Selene’s face. Even Damien was amused. When Kale saw Theo’s peeved expression, he decided to give him a proper answer, “I used to live here when I was younger.”

Dylan looked up from his plate in wonder which irritated his twin. The boy’s odd behavior made Selene uncharacteristically squirm in her seat. It might have been wrong for her to assume, but she really thought that the new garoul was harmless. The guy hadn’t even been here an hour and already everybody was on edge. After subtly studying him, Selene concluded that his actions seemed meticulous but on more careful observation, she decided she was wrong. Then, she thought him pedantic. That too was brushed aside. Again, she thought hard. Finally, she found the word to describe him.

Kale Coulson was sophisticated. What that meant for them, Selene didn’t know. At the back of her mind, she believed Kale was more fitted to live in a city. Probably somewhere like Manhattan. Kaia didn’t seem to be big enough for someone like him. That thought alone made her feel uneasy.

Or, maybe she was just over thinking the whole thing.

“Is it true you’re moving in to that empty house at Keldridge Lane?”

The question was posed by Loren but everyone only had eyes on Kale. The loup didn’t even look up as he sliced through his mostly-rare grilled steak. “Yes, that’s the place.”

Selene would have thought him not looking at Loren was rude but his answer was so cordial that she couldn’t find it in her heart to be angry.

“You’ve known Doc long?” This time it was Damien who spoke up. The clipped tone of his voice hinted at some form of mischief but one look from Dylan made him back down. Albeit, begrudgingly.

Oddly enough, the posed inquiry made Doc look uncomfortable. Shifty eyed, he glanced at Kale briefly. Whatever it was he was looking for, he found it when he finally said, “A while. I’ve known Kale a while.”

Weird. That was the second time tonight somebody had acted as if they needed permission from him before saying anything. Theo, as if catching on to that fact, turned to Doc with a suspicious expression. “How long is a while?”

Sure enough, he didn’t reply immediately as he faltered with a glance to his right. “Twenty-six years. Give or take, a few months.”

“Why don’t you ask Kale all your questions instead?” Dylan retorted with a disapproving glance at Theo. “It’s kind of rude to ignore him you know.”

Everybody was so testy tonight. In all honesty, they couldn’t be blamed. This was the night before the full moon. Their healed-injuries from that life-altering attack prickled beneath unblemished skin. The marks of the affliction were gone but times like these made them feel like it was branded on their skin.

For Selene, there was that unmistakable strain on the lower part of her right leg up to the middle of her thigh as if her skin and muscles were being stretched out over her bones. Then there was a fraction on her left hip, it felt like she hit the edge of a table and left a bruise that wasn’t there. Loren had it worse though. Her throat hurt to the point that she couldn’t quite enjoy her meal tonight. They learned to ignore these little pains as well as they could. There was nothing left for them to do, after all.

Taking Dylan’s bait, Theo eyed the newcomer with a thoughtless expression that bordered on rude. “So, what’s your story anyway? Where’d you come from?”

Yes, he really was being rude. Jackass. Bijou elbowed him with a disapproving frown on her lips that he only reacted to with a careless shrug.

Clearly, nobody was expecting Kale to humor him with a response which was probably why they, except Dylan and Doc, were surprised when he said, “I used to live with a pack with their terrain between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories up in Canada. When I left, I stayed with a friend down at Winnipeg for two weeks. Then I came here.”

Damien, curious if he would answer him, inquired, “You a floater?”

Normally, the questions they asked wouldn’t have sounded so intrusive. To their kind, it was nothing but. Even Max didn’t have the gal to be this nosy when Selene and Loren got here even though he was prone to ask a lot of questions.

“I’m solitary.”

Selene looked up at him in surprise. Was he pulling their leg or was he being honest? The somber expression on Kale’s face proved that he was, in fact, telling the truth. It was obvious that Theo and Damien were trying to make him uncomfortable but his confident, blatant candor unnerved not only them, but Selene, Bijou, and Loren as well. A loup outnumbered seven to one and yet he still looked unaffected. Doc and Dylan were amused.

Then, Loren cut in, “Solitary is a loup who’s not looking for a pack, right?”

Kale gave a nod then added, “While floaters are the ones who travel from one place to the next looking for one where they could be accepted.”

She already knew that but Selene still appreciated that he didn’t sound condescending. Who was this guy? First impressions pointed to arrogance with the confident way he carried himself but the way he spoke showed he gave them the respect they deserved. Selene and the others had lived here awhile and he was the new garoul to intrude even though he claimed to have lived here when he was younger. They had more right to be cautious of a new face than he did for coming back.

That didn’t mean Selene had to like it. For some time after arriving here at Kaia, she had held on to the belief that she and her companion weren’t going to stay long. Roughly two years later they were still here. Selene had to go through the motions of actually finding a house they could live in, sending Loren to school, and not to mention they had bills to pay. Bills. Before they got here she had home-schooled Loren and only rented rooms in cheap inns until they left for the next town.

Change was hard to swallow back then. It was the same now. Solitaries tended to just pass through but Kale was obviously planning to stay. Selene didn’t remember feeling this uneasy when the others arrived. What was different with this guy? Not knowing only made her more irritated.

Then, there was the fact that he didn’t seem to be affected by her at all. As time progressed, Kale still didn’t show any of the usual symptoms men got when she was around. Selene had always believed that she wasn’t a vain woman but she couldn’t deny that his lack of reaction bothered her. Mentally, she vehemently denied she was offended. Acting like Theo just made her feel sick.

Besides, the new garoul wasn’t all that. His features were muted but angled enough that it showed his masculinity. He had a long clean neck and broad enough shoulders. Long torso and even longer legs. Big feet. No, Selene wouldn’t even think of it. She knew, hands down, that he could never compare to their resident Adonis.

Catching where her thoughts led her, Selene mentally scolded herself for trying so hard to find a flaw in Kale. She barely knew him for crying out loud. This pettiness she was feeling made her feel disgusted with herself.

Feeling a nudge on her side, she glanced to see Loren giving her a curious look. She waved her off. “It’s nothing.”

At that same moment, they all heard someone enter the foyer with hurried shuffling footsteps. Not a moment later, in came Max looking sheepish. “Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s fine. At least you got here,” said Doc gesturing to the empty seat beside Theo.

Just as Max was about to settle onto the chair, he stopped mid-way and glanced up at Kale. Wide-eyed, he stared for quite a bit leaving all the others confused. Until, finally, Kale waved a hand at him, “Maxwell Foster, right?”

He winced. “Just Max.” He sat down. “I worked for Axle at one time.”

“I know. He told me.”

What he said surprised and excited Max that Selene had to bite her lip to refrain from asking what they were talking about. From the look of his face, Damien was about to speak but was cut off by Doc before he could even utter a single word, “Have some steak, Max. You look famished.”

“Why thank you Doc. How kind of you.”

Loren and Bijou gave a small laugh at his comment but Selene was suspicious by how things were coming about. Doc, Kale, Dylan, and now Max seemed to have been hiding something. It was aggravating not knowing what it was.

True to Max’s character, after pooling his plate with food, he turned towards the direction of where Kale was seated and spoke, “How did you get here without me finding out?”

“You did know I was coming. That’s what this dinner is for isn’t it?”

“What I meant was someone of your kind. Axle was the only one I met who was like you. Is like you.”

“What are you talking about?” came the inquiry from Selene’s lips before she could stop herself.

Again, Max appeared sheepish. “Nothing. Just guy talk.”

“Guy talk?” mumbled Theo derisively. “Even I didn’t understand that.”

“It’s because you aren’t a guy,” said Bijou with a small grin. “You’re an ass.”

Loren and the twins laughed. Selene’s attention remained with Doc and she discovered him sending Max warning looks. What was the big deal? The mystery was gnawing at Selene’s conscience. Something was off tonight and she didn’t like it. Glancing at Theo, she saw he felt the same way.

“By the way,” Max said after swallowing a good amount of fillet. “Which one are you?”

“Kale Coulson.”

Max choked and coughed until there were tears in his eyes. “From Lycaon’s pack?”

Doc froze but Kale was pokerfaced as he nodded. On the other side of the table, Damien tuned to Dylan with a raised eyebrow. “You’re previous pack was called Lycaon’s pack?”

“Dylan was? What? How come I didn’t know any of this?” Max said with rancor directed at himself.

“Maybe you’ve been preoccupied lately.” Everybody turned to Kale at his comment. The stares they sent him would make anybody squirm but all he did was cut a piece of his steak and bring it up to his mouth to chew. They knew there was an underlying message to what he said but nobody but Max seemed to know what that was.

Fed up with getting irritated, Selene gave up caring. The new garoul riled up her instincts with his sudden arrival that she forgot that he being here didn’t actually matter. This bout of curious questions aimed at Kale was just that. Curiosity. New face. New story. Their interest would dwindle away in time. Until then, Selene had to be patient about all this.

Dinner continued on with more interrogation and Kale’s easy answers. After what seemed like hours, it was finally over. However, Doc’s formalities dictated they retreat to the confines of the living room for some friendly chat. Selene could only imagine how ‘friendly’ that would be but she went along anyway.

Before they could all pile up to the living room, however, the guest of honor stopped them when he said, “I really should get going.”

Doc sent him a disapproving frown. “But the night is still young.”

“I drove from Winnipeg with little to no stops. I haven’t even checked the house yet.”

“You drove all the way here with that Ford in the driveway? Where’s your stuff?” Max questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Sent it ahead. I really should be going.”

With tomorrow night being a full moon, it would make sense that Kale wanted to recuperate as much as he could until the change. After all, the alteration was tiring in itself. Fatigue from moving into a new place would surely make him feel worse.

Defeated, Doc sighed as he nodded. “Fine. I’ll see you out.”

The two of them walked across the hallway to the foyer while the rest stood in the opening that led to the living room hoping to eavesdrop if the chance presented itself.

Sure enough, when Kale spoke, they all heard his words. No doubt he knew they were listening but he didn’t seem to care. “I told you not to bother with dinner, Doc.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? Just call me Vince.”

Which was odd. Vince Graham liked being called Doc as far as the others were concerned.

There was a few beats of silence until, finally, Kale’s voice broke the stillness. “Is the house empty?”

“Except for your own stuff. I kept some of the furniture.”

“I thought you would.”

Another pause. When Doc spoke, there was emotion in his voice that they hadn’t heard before. “I’m glad you’re back, Kale.”

A chuckle. “I always thought you hated me.”

A snort. “Just go. I know you’re tired.”

“Right.” The sound of the front door opening. “Thanks for dinner.” His footsteps clued them in on the fact that he was about to leave but it stopped. “Dylan, don’t cause too much trouble next time.” Then, he was gone.

A glance at the teenager proved that he looked embarrassed and a good deal contrite. Well, this was nice. Nobody in Kaia could ever make him feel a bit remorseful about all the trouble he and his win kept on doing.

Appearing betrayed, Damien snapped at him with a serious frown. “You’re going to let him harangue you like that?”

Dylan didn’t bother to say anything to that which left Theo an opening to tease the irritated teenager, “What’s the matter fair Dame? You jealous?”

Loren snickered at his disgusted expression. It was common knowledge that she thrived in seeing Damien suffer. This was like early Christmas for her.

“There’s no reason for us to stay,” Selene said once Doc returned to where they were standing.

“I’ll give you girls a lift home. That includes you, Bijou,” offered Max automatically much to Theo’s annoyance. He complained, naturally, but was ignored.

“Do you want to stay the night?” Everybody turned silent and stared at Selene as if she grew a second head. No, correction. A third head. To clarify, she said, “On the couch.”

Max exhaled roughly. “I wouldn’t say no if –”

She cut her off with a mild glare. “Frankly, I’m insulted to think you would even suggest it.”

“It was a joke.”

There was a grin on his face which showed that he wasn’t offended but she felt bad nonetheless. To appease her guilt and to show Max that he wasn’t really a terrible guy like their womanizing loup, Selene cupped his cheek and gave him a peck on the lips.

“Woah!” Theo exclaimed both in surprise as well as incredulity. “Why does he get a kiss?”

Loren laughed. “Because he doesn’t want to jump her bones.”

The flutter of hormones Max was helpless to stop proved otherwise but at least he had the decency to back off when he knew Selene wasn’t interested. Besides, she had an ulterior motive why she did what she did. Her vanity nettled at her to prove that she could still bring a man to his knees. Though she really didn’t have that thought in mind when she kissed Max, it still mollified her doubt. Her sexuality, after all – though rarely used – was an advantage over the male garoul she relished.

This was probably why Kale was such an oddity to her. There wasn’t even a hint of attraction when they first encountered each other. Then again, with all the hidden messages veiled behind his well chosen words, she wouldn’t want to catch his attention anytime soon. Just the thought of that happening made her edgy.

Saying their final goodbyes, all the girls including Max filed out with Theo tagging along with him off to work at his bartending job. It was only practical that Max be the one to take the girls home but that didn’t stop the other male from volunteering anyway. They all filed in their respective vehicles and didn’t waste time to leave.

Despite it still being early, Selene felt bone-tired and couldn’t wait to get home. Meanwhile, Loren, who was sitting beside her at the backseat of the Chevelle, kept on babbling about how intimidated she was of the new garoul but his kind eyes made her less nervous.

A snort almost escaped Selene on hearing that. Nothing about his golden amber gaze was kind. At least, that’s what she thought. She was biased and it would take more than one encounter to change her impression of him.

The ride took a bit longer since they had to make a detour to Shoebox where Bijou lived at the studio above the store. When they finally reached the outskirts of the woods where Loren and Selene were to be dropped off, Max turned the car off and offered to walk them to the cabin but declined staying the night.

“I don’t have a death wish,” he said with a laugh. “How many guys would kill to even walk you ladies home?”

“They’d only think I’m a nuisance,” Loren added with a chuckle.

“Then they’re not worth the time,” said Selene with a smile as she put an arm over the teenager’s shoulder to pull her closer.

At long last, they were home. Max made sure they were tucked safe inside the cabin before leaving and only then did the two ladies separate to their rooms. Absentmindedly, Selene walked towards her full-length mirror disposing her coat along the way. Once she reached it, she studied her reflection and wondered just what it was about her appearance that was so enticing.

Hair let loose today, the wavy strands fell into a thick waterfall down to the base of her spine. The way it tumbled down to frame her face made people focus on the finer qualities of her features. There was a natural droopiness to her eyes that looked as if she just got up from bed, or, had a very thorough, mind-blowing romp in the hay as Theo generously put it. Her mouth made men forget all else and think of less than wholesome thoughts. With all that accompanied by the haughtiness of her cheekbones, elegantly shaped eyebrows, and Grecian nose, it was really a wonder how men could still think in her presence.

Then there was her body. Standing only an inch shy of six feet, Selene easily towered many of the men who ogled at her. With the garoul, however, her height was merely average. In the eyes of the biped it didn’t matter that she was tall. The only thing they could really think of when they saw her was that she was the very personification of a wet dream.

Most of the time, being reminded of that fact exasperated her. Being a sex symbol was not something she wanted. She didn’t see herself as a prude either even though she’d only had sex twice with the same guy who she lost her virginity to years ago. The only reason she chose him was because she wanted to prove to all those arrogant guys at that time that nice guys definitely didn’t finish last. They were green eyed with envy while Mr. Nice Guy proved just what she thought – he was nice through and through. Too bad he was a biped.

Raising her arms up over her head, Selene stretched and moaned when the tension in her body left and only then did she strip her clothes. In pure lethargy, she fell on her bed with a long yawn. Not bothering to cover up her underwear clad body with a blanket, she drifted off to sleep.

Today was Monday and the first night of the full moon. Loren was at school with the twins and here was Selene blankly staring at the opened fridge with only a camisole and girl boxers as her attire. Deftly, her hand slithered inside the cold confines of the fridge and took out the frozen bacon strips that were bundled in a pack.

With a plop, she dumped them all on a plate. In the microwave then out a minute later. A sigh escaped her lips as she sat down on her usual seat by the table with the plate in hand. Sluggishly, she turned a strip into a tight roll and popped it into her mouth. She savored the taste of the juicy meat with a moan not even disgusted that blood coated it. The animal in her rejoiced at being allowed the luxury of something raw. Cravings were hard to handle during this time of the month.

Once she finished her unusual breakfast, Selene went to her room and decided to soak in the bathtub she had upstairs. Showers were taken in the bathroom downstairs near Loren’s own bedroom.

Setting up the temperature of the water, she mixed some lavender bath gel along with a mint scented one but upon careful consideration, added a few more concoctions hoping to soak up and relax in the now mounting bubble foam forming on the water’s surface. As she waited for the tub to fill, she took off her clothes and let her mind wander.

After the bath, she’d have to do some paper work for this new job she had lined up, she thought. Then she was going to look at the town’s paper and hope to find a decent car for sale that could survive the drive over rough terrain. Also, they were running out of food and other female necessities. A quick trip to the grocery tomorrow was scheduled so she had to make a list of things to buy.

What else was there for her to do? Should she bake? No, there wasn’t enough time for that. She could check the generators though for any sign of them getting broken. Better safe than sorry.

Bathtub full, Selene tied her hair in a high messy bun and slowly slithered herself under the hot water with a sigh of contentment. Yes, this was nice. Being lupine made all the scents she mixed jump at her senses. She was careful not to put too much in case it got too strong and the heady outcome was very relaxing.

In the midst of all this, an abrupt memory of last night invaded Selene’s mind causing her to fume in silence. Mechanically, she waved her hands in front of her and collected a good amount of foam and squished it between her palms.

Honestly, what was Doc thinking of setting up dinner to meet the new garoul? After sleeping off most of her ire, Selene was more open-minded about the whole fiasco. The dinner thing was so out-of-the-blue and unnecessary that she wondered why it was done.

They weren’t a pack. Thus, there was no territory for them to protect. They could have easily bumped into Kale in a town as small as Kaia which only made the dinner even more redundant. Clearly, the get together wasn’t for the benefit of introducing a new face. It was more of making Kale feel welcome with lupine company he wasn’t familiar with.

Selene didn’t know if she should be insulted by that.

Plain as day, Doc had been worried at Kale’s impression of the lupine already presently living here. He wanted him to feel at ease the very moment he got in town, which just showed just how close he was to the newcomer. Selene never thought Doc capable of actually getting attached to anyone.

Her thoughts drifted to Loren. Would they really stay in Kaia long? Selene was starting to get restless – a familiar sign dictating she wanted to leave and travel like she used to when she was alone. Unlike before, however, whatever she pined for herself had to be pushed aside. Loren was first and foremost her responsibility. What she wanted Selene was more than happy to give.

An hour had come and gone when the water finally turned cold. She unplugged the tub but continued to sit until it drained empty, her knees bent to her chest. Vaguely, she rubbed at the painful ache on her right leg while her other hand fiddled with her anklet on her left ankle.

The small piece of jewelry was the only thing she had of her mother’s. It was a four-strand braid of platinum that never left her body unless it was the full moon. Without it, she felt completely bereft and entirely uncomfortable. Although Selene knew she was going to remove it again tonight, the idea of going long without it never sat well with her. Sentimentally was something she didn’t really feel often but this piece of jewelry held all the memories she cherished from when she was still a little girl. The thought of losing it scared her more than anything.

Scooting over towards the faucets, Selene turned it on – fixing the temperature – all the while scooping up the water in her cupped hands. It was a real pain there was no showerhead here but she liked it nonetheless. After rinsing her skin of any remnants of the soapy film from the bubble bath, she splashed her face a few times and finally got out of the tub.

Drying herself with a towel, Selene grabbed her glasses from a nearby countertop and donned on a robe before leaving the bathroom. After slipping on some clothes, she went about her room to start on her paper work. Double-checking contracts, making rough sketches on paper, then finalizing a design in her MacBook, and finally sending a few important reminders through email – the occupation was a tedious chore.

When that was done, Selene started on her grocery list. First, she jotted down the food they were lacking. Second, there were the female necessities. Everything else followed after that. Checking the time, she was surprised it was well past noon already so she decided to fix a quick lunch for herself before getting seriously starved.

Garoul appetite during the day was sporadic. One couldn’t go too long without eating a pile of food, if not, little meals now and then. It was such a pain especially on their budget. Fast metabolism never sounded appealing to Selene in that aspect.

The day droned on and when late afternoon finally crept in, Loren arrived from school, the twins giving her a lift home. As the teenager ambled inside the house, she gave out a long groan when she saw Selene on the couch.

“Let me skip school tomorrow,” she demanded with a rough voice, tossing her bag aside and plopped down on the sofa, her head on Selene’s lap. The girl stared at the ceiling with a determined frown hoping to get what she wanted.

Selene didn’t even glance at her and continued to read the book she was holding when she replied, “Why do you want to skip school tomorrow?”

“You know why. It feels terrible. The teachers think I have a terrible sore throat again what with me in tears and barely able to talk all day.”

Sighing, Selene patted her head trying to console her. “We’ll see how you feel after tonight. Why don’t you eat something while it’s still early?”

Grumbling to herself, Loren stood up and went straight to the kitchen. When she didn’t return to the living room half an hour later, Selene glanced at the open kitchen to see what she was up to. Loren was in the middle of finishing a third carton of milk and second box of cereal. An addition to the grocery list.

Selene stood up from her position on the couch and joined Loren while the girl ate. Small talk was usually avoided due to Loren’s painful throat from that attack years ago. Keeping her company was more than a welcome exchange.

Usually they had a notepad on hand just for this occasion but they were both too lazy to get the ones lying around. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen grabbing snacks occasionally while Selene commented about her recent designing job. When they both sensed rather than saw the night arriving, Selene and Loren decided to get ready. The latter looking anxious while the former remained nonchalant.

No matter how many times Selene had gone through this, she could never really get used to the pain associated to turning into an animal. Even now her hip and leg were on fire, invisible wounds throbbing in earnest.

By this time, Loren was helpless to stop the tears from coming. She had once described the painful feeling as a very terrible case of sore throat. In her case, as the night started to blanket the sky, the soreness would be so bad that she could hardly breathe or swallow. Neck injuries were very common among the lupine but Selene often wished that the young teenager was exempt from that.

They made last minute checks around the house making sure the windows were locked and secure, faucets were turned off, and no unnecessary lights turned on. Selene took off her glasses as well as her anklet placing both on top of her dresser in her room. When everything was finally in order, she took the mound of unfrozen raw meat good for ten people she had placed in the kitchen sink earlier in the afternoon. Loren arrived a moment later and went straight for the backdoor situated a little to the right from where Selene was standing.

Outside the air was chilly, the thorny kind where a breeze would leave goosebumps on a person’s flesh but not the lupine. The cold weather was a reprieve to their senses as it always seemed to cool down the ache. Any distractions of that kind were more than welcome at the moment.

A patch of dried soil crunched underneath Selene’s feet as she stepped down from the back porch. Exactly fifteen feet from where she was standing sat a rickety looking shed. The irony of it was not lost to Loren.

Upon purchasing the cabin, Selene allowed Max to help and make them a place where they were safe enough to undergo the alteration and not fear hurting anybody. She must have been having a masochistic mood to suggest the shed but it did its purpose so she didn’t complain.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Selene let Loren open the gritty door what with all the bloody meat in her hands. Inside, aside from some broken planks of wood along with a few dirty old rags, the shed was empty. Loren closed the door behind them.

The darkness didn’t deter them in the slightest so neither bothered to pull the chain of the light bulb overhead. Pushing aside a few planks with a soft kick, Selene positioned herself on one specific side of the shed. Bending her knees, she pushed hard, making all the necessary action to jump without letting her feet actually leave the floor. With the right pressure, the floorboards made a ‘clicking’ sound. The trapdoor opened.

Selene moved aside while Loren pulled at the hidden latch until the door stood vertical. Looking down, one could mistake the square, shiny iron surface as a vault door sans the rotating lock. There was a rectangular opening on both sides that Loren situated her fingers into. Pulling it up for about two inches, another distinct “click” before she slid the door to the right to open to an eight floor drop. Not bothering with the ladder, Selene jumped inside with Loren following soon after she closed the trapdoor and clung to the ladder steps to slide the thick iron entry closed.

They were locked in.

The space was only as wide as half a tennis court but it was big enough for two loups. Ceiling, walls, and the floor were done in thick cement that would make any bunker proud. This was their sanctuary.

Normally, if a garoul had a pack, a place like this wasn’t needed. With the help of an Alpha, loups could be directed away from human dwellings. Being without authority, however, the lupine had the tendency to be rambunctious. Better to be locked up rather than risk hurting someone by giving in to the baser instincts of an animal.

Selene dropped the raw meat unceremoniously on the ground. Her hands were dripping crimson as she brought them up to her mouth and tried to lick them clean. Loren gave her a serious frown.

Shrugging, Selene grinned. “It’s the animal in me.”

For a woman doing her best to appear strict and serious all the time, seeing her playful side really was a treat. Loren was only amused to think that she was the only one who saw her that way. Shaking her head with a small smile, Loren started to strip off her clothes with Selene doing the same. They both folded their garments and left it on the corner of the room.

Minutes ticked by with them waiting silently. The more time passed the twitchier they both became. Until, finally, though not seeing it, they knew the moon shone full in the night sky.

Even though she knew it was coming, Selene still gasped as she heard her right tibia snap into a different position making her kneel with the help of her left knee, her other leg outstretched behind her. Hot twinge erupted on her hip as it, too, changed its location and shape.

Slowly it spread. From her shin up to her thigh. Hip, down to her left leg then spreading through her gut – organs rearranging to accommodate the change. Ribs widening to assist the extending of her lungs. Heart working double time to catch up to her body’s new mechanics.

The change was excruciating but behind the pain, Selene could faintly distinguish Loren’s agonizing groan turn into canine whimpers. Then, she was on her side, fur covering most of her body while a blinding agony shot through her head as she formed a snout. All at ounce, every last bit that was still unchanged altered with a resounding snap that left her breathless.

For a few seconds, there was nothing. Finally, Selene opened her eyes and stood slowly on all fours, her paws slightly bigger than her open hands. Body still heavy from such a physically taxing experience, she gradually walked to where Loren was still writhing on the floor. Selene sat on her haunches waiting with her tongue lolling out of her grinning mouth.

The smell of meat enticed Selene’s senses but she ignored her craving opting instead to wait for her companion to finish her alteration. It took only a few more seconds to finally see the girl settled. Selene gave an affection nip on Loren’s ear once she tried to stand up.

In their wolf form, there was only a slight difference in the color of their fur. Selene’s was an intense, richer umber as compared to Loren’s deep chestnut. Even in this form, they still looked like they were from the same brood.

A mournful yip escaped the younger canine as she painfully stretched her limbs in earnest. Selene, meanwhile, prowled feeling a little anxious with the closed space. The familiar rebellious side of her wanted to go out into the woods just beyond but the precautions they all went through in making this room proved she couldn’t get out here as she was now.

Still, she clawed the walls and growled low in her throat when she couldn’t find a way out. Glancing behind her, Loren was already eating the venison she brought. If she didn’t go there now she knew she’d run out of food but she couldn’t find it in her heart to care.

Instead, lifting her head up, she gave a long desolate howl hoping her call would be answered. Selene waited but there was nothing. Feeling abandoned, she circled on her spot and lied down, snout on her paws. Though Loren proved to be good company, she still felt she was lacking something.

Again, she howled. Nothing. Feeling trapped, she waited. Though she knew nobody was going to come for them, she closed her eyes and still hoped she could run free in the woods away from this suffocating cage. Resigned that she wasn't going anywhere tonight, she ignored the nagging want to do something drastic and drifted off to sleep.

-*-
Not to exaggerate but I really do feel like my eyes are bleeding. Not to mention my brain feels like it's going to implode or explode - whichever works. This chapter made me realize just how different werewolves are from the usual vampire stories that I normally go for. In the process of doing this fic, I'm surprised to find that I'm liking werewolves more as the story goes along. It's SUCH a pain to write though since I find myself trying to think of scenarios that have never happened in other stories before. I try to avoid going the cliche way and write about the usual stuff.

For example, lead guy's rich and owns a mansion. Love at first site. Soulmates and wham bam he/she is in love without them really getting to know each other first. You know?

Trying to find a unique flow to the story is causing me a headache and overdue time in daydreaming. As it is, I'm constantly thinking of fillers that would help develop the characters along. So, if you have any suggestions please do feel free to drop them.

When I was still writing my vampire fic way back when, my usual number of pages were ten at the least and seventeen at the most. Here, I tend to babble, I think, which causes me to write loads more than the usual. So, I was wondering. Is the chapter length okay? Too long? Too short?

Disclaim: I already mentioned MacBook wasn't mine. So are the familiar car brands that you see here.

AND...

LondonLi: I'm really glad to hear that, thanks. :-) I'm just sorry there wasn't much about Kale here. Is he as mysterious as I tried to make him out to be, you thnk? Thank you so much for reviewing! ;-)
Kittycait: Thank you :-) Sorry I couldn't update soon enough.
Jensmar: I hope I didn't keep you waiting long. Hope you liked this chapter as well. :-)
katDIDit: I am so sorry that I didn't update as fast as I could. This whole werewolf thing is really new to me and I've been scouring all nooks and places for published werewolf stories just to get myself inspired about new ideas. Hope you liked this chapter! :-)
leemya: Definitely. I love Kale. He is why I'm writing this whole thing in the first place. Glad that you left a review :-)
Vampire0175: Glad you think so :-) thank you for the review!
lostlette: I tried my best and I'm happy people are thinking it was interesting. :-) I had a really hard time with that chapter.
JustAnotherLibroLover: Woah! You are so enthusiastic. hehehehe ;-p hope you liked this update.
vicieanime: romance....hmmmm....that would come a bit later I think. Depends on how I get this thing flowing. :-p
BrownEyedBeauty: I hope you weren't disappointed that the dinner wasn't really eventful. I'll try to make up for it in the following chapters.
bongi: Here you go. You're review was the one that got my fingers bloody. hehehehe. hope you liked it :-)
Nuda: yeah, were stories are cool. I just hope I do justice to the furry ones in this fic even though this is only some asinine project of mine ;-) hope you liked it.
georgia: Chapter 5. Hope I got this out soon enough. :-) Thanks for leaving a review!

I was so surprised that a lot of people reviewed. Thank you guys so much.

For the other, if you don't mind, please leave a review!

thanks! hugs!