Chapter 27
“Gen!” Joseph screamed. “Stop, you’re killing him!”
Anxiety gripped me. I shook my head to clear the haziness, and when I looked down, James was pinned beneath me. I fell to the side, rolling onto the ground, crying and screaming. “I’m a monster! Kill me… please. Rip out my throat, cut off my head. Whatever it takes, just do it before I kill all of you.” I jumped up and ran away through the trees.
I heard Joseph and James calling me, but I kept running until I couldn’t hear them anymore. I felt like I had to get away from them. They weren’t safe around me. No one was. I had never felt so alone, and my heart ached. I fell to the ground and sobbed.
When I opened my eyes Luna was sitting next to me, stroking my long tangles.
“Hi,” she said, but not in her normal perky voice. She peered down at me, smiling.
I jerked upward and leaned on my elbows. “How did I get back here?” For a brief moment I thought it had all been a bad dream. But the look I saw on James’ face told me it had been very real.
“I’m going to do some scouting further ahead in the mountains. I won’t be long.” He was talking to Luna, but shot me a quick glance before disappearing through the trees.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I just can’t control myself.” I fought back the tears, which I seemed to be doing a lot lately.
“I understand, Gen. I still have trouble sometimes too. My brothers are teaching me, just like they will teach you.”
I shot her a confused look.
“You heard me.” She smiled briefly. “You didn’t think I came along just to take care of you guys, did you?”
“I want to ask you something.” I took a drink of the water she offered. “Why was Joshua so distant after I attacked him if he knew I would have trouble controlling it at first? I saw the same look in James’ eyes, too.”
“Because, Gen. You’re much stronger than they are—than any of us are. With you just turning, you should be weak, but you’re not.”
“What happens if I can’t get it under control?”
“You will. The boys are going to help train you.”
I glanced around. “Where are they?”
“Gone to catch rabbits.” Luna grinned wickedly.
“Huh?”
“Let’s get everything packed up while we’re waiting.” Luna stood and held out her hand to me.
The sun had just started up over the horizon when Joseph walked out from behind the trees. I couldn’t help but smile sheepishly. I realized I’d smelled his scent before I even saw him. Something else I hadn’t noticed about myself before.
“Where’s Joshua?” I asked, leaning to see around Joseph.
“Hiding.” A sly grin slowly appeared on Joseph’s face.
I just looked at him, bewildered at first, and then aggrivated. I guess he noticed my furrowed brow and quickly realized I wasn’t amused by all the mystery.
“All right. He’s close by in the woods and when I give the signal, he’ll release a rabbit. Your job is to chase and catch it without hurting it.”
“But what if I can’t. I don’t want to hurt a poor defenseless rabbit. No.” I shook my head. “I won’t do it.” I pursed my lips, and stomped my foot.
“Luna will be right beside you. She won’t let you hurt the rabbit.” He scoffed.
Joseph was beginning to lose his patience with me. “Why won’t you come? Luna might be weaker, but is she ever fast!” He said proudly, and put his arm around Luna’s shoulders, squeezing her close to him. Her face flushed. She promptly lowered her eyes and smiled, looking just like a little girl.
They might not have been identical twins like Joshua and James, but they were just as close.
“Come on, Gen, I promise I won’t let anything bad happen.” Luna said, and pulled me by the arm.
“All right already. How do we do this?” I asked with trepidation.
“Follow me, Ladies.” He waved at us to follow.
As soon as Joseph whistled, I instantly heard the rabbit scurry and then it’s scent wafted in the air. I looked out of the corner of my eye and Luna had already changed. She let out a loud growl, and I started to panic. I didn’t know why but I wasn’t changing, so I closed my eyes and pictured my mom screaming for help, like she had in my nightmare. Adrenaline tore through me, and then the violent shaking. I quickly dropped to the ground. The haziness lasted only a short time. Unlike before, I was fully aware as I began to change. The pain wasn’t near as intense, and it seemed like just a brief moment until my animal instincts took over.
I glanced at Luna. She was crouched and ready. I reared up, letting out a deep growl before I bolted with her on my heels. I followed the rabbit’s scent, and it took only a few seconds until I spotted him zigzagging between the trees. I picked up the pace even more. My strides were long and fast, but Luna’s were faster. She could really fly.
Just as I swiped at the rabbit’s hind legs, Luna came around me and scooped him up by the back of the neck. My long claws dug into one of her legs, and she rolled, dropping the rabbit from her mouth. I crouched low, and snarled at her, ready to pounce.
She looked into my eyes, and spoke with her mind, calming me. The calming effect was like nothing I had ever felt. My breathing slowed, and I changed back at the same time she did.
“Luna… You’re hurt,” I said softly, as I looked at her bloody leg through her ripped jeans.
“Nah, I’m fine.” She smiled, but I knew she was lying by the way her features promptly stiffened to a painful mask.
“Pretty nice,” Joseph called out, with this huge grin on his face as he jogged toward us.
I shot him a hard look over my shoulder. “I hurt her, Joseph.”
He ran and jumped over me, landing next to his sister. I watched as he pulled apart the tear in her jeans and examined the cut. He had such a gentle way about him. It made my heart flutter just to watch him.
“She’ll be fine. See, it’s just a small cut.” He held the tear open for me to look. “It should heal quickly.”
“Are we quitting or what?” Joshua appeared from behind a thick patch of bushes holding two rabbits by their ears, one in each hand. “What’s going on?” He asked earnestly.
When I saw those rabbits a raw hunger consumed me. My adrenaline started to rush again, and I knew what was about to happen.
I changed instantly, but didn’t allow myself to move. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out.
“Let her do it on her own.” I heard Joshua say. “Gen, open your eyes,” Joshua called out to me from across the clearing.
I opened my eyes just as he kneeled down and released both rabbits. They scurried away, and it took every bit of strength in me not to give chase. I wanted those two rabbits in the worst way, but I fought through it, and suddenly the urge was gone, and I was me again, except I was utterly exhausted.
My knees shook and I was about to fall when Joseph grabbed me up, and swung me around in circles. Luna was laughing and cheering and even Joshua smiled, which was something I had rarely seen him do. Not that he was a grouch or anything, but he was just more of the serious type.
We all joked and laughed on the way back to our camp. I didn’t realized we had ran so far. It seemed like it had only taken me a couple minutes to chase down the rabbit, but we had been walking back for almost an hour and still had not made it back to camp.
I guess I was weak from changing twice so close together, and the sun’s rays seemed to be taking a toll on me. My legs ached, and I finally reached the point I couldn’t walk any farther. “I need to rest,” I gasped, and dropped onto my knees. “The sun seems to really be draining me. I don’t see how you guys can take it…” I trailed off, laying down.
“Come on, we’re almost there.” Joseph lifted me off the ground.
I was so tired I couldn’t even wrap my arms around his neck as he carried me. I lay my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.
“What happened t
o her?” I heard James ask earnestly.
Joseph leaned me against the base of the tree that had the largest amount of shade. “I guess changing took a lot out of her.”
“That’s ridiculous. Changing doesn’t affect someone like that and you know it.” James scoffed at Joseph. “Whatever’s going on with Gen has nothing to do with her becoming an Adlet wolf.