by Mac Flynn
"Miss Rogers? I have your dinner," a voice spoke to me from the void.
My eyes fluttered open and I was disappointed to find myself in the same stone room as before, and again on the bed. A shadow stood to my left, and I saw it was Emery. He had a tray in his hands, and on the tray was a pile of medium-rare meat. The scent of blood wafted to my nostrils and I inhale deeply the sweet smell.
"Mr. Fox thought you would be famished," Emery explained.
I struggled to sit up. My arms wouldn't bend and hold my weight. Emery set the tray at the end of the long bed and grasped one of my arms.
"Don't touch me!" I snapped.
Emery pulled me so I lay against the mess of pillows at my back, stepped back, and took the tray back in hand. The actions were one swift motion and with such little effort that I wondered at his strength. He was as thin as a pencil, but picked me up like I weighed nothing.
"I hate to rush you through your meal but it is nearly sunset and the moon will be full," he told me as he set the tray in my lap.
His reminding me of the day made me lose my appetite, and I pushed the tray away.
"You must eat something, Miss Rogers," Emery insisted.
I whipped my head to Emery and glared at him. "It's hard to chew food when you're watching me," I snapped back.
He bowed. "Then I will wait outside the door. Please call me when you are finished." I was surprised when he kept his word and left the room.
I glanced at the window to my left and saw the light outside was fading fast. The sun would be gone within an hour. I sighed and looked down at the meat in my lap. Blood pooled at the bottom of the rimmed plate. My tongue flicked out and whetted my lips. I grabbed the fork and knife, and dug into the meat.
I was only halfway through the pile when the door opened. Emery stepped inside and opened the door wide.
I glared at him. "I'm not-" Fox followed Emery into the room.
"Don't take too long," Fox told Emery.
"Yes, sir," Emery replied. He bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him. I set the tray aside and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Some of my strength returned, and all of my anger.
"What the hell do you want?" I snapped at him.
Fox walked the room between the foot of the bed and the TV. "I know you think of my as an enemy, but I would rather you think of me as a father. Seeing as this is an important night for you I've chosen to be here for you."
"If you're my dad than this is child abuse," I quipped.
He cracked that half-smile of his and walked to the foot post closest to the door and me. "Please try to understand that I've tried to make things as easy for you as possible."
"You kidnapped me and shoved me into a cell!" I reminded him.
"I couldn't very well let you lose on the streets, could I?" he countered.
I jumped to my feet and gestured to the window. "Why'd you even have to be there? Why couldn't you have chased that stupid werewolf down some other alley?"
"Fate, I'm afraid, can be very cruel," he commented.
I balled my hands into fists at my side and snarled at him. Behind me the sun made on last gasp of life as its weak rays drifted through the glass panes.
"I'm not without a heart. I have been considering the offer you made me last night," he revealed as he moved to stand between me and the door. "However, you neglected to mention what would be your reward."
"You know what it is," I snapped. "I want to be free. I want my old life back."
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Then I'm afraid I can't agree to such a deal. You have no control over yourself."
"I can control-" I froze. Something else caught my attention, and I turned to face the window.
The sun was gone and in its place was the gleaming light of the full moon. It rose above the city skylight and closed, and sparkled in the black sky. My eyes widened as I beheld its beauty, and something inside me shifted. I stumbled over to the sill and grasped it in my hands.
"Miss Rogers?" I heard Fox call to me, but I didn't reply. I couldn't. All my attention was on that big, shining celestial ball.
My breathing quickened to short gasps. I gripped the sill as I felt my muscles tense and shifted. My ragged, filthy clothes stretched and the seams tore as my body morphed into something else, something new. Something with a lot sharper teeth. I hunched over the window sill and clenched my fangs as I felt my feet tear through my shoes. My long, pointed toes were covered in hair and my feet bent up at a severe angle just before the arch.
My fingers stretched and ended in claws. The stone between my fingers crumbled and fell to the floor at my clawed feet. My pants burst at the seams and fell off in dirty rags with my shirt. A short, furry tail broke from my tail bone and stretched out behind me. I tore away what remained of my bra and stood before the window covered in a thick, shimmering coat of brown fur. I looked up at the moon in front of me and let loose a long, triumphant howl. My transformation was complete. My muscles rippled with energy. My hands flexed with power.
"Amazing," I heard Fox comment behind me. I spun around and snarled at him. He raised his cuffed hand and smiled at me. "Control yourself, or I will be forced to use this."
I lunged at him. He pressed the button and the electric shock swept over my body. What he didn't count on was my momentum. My speed was too fast for the pain to stop. I grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to the floor. His head hit the hard rock, knocking him unconscious. His finger slipped off the cuff link button and the agonizing pain stopped.
I may have been a monster, but I wasn't stupid. I bit the cuff link from his shirt and tossed it away. It clattered towards the door. I leaned towards Fox's face and curled back my lips in a long, deep growl. My drool dripped onto his cheek and slid down to the floor. He was prey, and I the predator, and this predator was about to reward herself with a very rich meal.
"I suggest you step away from him," came a voice. I whipped my head up and snarled at Emery. He stood by the door with a bundle of clothes cradled in one arm, and his other hand clenched in a tight fist.
I growled and lunged at him. His fisted thumb pressed the cuff link hidden in his palm. I was too far away from him for my momentum to help me this time. I tilted my head back and howled in pain as the electricity focused by silver ravaged my body. My feet stumbled a few more steps towards Emery before my legs buckled. I fell face-first to the floor and lay spread out over the cold, hard stones. As the electricity crackled through me I felt my body shrink. The room grew colder as I lost my fur. In a few moments I was my weak, exhausted human self, sans clothing except for the collar.
Emery released the button and strode past me to Fox. I didn't have the strength to turn my face away from the door and watch him.
"Are you all right, sir?" I heard Emery ask.
"Yes, but our 'guest' appears in need of some attention," Fox replied.
I heard movement and in a moment a thin sheet was flung over my body. Fox walked around me and stood in front of me as he reattached his cuff link.
"It seems you were correct in your statement," he mused. "You never cease to play a higher hand than what I expect. That's why I'm going to offer you a chance to make yourself useful to me." He knelt in front of me and looked me in the eyes. "You can assist me in retrieving my collection and have some limited freedom, or you can remain in this room until your cell is rebuilt." He held his hand out to me. "What do you say? Do we have a deal?"
I closed my eyes against the tears of frustration that rose in them. Even in the best-case scenario I would be nothing more than a lapdog for this heartless man.
Fox stood. "I see. Aldus will bring you your meals-"
"I'll do it," I whispered. I opened my eyes and saw his triumphant smirk.
"Excellent. We'll begin your training tomorrow night. For now, relax. You've had a rough night." He turned and walked from the room.
I managed to raise myself to
a seated position and wrap the blanket around my shoulders. My hands still retained some wolf hair on their backs, and my fingernails were razorsharp. Tears streamed down my cheeks and the cold chilled me to the bone. I shivered and coiled into myself. Emery walked up and knelt in front of me. He set down the clothes on the floor between us.
"I hope these will fit," he commented.
I turned my face away from him. He stood and left the room, locking the door behind him.
And that's how I got a new job, and a new life.
For all books by Mac Flynn visit her author's page or visit Mac Flynn's website.
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