Bound

by Lee Taylor

  Could I really of been gone for nearly two whole months?

  Where was my family?

  Where was I going?

  What ever happened to Mike or the rest of the pack?

  I was growing more frustrated with the same unanswered questions. The jeans I had been wearing were yards away. They were tatty, covered in grime, from the countless times I practised changing into and changing from my Lycan form. I always thought that the term Lycanthrope was just another word for werewolf, but Lycaon explained to me that it actually is a shape-shifting entity in general. As well as a mental condition where the “infected” believes that they do change, but in fact, are just ever so slightly chemically unbalanced and run around barking and biting people, as opposed to howling, baying and mauling. I am not sure which is worse in all fairness.

  Growing weary of the now self-projected melancholic feelings, I stood up, shaking away my thoughts. With a sigh I discarded my clothes and closed my eyes, focusing on transforming. The thought of defending and protecting was all I needed to hold onto. As I began to feel the primal cries ring out in my body, I was temporarily distracted with the approaching footsteps that I figured was Lycaon. My hearing had improved ten-fold; the steps didn’t sound like Lycaon's. I wrinkled my nose, suddenly overcome with a horrid smell. If it was Lycaon then for dinner he was supplying a gourmet meal of rotten eggs. Yum...

  “Ah, I have found you. You know for a big guy, you’re hard to track down.” The feminine voice startled me, immediately stopping me from transforming any further. My skin’s chrysalis-like shell dissolved into sweat, and I found myself scrambling to put on my clothes, tripping on an exposed root and crashing into a heap on the floor.

  “Nice scenery around here, isn’t there?” The woman chimed. I was well and truly mortified.

  I gazed in wonder at the figure. She was tall and slender wearing black trousers that were snug to her figure, steel toe framed boots and a charcoal coloured top that suited her completely. She also didn't seem to have on tons of make-up like most the girls my age do, dolled up to look older, making them look like a kid who just found their mom’s makeup and dove into it feet first. Her skin seemed almost pearly in its complexion. My jaw was nearly hanging open as I looked on at her. A glimpse of a tattoo on her partly exposed stomach drew my attention. From what I could see, it looked like a crescent-shape or something.

  She was standing on the verge, looking at me with a perplexed look on her face. Slowly tilting her head to one side, she rolled her eyes and hopped down from the edge. I was completely captivated with her gorgeous appearance.

  With great haste I hunted for my clothes, rummaging around on the floor. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Her eyes were hard to make out; I could swear that they were almost violet in the evenings glow. They seemed to radiate, and I felt my body tingle as I tried to force my jeans on without looking. She shook her head and stared at me with some sort of bemused intensity. I was beginning to feel paranoid; a mental thought went through my head while I tried to figure out what she was looking at. I still hadn't spoken. I had forgotten how. I am pretty sure that she was growing uncomfortable with the silence... or possibly my reaction to her question. To her, I probably looked like a Luddite who just had his ball and string switched for a home entertainment system.

  Her hair was a really odd, dark shade, tinting between black and a mauve colour. She had what I think are called “bangs”, neatly draped on either side of her porcelain like face, with a loose bun, tacked in place, with a shiny skewer at the back of her head. I honestly couldn't tell how old she was, because according to my mom Men are always the worse at judging a woman's age. If you are ever asked, just try and avoid the subject by saying they look marvellous and hope that it satisfies them. My mom always had gems for ideas when it came to me speaking to the other sex... Admittedly most involved me avoiding them entirely, but I digress.

  “Well, boy, can you talk or not?” The stunning female asked me, folding her arms across her chest. I figured it was now or never. I had to speak, less she think I was damaged or something... As long as I got off to a better start than I had when I first met Jessica, then I knew I would be good to go.

  “Wow you're hot...Sorry, sorry I mean... um... I have some self-control issues...” The girl’s eyes widened, apparently she wasn’t expecting me to speak... I flinched at what I had just spat out... and quickly regretted each word. I dread to think what I might have said if I had spoken sooner.

  You're hot? God damned hormones... I might have well of said “hey, you have boobs!” I mentally scolded myself, and quite rightly so, I am such a dumbass sometimes. When I finally stopped bitching to myself, I could hear another set of feet approaching. This time I was more confident it was Lycaon. At some point he must have had to change back as I only heard two feet plodding along; there was also a light rustling of plastic.

  He was carrying with him a couple of bags. I had thought he went out hunting, and that we were going to be dining on venison, or you know... some other animal. It looked like he found a Subway instead. Man those things pop up everywhere.

  “Please forgive him; we are in the middle of his training. Can I help you?” Lycaon’s words were very slick and dismissive. Apparently, he didn’t have the same problem speaking to beautiful women. Coming into view, Lycaon stared at her for a moment... Allowing time for something to register in his head. I could sense fear building in the area, but I wasn’t sure if he had startled her or... He began to tremble, dropping the bags to the floor. Lycaon lowered his stance, crouching low to the earth, not removing his gaze from her. With a grunt he exploded in a cloud of smoke. The heat he rapidly exerted singed the vegetation around him.

  “Lycaon! What the hell are you doing?” I cried, “What's going on?”

  The girl stood perfectly motionless; apparently she wasn’t distressed at all... Her eyes were closed, and her lips were curling. It was like she was basking in the unfolding emotions and chaos.

  Chapter 8

  Lycaon's hackles were up; he was pissed about something.

  The girl gasped in dramatic horror as Lycaon charged for her. Her mischievous grin still snapped in place as Lycaon’s gaping maw was inches away. Without effort she parried his attack, side stepping him at the last moment. She moved with grace, twirling aside at inhuman speed, slamming her elbow into the crown of his skull. The result stopped him in his tracks, making his muzzle and body bounce off of the forest floor. His colossal body was limp. She spun again, not finished with his already unconscious body; she kicked him as casually as I would sometimes kick off a sneaker... The fact that she added to it with a flourished twirl was horrendously awesome. Lycaon, unaware of what was happening, flapped and somersaulted into a nearby tree, denting the trunk with his body. It matched his dented head. Leaves drifted idly down from their branches as the tree creaked and groaned with the impact.

  Shaking her head from side to side, the girl checked her elbow and wiped off some debris. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. Nervously I kept willing for Lycaon to get up. My mind was racing; at first I was scared for the girl... but now, now I was scared of her.

  “You know I didn't come here to start anything...” She said, sounding almost sheepish, like she wanted me to believe in her innocence.

  “Well, I guess you came here for finishing something then.” Sometimes I really wished I would think before I spoke, God knows I haven't been warned enough.

  “You are Ursine, right? Ursine Edwards?” She asked, beginning to walk towards me.

  “You can call me Si, and you are?” I tried to sound bold and confident, but my voice was deviating in decibels.

  Great what's going to happen to me now? Is my voice going to break again? I moaned to myself, at least I wasn’t looking like a complete idiot; I’ll have to remember this if I lived. I can talk to girls, as long as I am terrified of them... Well, at least she didn't appear to pick up on my skittishness.

  “You can call me Tessa. I have been sent
here to help you.”

  I was rocked with disbelief. I looked at Lycaon's still unmoving form and smiled grimly...

  “Yeah of course you have... You know, he was helping me, too.” I pointed to Lycaon. She grinned, flicking her arms out. I tensed after seeing what Kaitlyn could do; I think I was going to be scared of people stretching from now on.

  “Now come on, it’s not my fault your friend attacked me, is it? What was I supposed to do, stand still and let that mutt chew on me? I don't think I would look quite as good covered in dog drool... Well... Come on... Are you going to show me your wolf form or not?” She flagged me forwards. I think she might just be aggressive by nature.

  “Sorry, I won't fight you. My mom raised me better than to be baited into a fight, let alone with a girl.” I wasn’t trying to sound gallant as I spoke... But I probably just made myself look like a prize eejit again.

  Her wicked grin was spreading wider. “Ha! Well aren’t you the gentleman. Si, first of all, I need to see what I am working with. Secondly, if you won't fight me, I will rip off your friend’s hind leg and beat him to death with it. Besides, shouldn't it have been your 'daddy' who should have taught you to fight? I didn’t realize I was dealing with a momma’s boy as well,” she jested.

  I still didn’t want to fight her, but whatever was in me was kicking up a storm. It wanted out; it wanted to taste her... I shuddered at the imagery it flickered in my mind.

  I did try to resist the urge swelling in me, but my dark passenger was baying for her blood. I knew I had to defend my friend, too, and so my darker thoughts began to say it was the only way.

  “You know I really don't want to.” I fell to my knees; the ground was soft and damp beneath my palms, a breeze rustled through the cluttered leaves. I groaned and looked back to her. “But I don't have complete-” I faltered as a low rumble pierced through me. Tessa looked on, she seemed intrigued. “I am not what you are expecting, you know.” I could feel the dark passenger fighting for control. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and fear was gripping me. I couldn't lose control, not after how much I had been learning. I could feel the pores in my skin closing up and hardening, like I was growing a shell. I looked toward Lycaon who still wasn’t moving, my vision becoming increasingly hazy. The ground began to fizzle as it dawned on me that I was losing grip of my conscious being all over again. I felt primeval.

  “Would you attack already? If it takes you five minutes to change each time you aren't going to last an encounter.” That done it, I imploded with rage, just as my skin finished hardening, and fissures were about to appear, I dashed forward shattering off shards of my human skin that simply dissolved in the air. I could hear her heart beat as I grew closer to her, it was not normal. It didn't sound like a human “buh, bump” but a quick succession of “buh, buh, buh bumps”. She side-stepped, expecting to see me emerge from the cloud of smoke with my jaws gaping at her. She was mistaken; my arms were out stretched, reaching to the sides, slicing through the air. I narrowly missed her. I had to plough my claws into the dirt and anchor myself to stop me from disappearing into the foliage. Propelling toward her again while I was hanging in mid-air, she lazily kicked up with her heel, straight into my throat, sending me flipping. It felt like she nearly kicked my head clean off. Tessa was still smiling as I hit the floor. It scattered some nearby leaves and dirt, and my heart was pounding harder. I could feel the darkness in me chuckle, the same time as she did. She paused, looking at her arm, shocked.

  I had cut open her arm, blood wasn't flowing from it, but I could smell the tension on her. It had taken all my effort to not succumb to my dark passenger's will and try to shred her. Relief washed over me as I began to relax, my inner voice quelled again, and for the time being I really hoped that I wouldn’t have to wrestle with my dark passenger. It was exhausting. I thought I was going to lose control again.

  Tessa was frozen in her spot making an annoyed clucking noise. “Well are you just going to stay there slobbering and panting the entire time, or are you going to change back? I just wanted to see a part of you in action is all.” She winked. “You can trust me, Ursine.”

  I was exhausted; I had shifted so much that I had no real choice but to change back to my human form. I spent some time gathering my clothes while still in my pumped up, mutated bear-form. Tessa was transfixed with the cut, muttering a curse; she began to rub at her arm with such force that she risked causing more damage.

  “What are you? I was told to expect a Lycan, but you are more than that. For one thing you are not a wolf... or a cat... You’re something different entirely.” With the new emotions washing through my body it took all my will to not stick my tongue out at her and say: “I’m not telling you! Nee-nor nee-nor nee-nor!”

  I sauntered past her. Admittedly, I did have a slight headache where she nearly decapitated me with that ferocious kick. I didn’t want her to catch on to that fact though.

  “I kept on saying that I don't want to fight you, truth is I don't really know what I am.” My chest tightened and my throat closed up; I was now fighting back tears. “I am just a freak,” I said, barely audible.

  “Oh please, you humans with your self-pity, keep it to yourself will you? It’s really quite depressing.” Tessa remarked, strolling over to join me. The gash had now disappeared, leaving a bloody smear in its wake. Slowly, and I think reassuringly, Tessa put a hand on my shoulder.

  “Huh?!” Tessa exclaimed. She quickly pulled her hand back. I ignored her weird reaction; I didn’t want to read into that particular scenario. So I checked on Lycaon's vitals. He seemed to be breathing; that much was obvious.

  Lycaon was lying lifeless in a pile of splinters; his massive chest slowly rising and falling. I replayed the events leading up to the fight, and was troubled. Parts didn’t make sense.

  “Why did Lycaon attack you, Tessa? I didn’t think senseless violence was his forte… training aside,” I asked, searching for an answer. Now she was playing the ignorant game.

  Tessa was staring at her hand. Slowly she raised her head and looked at me, her eye brows arched speculatively. With a sigh she spoke. She sounded incredibly jaded.

  “The short and sweet is he was scared... Here, you see this?” She lifted her top slightly. I could feel a flash of heat flood my face. Quietly I prayed that it wouldn't head to other areas...

  “This is a Sigil... The Sigil denotes me to be a demon.” Tessa pointed to her tattoo on her stomach. “Lycaon could probably see what I was, and could probably smell the sulphur, too. I haven’t been on this plain of existence for that long. As soon as I found a suitable Jane Doe, I jumped into the body,” Tessa said.

  I looked closer at the mark on her stomach. In fact, if I got any closer, I might have got a nose bleed. It’s not that I have never seen a woman naked before, I mean I lost my “V” plate last year when I got wasted at Paul Reynolds' house party. I wish I could say I was a Casanova, but truth was, I was so nervous that I attempted to make a balloon animal out of the first condom to break the tension... It didn't go down too well... The next time I saw Mike and told him about it he laughed so hard that he almost wet himself.

  I nodded, who was I to say she was crazy? Christ, if I'm a Lycan, and there are witches and vampire type things, then of course there can be demons, too! It was just a shock to see Lycaon flip out like that; also it was a tad startling how she knocked him out cold with one blow...

  Her Sigil was a right-facing, crescent moon with a noose hanging from the top of it. Well at least it wasn't one of those frog-splat tattoos that so many go for.

  Tessa looked at me, a slight curve attending her lips.

  “Alright, perv, that's enough gaping, seriously! Are all teens just driven by their hormones?” Putting her hands on her hips, Tessa pushed her chest out. I quickly turned to look back at Lycaon before I got a slap that would probably leave me concussed. My response was mumbled. I tried just about everything to hide my sudden bout of bashfulness, other than playing with the dirt. With all these n
ew urges and feelings, I was starting to think that this Lycan thing didn't have that many upsides. I mean, when I shift, I am trying to keep a rabid killer on a leash. While when I change to normal, I am either driven with the urge to dry hump and slobber everywhere, or become so coy that it's like I should be back in kindergarten sucking my thumb and holding on to my bu-ber! That was my child hood baby blue teddy. I was totally getting the puberty 2.0 explanation I heard a while back.

  “So then, Winnie, what's the plan? Tessa asked, releasing a dull yawn.

  I hate yawns, they are so contagious. I had to stifle one in response to her.

  “The plan? You should really ask him.” I said, gesturing towards Lycaon.

  A snort of laughter escaped Tessa's mouth.

  “I don't really think getting knocked out in a single blow from a demon was part of his agenda, so… what about you? What do you want to do?” I asked Tessa. In response, she slowly slumped to the ground, sliding down a tree trunk for support. She sprawled her legs out in front of her. Apparently her first idea was to sit back and relax...

  Lycaon was beginning to stir; he released a low whimper as he rose from where he was lying.

  “Our first course of action is getting rid of you,” Lycaon said. His voice sounded weak, yet he still managed to snarl the words at her. His eyes were glowing a brilliant amber.

  I know if he was anything like me, his inner animal at this moment was going berserk. Tessa didn't seem bothered by his grim disposition. In fact she cheerfully retorted.