by Dena Christy
When a human survived an attack by a werewolf, they went through a change where they became werewolves themselves. The odds of surviving such an attack varied greatly. Last night when he discovered she’d been bitten, it hadn’t occurred to him that she would be vulnerable. He thought her demon half would protect her and she would be immune to the bite. He now realized her human side was changing and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
As he pulled out of the motel parking lot he hoped they would get to the cabin before the worst of the change was upon her. He needed to get her there before the agony she was going to go through took hold. He knew the next three days were going to be hell on her, and he hated the feeling of powerlessness he felt inside. As he looked at her he tried to block from his mind what else he knew about the change.
The survival rate for females was very low.
CHAPTER 10
Eric drove for most of the day to reach the cabin. He didn’t want to make many stops and only did so to get gas and stock up on supplies for when they reached the cabin. He purchased several bottles of water for Samara. She was floating in and out of consciousness, and when she was awake she complained of a tremendous thirst. After downing bottle after bottle, it still didn’t seem enough to quench it.
They were three quarters of an hour away from the cabin when Samara finally woke after being asleep for about three hours. Eric glanced at her before quickly turning his eye back to the road. They had left the highway behind a short time ago, and now Eric was trying to navigate a narrow gravel road that led to the cabin.
“Eric, what’s wrong with me?”
Eric winced when he heard her voice the question he’d dreaded since he realized what was happening to her. He wanted to spare her the truth, not wanting to frighten her. Longing to tell her she was fighting an infection as a result of her wound, he debated for a moment and found he could not lie to her. She deserved to know what she would be facing.
“A change is taking place inside you as a result of the bite you suffered last night. When a werewolf bites a human, they go through a process where they become a werewolf themselves.”
“I know what happens when werewolves bite people, but I’m not fully human. How can this be happening to me?” Samara’s brow knotted together, and she turned her head weakly toward him.
“I don’t think it matters that you aren’t a full-blooded human. James Horn once explained to me why a wolf’s bite causes a human to turn. There is a chemical compound in the wolf saliva, and when it infects human blood, it causes werewolf DNA to attach itself to human DNA. Over a period of days, the human’s genetic material is take over by the wolf’s.”
“And the werewolf DNA is attaching itself to the portion of my genetic makeup that is human?”
“That is exactly what I think is happening.”
Silence enveloped the car as Eric once again concentrated on the road. He didn’t know how much Samara knew about what would happen to her. He wasn’t sure what to tell her, since he was hardly ready for it himself, and he sure as hell didn’t know how to prepare her for it.
“I saw it happen once,” she said quietly. “Last year one of our agents brought in a girl who survived a wolf attack. She was with us for three days, and the agony she went through was unbearable to witness. I can still remember the screams as clearly as if I’d heard them only yesterday, and I haven’t seen anything that bad before or since, and I’ve seen a lot of shit. She ended up dying at the end of it.” Samara was silent for a moment and Eric heard her draw in a deep breath. “I’m going to die, aren’t I, Eric?”
Eric looked over at her. He didn’t like her saying what he was thinking and he didn’t want her to go into this with the thought of her death already firmly planted in her mind. She needed to give herself a fighting chance, and if she deemed her death to be a forgone conclusion, that chance would be lost.
“You aren’t going to think like that,” he told her, his voice harsher than he meant it to be. His heart hammered in his chest at the thought of her dying, and he knew she was in for a fight for her life. “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that this won’t be the most excruciating experience of your life. But you have to fight, you have to believe you are going to survive this.”
“When they brought the girl in, I was told females rarely survived the change. How can you be so sure I will?”
Eric pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. He needed to focus all his attention on her to convince her she was strong enough to fight this. Turning to face her, he clasped her hand in his.
“I’m sure because I have no intention of letting you give up on yourself before you’ve given yourself a chance to prove the statistics wrong. It’s true that a lot of human females die from this, but you aren’t fully human. You’re half demon and we have to believe that this part of you will be what saves you. You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met, and you can get through this. I will be with you through every step.”
Eric watched Samara swallow and nod, her eyes so full of hope and trust that it felt like a knife blade piercing his heart. The thought of her dying filled him with unbearable pain. She had to live, because if she didn’t he would be left with a void bigger than the one he’d had when he left his pack. He didn’t think it would ever be filled.
He slid his hand up her arm until he was cupping the back of her neck. Drawing her close, he fused his lips to hers. The kiss lasted only a few moments before he pulled away and looked deeply into her eyes.
“We’ll get through this together,” he said before he turned away and restarted the car.
The remainder of the journey passed in silence. Eric drove the car until he ran out of road and all that remained was a narrow path they would have to traverse on foot. Knee-high grass waved with the wind on either side of the path, with the three-quarter moon lighting their way. He looked over at Samara, wondering if she had the strength to go to the cabin under her own steam or if he should carry her.
“We’re going to have to walk for about fifteen minutes. Do you think you can make it?”
She seemed to steel herself before she nodded. She got out of the car, swaying slightly before coming to stand straight. Eric looked at her for a moment to make sure she was going to be fine, before he went to the trunk for their bags. He would get Samara settled in the cabin before he came back for the supplies.
They set off down the path, and it took longer than Eric’s estimated fifteen minutes to get to the cabin. They had to stop several times when Samara complained of dizziness and had to rest against Eric until she gained enough strength to go on. He offered to carry her, but she declined and he could see that for her this was the first test of her strength. If she was going to fight this war she had to prove to herself that she could do it. If she allowed him to carry her she would be giving in to defeat.
The last part of the trip was uphill, and Eric could see her flagging. At one point he had to drop the bags to catch her when she stumbled. He felt like kicking himself for not insisting she let him carry her.
They finally came to the cabin and he knew the walk had taken a lot out of Samara when she sagged against the porch railing. He quickly found where his father hid the key to the cabin, and opened the door to usher her inside.
He led her over to the sofa in the living room and helped her sit down. After flicking on one of the lamps, he pulled a blanket from the back of one of the chairs and draped it over her body, easing her down to lay fully on the couch.
“I have to get the supplies from the car, but I’ll be as quick as I can. Will you be okay here alone for a while?”
“I’ll be fine, go get the stuff,” she said as she pulled the blanket tightly around her and closed her eyes.
Eric turned and walked to the door, making certain his cell phone was in the pocket of his jacket. He only hoped the reception out here was good enough to make the call he needed to make.
When he reached his car, he punched in Nick
’s cell number and waited impatiently for his brother to answer.
“Nick, it’s Eric. I need your help.”
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” Nick’s voice had taken on a firm edge of worry and Eric wished he could reassure his brother that everything was fine, but he couldn’t.
“I’m at Dad’s cabin. A wolf attacked Samara. She’s going through the change and I don’t know what to do to help her. It turns out she’s half human. I need to know how to get her through this alive.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Eric. I haven’t personally heard of a female surviving. It’s been known to happen but it’s very rare. I don’t think there is anything you can do to stop what is happening to her.”
“Is that all you can tell me?” Eric asked, his frustration and despair spilling into his voice. His brother was a doctor and if Nick didn’t think Samara had a chance, then how the hell was he going to help her through this? “Jesus Nick, there must be something I can do. I can’t just sit and watch her die. Please tell me there is something I can do.” Eric’s voice cracked at this last statement, and he had to take a deep breath to pull himself together. Coming apart at this stage would be of no help to Samara.
“If you want to give her a fighting chance, you can’t leave her alone. I’ve heard of victims of the change throwing themselves out open windows because the pain is so bad, so you have make sure she doesn’t harm herself. You may have to restrain her. Keep giving her plenty of water. I don’t think you will be able to get her to eat anything, but you can try. The fever will get bad, so you will have to do whatever it takes to keep her cool.”
“Is there anything I can do for her pain?”
“No amount of painkillers in the world will dull what she is going to go through. When was she bitten?”
“Last night. Her symptoms started this morning. She’s feverish, grumpy and in and out of consciousness. She says her wound is burning. She’s also very thirsty and has been drinking a lot of water.”
“It’s good that she’s keeping up her fluid intake. It will take three days to go through the full change. Count today as day one. You have two days of hell left, and if she makes it through she will survive.”
“Thanks Nick.”
“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”
Eric disconnected the call and grabbed the supplies out of the SUV before heading back to the cabin. Nick might not be too optimistic about her chances, but Eric had to hope she would be different from the other females who’d been through the change. She wasn’t fully human, and as he’d told Samara in the car, they had to believe it would be her demon side that would save her.
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for Eric to get back to the cabin. He had just walked in the door and put the box of food on the table, slipping the eggs into the fridge, when the screaming started. He ran to the living room and discovered Samara lying on the sofa, curled up into a ball. Her injured arm was pressed against her chest, her face tight with the excruciating pain she was in. He wanted to draw the pain from her, to take it into his own body and experience it for her. He reached out his hand to touch her.
“Stay away from me. Don’t touch me, it makes it worse when you touch me,” she cried as she cringed away from him, and he slowly drew his hand back. He swallowed past the lump that formed in his throat at seeing her shrinking away from him.
Keep it together man, he thought, then crouched down so he was level with her face.
“I only want to help you. Please Samara, just let me help you.” He kept his voice soft as he tried to get her to understand, but still she drew away from him. She needed to be in a more comfortable position than her current one on the sofa. He had to get her to the bedroom where he had more room to work to get her fever down.
“Samara,” he began, keeping his voice as gentle and as soothing as possible. “I’m going to carry you to the bedroom. I know it’s going to hurt but we need to do this. You’ll be more comfortable on the bed. Please baby, you have to let me help you.”
He looked at her tight, white face and felt relief when she nodded. After pulling the blanket from her and tossing it aside, Eric eased one arm under her back and the other under her knees. He closed his ears to her whimpers of pain, knowing he had to hurt her to get her to the other room. His jaw clenched when she cried softly in his arms, the sound of it and the feel of tears dampening his shirt piercing his soul. Trying to walk without jostling her too much, he carried her to the bedroom and slowly eased her onto the bed. As soon as he let her go, she curled into a tight ball, her body rocking back and forth on the bed. Remembering what his brother said about making sure she drank lots of water, he went to the kitchen for a jug and a glass.
“Drink this,” he said once he returned to the room, handing her the glass as he sat beside her on the bed. He helped her sit up and she drank the water greedily. She lay back down, and Eric could feel the heat radiating off her body. He had to keep her cool, so he returned to the kitchen to fill a basin with cold water, stopping in the bathroom to retrieve a cloth on his way back to the bedroom.
“Baby, I have to cool you off. The fever is too high, so I’m going to undress you.”
Eric eased her clothes off, trying to spare her as much pain as he could. He felt every pain-filled noise she made like the lash of a whip against his skin. When she was bare before him, he dipped the cloth in the water and ran it over her heated skin. He repeated the process until her skin felt cool to the touch and she shivered. He helped her get under the covers, and he knew the pain of his ministrations had been too much for her when she lost consciousness.
Eric dumped the basin out in the bathroom sink, setting it aside knowing he would need it later. He didn’t fool himself into believing that this would be as bad as it got. Things were going to get a lot worse, and he only hoped he had enough strength for both of them to get her through his. He returned to the bedroom, easing under the covers next to Samara, holding her trembling body against him. He closed his eyes, willing himself to rest.
ERIC WOKE A SHORT TIME LATER, disoriented for a moment, unsure of where he was or what was going on. It came back to him in a rush. Samara’s attack, their hurried flight to the cabin, the wolf stalking them and her going through the change. He ran a tired hand over his face and stiffened when he heard a low growl beside him. He looked over at Samara and saw her eyes narrowed to glowing red slits, her teeth bared. Her skin flashed a mottled silver before returning to its normal color. He eased away from her.
He knew what was coming and he was able to catch a hold of her when she lunged for his throat. She snapped and clawed at him, and as much as he didn’t want to hurt her, he had to restrain her before she did any damage to herself or him.
He managed to pin her arms above her head as he straddled her, pressing his body weight against her. Bucking and thrashing beneath him, she tried to dislodge him, but he held her fast.
“I’ll kill you!” she screamed at him and he knew she was out of her mind with the changes going through her body.
“Samara, calm down. It’s going to be alright. No one is going to hurt you,” he said quietly, trying to speak as softly to her as possible, but it didn’t make any impression on her. She continued to struggle against him, and he had to exert considerable force, trying desperately to get her to remain still.
One of her arms escaped his hold, and her sharp nails raked across his cheek, leaving a burning trail. He watched, as if in slow motion, as a drop of his blood dripped off his face and splashed onto her lower lip. Her tongue darted out, sweeping it into her mouth.
A low rumble started in her chest as she tasted his blood, and he knew it was fuelling a bloodlust within her that would only increase her strength. She bucked and twisted, throwing him off her. He landed in a heap on the floor before springing quickly to his feet. Shoving him aside, she darted past him out of the room. Eric took off after her, wanting above all not to let her leave the cabin in the state she was in. He tackled her to the floor and held o
nto her as she screamed and struggled against him. His hold was firm, even as she raked her nails down his arm.
Ignoring her howls of anger, Eric held her for what felt like hours. Finally she stopped struggling, her body finally exhausted. She was limp in his arms when he scooped her up and carried her back to the bed. She looked up at him, her chest rising and falling with her labored breaths, her face a study of heart-breaking confusion. Reaching up to trace her hand over the bloodied furrows on his face, she let out a strangled sob.
“I hurt you, didn’t I? Why did I hurt you? I saw myself do it, but why? I’m so sorry,” she said, her breath shuddering. Eric pulled her to him, smoothing his hand down her naked back. Her skin was covered in sweat and he hoped her exertions hadn’t elevated her temperature.
“It’s okay, I’m fine. It wasn’t you, it was this change that is going on inside you,” he said, trying his best to calm her, to make her see she could not give in to despair.
“The thoughts in my head, they’re telling me to do awful things, to fight, to get away…” She pulled away from him, cradling her head in her hands, her body curled into a ball. “Why am I doing this, Eric? Please make it stop. Make the hurting stop.”
She sobbed quietly and Eric reached to hold her, sick to his stomach that this was all he could do for her. He’d never felt so useless in his life. She was his woman and he could not protect her from this, could not take her pain away, could not make the fever in her blood and brain stop. His blood ran cold when he heard her speak again.
“Kill me, Eric. Please. I can’t take this anymore, kill me…”
“Samara, that’s just the pain talking. You’ll get through this. Don’t give up on me. I need you to be strong, to hold on for me. I can’t lose you, not now when I’ve only just found you.”
“I don’t think I can be strong anymore,” she whispered, her voice so weak that he wanted to shake her, to infuse her with the force of his own strength.