Running From Forever

by K. Aten

  Keller took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair nervously. “When I arrived at the club, Louve had Sarah locked in the apartment to prevent her from harming others. She had lost control with one of the troupe members a few days ago so Louve wasn’t taking any chances. Once I went inside, she left a few guards in the hallway just in case I couldn’t get through to Sarah and help her. Unfortunately, one of the guards was a newly turned wolf with poor self-control. He panicked when you rushed him and lashed out. You were thrown into the wall and knocked unconscious.”

  Jesse looked back at her with confusion, then turned her gaze toward her girlfriend. “Babe? I feel fine. I don’t even have a headache. Why do you all look like you came from a funeral?”

  Annie moved over to the arm of the chair and perched on the edge. “Hon, the werewolf didn’t just throw you against the wall, his claws raked across your ribs. It’s just like the movies, J.”

  Jesse’s breath came out in a rush and she sat back in the chair, pizza forgotten. She looked down at her side, even lifting the shirt and stared at the perfectly smooth skin. Her first instinct was to think they were playing a practical joke but she quickly changed her mind. Just the look on their faces and the feeling in the room convinced her otherwise. “Wow. So I’m a—a werewolf now?” She looked up at Keller, knowing the older woman would have the most real answer.

  Keller nodded. “Yes. You’ve been infected with the werewolf virus. Some of the stuff from the movies is true but other stuff is totally incorrect. Your change is linked to your emotions, which are heightened by the full moon. You will change at the first full moon, or if your emotions get out of control before that. Once you make it through the first few full moon changes, you should have enough control that you can prevent it in the future. The important thing is to stay calm and in control until you get through the first change. Good so far?”

  The look on the new werewolf’s face was one of awe and trepidation. “Wow. Yeah, it’s a lot to take in but I’ve got it so far. Keep calm and ‘wolf on’.” Despite the life-altering news being thrown at her, Jesse still had a sense of humor. “You wouldn’t want me to ‘hulk out’ or anything.” Hearing her words, Annie began to laugh but it quickly turned into a sob. Jessie immediately threw the pizza box on the coffee table and pulled Annie into her lap. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. We’ll be all right, we just need to get through this together.” She suddenly had the frightening thought that maybe Annie wouldn’t want to be with her now. “W—we are together right? You still want to be with me like this?”

  Annie began crying in earnest and threw her arms around the other woman’s neck. “Of course I do you, big idiot! We’ve got this, and I’m in it until the end, I promise!”

  Sarah and Keller came over and crowded the two women in the chair. Sarah summed it up for them. “We’ve all been through a lot of changes recently but none of us is alone. We’re all a team, we’re family.”

  Chapter Eleven

  ON KELLER’S SUGGESTION, Jesse found a nearby yoga class, and she and Annie started going twice a week. She stressed that it was just as important for Annie to remain in control of her emotions because Jesse’s new sensitivity would pick up on her lover’s distress. The basement renovations were completed in eight days and it looked better than before. Keller had them do a full remodel with reinforced walls and windows. The stairs were replaced with steel steps, and the basement door was strengthened from the inside. Even the bathroom had been updated and Keller took the luxury of having the builder install a Jacuzzi tub for the young couple. Another new addition was at the opposite end of the basement. She instructed the contractor to build a bedroom with large steel eyebolts added to the wall and floor on the side of the room that didn’t have a window.

  The four women had fun shopping for new furniture and other accessories to finish out the new room. Keller purchased the chain and thick buckled leather straps separately a few days later. Sarah was at her studio with a client while the remaining three of them had been arranging things downstairs. Keller surprised the other two when she made one more trip to her car and returned with the chains. Jesse’s first signs of fear didn’t show until she saw Keller attaching the heavy lengths to the eyebolts. Annie took one look at her girlfriend’s face and went to her side. While rubbing Jesse’s back, she looked at her boss. “Keller, is that really necessary?”

  “The full moon is in three days.”

  Annie shrugged. “Yeah, but we’ve been going to yoga like you said and Jesse hasn’t been even close to losing control since she was infected.”

  Keller gave them both an inscrutable look. Then she grabbed their hands and led them over to the bed. “Listen to me. She is new, therefore she will be especially vulnerable and sensitive by the time the full moon comes. There is no stopping this first change and once the pain hits her, she’ll be out of her mind. She will either draw into herself when the pain hits or she’ll lash out. But no one knows what she’ll do until the change hits her.”

  Jesse stubbornly lifted her chin. “I’m right here, Keller, don’t talk like I’m not. And I can handle it. I’m not your average keyboard jockey you know!”

  The bar manager had to convince the younger women of the danger of not being prepared. She wished Sarah was there, thinking they would be more likely to listen to the singer. But she wasn’t, so that left Keller no other choice. In a flash of movement that was too fast to see, Keller grabbed Annie and backed across the room. She held her from behind and bared fangs to the younger woman’s neck. Like a light switch being thrown, a black cloud of anger came boiling out of the new werewolf. “Leave her alone!” The last word came out as more of a growl and left her bent over. She cried out as the pain hit, emotions immediately spiraling out of control. Keller quickly released Annie and sent every bit of energy she could to Jesse to help calm her before the change fully took hold. The effect on the woman was instantaneous and she dropped to a knee as all the tension drained from her body. She panted from the few short seconds of exertion and pain, sweat dotting her upper lip. In a small voice, the strong young woman broke Annie and Keller’s hearts. “You’re right, I’m so sorry. I thought I was in control. I thought I could handle it—” She started to cry brokenly and Annie sank to the floor with her. She rocked her lover as she tried to calm her down.

  “Shh, it’s okay, J. Everything is going to be okay. Let’s just get through this first time, all right? If Keller says it will get better after this then it will. I trust her. I love you, Jesse.” She continued to hold her and Keller used the opportunity to back out of the room. Annie could take care of her for now.

  FRIDAY WAS THE day before the full moon and Annie and Jesse were simultaneously excited and anxious to be starting a four day weekend. They spent the day together watching movies and being silly to help alleviate Jesse’s worry. Keller recommended that Jesse not work the day before her change and also suggested she take a few days off to recuperate after. Everyone had their schedules cleared for the next four days. Annie was going to miss one of her Sip and Chug shows that night but it couldn’t be helped. Keller put Bruce in charge of the show and made sure she had all the necessary staff covering for both of them since she would not be there the entire weekend either. The plan was for the four of them to have dinner together Saturday night and then Jesse would go down and get locked up before the full moon could rise.

  But no matter how much they tried to pass the time with fun distractions, Jesse was a bundle of nerves by dinner the next night. Keller and Sarah walked into the house with bags full of Thai Guys takeout and found the younger woman sitting in the overstuffed chair. Her right leg was jiggling up and down at the pace of a rabbit on speed and she steadily chewed the remainder of her already short nails. Duke pushed his way into the room ahead of the two women, excited to come back to a familiar place. As soon as he rounded the short wall separating the living room from the entryway, he stopped in his tracks. The hair of his scruff stood on end as he stared
at Jesse and he growled menacingly. The younger woman’s head whipped around and an alien look shadowed across her eyes when she looked at the Husky. She was immediately up from the chair, answering the canine growl for growl. Duke backed up ever so slightly as she advanced toward the protective dog. Jesse’s lip curled up and her growling intensified. After nearly a minute, the dog finally backed down. Duke gave a whimper and lowered himself to the ground in submission. Keller’s expression was unreadable but her voice held curiosity. “Impressive.”

  Jesse looked up at her, seeming to come out of a daze. She flushed bright red when she realized what she had done. “I— uh—I don’t know what that was.”

  Keller laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. “That was your new normal. There are many things that you’re going to learn in the coming months, Jesse. It’s just you learning to be you, let it happen.” She watched the younger woman’s face to make sure she was taking it all in and nodded. “Come on, go grab your girlfriend and let’s eat.”

  Dinner went well and everyone slowly relaxed throughout the meal. Because of the hell that awaited Jesse later, Sarah had bought her an ice cream cake for dessert since it was her favorite. However, once dinner was complete, Jesse’s nerves began to take control again. Sarah went to help Annie clean up and Keller glanced over at the fidgety woman. “How are you doing over there, J?”

  The soon to be furry younger woman snapped at her. “How the hell do you think I’m doing over here, Keller? I’m freaking the fuck out!” Her hands started clenching where they rested on the table and Keller saw beads of sweat pop out on her forehead.

  She glanced at her watch, then looked up at Jesse. “Come on, Jesse, let’s go downstairs.”

  Jesse shot her a panicked look. “Now?”

  Keller nodded. “Better too soon than too late.” They rose from the table and went into the kitchen where the basement door was located.

  Annie smiled when they came through the doorway. “Hey, are you two here to help with dishes—” She stopped and paled when she saw where they were headed. “Already?”

  Jesse tried to reassure her. “It’s just a precaution. Don’t worry, babe, I’ll be all right.”

  Keller opened the door. “I’m going to buckle her in. Come down when you’re ready.”

  It took nearly twenty minutes before the two sisters finally made their way downstairs. Annie had a minor breakdown and Sarah was quick to reassure her. In the basement bedroom they found Jesse seated in a chair against the wall. The chains were firmly attached to the leather straps buckled at her wrists and ankles. They were long enough that she could get down on all fours or lie down, but not so long that she could reach the bed or other furniture. Keller was reclining on the bed and the two women were watching an episode of Buffy on the flat screen TV on the opposite wall. Sarah joined Keller on the bed and Annie immediately went over to her girlfriend. She stood next to her and ran her fingers through the nervous woman’s hair. Jesse welcomed the gesture but her agitation continued to escalate. Finally, she turned to the woman she had grown to love, the woman she now considered more her family than the ones related by blood. “Annie I—I want you to leave.”

  Annie stopped, a hurt look washing over her face. “What?”

  Jesse tried to reassure her but her movements were hampered by the chains. This only made her more frustrated. “I mean, I don’t want you to see me change. I—I don’t want you to think of me as a monster.”

  The only response to her request was a sweet smile and a not so sweet kiss. It escalated quickly before Annie broke it off. “You will never be a monster to me.”

  Sarah looked up sharply when she felt something change in the air. Keller remained calm, as did the tone of her voice. “Annie, it’s time to come over with us now.”

  The younger woman began to protest but was interrupted by a gasp from her girlfriend. She took a step back and saw that her lover was sweating profusely. Jesse looked up at her with hyperdilated pupils. The pain was starting and she was only able to speak through gritted teeth. “P—please Annie, do what she says!”

  Sarah called her. “Come over here with us, A, Keller says it will be over soon.” Annie found herself snuggled between the older women on the bed. All they could do was watch. Keller observed with resigned guilt while the Colby sisters felt more of a horrified fascination. Keller slid off the bed and coaxed Jesse into standing. She had to remove the chair for all their safety. Once it was out of the way, Jesse slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her head was down but they could tell she was in pain from the way her knuckles turned white. Keller stood off to the side just in case.

  Suddenly, a wet popping sound filled the small bedroom and Jesse screamed in agony. Her head came off her knees and hit the concrete wall behind her. When the next scream was ripped from her throat, Jesse’s arms jerked with the pain. She cried out the only name that mattered to her. “Annie!” Then she pulled herself into a crouch and tried to move toward the bed.

  The chains rattled with the force of her desperate pulling and Annie tried to leave the safety of her sister’s arms to go to her. “Jesse!” But Sarah would not let her go and there was no way Annie could break her sister’s vampire strengthened grip. Sarah held tight to the younger woman and whispered loving words to her until both their eyes were full of tears. Once the change was started, it seemed to move fairly fast. Keller quickly turned up the TV to help drown out the screaming. No one wanted the cops called at this point. Though it seemed like much longer, it was less than two minutes before the last scream morphed into a choked howl.

  Annie sat up, slowly moving toward the edge of the bed. Where Jesse once stood, there was a creature like the ones below the club. Jessie’s wolf form was black furred and roughly the same size as her human one. But she was definitely not human any longer. The werewolf crouched with her back to the wall and stared at her clawed hands. The others in the room watched as she touched her furred arms, and eventually her own face. Her hair was longer and shaggy on her head and down her neck and back. Jesse’s face was slightly elongated with pronounced canines, a flattened nose, and almost too-human eyes. Her ears had changed shape with the rest. Elongated and furred, they sat farther up and back on her head. Jesse’s eyes took in all her changes with something akin to wonder. Keller turned off the TV and spoke, breaking the younger woman free from her curious exploration. “Jesse—” The black furred she-wolf whipped her head up to look at the powerful woman in front of her. The alpha. “How do you feel?”

  Jesse returned her gaze to her own claws, then to her girlfriend and back to Keller. Her voice was raw when it finally came out. It was partly due to the screaming and partly because of her changed shape. “I feel—okay. Strange.” She stood and the rattling of the thick chains sounded especially loud in the silent basement. She once again looked to her clawed hands. “Is this my only form? I thought werewolves turned into a wolf.”

  Keller nodded. “You can and you will eventually become the wolf. The first change is—especially hard. Your body went only as far as it had to, which is normal. When you change again, it will be your choice if you want to go all the way.” She thought for a few seconds, trying to come up with a way to explain what she’d been told. “The first time, all you can think about is the pain and your body stops as soon as possible. That stop is the form you’re in now. It’s like forcing your body to do something new and difficult. When your body gets used to the change, it won’t hurt as much and you will be able to focus on letting it go further.”

  Jesse nodded and looked at all of them. “So how do I look?”

  She got three separate responses in return. “Fierce.”

  “Freaky.”

  “Cool!” The last one brought a smile to her face because it was spoken by Annie. Annie turned to Keller. “Can I touch her?” Sarah gripped her arm in fear but let it go just as fast when Keller reassured her. “You can touch her but be very careful. Her claws are very sharp and sh
e is contagious in this form.”

  The younger woman nodded once then got off the bed and approached her girlfriend. Reaching a tentative hand out, she lightly stroked along Jesse’s arm. A delighted smile came over her face. Looking back at Sarah, she exclaimed “She’s so soft!” Wary of the claws, she turned Jesse’s hand over in her own and traced the length of each finger. The look on the werewolf’s face could only be described as adoration. When she was finished with her hand, Annie moved fingertips up her girlfriend’s arms then to her neck and face. There was a point where the hair thinned and eventually stopped part way up her chest and neck, leaving Jesse’s face smooth, if strange. The shape of her face vaguely resembled something that would become a snout, and her brows were a little heavier and more pronounced. While Annie lovingly traced the lines of her lover’s face, Jessie inhaled Annie’s scent and committed it to memory.

  Jesse made a joke that was rooted firmly in insecurity. “What do you think, am I ready to enter into the Westminster Dog show?”

  Annie looked into her lover’s worried brown eyes and immediately understood the meaning behind the attempted humor. She let all the wonder and love she felt color her words. “You look beautiful.” Then, before Jesse could respond, she leaned forward and kissed her gently on the thinned lips. This prompted the werewolf to wrap her arms around her, trapping Annie in her furred embrace. Both women ignored the heavy chains, and Annie giggled. “Wow, you’re really warm and cuddly like this!” Her words made them all relax and Keller blew out a sigh of relief.

  The two younger women eventually slid down the floor next to each other. Annie couldn’t seem to stop petting Jesse, much to the werewolf’s chagrin. Jesse finally met Keller’s amused eyes. “Um, so how long do I have to stay like this?”