Chapter Sixteen

Cassie

"Cassie?" Eric's voice fills my ears, laced with concern. I feel the dampness of the towel pressed against my skin. "Does the cold water help?"

"Mhmm." I groan lightly, writhing in pain. My mind slips in and out of consciousness. It feels like I'm floating in a sea of darkness. My mind is constantly torn between my wolf and my human mind.

I've been like this for maybe days or weeks now, I can't tell. It's been an unpleasant experience so far.

I'm constantly throwing up, unable to keep food in my stomach. Eric tells me that Jeremiah says my body is trying to get rid of some toxins. Well, I wish it didn't have to be this uncomfortable.

My wolf howls in my head, itching to be let out.

"I know you want to come out, but I don't know how to let you. I didn't even know you were in my head," I whisper pathetically in my head.

If only I wasn't so weak... my subconscious rears its ugly head again. I mentally shake off the dark thoughts threatening to consume me.

My wolf howls again, making my head throb. Fuck! So impatient.

I can feel my bones shifting beneath my skin, the pain tingling up my spine. I press my lips together, not wanting to make Eric more worried by screaming in pain.

I feel so hot and so horny at the same time and so does my wolf, apparently. It's desperate to sleep with Eric. We both are.

"Fuck, you're getting hotter." Eric sounds concerned. I can imagine his eyebrows pinched together in concern. My eyelids feel so heavy, like heavy curtains have been draped over them.

My hands flop over the bed, finding Eric's fingers. I slip my hands in his. I can feel his whole body tense up at the skin-to-skin contact.

He's been distant lately, only making sure the heat from within me is bearable to an extent and engaging in little conversations with me to keep me from slipping in and out of consciousness.

My thighs are pressed tightly together, desperately for Eric's touch. I've tried making as many advances as I can possibly make, but he's always turned me down.

Knowing Eric, he probably turned me down, thinking that I'm not in the right state of mind. He's not completely wrong, but I've always been attracted to him and what my wolf does is heighten my attraction to him. But he keeps my sexual advances at arm's length. It doesn't help when the wolf inside of me is horny and can barely keep calm.

My mind travels to the man in the garden. The one I had unabashedly hit on. I spend an unholy amount of my time daydreaming about him, thinking about him. If only I could see him again….

Eric shuffles on his seat, leaning forward, cleaning the sweat trickling from my brow. I can smell a hint of Jeremiah on him.

Jeremiah. He hasn't been here to see me ever since I arrived, probably keeping his distance from me as well. I don't feel bad, though. It's pretty understandable, considering the fact that I might jump his bones once he appears. Instead, I seek comfort in his scent on Eric when he comes to see me.

I want them both, but they aren't welcoming my advances. It is frustrating, maddening even, to be so close to them and yet so far.

My wolf stirs up within me again. This time, she's more angsty and frustrated. Suddenly I feel the room closing in on me. The room suddenly feels too small, too confining.

Claustrophobia claws at my mind, making me desperate to escape. My wolf growls inside of me, feeling the need to run, to feel the wind in my fur, the earth beneath my paws.

"I need to change this water. It's gotten all hot. Hold on. Let me go to the bathroom real quick to change it," Eric announces, the chair making a creaking sound as he goes to the bathroom.

The sound of the faucet running fills the silence of the room, as does the clink of the bowl as he fills it with water. The noise grates on my nerves, adding to the overwhelming feeling of being trapped.

I can't take it anymore. With a surge of strength that I didn't know I had, I get off the bed, walk to the window, and I break it, the glass shattering around me.

The sound grabs Eric's attention. He rushes out of the bathroom. "Wait! Cassie?"

He makes a move toward me, but it's too late. I jump out of the window, the cool air a welcome relief to my fevered skin. Eric appears at the window, about to jump after me, but he seemingly decides against it and runs back inside.

I dig my claws into the wall and slide down, the rough surface scraping against my skin. My gaze falls on my hands. Since when do I have claws? They look so long and strong.

I fall into a dumpster below the window. The impact is jarring, but not enough to stop me. I jump out, shaking off a banana peel from my head. There's one thing on my mind. I need to run.

It's strange. All my life, I've never felt the urge to run. I was too weak for that. But now? Now, my senses are heightened and my bones feel stronger.

I run, feeling the rush of wind against my skin. This feels so amazing. My bones feel so strong and agile. I inhale the warm air, the smell of pine and the woods invading my nostrils. Fuck, this feels so good.

The world somehow looks different now, thanks to my heightened senses. It's sharper, more vibrant. I can see every detail, smell every scent. It is overwhelming, but exhilarating.

As I get to the side of the building, I stop in my tracks. I catch a whiff of that sweet scent again. The scent from the man in the garden.

Where is he? I'm sure it's the same man. I would recognize that scent anywhere.

It's intoxicating, drawing me in like a moth to a flame. My wolf stirs within me, no doubt affected by the scent. I turn and follow the scent, desperate to see him. It leads me to the front of the building. There he is .

I run up to him, my heart pounding in my chest. As soon as his gaze lands on me he lets out his pheromones, the scent enveloping me, calming me.

I feel my body responding to his control as I walk toward him and curl up at his foot, my mind slipping further into my wolf's consciousness.

"There you are, my Omega." His voice soothes my body. "I was thinking I'd have to come find you myself."

His Omega? I don't even know this man's name.

"Oh, you're shifting." He looks down at me, suddenly realizing the state of my body. "Let me help you."

He places his hand on my head and commands, "Shift."

I suddenly feel a surge of power, my body shifting, my bones cracking and reshaping. Fur sprouts on my skin, coating my body. It's painful, but there's a strange relief to it. I'm becoming something more. Something powerful.

My gaze falls on Eric and Jeremiah running out of the building.

Finally, it stops. I look down at myself, my fur is white. What the hell?

The man watches me, his eyes filled with a mix of awe and satisfaction. "Oh, my," he murmurs.