Saving Nicole

Chapter 41: The Animal

Dallas's POV

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Thank Goddess. Thank the Goddess my dad is here. I'm loosing myself. I can't move unless it's allowing my instincts to take over completely. I can barely stop myself. Each time I go to Mark her, I end up dragging my teeth across her neck, barely able to stop myself in time. Why does she do this to me? Why does she make this so hard?

I scrape my teeth against her neck again, shuddering and fighting my urges. And I realize something. I don't want to be unable to talk to her. I don't want to go through this again. I don't want to ache this badly. I don't want to resist.

And then her hands move up slightly from my scars.

I loose it.

I feel myself shuddering again, and Nicole senses it. I've let go. My teeth start pressing harder against her neck, threatening to break the skin. And then I'm taken off of her.

Dad.

He grabs my shoulders, holding me still as I struggle in his grip. I feel like I'm watching myself rather than actually doing all of this. I feel like someone else is doing this. But it's not Shock. It's me. My animalistic side.

My chest heaves from taking so much air in and I stare at Nicole with unfocused eyes until I get my breath back.

She watches me with odd fascination. Or fear. At the moment, I can't tell the difference.

"Stop! I need to Mark her! Let me go! Why did you -? I need - I was going to - stop!" I tug against his grip, the horrible desperation flooding me. I didn't want Nicole to see me like this.

I turn my gaze to my father, growling with my teeth bared. He growls back and shoves me. "Don't growl at me, Dallas! Control yourself! Put your teeth away! This will go away!" I growl again, scratching at wherever I can touch him. My fingers find a part of his arm, clawing until I draw blood. Nicole's presence doesn't help me.

"Nicole! Get out of here!" My father yells. She doesn't move, her eyes widening. Finally she understands what I meant when I said animalistic. "NOW!" She moves, jerking out of her shocked state and rushing for the door. I pull at my father's grip. He's stronger than me.

The door closes and locks on my father's command. He lets go, me rushing at the door and slamming myself against it. My breathing is quick from my adrenaline rush.

"No! No! No!" I drag my hands across the door and try the knob. Someone grabs me from behind, gripping my forearms and slamming me against the wall next to the door.

"Stop it, Dallas! Calm yourself!" He shouts to be heard. When I struggle, he pulls me forward and slams me back against the wall harder. "Stop right now!"

It goes on like that for about ten minutes. Again, I don't feel like it's me actually doing this. I know it is. But rarely do I loose control. Well, I was able to say that before Nicole got me to almost Mark her.

It feels good to let the wolf-me out. No, the wolf-me is not Ictus. It's the animal side of me. Ictus has a human side of him. It comes with being mentally and spiritually bonded with a wolf.

My breathing is fast and scattered as I sag against my father's grip. Nicole's fear-smell drifts underneath the door. So it wasn't fascination. It was fear. This makes me hurt. I scared her. She's going to look at me like I'm an animal.

My father brings up a bean bag, trusting I'm too tired to do anything stupid. As soon as he sets it behind me, I collapse into it, my head rolling back. I pant, slowly feeling my canines shorten. My eyes close and I hear the door open. But I can't stand eventhough her scent is screaming at me. I know she's looking at me.