Shifters

Chapter 22

Memories of that day came flooding back into her. The feelings of terror, knowing someone was in her house. Running out to the edge of her yard. The rage and anger she felt. This man was her intruder. This man violated her space. He threatened her kids. Made horrible and rude comments. Oh!! He was right here strapped to this bed!

Her fists curled up at her sides.

"You," she breathed it out as a whisper. "You were in my house. You said those vile things about my children." She felt herself shaking. Oh control, Jared said she had to have control. She didn't want to go back into that room anytime soon. But he was right here!!

She heard herself growling. She tried so hard to keep the control in place. And she was afraid she wasn't going to be able to.

"I'm sorry Lydia," he said softly. That surprised her. She looked at him and he looked sick somehow. She felt his pain coming off of him in waves. Felt the sorrow and the sadness. It felt like it was flooding her system.

"I'm sorry I said those things. If I could take them back I would. If I could change it I would. I'm sorry," he looked at her with sad eyes.

He looked like the same man that was at her house. But somehow this wasn't. He looked broken and used. She felt sorry for this creature. She unclenched her fists. Her shoulders relaxed.

"Why," it was a simple question.

"I had no choice, I was forced to."

She studied him for a minute. He did look different somehow. He smelled odd too.

"Why does he smell weird," she asked. It sounded like a childish questions but he really did smell funny.

"He's a vampire. They have distinct smells. Usually like death and decay. And if they've fed we can usually smell the blood on them as well," Jared told her.

"No something else. I can't put my finger on it," she walked to the head of the bed where Petro was. She must have looked weird because she leaned over and sniffed him. She worked her way down, his neck, his chest and she hit the abdomen and smelled it. Right there something was right there and it smelled different,

She pointed her finer to where she had smelled the odor. "There, whatever it is its strongest there."

Petro looked down. That was where a lot of his pain was coming from. It seemed to radiate outwards but he never really noticed it.

The doctor in the room came over and felt around where Lydia had pointed to.

"I don't feel anything," he commented. "We'll run some more test thou to be sure."

Lydia reached up and touched the spot behind her ear that had been cut into before. It was just a smell scar now barely even noticeable. She backed away from Petro.

"It's one of those things," she said softly. She looked at Jared. "It's one of those things."

"Quarantine the room, get the scientists that have the other one up here now and get that out of him." He grabbed Lydia and dragged her out of the room. He knew this was a mistake. What the hell where those things?

Lydia was pulling her arm, "Jared, Jared tell them not to hurt him. Make sure he doesn't feel anything."

"For god's sake Lydia he's a damn vampire!" He barked.

"I don't care you make sure!!" And she stomped past him down the corridor.

He sighed yet again. She was going to get lost. She had no idea where she was going. He followed after her calling her name. Damn woman was going to get him fired.

She ran down the halls now. Faster than he thought she could. She stopped and tried to jerk open a door.

"Honey they only open if you have a card," he said as he reached her. She was crying he realized. He reached out and pulled her against him. She fought him, tried to hit him. It wasn't doing much. She finally stopped and just cried. It was too much and she didn't understand what was happening to her. He stroked her head and ran his hand down her neck and back. She still felt good. Warm and soft. She smelled sweet, like honey. That was probably why he called her that, he realized. She finally stopped and pushed away from him.

"I'm sorry I don't know what came over me. I don't usually cry," she sniffed and wiped away the tears on her face.

"Well I think you're an Alpha. I've seen several male Alpha's but never ran into a female one.. Although now I suspect it seems a bit deeper than what Carnope suspected," he said warily.

"What? Like a pack leader or something? Do I get to have a bunch of dogs under my command and all that? " She asked with some sarcasm.

"No," he chuckled, " Alpha's aren't like in a dog pack. We're Alpha's because we have heightened senses, abilities that the other shifters don't have. But from what I have seen I suspect it runs a bit deeper. We were making sure we were right before we went off and told you something that wasn't true. Especially after finding out you were a shifter." He watched her.

"Wow I'm just amazing aren't I? A regular freak show," she shook her head. Does this ever end? She knew she had some deeper connection that most people had. She knew when people were upset. What some people were feeling. She knew when something was wrong. It saved her that day in her house when she felt threatened. She always thought it was instincts. But then again it probably was ... just a super version of them.

She shrugged. Whatever, she wondered what else she could do that they hadn't told her about.

"So what else does can this freak do?" She was grinning.

Jared wasn't sure how he should react. Apparently she found it all funny. Most females would be crying and denying everything. Or they would have just plain lost their marbles. But not Lydia. She took it all in stride and laughed.

He tried to keep a serious face on. She wasn't the only one that could torment people. Carnope told him about her little pranks she played on the scientists down in the Control Room to pass time. He had grinned about it when he heard.

"Well there was one more thing we didn't want to tell you about. We were too worried about it," he concentrated all his being on staying completely serious.

She sensed something in him. He was holding something back. Now she was worried what other freaky thing was wrong with her? What she grew horns too? She saw him trying not to grin.

"Oh you!! That's not even funny you jerk!" She punched him in the stomach. But not hard.

He laughed. That was too easy. He's going to have to cause some havoc of his own now.

"What are we going to do about Karra?" She was worried. With that collar on Lydia was the only way she could communicate. She wondered who else she could help. She felt important.

"Once the vampire has been cleaned."

"Petro," Lydia interrupted.

"Once Petro has been cleaned," he started again, "then we'll bring him in to see Karra."