Lycanidae [CoR chronicle]

4

Heavy metal chains rattled and clicked against each other when the blue feline entered a dark building under guidance and supervision. Her shoulders were high and tensed up as she kept her face low, not liking any part of the new environment where she was told to spend from now on. During the trip that took hours from the trusted Aspira Hospital, she already began missing Lyaa and Shalon lots. Furthermore, she couldn't stop feeling utterly horrible for having attacked the innocent little dragon a few days ago. She hadn't shown her face to either of them during that time. Not that she was able to anyway, but it was hard. Another harsh mistake where she felt like she lost all. Her grief morphed into rage ever since her wrists got locked in those chains. She knew it was all for security, yet she didn't know what the guiders took her for. She could only hope to be able to see her family again, which should be a possibility, right? Tears once again streamed down her face which maintained with an enraged expression as she walked down the alleyway in the tall building. The walls were bricked and painted black, making everything seem and feel much narrower than it truly was. Every now and then piles of chains that were used before would mark the corners where other parts of the halls came together. Nicole felt her whiskers tremble as fear started rising up within her again. Fear of the unknown that haunted this place. No one spoke a word, not even the guiders when they were being informed of her new enclosure. Everything happened non-verbally and Nicole felt as if she was going to be jailed like she used to be. Great. Going through all of this again, she thought to herself. As soon as the four masked guiders took a few sidesteps to show her an unlocked metal gate, verbal communication was used again. "Welcome to your new home," one of them spoke with a deep voice. Nicole got escorted through the gate and as soon as it closed behind her, the chains around her wrists were loosened and removed. Feeling slightly glad to no longer have chains around her arms, Nicole got aware there were no turning back now. She quickly adjusted the fabric from the black singlet she was wearing, it being accompanied by black, cotton shorts that were clearly too big on her scrawny figure. She needed a belt to keep it in place, but as belts weren't allowed in this place either, she got reassured by a long elastic band she could wrap around instead. Not minding her new clothing, despite wondering why the fabric was so loose and thin, she had no choice but to go for a look around. She glanced over her shoulder once more and saw the masked guiders disappeared as fast as water in a colander. It then came to the feline's realization she got placed in an asylum, and not just any...

Nicole meowed out loud when she suddenly got startled by a smaller figure letting out a bark behind her. She sternly turned around and glared downwards at a little anthropomorphic husky boy, who snickered as he covered his snout in mischief. "Don't scare me like that, you little-!" Nicole exclaimed while grabbing hold onto her own tail. "Hehehe! Gotcha real bad there!" said the husky in an obviously young and child-like voice. "I-is that how you treat all newcomers?!" Nicole said, still struggling with calming herself down. "Worry not," said the husky, "I'm not gonna hurt you with any pranks, miss."
"Who are you?" Nicole asked once she felt a little calmer. "I don't know what my real name is as I never knew my parents, but everyone around here likes to call me Chase. I don't mind if you call me that too," the husky spoke with a broad, innocent smile. "Well, nice to meet you, Chase. My name is-," "Nicole? Yup, heard about you," the husky interrupted. "You... heard about me?" she asked. "Yup! You see, we all get informed a few days beforehand when there's a new inmate coming to our place."
"I-inmate?" Nicole stammered while quickly looking around. "We're all inmates here, miss," the husky said, "being a werewolf is a crime active since birth after all."
"W-what?!" Nicole exclaimed. "Shh, you don't wanna wake up the elders in our pack!" hushed the husky boy. "But you were the one barking in the first place!" Nicole whispered. Chase shrugged and smiled once again. Nicole couldn't help but to suddenly think about her eldest son, how chaotic and prankster-like he could be as well. She chuckled and got herself together. "Well, Chase, why don't you explain a bit what is going on here?"
Chase grabbed Nicole's paw and pulled her arm into the opposite direction, only for her to almost trip and follow him around. First the little husky pointed at the middle spot of the large enclosure that had an open roof, with a visible starry sky giving away it was evening during this moment. "Over there is the gathering spot were we all howl after having transformed," said Chase. "Wait... howl? Transformed?" Nicole stopped to look the little husky in the eye who raised one of his brows, "is this a werewolf asylum?" she whispered. "Well duh! That's why you got sent to this place, miss. Can't you remember anything or something?" Chase responded while crossing his arms. "I genuinely have no idea, buddy," she said while anxiously looking around. "Something seems to bother ya, what is it?" Chase spoke. "Oh no, it's nothing..." Nicole answered, "trust me."
Nicole figured it'd be best if she kept quiet about her confusion and apparent misplacement, since her research about werewolves from a long time ago had given her useful information. Back when she didn't know what her condition was about or that it was a rare phenomenon in the first place, she used to research all there was known and written down about werewolves. She used to think she perhaps could be one of them, only for Erin's research to prove otherwise. But back in those days she became more aware of Lycans and their characteristics that appeared to be present within all of them. One of those being the fact they were even more closely bonded as pack than any other supernatural creature and that being the main reason why they valued familiarity above anything. Nicole also knew the entire pack of werewolves that was present here could easily tear her apart if they discovered she wasn't a familiarity they care about so much. She gulped at that thought and decided it was time to lie again, unfortunately.
"I must've hit my head," Nicole said while snapping herself out of her thoughts again. "Oh? Well, that's understandable. All of us had to travel for hours before we got here, so I don't doubt it was the same case for you," Chase said. Nicole mumbled and nodded. "Well, let's get on with the tour," Chase spoke before grasping hold onto the feline's paw again, and the two walked further. "Over here is the place where you receive packages of food in your normal form," Chase pointed at an empty, undecorated bar setup that was turned into a food counter, "and on the other side is where fresh kill gets dumped every three full moon nights for, well, feeding your wolf form!"
Nicole gulped once again when she noticed the pile of bones that were left behind from the previous time. She took a moment to inspect her fellow inmates that didn't seem to acknowledge her presence, but managed to at least get a good look at them. Most of them looked like as if their wolfish traits had really integrated into their normal form, with parts of their body being half transformed rather than turned back. It was a freakish sight, but Nicole could handle it. She knew well about what she could become herself... "So, you basically grab food from the other place three nights a row... when the full moon's out?" the feline asked for affirmation. "Yep, you got it!" said Chase with a smile. Nicole smiled back and started to feel a little more at ease now she had company. "Just- out of curiosity," she began, "why did you decide to tag along with me from the moment you saw my appearance?"
"Oh I like meeting new faces!" said Chase, "besides, all the others are already grown and boring."
"Boring?" Nicole chuckled, "what makes you think I'm different then? I'm pretty much grown myself."
"You just- have a different vibe I guess," Chase responded. "I have a different vibe?" Nicole asked. "Well, yeah! Maybe it's because you're younger than them perhaps? Thirty, is it?" Chase timidly asked. Nicole laughed, "no, sweetie. I appreciate the compliment, but I'm far past that. I'm in my forties."
Nicole chuckled at the face Chase made once he heard that. He then placed one of his paws on his cheek, "are you a mother perhaps?"
"Yes. How did you guess?" Nicole asked while still smiling. "I think that's the explanation for the vibe I felt. I haven't seen a mother in a while, you know..." Chase's expression turned a bit blue. Nicole's ears lowered as her smile disappeared as well and she immediately placed a paw on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You're helping me out a lot in this new place already, let me do that in return," Nicole said as she smiled again. Chase's smile returned as well, and he jumped up. "Awesome!" he exclaimed, "now let me show you the last important bit of this place."
Nicole followed Chase as he showed the dorms. "These individual cells is where everyone stays during normal nights to rest. I hope you don't mind company," the husky explained. "It's- it's fine. I can get used to this," Nicole said with a bit of a tremble in her voice. "Good thing is, if it's hard to get used to, you'll be staying with me!" Chase said while waving his little paws in the air. Nicole chuckled, "I don't mind at all, little one."
Chase giggled and gave the feline a smile once more. Nicole started to appreciate this fellow having bumped into her, despite how much she was missing her home.