The Alpha's Beta

Chapter 8

Warning: In this chapter, things become a little crazy. Hope you enjoy! :)

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I rolled over on my bed, stretching. Then I remembered last night. How did I get home? More importantly, where was my bite? My arm looked perfectly fine to me. Maybe it was just a nightmare? I doubted it, but what else could it be?

I looked at my clock, realizing that it was Saturday. It was 9am, so I got up to get food. I went to the kitchen and grabbed some cereal. Put in it a bowl with milk. (Cereal 101 with Raven). There was a note on the counter, so I picked it up and scanned it.

Dear Raven,
I was called into work today. I'll be there until 8 tonight. You can find yourself some dinner, right?
Love you,
Your loving mother

I swear, my mom is the only person in this day and age that actually wrote that note instead of just texting me.

All of a sudden, I saw the note more clearly. Much more clearly. I could see the grains that the paper was made of, the tiny spots of smudged ink, the tiny areas where fingers had touched. I blinked in surprise, and it was gone.

That was weird.

I shook my head to clear it. And dropped to my knees at the sounds flooding my ears. A banging pounded my skull like a hammer. I crawled to the source, which was the washing machine. I pulled myself up off the ground and hit the stop button. Now that my head was back on straight, I could tell that sounds were a lot easier to hear. What is going on? I could hear birds, bushes rustling, leaves crunching, and in the distance, cars.

When the feeling left, I felt deaf. Unable to really hear anything. There was so much more to the world that I had apparently been missing.

No normal human could hear those things. Heck, just yesterday, I could barely hear my mom yelling at me from her bedroom to mine! So what was happening? Am I going crazy?

I went back to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle. I took a sip, then chugged half the bottle. Apparently, having your head being split open by a metaphorical ax makes you thirsty.

I had to get out of this house. I don't know why, but I do.

I grabbed the door handle and walked out into my front yard. My feet automatically turned me towards the woods, which was okay with me. Except for the fact that two dogs attacked me last night. Any fear I had about being bit again, though, disappeared the instant I stepped into the tree line. I felt more powerful, fearless. My unconscious told me to go home, but my conscious told me to keep going.

Either way, I couldn't stop. So I let my body go where it wanted to. Which happened to be the spot where I may or may not have been bit the night before.

I sat on the stump and waited. For what, who knows?

After a few minutes, the feelings came back. All of them at once. I struggled to understand all of the new sounds and sights.I turned suddenly as I heard something move behind me. Or someone.

Two teenagers pushed aside the bushes and walked over to me. Teenage boys, to be exact. And one of them looked like -

"Noah? What are you doing here? And who are you?" The new guy had white hair and dark brown eyes. Both boys were wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts.

"I am Nikolas Rane, but you may know me better as Nick."

"Um, I don't know any Nicks. I moved here a month ago, but that doesn't mean I know everybody..." I trailed off.

"What Nick means to say is that we're here to help you. We've been through what you're going through right now." Nick told me. Been through what? Crazy?

"Well, Noah has. I was born this way, so I've had all my senses since birth. I'm used to it." Nick said.

"Noah. I'm going crazy, okay? I doubt you've gone through that." I started to back away, but Nick was behind me in a flash. A literal flash. I barely saw him move! "What the -"

"You're not going anywhere just yet, sweetheart."

"Rav, you aren't going crazy. Trust me, I know. I thought the same thing. But then Nick showed me that I wasn't. It was his job to, after all. Since I turned you, it is my job to train you in all things - "

"If you say some supernatural being, I swear I will strangle you." I interrupted.

"Okay, fine." Noah closed his mouth. There was a minute of uncomfortable silence before I realized what was going on.

I sighed. "Fine, whatever. I'm going insane, anyways. I might as well insert myself into your crazy."

"Thank you. As I said, I have to train you to be a Shifter."

"A Shifter of what, exactly?"

"That's for us to find out. It depends on the type of person you are. There are Aquiline, Feline, Bovine, and the most common, Lupine."

"The who to the what now? I know Felines, those are cats, right?" I asked, confused.

"In this case, Felines would be all wild cats, from Lions to Cougars to Jaguars. Aquilines are Eagles, Bovines are Bears, and Lupines are Wolves. There are also Vulpines, or Foxes, but they are rare." Nick explained from behind me.

"So, how do we find out which one I am?" I asked, delving into Crazy Town.

"Like this." Noah said, lunging at me. He Shifted midair, turning into... Nolan? Okay, then. Guess he was a Wolf. And I'm not crazy after all.

"Noah!" I screamed as he knocked me onto the ground. He put his muzzle right into my face, growling and baring his teeth.

As that happened, I felt a change in me. Something was going on, and it didn't seem like it was good.