Shape-Shifter's Promise

Chapter 9

 I was barely conscious when I felt someone holding my hand. I wouldn't have noticed it if not for the fact that the person holding my hand squeezed it gently. As I became more and more aware I recognized familiar scents. I realized after a moment that the smells were from Seth's room.

“Mercy?” Seth asked.

“Siobhan?” Percy asked at the same time.

I then realized that we were waking up. I could still feel the mind-link and felt Siobhan begin to awaken with me. Suddenly, all the memories of the pain from the earlier shifting incident, rushed out and attacked me. The same thing was happening to Siobhan. I didn't realize until after a moment, that I was shaking my head side to side and shouting. These memories were like a bad nightmare that you couldn't wake up from. I felt my body thrash and twist as if it was trying to escape the memories. Then, I heard shouting, two female voices.

“No! No! Stop! N–– ” The shouts were cut off by painful cries.

It took me a minute to realize that it was Siobhan and I shouting out. I felt two strong pressures on my thrashing body, two hands on my arms and two on my legs, holding me still.

“Shh...hush, Mercy it's okay. Shh.” Two familiar voices said.

I shot up with a gasp and the binding hands disappeared. I was looking around, frightened, and noticed Siobhan shoot up into the same sitting position as I was, with the same gasp I had done. We were gasping in unison. That's when I noticed Seth, Percy, and Ms. Charsha staring at me. I was on the windowsill where I slept and Siobhan was on Seth's bed, her shoulders tense. Percy turned and stared at Siobhan and started to calm her. I was still in defensive mode when someones hand touched my shoulder. I reacted defensively and back-flipped off my bed and shifted into my wolf-self snarling and growling as I landed. I saw the alarm on their faces a few seconds after I landed. I saw the frightened and shocked expression on Ms. Charsha's face when she saw the real me. I stopped snarling and growling as soon as I saw Seth. I relaxed a lot at that moment. I suddenly felt dizzy and sat down, and just stared at them. I shifted back to human and made Ms. Charsha forget my defensive shift just now and collapsed onto the floor. I was still weak, I guess. Seth came over to me and effortlessly lifted me off the floor and carried me back to the windowsill. He sat down on my bed with me in his lap.

“Sorry about that,” I laughed weakly. “You startled me and I reacted defensively as any wolf would... By the way, I erased my shift just now from your mother's mind.” I whispered to him.

He laughed and kissed my forehead.

“Mom, can you go get the girls some water?” He asked.

She nodded and left. I turned to look out the window and saw the full moon in the sky. This confused me.

“How long were we out?” I asked and turned to look at Seth.

“All day. We were scared out of our minds that you weren't going to wake up.”

“What scared him the most was those nasty cracking noises and that earsplitting scream of pain that you let out, it showed on your face to.” Percy added.

“Yeah, and what scared him the most was when Siobhan screamed an identical scream as yours and her face showed the same pain you had.”

“I...I don't know what happened. I've never been hurt when I shift. I don't know. But, I want to try one more time. Maybe it was just my body reacting to being stretched out so much.” I said as I looked back out the window. I felt stronger under the moonlight, especially during a full moon. I've always felt that way even when I was normal.