Newly Bitten

Prologue

Running. That's all I could think about. Just to get away. I never thought I'd have to run for my life. But it was happening. Right now, I run for my life. Through the trees of the forest. For the last year, I've been in captivity. I was kidnapped. Bitten. Sick. Now as a wolf I ran. My first shift since the bite. I have no clue how to change back. I'm sure I'll figure it out when I can stop panicking.

I can see the gate now. That's freedom! My wolf who was born yesterday as it seems, since I've only just discovered my soul changed into a wolf. She can't speak but she did growl at our creator yesterday. I knew he was dangerous from the moment I met him.

I was trying to brush him off, trying to go about my day. I had angered him. He wanted to make me like him. That sentence stopped me dead. Even now I can still remember that moment...

"I want to make you like me." He whispered. I almost didn't hear him. I stopped in my tracks.

"Like you?" I asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm different. I'm not human." He growled, sounding animal-like.

"If you're not human what are you?" I asked, my back still turned.

"You'll find that out soon enough." He sounded possessive. Like I was his, or something just as absurd.

"Look, buddy." I spat. "I'm going home. I'm never going to see you again, and if I do I'll call the cops on your crazy ass." I span to face him. "And then they'll send you to some psychiatric institution."

He came closer, only inches from me. "Those don't exist anymore, girly."

"Whatever, they'll send you to some sick persons' hospital. I don't know what they have now." I tried to turn away. I really did, but he grabbed both my arms. Harshly. I couldn't move. Paralyzed in fear I stared at him. "Let me go."

I watched in horror as he lowered his head to my ear. "No." He growled. I had a feeling he was going to say that. In my shock, I hadn't realized he had released one of my arms. It didn't last long. He grabbed my wrist, picking it up towards his face. He watched me as he lifted my wrist to his mouth. I noticed his canine teeth elongating and stared in horror as he bit into my wrist under the bone.

It didn't hurt. I was too in shock. "What did you do that for?" I mumbled. Suddenly I was feeling very dizzy.

"I said I wanted to make you like me." He whispered. I fell into him, losing my balance.

"What did you do to me?" I mumbled again, my tongue feeling heavy in my mouth.

"I've given you a gift." He smiled and with that, I passed out.

I should have kicked him in the balls before he could do anything. I should have got free. But had I done that, I wouldn't have this wonderful new part of me.

My wolf, I've been calling her Echo. It suited her since her growls and whines echo in my mind. I feel very connected to her already. I don't know where I've been without her now. It feels like she was always there, in some form.

Finally, I make it to the gate. Now I have a problem. The gate is closed. In wolf form, I will not be able to open it, and it stands a good three feet above my head. Looking around I notice a conveniently placed rock. It looks to sit two feet off the ground. It'll have to do.

I run over to it, leaping onto it. I spin around to face the gate. I'm not even a foot away. I can make this jump. I leap just as I hear a gunshot. It doesn't even register right away. My only thought being freedom. I land on the ground outside of his property. Doing a little dance on my paws I turn to see the man, I believe at one point he had told me his name was Douglas, running towards the gate.

For one moment I feel the fear come back to me, and then I'm running again. Running alongside the road. Hoping no one will decide to hit an animal. Cars whiz by as I run. I'm going at a speed I never thought I would be capable of. I'm almost as fast as a bullet. Not quite, but almost.

I can see a town up ahead. I slow down to look behind me. He's not there. At all. He gave up. Good. I slip into the forest around me. Maybe now I can figure out how to change back. Changing the first time was horribly painful. I can only hope it won't be this time. I stop in a thicket of bushes.

If I do manage to shift, what will I wear? The change had shredded my clothes. I look around trying to find something suitable. And coming up with nothing I trot out of the forest. Maybe someone will think I'm a dog. And if they do, maybe I can go home with them, wait till they leave, and shift. Then I can take some clothes. Or maybe I will find a clothesline. Not common, but surprisingly still an option.

After a while of walking, I decide to run. It'll take less time to get to the town if I run. After reaching the town, I slow to a walk. No point in scaring people.

No one has spotted the big scary wolf yet. That's probably best. If no one notices me, it'll make it easier to find clothes.

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He had been watching her for a few blocks now. From the mall, she seemed to be going home. She smelled so different from other humans. So intriguing, so alluring. He couldn't stand it any longer and put himself in her path.

"I want to make you like me," He whispered, loud enough that only she could hear him. He was almost unaware he'd said it out loud. Indeed, he wanted to turn her, to keep her for himself. She stopped but didn't turn to him.

"Like you?" She asked, barely above a whisper. "What does that mean?" He could hear her heart pick up speed. He decided he would have some fun with her before he took her.

"It means I'm different." He growled. "I'm not human."

"If you're not human, what are you?" She asked, her voice taking on a mocking tone; still not turning around.

"You'll find out soon enough," he played. His voice came out more possessive than he'd meant it to.

"Look, buddy." She spat. "I'm going home. I'm never going to see you again, and if I do, I'll call the cops on your crazy ass!" She wheeled around midsentence to glare at him. "And then they'll send you to some psychiatric institution."

He took a few steps towards her, just inches from her now; all he could smell was her. "Those don't exist anymore, girly" He mocked.

"Whatever, they'll send you to some sick person's hospital." She snarked. "I don't know what they have now." She tried to turn away but he couldn't let her leave. He grabbed both her arms quickly and pulled her closer. She went ridged but didn't fight him. "Let me go." She pleaded.

He lowered his mouth to her ear and growled, "No." He let go of one arm, adjusted his grip and as he pulled his face from hers, he pulled her wrist to his mouth. His eyed never left hers as he bit into her wrist.

"What did you do that for?" She asked, her speech already sounded thicker.

"I said, I wanted to make you like me." He whispered. He tugged and she lost her balance, falling into him.

"What did you do to me?" She mumbled.

"I've given you a gift." He smiled against her hair and felt her go slack.

It had been almost a year since then. He had taken care of his little pet quite nicely. Until tonight. He hadn't expected her to have her first change for another month. He wasn't too upset though. In the last few months, he finally realized why her scent had called to him. She wasn't his to have but she had been his to make. She was young, too young for him; but just young enough that with proper guidance; she could be a fantastic hero. His world needed one too. Things were going belly up in they're world.

He walked to the open doorway, gun in hand, and watched the wolf run across his yard. As she got close to the fence, he fired a shot to the left of the gate; far from her path. She moved faster, more desperate to leave now. Good girl. His part in her story was finished, for now. Time for her to leave him. She leaps over the gate, hitting the ground on the other side. He follows, opening the gate and stepping onto the street. He stands in the middle of the sidewalk and watches her pelt down the path, unbothered by the cars going past.