Mate Massacres

Chapter 28

Krey didn't dare open his eyes. The transformation sped up. His clothes exchanged with fur, his muscles tore and stretched and reshaped, his hands and feet turned to paws with huge claws, and his face distorted until he had a snout, sharp teeth, and floppy ears, one brown and one black.

He inhaled deeply, waiting for the pain to subside. Francis didn't say a word. Judging by her wide-eyed expression, Pip had seen the whole transformation.

Krey slowly turned his head.

Pip stood a few metres away. He had dropped Krey's phone in the snow.

Krey's red eyes trailed up Pip's tense body, and to his face. Krey's heart shattered. Pip looked horrified. His mouth hung open, and his eyes were wide and unblinking.

Krey could hear Pip's heart smashing in his chest.

Say something, Francis. Say something.

No other sound travelled with the wind, apart from Pip's feet in the snow as he edged back a single step.

If silence could hurt, Krey would be rolling in the snow, whining. Say something, Francis. Krey didn't want to move. Pip paled enough for his skin to match the white ground. He'll faint if I move.

Francis shuffled on her feet behind Krey. Pip didn't like the movement. His hands trembled, and his eyes watered.

I'm making him cry. No. No. No. Krey almost whimpered, but he stayed as silent as he could, and as still as the trees around them.

"Pip," Francis finally said. "Don't be scared." Francis stepped closer. "I know that what you just saw was... strange and-"

Pip turned and ran.

Krey wanted to run after him and pin him down and rub his fluffy head all over him until Pip calmed down. Krey also needed to give Pip space to be alone with his thoughts.

Francis hurried through the snow and Krey growled lowly. Francis stopped immediately, understanding his message to leave the human alone.

Krey lowered his head, listening to the sound of Pip's hurried footsteps fading and fading until he heard nothing at all.

Pip could barely see where he was going. The tears in his eyes made the world blurry. Pip didn't care if he was going in the wrong direction. All he wanted was to get far from what he had seen in the woods.

Pip was soon at his garden fence. He didn't look behind him in case the wolf followed. Pip flung himself over the planks of wood and fell heavily on plant pots.

He didn't stop to catch his breath. Pip weaved quickly through the garden and into the kitchen. Luckily, everyone was in the living room, so Pip could sneak to his room without them seeing his tears, not that they would care.

Pip was teetering on the edge of a breakdown as he shut the door to his bedroom. With his back to the wood, Pip sank to the floor.

His shaking hands tried to dry his eyes.

Pip couldn't get the image of Krey out of his head, kneeling in the snow... changing.

Pip covered his face and sobbed into his knees. Seeing Krey that way had shaken him to the point where Pip thought he would faint or go mad. Pip's entire world turned upside down in seconds.

He pushed his face into his knees until his breakdown came and went.

Pip rocked back and forth, gently soothing himself into a calmer state of mind. When he was ready to stand, he used the door to help his shaking legs. He felt like a mountain on stilts.