Origins

Maddie-- part 2

I scream and he covers my mouth and pushes me against a wall or house or something.

"Let me go." I mumble through his hand and try kicking him.

"Oh but you're so pretty."

I recognize his face... the criminal!

I struggle and try to get away desperately.

"I don't think so." William Price grabs my arm and throws me to the ground. I hear a low growl from behind me and see the man turn sharply.

"Come out little doggie." The words glide elegantly off his tongue and into the air. He definitely sounds mad and completely sane at the same time. He drops to his knees and I know I should move, but I am frozen in terror and curiosity.

He makes a small moan of pain and transforms into a creature of claw and brown fur.

I gasp and try to hold in a scream. I don't want that thing's attention on me. Red eyes appear through the darkness and a wolf pounces on the wolf who was just a man.

The wolves bite and claw and tear at each other's throats until the new black wolf throws the brown one against the wall. A scream escapes me and the brown wolf locks his gaze on me. There is no way I'm making this out alive.

The black wolf tries to get to William but he is too fast. He opens his jaws to bite me in the throat or head or something vital, but I move enough and he catches my leg with his teeth.

They hardly scrape my leg but he tries again, this time sinking them deep into my skin. I yelp in pain and the black wolf bites William's neck viciously and he goes motionless. He transforms back into a man, lying dead on the ground.

I am breathing heavily as the blood pours from the bite and the black wolf approaches me. He sniffs the wound and I back away quickly, the pain shooting through my whole body.

"Please don't hurt me." I beg.

The wolf cocks his head and walks into the shadows, practically invisible.

I hear a growl and a man appears from within the shadows. Another monster.

"Ah! Get away from me!" I yell, helpless.

"Stop, you're going to hurt yourself." He commands. His voice is kind and tough at the same time. I breathe and he look at my injured leg.

"May I?" He asks.

I hesitantly nod and he bends down.

After a moment of inspecting it. He takes off his navy blue shirt, tears it into pieces, and wraps my leg.

The fibers cling to the broken skin and it stings, but at least it won't be as exposed to the elements.

Why would this beast help me?

"Why are you doing this?"

"I see a young lady who just got attacked and I am questioned for helping her? Absurd." He smirks.

I hesitate to smile back.

"What are you?"

"Lycanthrope. And soon you will be one too."

"What?! How?"

"He bit you? Did he not?" He looks at me skeptically.

"Well, yeah, but is it like a disease?"

"More of a curse, but transferred like a disease."

I nod and start feeling drowsy.

"No, don't go to sleep. What's your name?" He is trying to keep me awake.

"Maddie."

"Nice name. I'm Jayden. Favorite dessert?"

"Ice cream."

"Yummy, we'll get some after we get you cleaned up."

He picks me up and I lay my head against his bare shoulder.

"Nope. Don't go to sleep." He lifts his shoulder to keep me conscious.

He starts up a jog and then starts to run. He is incredibly fast and very strong. I can tell because of the lack of effort it takes for him to carry me. I don't weigh much and am fairly small, but it should appear a bit harder than this to run while holding someone.

He brings me to an apartment complex and into a room.

He lays me on the bed and hurries out of the room.

He returns with alcohol and a real bandage. He unwraps the makeshift bandage from my leg and wipes the blood off with a damp cloth.

He dabs some alcohol on it to disinfect it.

It stings painfully and I wince.

"Sorry." He apologizes.

After a bit, I am relaxing on the bed waiting for the pain to settle and Jayden comes into the room with bowls of ice cream.

"Awesome!" I excitedly grab it from him and take a bite.

The creamy goodness spreads over.my tongue.

"Mmmmm." He laughs at my enjoyment and I hit him jokingly.

I loose the thought of him being a monster to my happiness.

He sobers up and I am reminded that I am wounded.

"We have to tie you up."

His outburst shocks me.

"Why?"

"You're going to turn tonight for the first time since it is a full moon. Newly turned lycanthropes can't resist turning on full moon."

Reality sets in. I'm a monster too now. This isn't some fun escape from my crappy life, this is my new life. It's full of monsters and death.

"Help me. Cure me." I plead desperately.

"I can't, it takes about a week long process for it to cure and it has to be before the next full moon. There is no time. You will change tonight."

He takes a rope out from under the bed.

"But-" I start.

"This is the only way. You will have such hunger for destruction and no control over yourself."

I resign to the fact that he will be tying me up, and hold out my hands.

"I'm going to tie you like a wolf so that it isn't painful when you change."

I nod and he takes my hands, wraps a strip of cloth around my wrist to protect from rope burn, and wraps the rope around them together tightly.

He takes my feet, carefully handling the injured leg, and ties them together as well. He strings another rope around my waist and ties it to the left side of the bed. He ties the end of the rope holding my hands to the top right bedpost and the one holding my feet to the bottom right bedpost.

This is probably more comfortable for a wolf than spread eagle but I just feel so constricted and I need to move. I am beginning to get the helpless feeling and I can't move. My fear of him leaving me here sets in.

"Jayden! Promise you won't leave me?"

"I promise."

I trust him enough to believe him and close my eyes and let fitful sleep consume me.