“You would have attacked the town folk if Declan hadn’t of caught up to you.”

  (‘Scent’ Excerpt Chapter 3)

As I started to come to, I felt myself lying on a cold, hard surface.  I opened my eyes and for some reason the first thing I saw was the side of my bath tub.  I raised my head as I looked about myself in confusion.

I’m lying on the bathroom floor?  What am I doing, sleeping on the bathroom floor like this?  I sat up and when I looked down, I found myself still in my jeans and bra and I was covered in dirt.  My feet and my hands were the dirtiest and my hair was mangy with leaves in it.  I examined my dirty nails, which thankfully looked normal again and I saw that my body was its human size once more.

Slowly I stood up, flinching from my sore neck which felt like I had pulled a muscle, to look on my reflection in the bathroom mirror.  My normal face looked back… Did last night really happen?  My dirty appearance and my missing clothing like my top, confirmed it did. 

I shivered as I hugged myself, as I recalled how the Lokoti Werewolves surrounded me in the woods.  A cold chill shot down my spine as I knew why they had acted that way last night - to stop me from running into town and eating a townsperson.  My stomach pains along with the craving for human flesh must have been the infamous bloodlust I’d heard of.

Then I remembered something else about last night; I had kissed Declan – if you would call that kissing – while we were in Werewolf form.

I KISSED Declan?!  Eugh!  B, are you nuts? You frickin’ hate the guy!  And rightly so, as he was a jerk most days and a complete asshole in between!  Then after he made out with me, by probably leaving more slobber on my face than inside his own mouth, he bloody well bit me.

He bit me!  He knocked me out cold!  But how the hell did I get here, in my bathroom, passed out on my bathroom floor?

I wanted to see my parents and ask them what happened.  However when I walked over to my closed bathroom door and I tried to open it; to my surprise, it wouldn’t open.  It was locked from the outside, which meant somebody had locked me in here. 

I’ve been locked inside the bathroom?  Surely this must be some kind of mistake… 

“Hey!” I cried out worriedly as I shook the doorknob.  “Mum!  Dad!  I can’t get out!”

Just then I heard two voices outside the bathroom door, of Dad and Grandpa talking.

“It sounds like she’s changed back.” Dad said.

“Let’s hope so.” Grandpa said unhappily.

After a moment I heard the door unlock and my father slowly opened it as he looked on warily.

“Dad!” my eyes widened when I saw the fearful expression on his face.

“B,” he said seriously before he and Grandpa stepped aside to let me pass.

I walked towards my bedroom to get ready to have a shower to wash all this dirt off.  But I stopped in my bedroom doorway when I saw Grandfather and Uncle Julian standing in my room, examining my broken window.  Oh shit, I had forgotten about that.

Grandfather and Uncle Julian glanced my way, not looking too happy either.   When I turned around, I found Dad and Grandpa right behind as if they were guarding me.  I looked from them, back  to my relations, confused.

“How are you feeling, B?” Grandfather asked.

“Fine.”

“Do you remember what happened last night?” Dad asked.

I tried to joke, “either I went to one hell of a party,” I inferred my missing clothes and dirty skin.  “Or I turned into a Werewolf last night.”

“Can you remember what happened to the window?” Grandfather asked next.

I vividly recalled Mum’s look of horror on me, her daughter, changing into a monster, yes.  I remember that I felt so sickened at frightening my mother that way that I had to run away from her.  Since she was in the bedroom doorway, the window seemed the only other option.   My eyes watered as I felt everybody’s unhappy expressions which seemed to look on with disappointment.  

Do they always look like this when a new Werewolf is created? Or is it just me that’s earned this? Are they really angry with the way I behaved last night?

“Mum looked at me like I was a monster… the same way you’re all looking at me now.  I couldn’t bear her disgust, so I jumped out the window.” My voice wavered.

“You’re not a monster B.” Dad said sadly as he put his hand on my shoulder.  “But you are the very first female Lokoti Werewolf in the history of the tribe.”

“And you’re a Circulator.” Grandfather frowned. “Last night you ran away from us in the speed of light.”

I did?

“It’s going to make it harder for us to help you control the bloodlust because we can’t contain you.” Grandpa said gravely. 

I looked back in surprise at them before  I echoed, “I ran at the speed of light?”

“You did.” Grandfather verified. “I’ve only seen your mother and your grandmother, other Circulators, move that fast.”

This was news to me!  So last night I didn’t just change into a Lokoti Werewolf, but finally my abilities as a Circulator were also kick-started!  No wonder I was able to outrun them last night. 

“It’s why we had to lock you in the bathroom.” Dad said seriously. “If we can’t catch you, we can’t stop you.”

“Stop me?” I gave him a funny look. “Stop me from what?”

“Bianca, you were running right for Alma.” He said gravely. “You were hunting human.  You would have attacked the town folk, if Declan hadn’t of caught up to you.”

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